We recently connected with Nikki Dillree and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

It all began when I was 27 years old. I had a great job in Denver, CO that I loved but after some time I outgrew the role and realized there was no real expansion path for me there. My Dad had been asking me to work for the family import/export business so after a couple of years of him planting seeds, I decided to take a leap of faith and move to Texas.

After a couple years of contributing to the Business Development side of things, I realized how important it is being ethos-driven and brand-aligned in what I’m doing with my time both personally and professionally. I wanted to be the same person at work and at home. This self-awareness became my personal mission. At a young age, I walked away from the idea that my own family knows what was best for me. I walked away from being financially set for the rest of my life. And in turn, I took on the huge disappointment from my Dad. But it was a big risk I had to take.

I either die comfortably or live uncomfortably.

For the first time in my life, I followed my heart into the unknown. Trusting my inner guidance to navigate and lead the way. It was a foreign concept my soul recognized and was deeply yearning to explore.

I sold the car and all the nice things. I took a sabbatical and headed to Austin, TX. I invested everything I had into Yoga Teacher Training and Co-opened a Community Hip Hop Dance School. I took a side job at $10/hour and rode my bike to work and the grocery store buying only what could fit hanging on the handle bars. I shopped at the $1 store for toiletries and household supplies. No Aveda Shampoo or Dining Out. But I was happy. I had nothing but ambition and a big dream.

I knew that there was more life to be lived than being chained to a desk for hours 8 hours a day, going the gym, meal prepping, and doing it all again the next day.

That $10/hour job turned into a salaried leadership position in 3 months. I was aligned with an innovative Austin Wellness start-up brand and had the opportunity to lead and develop people in the workplace. Creating healthy workspaces for people to learn and grow. Fostering a culture that values community, teamwork, individuality, and authenticity. I helped build the brand into a nationally recognized company. I taught yoga and dance part-time. I was living an authentic life. Meanwhile, the once private local start-up turned public corporate cash cow, I got to see what worked and what didn’t.

After 6.5 years of tenure, the pandemic hit and I left the organization. I was exhausted, burnt out, and lost. I didn’t know who I was without work or teaching.

The last two years, I took time to heal and went back to school for nutrition. I hired a business coach, took myself through a personal branding journey, and opened my own Nutrition Consulting business. Becoming the woman I needed the most in the height of my career pre-pandemic. Helping women in high-performing roles hold loving boundaries to support their health and vitality so they can show up in big ways for their teams.

Normalizing prioritizing personal health and work-life balance while creating impact is my evolved mission and current focus.

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?

At a young age, I have been managing auto-immunity and high-performance work stress with Nutrition and Yoga.

Food, Movement, and Mindset have the ability to restructure and regenerate our cellular health.
We can redesign who we are by being incredibly intentional with what we put inside our bodies and the environments we choose to surround ourselves in. Both social and industrial environments are bi-directionally linked to our health and cellular expression.

I think that sets me apart. Most practitioners never talk about how the virus you got as a kid, childhood, life traumas, the workplace, chronic stress, and relationships could be the catalyst for dis-ease.

In my offering, we integrate all of it. We take a look at environmental, psychological, habitual, emotional, genetic, situational, cultural, and sociological history and patterns that could be making someone sick.

I also teach my clients how the body works and how each body system is connected. For example, anxiety and depression start in the gut, not the brain. But pathological science is prescribing meds that alter brain chemistry first without considering the Vagus Nerve and Gut-Brain connection.

In fact, all healing starts with the digestive system. So in my offering, we always start with the gut and work upstream through the body systems for root healing.

Another example, so many women are being put on Hormone Replacement Therapy but we are not asking why the body is not creating the hormone, to begin with. All hormone production requires pre-curser amino acids. Is the client getting enough protein in their diet? Is the client eating the right protein needed for their personal needs? Is the digestive system working optimally to break down the protein small enough to absorb?

I help women take ownership of their health and instill self-advocacy through education, active listening skills, and making connections.

I am committed to helping women overcome health challenges in the following areas:

Mental Health
Women’s Health
Digestive Health

The women I serve are typically high-performing professionals who are leaders in their fields.

The most rewarding experience so far is watching my clients get their life back and thrive despite adversity.

Also, bridging the gap between doctor and patient in terms of communication, action plans, and even finding the perfect practitioners for escalated needs.

The future of healthcare is not linear. Each client requires a team of specialists and getting everyone working toward the same goal for the client is revolutionary.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Leaving the family business to follow my heart led me into a leadership path I had no idea I was good at. In turn, leaving corporate leadership and starting my own nutrition biz was a huge transition of alchemizing pain into power. Not being afraid to try new things. Being comfortable with NOT KNOWING what is next. Staying open to the learning and growing process. Not being fixed on the outcome but focused on the process. You never know who you will meet or align with that will be a stepping stone into your next opportunity. Being open to that mindset creates no bounds. One of my business mentors told me “never be afraid to change your tire”. If you want to cruise in the slow lane do it. When you are ready to get back into the fast lane go for it. But there is nothing wrong with pulling over either and taking the scenic route.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Really listening to the client and committing to a Bio-Individual approach. Understanding that two clients can share the same diagnosis but the journey to that dis-ease is completely different. So the approach to treatment must be hyper-individualized. Moving away from protocols and into client-based action plans by tracking and assessing. This teaches the client to tap into their own signs and symptoms as dialogue creating “body wisdom”. Healing is a personal responsibility. No one can heal yourself but you. You have to take accountability for the way you want to feel each day. No one can do the work for you, but you don’t have to do it alone!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elementofshe.com
• Instagram: @elementofshe @sherocksthis
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-dillree-97279615b/

Image Credits
Photographer: Ruben Caballero // Caballero Pictures