Meet Dionne M Lackey of Wholistic Insight Now (“WIN”)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dionne M Lackey.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Dionne M. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been an advocate of health and wellness in various forms. From sports throughout school to running or hiking with friends to starting a Mom’s exercise group back when my son played little league sports. Taking care of one’s “self” has been a priority for me because I need to be well in order to manage the things around me or the things I enjoy. As I got older and began my corporate career, I’d notice some habits of co-workers that would cause me a little concern such as coming to work sick, never taking vacation days, sitting at the desk and rarely taking a break or getting up at all. People were just constantly “on” at all times. I had friends who took work home and never really turned it off or felt like if they didn’t manage the work, it wouldn’t get done. This concept also went beyond the workplace, as I also knew stay at home moms who put everything into their significant other and the kids and barely included themselves on the list of people to pay attention to. There was a time that I too was even guilty of some of these behaviors in my life, but I knew something had to change.

I’ve been “coaching” individuals on how to develop and maintain a self-care routine for over 20 years, but I decided to make it “official” in 2015 when I developed Wholistic Insight Now (“WIN”), where we offer self-care and wellness solutions in the Atlanta, GA metro area. At WIN we are committed to healing, educating and empowering individuals to overall self-care, which means so much more than eating right and exercising. While those things are very important, they are just a few aspects of self-care. My theory is that self-care starts with “you” but it spreads beyond you to meet the needs of your daily living. There is no set “formula” as everyone is different and our needs change. Your routine should be flexible based on what those needs are at that time. There is self-care with the family, with our finances, self-care in the workplace, in ministry, in school and the list goes on. I intentionally spell “wholistic” with a “W” as we take a holistic approach in managing the “whole” you, not just a portion of you.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road by any means. However, even with the hurdles, I see the need is still great, so that helps me to push forward with my brand. I’m a creative, so I have tons of ideas and things I want to do. The initial struggle was narrowing down my focus, as health and wellness is a very broad topic, as is self-care. I had to decide “which” area I wanted to tackle first. The athlete in me wanted to maintain a focus on taking care of the body, as we need that to do everything, the artisan in me said let’s get the product line out to the public versus just your private client list, the speaker in me said let’s push for more engagements, so there was a lot going on in my headspace. At one point, I had to pause everything and sit still, pray and meditate to get the guidance I needed to think about this strategically and put a plan in place that was more manageable for me. It’s great to have many ideas that can be implemented, but as one of my mentors said to me “pick the one thing, then build from there.” I still work through some of that as new ideas come into play, but I am more focused on what I want to accomplish now, yet still flexible with what is ready to move in the now moment. My goal is to maintain some level of discernment along the way, be intentional about whatever I do and most of all, stay out of my own way…the rest will fall into place.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Wholistic Insight Now (“WIN”) story. Tell us more about the business.
As mentioned, WIN focuses on self-care and wellness solutions and that includes workshops on self-care solutions and massage services to keep the body in alignment and functioning at its optimum level. The workshops and speaking engagements span from women’s organizations, corporations, churches, youth organizations, etc. As for my massage and bodywork services, I conduct corporate chair massage for health fairs or individual businesses that offer the services to employees or at special events. The thing I’m most proud of is when people “get it” during the education sessions. Even when I conduct the chair massage events, I educate each client on how to continue some level of self-care maintenance going forward. People are eager to find ways to manage life differently and preserve themselves in all areas of life and I am grateful for my piece in that conversation. What sets me apart is my .passion for self-care and my experience. I started WIN based on my own experience and things happening around me and the lack of education people receive on the subject matter that they can truly put to use without feeling overwhelmed or judged. Nothing is easy, we all have to work at it, but I speak to people in a way that they can reach and grasp a better understanding of what this journey is all about.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t really consider “luck” much, as I’m a spiritual person so I believe that God has things aligned how they should go. Even when I have made detours and I make plans and move in the direction of those plans at the end of the day my prayer is “not my will, but Thy will be done.” I just believe that God’s plan for my life is far greater than anything I can plan for myself. But it is my responsibility to take action. What’s for me is for me and nothing and no one outside of me and God can change that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WINwithDionne.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WINwithDionne/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WINwithDionne/

Image Credit:
Two Cameras and a Brush; TS Photo; Nicole Tyler Photography

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