Meet Dr. Des

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

Hi Dr. Des, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
The Public Health Club is not just a business, it’s a community. A community of Public Health Professionals, developed by Public Health Professionals.

Often in public health we are so busy trying to make other communities better that we often forget to build community for ourselves. This space is designed to help professionals connect and get the tools/resources they need to build their career and start their public health businesses. With over 500 active members this community is thriving and growing everyday. Members are landing consulting opportunities and being exposed to so many different career paths. This is the exact community I needed as I was going throughout my career, and to be able to build it for others has been a dream come true.

We have members securing jobs, adjunct professor roles and even $200,000.00 evaluation contracts which wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the opportunities being presented within the club.

I’m committed to building up the public health workforce, and a major part of that is empowering professionals to take control of their career and provide them guidance, community and mentorship to get to that next level.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Public Health Club is the only space where public health professionals can get value no matter what level they are on. For senior level professionals there is a full consulting opportunities list, updated weekly and filled with opportunities for them to dive into entrepreneurship and make some money on the side. There are also board seat opportunities, fellowships and so much more! For early and mid-career professionals there are tons of conversations, workshops and live events all curated to assist them with navigating their career, increasing their income and building community with professionals around the world. I’m most proud of creating a community for professionals who are so often building communities and helping others, that they forget to create community and get support for themselves. The club not only provides consulting opportunities, career and consulting development workshops, but there are also courses that are available throughout the year, which focus on helping professionals develop their public health consulting businesses and accelerating their public health career.

Before creating the club I started consulting and providing health equity focused trainings and workshops for organizations. Through this income I was able to make on the side of my full-time job, I felt that other professionals needed to know about these opportunities, and the idea for the club was born. Since launching in February of 2024, We now have over 500 active members and the club is growing every day! I have been studying and implementing marketing strategies, online courses and building online communities since 2020, and after taking various courses, reading numerous books and listening to even more podcasts on marketing and business development I believe that the Public Health Club is a culmination of all of my knowledge. This is was not an easy journey, but the major key to developing a successful purpose driven business is consistency and continuous learning. I built the Public Health Club because I love public health and I have a strong desire to help professionals get to the next level of their journey. The public health workforce is in drastic need of more professionals, and I decided to do my part by shining light on the positive aspects of public health careers and showing professionals the vast areas that we are needed in, versus the traditional areas that we learn about in school.

This business has taught me so much about my purpose and the legacy I want to leave on the world. I want to continue empowering professionals to take control of their journey, dive into entrepreneurship and explore different routes. As I continue this entrepreneur journey I want to make sure I’m taking others along with me for the ride!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I’ve challenged myself to develop a new hobby, I decided to dive into golf! I joined a social membership/club called Ladies Who Golf, and I love to spend time at 5iron Golf, to get a few swings in and just relax with my friends. I love to catch a Hawks or Falcon game, as well. With a toddler it’s harder to get out like I want to, but as she get’s older it’s awesome to explore different games, and events with her.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout the amazing mentors I’ve had throughout my public health journey. From my professors, to my previous senior leadership staff, they have all taught me the importance of having someone in your corner as you’re navigating your journey.

One mentor in particular, Dr. Shamarial Roberson, has always been someone that I’ve admired the moment I interacted with her on my journey. She took a chance and gave me my first “real public health job” and since then her rise to leadership and ability to conquer any room she walks into has been a continued source of inspiration on my journey.

In addition I would like to shoutout my family, and in particular my late aunt, who I affectionately refer to as “Auntie”. She has always instilled the value of hard work and the principles of entrepreneurship in my life. Through her guidance I’ve always believed I could do anything, and that’s the reason behind my success.

Website: https://www.publichealthclub.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desireecourtneyj

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-public-health-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Desiree-Strickland/61556114057285/ 

Image Credits
Stretch Life Visuals