Interview with Dana Garrison

Q: How did you get into doing what you do?

This all started out strangely. Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to create as much positive change with my life as I could. I had so many plans and so many ideas about how I could be of service on the planet, and help create ripples of positive change.

Then, sixteen years ago, I came down with a Mystery Illness, which gave me massive fatigue, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and insomnia. All of this made it nearly impossible to work or function. When the illness hit, I couldn’t work or really do much of anything. I was homeless, living on a neighbor’s futon, and was afraid I would never be able to support myself. I went to doctor after doctor, on different continents, over the years, and couldn’t figure out what was causing the Mystery Illness.

I eventually became a therapist, and spent 6 years working in agencies. In that time, I noticed that many people are in therapy for 10, 20, 30 years and they still aren’t living the life they want. I also found that some clients stayed stuck in a problem, no matter what tools from the therapy toolbox we used.

Then one day I discovered something that changed the course of my life: I found out that 90-95% of what we experience in life is based on what is stored in our unconscious mind!  Well therapy is generally conscious mind work! No wonder some people were staying stuck! When I realized this I began to study in the field of the unconscious mind for a number of years and began doing unconscious restructuring work almost exclusively.

And wouldn’t you know it, after about a decade of searching for answers to my health issues, I finally found relief for my own Mystery Illness – the methodologies I created to help bio-hack our own neurology, which I named Family Entanglement Work and Childhood ReImprinting. These were the only things that gave me relief from my symptoms. I was able to put an end to the anxiety, stress and overwhelm that the illness brought, to depression, and to the fatigue and energy problems.

But there was another problem I needed to address: I knew I couldn’t work a 9-5 job because of being in the healing process, and I also discovered my workplace was toxic.  I realized I needed to get out of there and work for myself. I also wanted to be my own boss, do what I love, and have the freedom to travel the world if I wanted to… but I wasn’t sure if I could start a business.

I took business courses but I always got the same thing out of every course – overwhelm. Each course said that we have to learn how to do seemingly infinite things in order to have a successful business. I couldn’t do all those things due to the health issues, and also due to a lack of time. I was working more than a full time, in emotionally intense work, while working to heal from an illness, and trying to start my own business.

I realized if I was going to succeed, I had to learn how to simplify business and make business as easy as possible; especially because the only time I had to build the business was evenings and weekends, and by the time the evenings and weekends came, I was exhausted! They say that necessity is the mother of invention and I suppose that’s true. In order to get out of a toxic workplace, and give my body the time and space it needed to heal, I needed to figure out how to start a business with almost no time, no money and no energy.

I discovered that I needed two things to succeed: I needed to simplify business down to its core essentials – just 3-5 things that are high income producing activities – and I needed to work on my Inner Game and remove any Family Entanglements and Childhood Imprints that were causing me to get stuck.

Using this two-fold path, I was able to grow a sold out consulting practice and fully support myself in San Francisco only one and a half months.  I was able to leave my job and work for myself, getting paid to do what I love. I’ve been able to sleep as much as I needed to, be my own boss, travel as much as I want, and do what I love to do. That’s the perfect lifestyle for me. And that’s how I started helping people free themselves from the Family Entanglements and Childhood Imprints that hold them back, and helping them create a business that they love that give them freedom and contribute to our world – what I like to call Freedom Businesses and Freedom Lifestyles.

I then moved into helping business in the blockchain industry.

 

Q: What have you brought to the field?

Psychology:

I created a program called The Wealth Code Revealed in 2008, which taught people how their subconscious safety systems, their Childhood Imprints, and their limiting beliefs that actually programmed their brains for scarcity. I designed this program to help people re-code their brains around their income and their “money ceiling.”

I have also developed the methodologies I call Childhood Imprints and Family Entanglement Work in 2008. What most people don’t realize is that their business and financial setbacks are often rooted in their Family Entanglements and Childhood Imprints. This is also what prevents them from attracting the right romantic partners, friends and business connections, it’s what gets in the way of a creates health problems, and it also affects everyday mood and happiness.

Business:

I created The Freedom Business Formula – a program that teaches systems to help businesses launch and grow, and get into cash flow quickly.

I grew quickly in the Live Video space and monetized and got a sponsor within 2 weeks, started getting all manner of free products sent to me in the mail as an influencer, landed brand deals, all expense paid trips to do amazing collaborations with brands and sponsors, and started consulting with business and brands on organic, free, social media tactics to drive traffic and grow communities.

I had the pleasure of working with amazing brands like Microsoft, Intel, Oculus, Sennheisser, SanDisk, Name.com, seriously (the game developer) and Cheetah Mobile (a mobile company in China – I helped them launch a livestreaming app in the US), to name a few.

I then began to study YouTube for a year and the algorithm. Youtube is the second largest search engine on the planet and it is owned by Google. When you rank a video on the top pages of YouTube, you also rank it on the top pages of Google, all for free. In just a few video tests, I was able to outrank C-net and Tech Crunch using these tactics. Instead of starting another channel on another platform, I began consulting on YouTube Growth Hacking and got to work with some amazing brands like Mattel, Ghiradhelli and GoDaddy.

I also created The YouTube Masterclass and helped entrepreneurs and creators learn how to shoot and edit video, be on camera, create and grow a channel, get sponsors and work with brands.

I founded The Entrepreneur and Small Business Institute in 2008, a business training and networking organization with chapters in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and London.

I advise in the Blockchain space and help people learn public speaking, creating pitch decks, presentations and webinars, learn how to be on camera, develop roadshow strategy to get the most out of sponsorship dollars, and because I started and ran a live event company for years, I help companies put on live events, and help with things such as creating and training volunteer staff, live posting social media content throughout the event, live streaming and interviewing movers and shakers from an event, and general aspects of event production.

I also help entrepreneurs and blockchain startups fundraise, I have a marketing team that can create done-for-you marketing including paid ad campaigns, email marketing, list building, social media content and management, community building and management, bounty management. I’m connected with influencers and certain brands, blockchain development teams, and have other advisors and consultants on my team or in my circle to help with growth.

Q: What’s one of your most exciting moments as a professional?

Of course, I don’t have just one. I loved the look on one of my client’s face when he came in one day to tell me that we had overshot his goal. He had set the goal of making $1 million dollars and he came in and told me that he had created double that– $2 million. I love that look on people’s face when they realize that they can actually step powerfully into what they want. I have clients that make $3000 or $10,000 within a week by implementing something I teach them, and they get so excited about how much easier it is than they thought it would be. I love watching people’s surprise when they put something into play and come back with giddiness and shock and surprise at how much easier it is to do what they wanted to than they thought it would be.

 

Q:What’s your philosophy and approach to working with people?

I believe in having fun! We all learn so much quicker and change happens so much faster when you’re having fun and feeling connected along the way. A lot of my clients report that working with me not only brings accelerated results, it’s actually really fun.

I’m also results oriented. I like to make sure my clients are thriving. I like to see their businesses booming. And I like helping people make a contribution and be of service to others and the planet.

For me, it’s about creating ripples of positive change on this planet by working with the movers and the shakers. As I help people become more successful in their businesses and their lives, there’s a domino effect. The courses I teach follow Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and help people become better leaders in their lives, their partnerships, their families and communities. They give people freedom, and mobility, they can buy their time back, and travel the world. It frees people up to have the bandwidth to them work on other parts of their lives and ultimately, giving back.

My bottom line is to creatively affect positive change on the planet and to help people live happier, healthier, and more prosperous lives.

Q: What’s your educational background, degrees, advanced education, and training?

I have a BA in Sociology,  a Masters in Clinical Social Work  (effectively Social-Psychology) and I became a Solutions-Focused Therapist. Then I left that world behind and became an Executive and Business Consultant, a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programmer, and a Master Family Entanglement Practitioner and Trainer. I also do Business Constellations and Family Constellations.

Over the last 15 years I’ve studied and practiced Business, Sales, Marketing, Online Marketing, Branding, Web Design, Copy Writing, Social Media Marketing, Public Speaking, Platform Speaking, Live Video, Social Video, Membership Sites, Online Education, Non-Violent Communication, Neuro Linguistic Programming Therapy, Family Constellations Work, Conflict-Resolution, and Mediation, Harm Reduction, Thai Massage, Art Therapy, and Chinese Face Reading, Timeline Therapy, and Reiki and Sei-Kem, just to name a few. I’m a life-long learner and will always be, and I love adding to my toolbox.

 

Q: Tell us about your personal hobbies. What excites you?

I love to travel! I backpacked the world for 2 years straight. I’ve visited and/or lived in over 30 countries. I actually traveled in large part to learn about the world in hands-on way, and to learn how I could be of  service. When you’re constantly on the road like that, you really learn to be in the moment, think on your feet, use your intuition, and problem solve anything and everything because you have to. I utilize those skills and traits in my business and with my clients all the time now.

I also love scuba diving, tropical waters, and international foods. I love really good food. I actually created a secret recipe for a Vanilla-Chili Hot Cocoa that’s to die for. And I love to dance. It cultivates such a sense of balance, fluidity, and grace that I like to bring into my work as well. And what is life anyhow, if not learning how to dance with it?