Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Hodge.
Hi Danielle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a young girl, I almost drowned in our family pool. My brother jumped in the pool to save me and for a while, I was shaken up, but still eager to learn and play in the pool after such a traumatic experience. My neighbors would swim almost every day after school. They were an Italian family of 7 kids and their Mom encouraged them to swim to exercise and she would watch us all from the kitchen window as she cooked. I became a strong swimmer after going to their house every day to swim. All credit goes to the Brunos for teaching me how to swim. Throughout my teenage and early adult years, I was like a mermaid.
Any Spring break, pool party, or swim gathering, I was always in the water and most times the only Black person. It didn’t bother me too much, but I was curious as to why I was the only Black girl out there getting my hair wet and having fun. Fast forward to COVID, a time when most became still and I often stressed about my next new career move. With my background in event production – All things damage to a halt. I had been in Event Management for over 10 years, so for me, it was a major bummer and setback to look for work. One day on my hunt for work and after many failures of the unemployment website being down, I needed something to decompress and stop stressing about how I was going to support myself.
I went online to look for pool inflatables to take a dip in the pool and forget about the world for a bit. While I was on my search for an inflatable, I didn’t see many Black people in the advertising for swimming or pool inflatables. From that point on my product and brand Alma Ocean was born and soon followed by my non-profit, Alma Swim Foundation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. Let’s just say it was a joyful rocky road. Joyful because I could envision the end product and how it would make people feel to see something so unique and encouragement to get more Black people swimming. Rocky due to feeling alone so lost on what to do next. The drowning statistics are ardently changing for the good and Florida was in the top 3 of drownings happening way too often.
Most of my struggles were just figuring out “What’s next” and who can I speak with to share my mission and brand with who might speed the process up to get me in a more manageable place was a solo entrepreneur. All of this I knew would come in time, I just had to keep being patient and doing the work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m known for being an event producer and entrepreneur. I’m most proud of Alma Swim Foundation because we are saving lives and advocating for more diversity in aquatics.
It’s a full-circle moment for me. I specialize in marketing and logistics, but my businesses are my babies! What sets me apart from most is my drive. I usually say I’m going to do something and take action until I see the results.
It’s slightly an addiction which is why I have so many businesses now!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting.
My advice is for you to get out of your head. It’s a hard skill to master and you might find yourself going back and forth on that now and then. Just be easy on yourself. Most people have no clue what they are doing anyway. They are just good at making it look like they do.
What I wish I knew starting was how much some people just don’t have time for what you have to offer. I quickly learned that and learned quickly not to get offended but to broaden my surroundings and circle. Sometimes your friends just want to be your friend, not your staff members. Learning to tap out from talking business and just taking a break is a must.
Pricing:
- $19.99 – $59.99 for my pool inflatables
- My non-profit is open to ALL donations big and small.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.almaocean.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_almaocean/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/o_RBpJJ1JRI
Image Credits
One Stop Production Studios and VDDStudios Remi Photography
