Meet Danelle Brister | Corporate Wellness Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danelle Brister and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danelle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always been someone who sees beyond the box, especially the ones we’re told or expected to stay in.

When I was a first-time manager, I noticed my direct reports often settled for roles that didn’t fully reflect their gifts. They assumed they had to fit into what already existed. But I could see more for them. I understood their natural strengths, what motivated them, and how to align their work with the bottom line.Later, as a coach, I realized my clients had the skills to land the promotions they desired they simply needed permission to imagine more. To let their vision lead, and then build the strategy to bring it to life.

I remember a former colleague once told me she admired the way I motivated my team. She said I had a gift for recognizing people’s unique talents and creating space for them to thrive while still driving toward results. That stuck with me. It confirmed something I’d always sensed: leadership is more than just managing tasks, we have to honor people’s humanity while helping them perform with purpose.

That belief became the foundation of my coaching. My clients often had the skills to land the promotions they wanted but they just needed permission to want more, to dream bigger, and to pursue it with clarity and strategy. That’s when I realized: supporting people in aligning their vision with their career path was my zone of genius.

To me, that’s the beginning of true well-being: reclaiming the right to want what you want and pursue it without apology. That’s the kind of liberation I want people to feel, especially in professional spaces. You don’t have to contort yourself to succeed.

When I left my previous job, I had already crafted a role that reflected the skills I wanted to build, the experience I needed, and the kind of impact I wanted to make. But when I could no longer see a path for expansion, I mapped out a new one. I found another role, one that came with a $50K increase and better benefits. I didn’t settle. I strategized. And I received it.

When I became a mother, my desire for freedom deepened. I didn’t want to choose between ambition and well-being. I wanted to define success on my terms, which meant showing up fully in my work AND my life. The question: “What if our values could lead and our careers could follow?”, has become the cornerstone of my business.

Today, I work as a corporate wellness strategist, partnering with organizations that are ready to redefine what leadership looks like and feels like. Because burnout, overfunctioning, and misalignment aren’t just personal issues. They’re systemic. And no DEI initiative, team offsite, or wellness stipend can solve a problem that’s cultural at its core.

When leaders are well, the ripple effect touches every part of the organization. Teams communicate better. Performance improves. Culture deepens.

Whether I’m creating a wellness experience, consulting with an executive team or coaching a high-performing woman navigating burnout, the mission is the same: well-being is the standard, not a tradeoff for success.

What should our readers know about your business?
Revolutionary Impact is a leadership and wellness strategy company that partners with mission-driven organizations to create cultures of well-being. I design wellness-centered leadership experiences that reconnect high-performing teams to their values, increase emotional clarity, and help leaders perform with more presence, power, and purpose.

My work lives at the intersection of corporate strategy and personal transformation. It’s for companies that understand that burnout isn’t just a personal issue, it’s a cultural one. When leaders are well, the ripple effect reaches every corner of the business: performance, retention, culture, and morale.

What sets my business apart is that I live what I teach. I didn’t start my company just because I had a business idea, I started it because I had lived experience. I was navigating burnout, managing a team, building a career in tech, and parenting as a co-parenting mom. I asked myself: What if success didn’t have to require sacrifice? What if our careers could follow our values, not the other way around?

I built a business rooted in that question.

And while I now work with companies, that same belief still applies. I want leaders to know they don’t have to overfunction or overextend to be effective. We can design systems that prioritize well-being and still drive results.

Was it easy? Absolutely not. Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve faced doubt, financial risk, and imposter syndrome. I’ve also had to unlearn perfectionism and overworking as proof of worth. But the challenge taught me this: The more I honor my truth in business, the more aligned and successful I become.

I want the world to know that well-being should be the standard, not a reward we earn once we’re burned out. Revolutionary Impact exists to show that we don’t have to choose between impact and wellness. We get to have both.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The key to the perfect itinerary? Don’t overschedule.
Leave space for joy, for the unexpected, for presence. I’m all about thoughtful experiences, balanced energy, and really good food. So if my best friend came to visit Atlanta, here’s how I’d curate the week:

Day 1: Arrival + Welcome Toast

She’d arrive to a cozy welcome at my home with a curated charcuterie board and a champagne toast. After catching up, we’d head to Twelve Cocktail Bar at Ponce City Market for a mixology class. The music is always just right and the bartenders are top-tier creatives, just give them a vibe and a few ingredients, and they’ll hand you magic in a glass.

Day 2: Movement + Spa Day

We’d start slow with body movement at LatJohns Pilates in Hapeville, followed by an iced coconut milk matcha latte at JPresso. The afternoon would be all about restoration with massages, mani/pedis, and a bit of restoration at The Wellness Spot, a Black woman-owned spa in College Park. That night, we’d savor oysters and elevated Southern cuisine at Kimball House…my favorite place for trying unique oyster varieties with a casually refined vibe.

Day 3: BeltLine + Art + Vibes

We’d stroll the Westside BeltLine at Lee + White, admire the murals, and stop into a brewery or wine bar. Then head downtown for ZuCot Gallery, a must for Black art lovers. We’d end the night with al fresco tacos and margaritas at El Tesoro for a local neighborhood vibe.

Day 4: Luxury Just Because

This day is about indulgence…for no reason other than we deserve it. We’d begin with caviar and champagne at Perrine’s Wine Shop, then head to Marcel for steak, champagne, and dessert on the patio. No special occasion. Just two women living well and celebrating the moment.

Day 5: Exploring the City

We’d kick things off with brunch at Southern National, followed by a stroll through Summerhill. In the afternoon, we’d swing by ZuCot Gallery for more inspiration. After some rest, we’d dress up for The James Room—for lounge vibes, soft lighting, and great music—and wrap the night with late-night eats at Octopus Bar, which opens at 10:30 pm.

Day 6: Reset + Dinner

This would be our reset day. Slow, soft, and restorative. But we’d make room for dinner at Boccalupo, a favorite neighborhood spot for Italian food with character. It’s intimate, vibrant, and always hits.

Day 7: Ease into Goodbye

On our final morning, we’d grab coffee and pastries from Little Tart at Krog Street Market, then take one last BeltLine walk to reflect and soak it all in with a celebration of connection, joy, beauty, and being.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My journey wouldn’t be what it is without therapy, bold examples, and the quiet inner voice that kept nudging me toward something more aligned.

Therapy was foundational. It helped me heal from overfunctioning, process deeply ingrained beliefs, and create space for a different kind of success that didn’t cost me my well-being. It’s the grounding for the work I now do with others.

I also have to shout out my mom. Watching her succeed in corporate spaces showed me what was possible. She modeled resilience, excellence, and leadership. Because of her, I never questioned whether I could succeed. At the same time, I knew I wanted to carve a path that looked a little different. One where ambition didn’t require constant self-sacrifice. One rooted in ease, wellness, and values-aligned leadership.

Her journey gave me permission to dream, and mine is about doing it in a way that feels whole and sustainable.

Books like We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers expanded my thinking around money, power, and possibility.
It also opened my mind to how I value my own perspectives and gifts. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza opened my understanding of mindset, embodiment, and transformation. They shifted how I think and changed how I live.

But if I’m honest, one of the biggest shifts came when I finally honored the inner knowing that things could be different. That I didn’t have to follow a script. That I could want more and have more without apology. That clarity didn’t come all at once. It came through living, through noticing the dissonance, and through trusting that there had to be another way.

And lastly, I want to shout out the women I serve, women who are smart, accomplished, and still silently exhausted. You remind me every day why this work matters. You deserve to thrive without burning out. That’s the future we’re building together.

Website: https://www.revolutionaryimpact.llc

Instagram: https://danelle.live

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/danellejones

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RevolutionaryImpact

Image Credits
The personal images are by Mike Dawkins (on the sofa in a teal jumpsuit and with my laptop wearing make tech more b;ack)