We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deasa Dorsey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deasa , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

Sure, we’ve all heard about Harriet Tubman and her work with the Underground Railroad. But when I really sit with the magnitude of her work, the depth of her selflessness, her tenacity, her skill, her fortitude, and so much more- I’m completely overtaken with admiration and empowered. Harriet Tubman, birth name Araminta Ross, gives meaning to the term “hero” for me. I simply can’t imagine what it felt like or what she may have endured mentally, physically, or emotionally as she not only escaped enslavement herself but returned 13 times to rescue others! She literally risked her life for the freedom of others and took a hard stand against enslavement not only in her words but in her actions. A true catalyst for change. This is what I aspire to be. A catalyst for change in my words and actions. We don’t often associate Tubman with nursing but she also served as a nurse during the Civil War (as well as a cook and spy). She was both fearless AND nurturing. As I go along my journey as an entrepreneur, as a nurse, as a advocate, I only hope that I display some of the qualities that I take from my ancestor Harriet Tubman. I want to positively impact the spaces that I am in; I want to leave people better than how I met them; I want to inspire others to be the best version of themselves. Freedom. Empowerment. Vision. These are some of ways that Harriet Tubman has impacted me and ways that I wish to impact others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2013 I worked for a company as a Registered Nurse Care Manager and Certified Health Coach with people who had multiple health diagnoses. One of the conditions that stuck out to me the most was diabetes because I was hearing a similar phrase over and over again with all my patients: “I can’t”. Whether talking about what they couldn’t eat or activities they couldn’t do, it sounded really defeating. I knew I had to do something. 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and there are 1.5 million new cases every year. Breaking this down, even more, every 17 seconds an American is diagnosed with diabetes. Words have an effect on how a person feels, and from there, how they behave. I knew I had to reinstall empowering language surrounding diabetes in order to bring hope to living healthily, so I created iCan Health. iCan Health is an organization with a simple goal: to remind you, that you can and empower you to reach your optimal state of health. We take a holistic approach, to the mind, body, and spirit. One of the ways we do this is with the iCan Manual: My Simple Manual For Living With Diabetes. This consolidated, easy-to-read tool is for those that have been diagnosed with diabetes and also has been effective in various settings such as classes, workshops, and seminars.

You won’t find another manual like the iCan Manual. The iCan Manual is an easy-to-read, less than 40-page colorful tool that offers general need-to-know information for diabetes self-management. The iCan Manual covers topics from “what is diabetes” to “carbohydrate counting” and many things in between. The Manual really focuses on the whole being: mind, body, and spirit. It is not your traditional diabetes information. You are equipped with good quality information to make you feel calmer and at ease and most importantly empower you to know You can live healthy!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

“No. No thank you. Not right now. May not be a good fit for us at this time”. These are all things I’ve had to get comfortable with hearing since beginning iCan Health in 2019. Sometimes hearing this can feel like a bummer, but it can’t be a stopping point. I’ve learned as a young business owner how to “cope” with no. I don’t take it personal. I don’t internalize it. And most importantly, no to me just means I’m one step closer to my yes. I believe I’ve been given a vision, an idea, and I have a purpose for this vision/idea. I feel I’ve been given all that I need to see it come to pass for the time that it’s supposed to. So, I keep going. I look for the path of least resistance. I patiently wait for alignment and perfect timing. I stay committed to the goal(s).

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Multiple lessons:

Perfection doesn’t exist. I define my own success. I’m only in competition with myself. True sustainable change is going to take everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.YesiCanHealthInc.com
• Instagram: @i.can.health
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iCanHealthLLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ican-health-llc?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company