Darian Rowles
[00:00:00]
Michele Cook: Welcome to Cosmos and Commerce, the podcast where entrepreneurial stories are shaken and not stirred and where we explore the flavors of success just as much as the perfect cocktail.
I'm Michele Cook from Body Ache Escape Massage Center here with my co host Janis Francis from the Humble Crate Artisan Marketplace. And today get ready to dynamo. Who's
Janis Francis: So now let's turn our spotlight to our exceptional guest. She's a master of many trades from holistic health and fitness to acting, photography, TV, and more. Her journey has been a symphony of success in her new book, Uncork Your Life. A guide to getting unstuck is a testament to her wisdom.
Michele Cook: With charisma that sparkles and insights that inspire, she's a true embodiment of the Cosmos and Commerce spirit.
Janis Francis: Welcome, Darian.
Darian Rowles: Hi, thanks for having me.
Janis Francis: Absolutely. Absolutely. Darian, can you tell us a little bit about [00:01:00] your diverse background and how you transitioned through holistic health and fitness, advertising, acting, photography, TV and marketing, and what drove you to explore such a wide range of fields?
Darian Rowles: I Go back to telling people that there's things that I always loved to do when I was younger in high school, and I didn't, Go after those dreams right away. I always loved photography. I always loved personal training and fitness, but I became a parent at a very young age, I was 19 years old.
And so I had to pick a quick career, I guess you would say. And so I had gone to school. I did paralegal work. I did a little bit of investigations. And then my family began to grow. And after that, I thought, okay what am I going to be able to do that? I can use my creative energy and still be able to be the parent and the mom that I wanted to be to all of my kids.
So I have four [00:02:00] boys. And so I decided that. It was going to be flexibility. That's what was going to work for me in order to prioritize my kids. And so I started out with photography and then I got into acting. And during that time I thought, okay, this is great. It's working for me, but I still needed more.
And then the personal training aspect came back to me. It always been sitting in the background. I always loved the fitness and how the body works. And I've always loved motivating people to. Do better and be healthier. And so I went back to school. I became a personal trainer. Then I got into health coaching around the same time.
They go hand in hand. And I just kept hitting these different phases in my life that I needed more and I needed more and acting was one of those things that crept right in and it was just the timing and it worked. And so I [00:03:00] did acting for a while, I could still do a little bit of the fitness training and then that just came to an end because I picked up a TV program and then another TV program and a little bit of a radio show.
And then that had to come to an end at one point because I thought, okay, it's a new journey. It's going to be a new season. And then I decided to take a little bit of time off and write my book. And then the writing of the book was. Encompassing a little bit of all of what I just shared and just helping people move forward.
Janis Francis: So you've achieved such success in various industries. How did your experience in holistic health and fitness influence your approach to entrepreneurship in the other areas?
Darian Rowles: I Think that in entrepreneurship, you have lots of ups and downs and being in holistic health and with fitness, [00:04:00] it's helped with my stress. It's helped me navigate. When it's time to stop, when it's time to, like I mentioned before shift, I learned how to shift better with the ebbs and the flows of business.
When you don't have that many clients and when you have a ton of clients, income is income. But the great thing about having multiple areas that I've been able to work in where one area may not be so busy in I still have something else. That can also bring an income and fill the void and I'm still able to help people.
Janis Francis: Yeah. So your Pilates studio has been a significant part of your journey. How did you initially decide to start a Pilates studio and what were some of the challenges you faced while you were establishing that?
Darian Rowles: With the studio, I find it, I found it by accident. I was in school for personal training, became friends with a an ex professional dancer, and she was an actor and [00:05:00] she had always used Pilates for their training and their conditioning. And she says, you need to come over and you need to try Pilates.
And I thought, no, that is not for me. I'm not doing Pilates. I like the heavy lifting strength training. I did it once and I thought, okay, this is all right. But then I fell in love with it and she was right because she had said, you're going to love this. And, it took one or two tries for me and then I was in.
Janis Francis: That's awesome. So your journey also includes a hosting a talk show. Tell us a little bit about that show.
Darian Rowles: So the show I did I think it was about two years. It was called healthy life designing, and it was based out of Lancaster, Ohio. And I interviewed anybody that, from holistic health, wellness professionals, professional athletes. Speakers, authors, I went as far as interviewing at one point, one of my most favorite interviews was with a [00:06:00] psychologist that had studied creativity for about 20 years.
And she was from Italy and that was one of my most favorite interviews. from the holistic health, healthy life designing TV program.
Michele Cook: Nice. Where can we find that? To see the past episodes.
Darian Rowles: I would have to look and I, and maybe send it to you, but the author that I had interviewed back then, her name was Tia Mickelson and the book that she had wrote. It was called coaching the creative impulse, which I highly recommend. And I have about probably 20 or 30 post it notes throughout.
It's a little small book, but it's just packed with really great information. Especially if you're in this, in a burnout phase, it helps you see a different side of. How a creative person really works and how they struggle.
Michele Cook: Oh, awesome.
Yeah. on your book, Uncork Your Life, A Guide to Getting Unstuck. Could you tell us what inspired you to write this book [00:07:00] and what readers can expect to gain from it?
Darian Rowles: Sure. Thank you for that. It was actually supposed to be called healthy life designing years and years ago, I'd always wanted to write a book and it ended up being that the healthy life designing name was meant to be for my TV program. And I thought, okay, so I stashed the ideas away for a good bit and. I just, I knew that it was time and I just, I started to compile different things throughout my life. And I would get to a point that I thought, okay, I'm ready to publish this book. I want to do it. But then I thought, no, you just want to do it, but it, is it ready? And it wasn't ready. I honestly know now I had to go through some crazy crappy times in order to put that in my book.
As part of, really learning to push through certain times and phases of your life to move forward. And by doing that, [00:08:00] it enabled me to help have all of the good stuff in the book to, practice what I preach if that makes sense, I can say I've done X, Y, and Z, and I've went through.
HeLen back and here's the story, whether it's business, whether it's relationships my own health, my own fitness, parenting, it's all in there.
Michele Cook: Yeah, I always say the worst things in the moments make the best stories later.
Darian Rowles: Yes, absolutely.
Michele Cook: In what area do you see that most people are stuck according to your book Unstuck Yourself?
Darian Rowles: I think I train obviously a lot of women and I would say over the past 10 years, whether it's the health coaching or it's the fitness training, the common issue seems to be. And this may be crazy for you, but it's confidence. It always boils down to confidence. And I'm [00:09:00] talking anywhere from I've had young girls at the age of 12, but I've also trained women that are in their later fifties or now into retirement, they end up having the same issues.
confidence in the way they look, not wanting to look in the mirror, um, feeling
bad about themselves. And then obviously you can put two and two together. How you feel inside is how you're going to look on the outside. And that seems to be it's what I speak a lot about. It normally always boils down to confidence
Michele Cook: yEah I know when I am not feeling good about myself it messes with my whole life.
Darian Rowles: and it does, it really does.
Janis Francis: Yeah, it does. I think we've all been there.
Michele Cook: Many people struggle with feeling stuck in various aspects of their lives. Could you share a key insight or strategy from your book that you believe can help individuals [00:10:00] overcome such obstacles?
Darian Rowles: oNe of the things that I love to share, and I've done this at speaking events and in workshops, and I call it a mental wash and it's. Taking a piece of paper or a notebook and hashing out every single thing that's in your head, the negative, the toxic things, the dirty, the bad, the ugly, getting it all out, especially if you can start this in the morning, maybe spend 10 minutes, get it all out of your head so you don't show up in the world with that information, because it just makes your day ugly.
It just sets the tone. And it's the cheapest, easiest thing that I would recommend.
Michele Cook: Yeah, I agree. I worked with a business coach at one time and she called it a brain dump. So I've practiced that since then and it is very therapeutic.
Darian Rowles: Yes, and we forget. It's so simple.
Janis Francis: didn't we do that when you talk to our women's leadership and we had post its all over our bodies?[00:11:00]
Darian Rowles: yeAh. I remember for yours, we, I had the sheets of paper and it said mental wash and it was it had the glittery look to it. The papers did. And then I don't remember the post it notes.
Janis Francis: Okay.
Michele Cook: I think the post it notes was another speaker.
Janis Francis: Okay. I want to, yeah, in this the same vein.
Michele Cook: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How do your experiences as an entrepreneur and your journey in different industries relate to the principles you discuss in your book?
Darian Rowles: I think every area is very different. And it it's specific to what the person is going through at a particular time. So for instance, if you're building a new business, you might endure a lot of different types of stress that you may not have in your normal everyday stay at home mom type life.
Whereas like for example, somebody like myself, , I w I kept getting stuck in between trying to shift in a different career direction. And obviously I've done that many times, but for me, It [00:12:00] went back to confidence, like I mentioned with the other women. I had to have the confidence to know, okay, I can do this.
I can become a trainer. I can still be a parent. I can still have these multiple different interests and passions all at the same time and be productive and be able to show up for my family equally, if that makes sense,
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Janis Francis: Yeah, it does. So your charismatic personality comes through in your various ventures. How do you infuse that sense of fun and energy into your business? Businesses such as your Pilates studio and your other creative projects.
Darian Rowles: Thank you again. I don't know, I I'm in courses right now with a psychologist, I'm taking psychology classes and we seem to talk a lot about showing up and how you show up and I'm just a pretty transparent person and I'm silly and I love to have fun and I don't like to be super serious [00:13:00] and especially working with a bunch of different people that have lower self esteem, it makes it.
easier for the person to let their guard down, whether you're teaching Pilates,
which is very intimate, or you're doing a health coaching session where, it's all confidential, but people are dumping your, their hearts out to you sometimes. And it takes a lot for the person on the other end to do but I've been there.
So I just try to be open and transparent and have some fun
Janis Francis: Yeah, I like that. So balancing your entrepreneurship with personal life can be very challenging. How do you manage to maintain your vibrant and energetic approach while also tending to your roles as a wife, a parent, and a friend?
Darian Rowles: that has changed a few different times. Actually. I did an interview with a girl named Linda Lindsay Nathanson from Granville a while back and I had asked her sort of the same question. How does she balance everything? [00:14:00] And she simply told me she doesn't. And so I know I've written in my book, how to balance things, but I've also come to realize that you're never going to have everything completely balanced.
Nobody has this super perfect pie, when every slice is perfectly even. It just, it never really shows up that way, but I just try to keep filling up my cup. I went through a lot of stressful times in the past few months. I took time out and I did float therapy. I got a massage. My lesson now is the more stressed I am, I'm going to take more time away from the work or whatever it is causing my stress and go do something that makes me feel good about myself.
Even if it's, 30, 40 minutes.
Michele Cook: Yeah. It's good advice.
Janis Francis: I've been walking every morning, like out in nature. I've been going to the park with a friend and I can't tell you how that sets my, the tone for the entire day.
Darian Rowles: Yes. I love walking.[00:15:00]
Janis Francis: Yeah,
Michele Cook: You mentioned that your achievements are a result of moving forward despite challenges. Can you share an instance where the odds were stacked against you and how did you manage to persevere and succeed?
Darian Rowles: Yes earlier on, I had, I'd been in an, a very ugly, abusive relationship, mentally, physically, verbally, and I was young, and I always revert back to that. And it was a long time ago, but I, during that time, I didn't think that I was going to get through it. I was smoking cigarettes. I was drinking a six pack of Bud Light to get myself to go to sleep.
There's. Everybody has their baggage and their dirty, cruddy stuff that they don't want people to know, but I always try to be transparent and to share it because people think, oh, you're in the health and fitness world. You don't do this or this. No, but I did. I most certainly did do the bad [00:16:00] things, but.
I got to a certain point that like, okay I'm a parent. I cannot continue to, I can't, for one, I can't afford to buy the cigarettes. I can't afford to keep buying the beer. I didn't have the money. I was broke. I was being evicted from my apartment. And. Honestly, I ended up meeting my husband and he must've seen something in me that I didn't see in myself.
And just that little slither of hope just cracked me open and helped me help me see what I couldn't see in myself,
Michele Cook: Yeah. Many aspiring entrepreneurs face moments of self doubt. What advice would you give to someone who's struggling to believe in their own capabilities and ideas?
Darian Rowles: . I always tell people, look in the mirror really look in the mirror because the person that is down deep in there really wants to come out and just having the courage to just be who you are and to show up [00:17:00] and really, truly just start going after your want, what you want.
Make a tiny step. It doesn't matter how big it is. Just take a tiny step to move forward.
Janis Francis: nice. So with your diverse background, what advice would you offer to budding entrepreneurs looking to explore multiple interest and industries while maintaining a clear sense of direction?
Darian Rowles: I would say what you're most passionate about and I know I mentioned repeatedly, but. I waited too long to do the photography. I waited too long to do the personal training. Those were always in my mind. They were always in my heart. And I feel like there's always one person, and I've coached
so many people.
They're trying to figure out what's next. What is it that drives you? What is it that makes you feel inspired and really happy and excited when the person is if you're hearing about the topic. Somewhere, somehow, if it's always showing up for you, then I think that you should listen to that and [00:18:00] put forward effort in that direction.
Janis Francis: That makes sense. So what are some practical tips or strategies you've learned throughout your journey that can help business owners enhance their overall well being and balance?
Darian Rowles: Asking for help, whether it's, you need the mental capability to really work in your business and on your business, but you can't do both at the same time. Hire help, find somebody that you trust and start small, but hire help.
Janis Francis: That's good advice.
Michele Cook: yeah. I know when we, Oh, go ahead. We have a lot to say about
Janis Francis: lot of us just have trouble asking for help. Like we wanted to do this. We got ourselves into this. We can do it, we can handle it.
Darian Rowles: Yes.
Michele Cook: I know when I hired an office manager to take a lot of that work off my plate, my life changed for the better.[00:19:00]
Darian Rowles: Oh, I can imagine. And your business grew so fast and so quickly.
Michele Cook: Alright Darian, after delving into your remarkable journey and tapping into the treasure trove of your insights, let's infuse a delightful dash of fun with a lightning round of questions. We're about to send some quick fire queries your way and we're excited to witness your spontaneous responses.
Are you ready?
Darian Rowles: I'm scared.
Michele Cook: Okay.
Janis Francis: Okay. All right. What is the book that you've most given as a gift or the book that made the biggest impact on you?
Darian Rowles: Coaching the creative impulse.
Michele Cook: Ooh, I'll have to get that one. What purchase of 100 or less has most positively impacted your life?
Darian Rowles: I can't be lightning quick on that one. I don't, I really don't know. Books. I just buy lots of books, honestly. I buy way too many books. But it's books.
Janis Francis: I don't think you can have too many
Darian Rowles: No, that's what I tell my husband.[00:20:00]
Janis Francis: Yeah.
Michele Cook: need more shelves to put them on, huh?
Darian Rowles: Yes.
Janis Francis: right? So what's an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love to do?
Darian Rowles: I Don't I'm a pretty normal, boring person. I really don't have any crazy thing that I love to do. I'm a secretly I'm a big bird nerd. I love bird watching and I, if somebody tells me they see an eagle. I just go cuckoo crazy because I am so fascinated by birds. I have a bird that's always at my house, his name is Mr.
Tardinal, so it's with a T. All my clients know about Mr. Tardinal, my husband, my kids, and I'm convinced that he visits with me and checks in with me every
single day and people think I'm nuts, but that's my cardinal.
Janis Francis: I love it. I love it. One of our other guests and I'm going to get one of these. Do you have one of those bird feeders that has a camera on it so you can
Darian Rowles: No, I don't.
Janis Francis: Danielle with Ruby [00:21:00] Joy has that it was given to her, I think, as a Mother's Day gift or something like that. And she posts pictures of these birds, and it's just a real close, got a camera on it.
Darian Rowles: Oh my gosh, that would be amazing. I'll have to tell my husband I want that for my birthday.
Janis Francis: There you go. There you go.
Michele Cook: What is your proudest accomplishment? Oh.
Janis Francis: Yeah. What is your current passion project?
Darian Rowles: I am working on another book. Yes.
Michele Cook: What's this one about?
Darian Rowles: It's going to be more about the mental aspect of things in life. Can't really go into very much detail, but it's more about our mental health.
Janis Francis: Okay. We'll look forward to that.
Michele Cook: Hence you talking to the psychologist, huh?
Darian Rowles: Yes.
Michele Cook: What is one skill you would like to master?[00:22:00]
Darian Rowles: I honestly would love to learn how to golf. My, my youngest son played a couple of years ago and it was funny because he was the only one that could actually teach me how to swing correctly, which is hilarious because he
was maybe 11, 12, and I have four, four kids and a husband, but he was the one teaching me.
But I've got a client that she is, oh my gosh, she is awesome at golfing and she always inspires me. And I'm like, one day that's going to be what I'm going to do. I'm going to have my little set of friends and we go golf every week. And maybe 10 years from now, but that's really what I would love to do.
Michele Cook: Janice golfs, I think, right?
Darian Rowles: She does.
Janis Francis: Let's say I have been golfing.
Darian Rowles: Okay.
Janis Francis: Let's
Darian Rowles: drive the golf cart.
Janis Francis: I like to drive the golf cart. No, I have fun doing it when I'm with people that I like, and you have a good time on the golf course. And if you've got nothing [00:23:00] else to do during the day but when I have golf, I've had fun, with the friends, like at the chamber golf outing and things like that.
Thank you.
Darian Rowles: And you love to walk, so it makes perfect sense.
Janis Francis: Oh yeah. So Darian, do you believe in the power of manifestation?
Darian Rowles: I do, along with prayer.
Michele Cook: Yeah. What was your very first job?
Darian Rowles: Oh. I'M pretty sure it was Dairy Queen and I got fired.
Michele Cook: Were you eating too much ice cream?
Darian Rowles: No, I was probably either not showing up for work, or late, or, who knows back then. Because my priorities were not very I didn't have priorities.
Janis Francis: Oh. Oh. Ha.
Darian, where do you see yourself in five years?
Darian Rowles: Hopefully, in five years, I will have published at least five books. That's my goal.
Janis Francis: Oh. One a year.
Darian Rowles: yes, and I want to be able to speak more. I would like to travel a little [00:24:00] bit more by this time. My kids will be more grown and on with their lives and it will be a new chapter for me. And
Janis Francis: Yeah. That's awesome. So do you have the ideas for all five of the books
Darian Rowles: I have three I have three more book ideas, including the one I'm working on right now.
Janis Francis: Yeah, good. And then the others will come to you as time passes. So do you have a pump up song? What's your pump up song to get you going?
Darian Rowles: the eye of the tiger.
Janis Francis: Oh, okay.
Darian Rowles: Yep. That's my secret. Secret song.
Janis Francis: Okay. Perfect. Since we call ourselves Cosmos and Commerce, what is your drink of choice?
Darian Rowles: I'M going to be a little boring, but I'm going to be honest and it's water. I love water
Janis Francis: All the time.
Darian Rowles: and I have it with me everywhere I go. I do enjoy wine. Hence Uncork Your Life. There's activities in there based around wine,
Janis Francis: Yeah.
Darian Rowles: but I love my water. I even have one sitting with me right now.[00:25:00]
Janis Francis: I do too. I've got water and iced tea and I have been finding a new love for drinking water recently. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Would you rather revisit the early days of your Pilates studio armed with all the knowledge you have now? Or fast forward to a moment of wild success in a new uncharted venture.
Darian Rowles: I would like to fast forward. I'm somebody that I love change and I love evolving.
Janis Francis: Okay. That's great. Okay. So finally, what's next for you, Darian? Are there any exciting projects or ventures on the horizon that you'd like to share with our audience?
Darian Rowles: tHe book, like I mentioned, I can't really get into too much detail. I'm doing a few book signings coming up. I'm going to continue to do those, but. I am also working on a podcast. It's been in the mix for at least probably eight or nine months now, but, life was happening for a good bit of time.
And [00:26:00] so it took a backseat. So hopefully by the beginning of the year, it'll be full go.
Janis Francis: Okay.
So where can listeners find more? About you, your book and your various ventures online.
Darian Rowles: Sure, so my website has all of the good stuff, www. darienrolls. com.
Michele Cook: And that's R O W L E S.
Darian Rowles: It is.
Michele Cook: Okay.
Janis Francis: Very good.
Michele Cook: And that's a wrap on this invigorating episode of Cosmos and Commerce. From sipping on wisdom as rich as our favorite cocktails, to immersing ourselves in the art of entrepreneurship, it's been an absolute pleasure exploring the world of success and innovation with all of you.
. Before we sign off, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our phenomenal guest, Darian Rolls, for gracing us with her wisdom and charisma. Remember her book, Uncork Your Life, A Guide to Getting Unstuck, is a must read for those seeking inspiration to overcome life's obstacles.
Darian Rowles: tHanks so much for having me, girls.
Janis Francis: [00:27:00] If you're eager for more conversations that blend the flavors of life, business, and the perfect concoction, make sure to visit our website at cosmosandcommerce. com. There you'll find all the previous episodes, exciting updates, and a chance to engage with us directly. So keep those glasses raised and keep dreaming big.
And until next time, cheers to your journey in both the cosmos and the world of commerce. Goodbye for now. And remember every venture is a step closer to your own unique recipe for success.
Darian Rowles: Thank you.
Janis Francis: Thank you, Darian, so much. I'm glad that we were finally able to get it done.