Meet Danishka Williams | Creative Project Manager & Plant-Based Transition Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danishka Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danishka, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up I knew I wanted to own and operate several businesses but I was never clear on the types of businesses I wanted to run. I left high school with a passion for the construction industry and applied to university to study Construction Management. The moment I got to university, I realized I didn’t want to put myself into a box so I switched to Entrepreneurship which allowed me the creative freedom to explore different business ideas and test them among my peers ahead of journeying through the work world. After leaving university, I did some freelance work for a creative agency – I ended up working with them full time for a little under a year, then I did some more freelancing within the industry while doing creative work for a political organization. By the end of 2018, I partnered with a friend to open our own boutique creative agency, Wave Media Group Limited. I always knew I would do it, I just never knew when or how. In January 2019, I began my vegan journey and a year later, I decided to start ‘Going Vegan With DanDan’ to help persons who wish to transition to a healthier lifestyle by changing their diet with me as their coach.
One day I may just return to those construction dreams.

What should our readers know about your business?

I operate two businesses so I’ll be expounding on both. Wave Media Group is a female-run Brand Elevation company focused on improving brand position and market share in the PR and Advertising space for our clients. We have recently added a suite of book publishing-related offerings (from editing and formatting to publishing and printing), which has been received well so far. I believe what sets us apart is that we are committed to measurable outputs for our clients who span the political, social impact, entertainment, legal, and health and wellness industries. Our boutique company is deliberately structured to ensure our clients become family, receiving an individualised and detailed eye for their campaigns and the audiences they serve.

I’d say I am most proud of the fact that we have a high satisfaction rate among our clients; they stay and they recommend us to others.  Every waking moment, I learn new lessons about entrepreneurship and running this business but the biggest lesson is probably when and how to SAY NO whenever I/we don’t have the capacity to take on a project or it’s somewhat out of our usual scope. It is always better to say no and pass the project on to another player in the industry than to set expectations that we won’t be able to deliver on.

Wave Media is three and a half years old and we got here through consistency, focus, and dedication. None of it has been easy but we are committed to building and maintaining a successful brand and I want the world to know that we are here to tell brand stories through PR and marketing efforts tailored to suit the unique needs and desires of our clients in both the digital and traditional spaces.

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Going Vegan With DanDan has been a more challenging brand to build because it depends heavily on me being committed to living, looking, and feeling healthy in order for people to trust that I actually am fully equipped to help them to transition to a fully plant-based lifestyle. Additionally, while the world seems to be moving towards embracing health, we are not yet there so I have a mammoth task ahead of me in trying to convince people why it is better to add plant-based meals to their lives.

I believe what sets me apart from others in this industry is that I walk slowly with my clients through the transition from pantry overhauls to building recipes tailored to ensure they don’t miss the foods that they’re trying to remove from their diet to ensure that they stay the course. I got where I am today because I lead a plant-based life and I have family members who have been doing it many moons before me – my grandma has been plant-based for over 20 years and my dad for about 15 years.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this venture is that everyone’s journey is different. Two clients could have the exact same ailment but their bodies react differently and thus require different methods or time commitments. I’d love for the world to embrace healthy living and lifestyles. I believe that you are what you eat and there definitely is power in the foods that we put in our bodies. In 2019, a total of 463 million people were estimated to be living with diabetes – if we were educated about the difference between natural sugar and added sugar and the effects these have on our bodies, the number of diabetics would be significantly less and we can deep dive into the causes of each and every sickness that exists and I’m certain that a high percentage of it is caused by how we treat our bodies.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

For me, the best time ever begins at the beach and I believe the best beaches are in Portland so we’ll be driving from Kingston to Portland and stopping for red peas soup on the roadside in St. Mary (Jamaica has a big street food culture). We will do rafting at the Blue Lagoon or chill at Boston Beach. We’ll grab some food at 21 Roots Bar & Kitchen and head back to Kingston.

We’ll also be taking a drive downtown to see the murals, waterfront, and the structure of the buildings.

We can hang out by Kaya on Lady Musgrave Road and have some pizza (they do vegan too) and end the week with a trip to one of my favourite rivers. I’ll see if we can squeeze n a visit to 9 Mile to do the Bob Marley tour for the culture!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I believe that gratitude is the greatest of all virtues. I would say I owe all my successes to my dad, throughout my life, he has been a constant – the one I try most never to disappoint! But let me take a moment to also shoutout my mom who has always believed in me, my siblings, Matthew, Daniel and Dan-Karl, the rest of my family, my business partner, and my small circle of friends who have encouraged me every step of the way and have never left my side, through it all!
I’d also like to shout out my grade 11 year group supervisor Mrs. Abigail James. She saw me through some trying times in high school and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Website: https://www.danishkawilliams.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DanishkaWill

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danishka-williams-778b29144/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DanishkaWill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanishkaWill

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/DanishkaDanhea

Other: https://www.instagram.com/WaveMediaJa https://www.instagram.com/GoingVeganWithDanDan