We’re looking forward to introducing you to Danielle Uhl. Check out our conversation below.
Danielle, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Painting! Painting is a long-time hobby I’ve enjoyed since High School and I lose all sense of time when I paint. I’ve played with monetizing it since it was something I enjoyed doing and found that I could (and have) sold paintings, prints, and other art, but ultimately I decided that it needed to be a self-care practice for me. I don’t do it as often as I should, but I love to set aside 4-6 hours at a time to put my headphones in with my favorite music, enjoy a glass of wine, and just paint!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Danielle Uhl, Certified Coach & Business Mentor. After a decade in corporate management, HR, and communications—and more degrees and certifications than I can count—I landed what I thought was my “dream job.” But sitting in that office, I couldn’t shake the question: “Is this really it?” The truth was, I craved MORE.
Everything changed after a single photoshoot. One hour doing what I loved paid me more than a full day in my cubicle. That moment cracked something open in me: I didn’t have to settle. I could build a business around my passions and actually get paid for it.
But as I built and ran multiple businesses, I saw the other side: the endless hustle, the pressure to churn out content, the noise telling me I wasn’t doing enough unless I was everywhere, all the time. I was over it. The rebel in me said, “Absolutely not.” So I chose a different path. One where success meant slow mornings, great coffee, time with my little family, and a few business that allowed me to do what I loved! A path that honored balance — enjoying my life and the little moments as much as building successful businesses.
Many told me I couldn’t do it all — I needed to choose ONE to be successful. But #WATCHME®, I was focused on paving my own path and version of success!
Since then, I’ve built and scaled three profitable businesses from the ground up, left the corporate world for good, and worked with clients across the globe. After over a decade in business, I’ve learned that your business should be designed to fit you—your values, your quirks, the way you best work, your passions, your lifestyle, and your unique version of success.
I’m here to help small and solo business owners rebel against the hustle, simplify everything, and build a business that’s unapologetically their own—so they can get paid well, make a difference, and savor every single day. No cookie-cutter blueprints. No sacrificing your sanity. Just you, real strategy, hands-on support, and permission to do it your way—#WATCHME®.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship I have with myself. Many years ago, I did a year-long self-care journey and study. It truly changed my life. It helped me understand me, my past, my tendencies, and most importantly who I actually wanted to become. It was the catalyst into my personal development journey that also helped spark my entrepreneurial journey too. As a result, self-care has always been a huge element to my strategy and daily routines to make sure that I’m taking care of myself, honoring what I need, and improving myself as I focus on other areas in my life like my business, relationships, hobbies, etc.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, many. Entrepreneurship is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and absolutely one of the most challenging. It’s always amazing how social media can “sell” starting your own business as the easiest thing, but in reality, it’s really challenging. But that’s the un-sexy side of business. Plus, many of the challenges that show up and force you to confront parts of yourself, your past, your traumas, don’t even seem like they’re business related but can still be triggered. It’s a personal development journey just as much as a professional one.
There have been times I have been frustrated to tears on my couch, burning myself out, trying to figure out how to make something work or wondering what I was doing wrong, contemplating if I should throw in the towel. And yet, I have always kept going.
To me, my love for what I do and my mission have always helped me be resilient. It’s never easy—sometimes it takes a day, a week, or an month—but I’ve picked myself back up, tended to my own self-care, and kept going. And I’m always glad I did.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The way social media and marketing sells the ease, luxury, and instant gratification of starting your own business.
So many new business owners, including myself, fall for these lies because it is the sexy desire we all want to some extent in business—doing what you love, gaining freedom, creating financial stability and success, and making the impact you want to make. It’s not that you can’t have all of that—you absolutely can—but the way that it is often portrayed as immediate, overly simplified, or an overnight success story is what I believe is the main reason more Solopreneurs throw in the towel. This portrayal creates this false expectation in our mind that it’s suppose to be easy, fast, and if you aren’t succeeding right away than you’re doing something wrong—making you feel like maybe you’re not cut out for entrepreneurship.
Instead, I want to help normalize, share my own experiences, and help coach business owners that this isn’t actually true. Business is a journey. It’s messy. You learn and evolve as you go. You will fail over and over again, but continue learning, improving, and succeeding too. And most importantly, your business journey is your own—everyone’s looks different. You have to create your own version of success, be grounded in your mission, and do it for YOU.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
My Bespoke Approach. Here, there are no quick fixes, no cookie-cutter blueprints, and no one-size-fits-all approaches. Everything I do is tailored to you as my client—your strengths, how you best work, and your own vision of success.
I’ve been told it’s not scaleable, but that’s where I thrive! That’s what my business is all about. You always get hands-on, personalized support to fit you, your goals, and meet you where you’re at.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.onlinebusinessmanagementstrategies.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleuhl_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-uhl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onlinebusinessmanagementstrategies
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danielleuhl_/
Image Credits
Underexposed® Photography
