Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ak Dozanti. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, AK thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
In 2015 I went from being Officer of the Year as a Deputy Sheriff to a very crispy burnout and took the leap to leave fulltime law enforcement. Having entered into law enforcement at just 19 years old working undercover internet investigations, I didn’t know that I entered into the field with a lot of unresolved trauma. I was experiencing burnout, severe depression, post traumatic stress disorder, adrenal fatigue and suicidal ideation.
Despite not know how to do any other job, I left the “sure thing” job and prioritized my own mental health. I then became a criminal court victim advocate and while working fulltime I went back to school and got my master’s Magna Cum Laude in Criminology with a concentration in Victimology. This is where I discovered a deeper understanding of trauma. I also attended a 10 month yoga teacher training to become a registered yoga instructor and dove into multiple modalities of healing like meditation and even reiki. I studied the neurobiology and physiology of stress and trauma and how that affects our first responders. I gained many certifications on additional modalities of healing.
In 2020 I left that “sure thing” job to pursue a bigger purpose. I created Life Saver Wellness to focus on first responder mental wellness. It has morphed into a focus specifically on burnout and has taken me all over the country as a coach, instructor and keynote speaker. Currently I am in the final stages of writing a book on first responder burnout.
AK, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started my law enforcement career at just 19 years old working undercover online investigations, I went through the academy when I was 20 years old. As soon as I finished my undergrad I started working as a Deputy Sheriff. Most of my career was on road patrol on afternoon shift, handling mostly in progress calls. In 2015 I was named Officer of the Year but by the end of that year I was experiencing severe depression, ptsd, and suicidal ideation. This led to my departure from full-time law enforcement and I started working as a criminal court victim advocate.
I was an advocate for a few years and during that time I went back and got my master’s degree in criminology and victimology which opened my eyes to the world of trauma. I also began working on healing myself and completed a 10-month yoga teacher training as well as many other certifications (meditation, EFT, reiki, equine-assisted therapy, etc.) and different types of healing modalities. In 2020 I left my advocacy position and in early 2021 I created Life Saver Wellness.
I now coach individual First Responders, train and agencies and departments and speak at conferences all over the country. I educate on first responder burnout, the byproducts of stress and trauma, nervous system regulation, suicide awareness and prevention, and bringing joy and contentment back into your life.
Most recently I finished my first book, Beat the Burnout: Prevention and Recovery Tactics for Frontline Professionals. I can’t wait to get this into the hands of first responders who are struggling with burnout. I hope to help them spark a new light inside of themselves that shines far beyond the uniforms and badges that they wear.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When I first started announcing that I was going to begin coaching and training, I was invited on several podcasts and I was nervous about telling my story. I was worried that first responders would hear me talking about my experiences and think that I was weak but what I learned was quite the opposite. Within a few weeks I had droves of followers on social media and my direct messaging was filled with people thanking me for sharing my story. People with similar stories to mine that didn’t feel that they had a voice or maybe were not even able to put into words what they were experiencing.
From what I’ve been told, my authenticity and willingness to show up just as I am is what has gained the trust of most people in the first responder world. All too often we wear masks and we don’t want anyone to see our vulnerabilities. But that’s the first thing we look for in people, are they being real? It’s the last thing we want anybody to see in us, our flaws, our shortcomings, our own insecurities.
But if we call out our own doubts, fears and mistakes we find an inner strength in knowing that no one can then use them against us. Trust is what’s behind reputation, and authenticity is what builds trust. Being able to connect and just be human, allowing people to see themselves in you and reflecting back to them their own humanness can sometimes bring out the best or the worst. I’m willing to show up anyway because if we’re all always wearing masks, nobody wins.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
It took me a while to see the pattern but in running and managing my own business I have been able to see clearly that I have the propensity and tendency to take on too much. My brain and my nervous system perform optimally when there is chaos that needs order. When things in my life are in order, my mind and body will search for chaos. When I left full-time law enforcement I thought that my system would automatically regulate itself but what I realized was that working full time and getting a master’s degree wasn’t enough. I was also planning a wedding and took on a 10-month journey of yoga teacher training. I started teaching yoga twice a week and picking up every workshop and certification that I could find. I wasn’t allowing my system to slow down and restore.
Embarking on being an entrepreneur has been no different. There is always work to be done and more to create. What I’ve had to unlearn is the need for urgency. I’ve had to learn how to intentionally initiate stillness. Life happens in moments and if we don’t slow down enough to catch them they will be gone in an instant. Now that I am a wife and a mom, this has become more important now than ever. The hustle in the grind pale in comparison to sleepy eyes and Saturday morning snuggles, giggles on the swing set and backyard adventures. My kids don’t care how many podcasts I’ve been on or the size of the conferences I speak at, their best days with mom are telling stories over a coloring book, testing their fastest trucks and how many smiles can be counted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://akdozanti.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akdozanti/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifesaverwellness/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akdozanti/
Image Credits
Headshots: Alex Denver Photography
Conference (Professional shots): Jessica Mielke Photo Art