Welcome back to Role Call, our Women’s History Month special where our writers wax poetic about their personal queens. Keep reading for this week’s life-changing lady.

Forget the Yellow Brick Road, I’m following her.

Hi! I’m Alessandra (but you can call me Ale), and I’m a writer here at The Newsette. I’m also a content creator on the side, and while I love social media, I’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout my journey like imposter syndrome, negative comments, and comparing myself to others. That’s why discovering Dani Schulz was such a win. Her digital strategy courses, inspiring podcast, and overall philosophy on life have completely reframed my perspective on what it means to be an “influencer.” She’s shown me that compliments from 1,000 strangers mean nothing if you don’t believe them yourself. That no amount of planning will get me where I want to go, but taking the first step will. And most importantly, that everything I want is available if I just put in the work and energy towards attracting it. She’s turned what I thought was a toxic space into a place of endless opportunity and possibility.

Here, 28-year-old Dani explains how she posts consistently while also protecting her mental health, why “do it for the gram” should be more like “do it for yourself,” and when the perfect time is to start making your dreams a reality. (Spoiler: There isn’t one... just do it already!)

You get a lot of sh*t done. How do you balance it all?
I have a few non-negotiables that help me focus on my long-term goals instead of the tasks that lie 24 hours ahead. They are: journaling every morning, working out for one hour, and doing something that puts me one step closer to where I want to be in 5 or 10 years. The last one looks different every day. Sometimes it’s making a video, other times it’s recording a podcast episode. If I can go to bed knowing I’m a little closer to where I want to be, I can rest well.

As a creator myself, one thing I struggle with is my content not being “aesthetically pleasing.” What’s your advice?
The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it. It doesn’t matter what your house looks like or how you dress—those are just excuses not to start. If you don’t have an “aesthetic” for your house, put up a white bed sheet and take cool photos on that! It doesn’t matter what you’re surrounded by or what stage of life you’re in, as long as you’re exerting your passion and creativity into your work. You just need to have the will to actually begin.

Another thing that frustrates me is not getting good engagement despite the work I put in. What are your thoughts on that?
Social media isn’t about vanity metrics, it’s about amplifying your voice. People think once they reach a certain amount of likes or followers, they’ll finally be happy and life will be perfect. But no matter how many people admire you or tell you you’re amazing, nothing will change if you don’t think that of yourself. You could get tons of comments saying your content is so original or so unique, but if you don’t like your own content / persona, none of it will matter.

What’s the best way to deal with negative comments or haters?
It’s important to be really sure of who you are. If you come up to me and say, “Your eyes are brown,” and I’m damn sure my eyes are blue, your comment has no value. That’s why, in my courses, I focus a lot on journaling and self-discovery. You have to be really sure of who you are to not let those comments affect you. And the way I see it is, what you put in is what you get back, so if you’re spreading hate, judging people, or trying to compete with others, that’s what you’ll receive.

You talk a lot about manifestation. What’s your go-to form of manifesting?
I do a lot of visual manifestation, so I make vision boards and I think about the things I want as if they already belong to me. Sometimes I combine that with meditation or journaling, writing about what I want as if it’s already mine. I make myself feel as though it’s already part of my life, and almost everything I’ve manifested has come to fruition that way.

What’s your favorite success story from a client?
What sticks with me the most is when people tell me things like, “Because of your program, I spoke on my IG Story for the first time” or “I finally feel confident posting pictures of myself.” Of course, seeing my clients make sales is also amazing, but seeing them break down their barriers and reach their full potential is why I love my job. It’s something they always had inside of them—they just needed that extra push.