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

Noni , appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

My story starts in 2012 being diagnosed with several chronic illnesses and auto immune disorders that resulted in an extended 6month hospital stay and was intended to end with me losing my child and a full Colectomy. I decided to take my life in my own hands, learned to heal myself inside and out via diet, nutrition and holistic practices. To date I have no signs or symptoms of these supposedly “incurable” chronic diseases and disorders. Thus, NoniKnows was born to help guide others into and through their own custom healing, health and wellness journey. The goal is to bring holistic services, education and resources to POC, low socioeconomic and underserved communities that do not have consistent access.

Noni , 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?

NoniKnows LLC mission is to spread the importance of holistic health, incorporating mind, body and soul while bringing the experiences of wellness education and holistic healing practices such as reiki, sound therapy, meditation, kundalini balancing and more. Our goal is to bring these healing opportunities to our lower socioeconomic areas that do not often get the opportunity or exposure while assisting i in solving healthy food desert issues by creating community gardens, classes and wellness centers for the communities we serve. NoniKnows LLC is owned and operated by certified Chef Noni Grear. Her personal history with chronic illness and auto immune disorders lead her into being an advocate and leader in the holistic health field.

NoniKnows specializes in conscious eating and holistic living services. We offer holistic products and services such as meal prep/plans, juicing, detoxes, herbal remedies, sound therapy, reiki, meditation and mindfulness classes, corporate wellness for businesses and more. We service those into or looking to become more conscious individuals and communities. As well as educate on the importance of mental, physical and emotional health.

NoniKnows was created for and inspired by my community. My own wellness journey and the lack of mental and physical holistic healthcare support, resources or options. I didn’t see less extreme alternatives, than invasive surgeries or harmful pharmaceuticals with extreme side effects, being offered to patients such as my self or really any alternatives to get to the root of most dis-ease; mental health and nutrition!
Thus it has become the mission to educated and offer more gentle and less invasive services to help heal and prevent illness while maintaining mental and physical wellness. We have also taken on the initiative to address the extremely high rate of mother and infant mortality amongst women of color by partnering with local nonprofits to create services and programs catering to their specific health needs. We also connect and support our community by funding and creating several community gardens and hosting conscious eating cooking classes teaching sustainability, recycling, and composting. We host monthly mental health awareness events with speakers, free food entertainment and health screenings or services. Once we have the funding to properly reopen the facility we will once again personally connect with our individuals and families with our open door for resources and the ability to offer so much more!
My passion for helping others find the same freedom through healing and leading a more holistic conscious lifestyle, that I have, is what drives my business and its mission. I believe everyone deserves to heal, experience total wellness and have the proper support and options while doing so. I’ve had the serenity to accept the things I can’t change and now I have the wisdom and courage to change the things I can, even if that’s one person or family at a time. The over all impact and legacy I wish to achieve is bringing more peace, joy and love into peoples lives…into the world. We achieve this by spreading positivity through wellness. We must be the change we want to see…NoniKnows LLC is that change!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that my healing is not in my hands and wellness is simply measured by physical abilities and nutrition.

In my early 20’s i began being diagnosed with several auto immune dis-eases and years of lengthy painful hospital stays to no end and no real resolution. After many different doctors, hospitals, procedures, narcotics, steroids, and infusions the condition worsened to the point of suggested surgery for a complete colon removal. I was also 5 months pregnant at the time and as the concern was only to save my life, it was highly possible that my child wouldn’t make it through the procedure.
I opted out of the surgery at my own risk, started researching alternative medicines, herbalism and holistic practices. Through this I learned to change my diet into a conscious eating routine and that dis-ease starts in the mind. Unaddressed trauma and triggers that afflict the mind eventually manifest as dis-ease in the body.
I unlearned that invasive surgeries aren’t the only way to fix an issue. I also unlearned that I had to rely on anyone outside of myself to heal and create space for total wellness and homeostasis.
Now I practice and teach the things I’ve learned to help others take back their power and jumpstart their healing journey and holistic lifestyle.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Outside of my holistic healing journey my resilience has also been tested in the business world. Teaching people to self heal isn’t the best, financially, for “certain” big corporations and organizations. During my time operating a brick and mortar wellness facility I have had to jump through many hoops and also faced pop-ups, shut downs and watchers from the health department for the education and services being provided in a low socioeconomic area. I am currently fighting against imposed gentrification and greed of financial gain over the property and have had to shut down my operation temporarily while I await legal justice. However, this hasn’t stopped me! I now offer private chef and mobile services as well as corporate catering and speaking events.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://noniknowshealth.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noniknows_/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noni.knows.5
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noni-grear-bb7345216