A special advertising section championing our local women in business. In partnership with Cox Communications. Photo by Jessica Whitley.

Holistic Chamber of Commerce/One You DNA 

President/Founding Member & Presenter 

 770-280-1281 

macon@holisticchamberofcommerce.com / barb@barbwilliams.com 

holisticchamberofcommerce.com/macon / 1UDNA.com   

What is the mission of your business?

The Mission of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce is to help people find holistic, natural, eco-friendly products, services and solutions, and the professionals, practitioners, businesses and resource providers that offer them, by growing our visibility and presence, creating a bridge to people no matter their level of experience with holistic practices, offering business-building education, networking and collaborative opportunities, both online and in person. 

The Mission of “One You” is to offer unique, customized-DNA products and services backed by unrivaled, world class science, designed to help people feel and perform better, look younger and live longer, by empowerment, and personalizing life’s most meaningful choices and decisions, putting them in our own hands, by providing the tools needed to thrive and achieve wellness in today’s world and in all aspects of life. 

Your advice for women wanting to start their own business in Macon?

My advice for women wanting to start their own business in Macon is to surround yourself with people who will lift you up and who have already accomplished what you want to accomplish, and learn from them. Never stop growing yourself personally; your business will never outgrow your ability for personal growth. 

How do you define success?

Success is observing the fruits of your labor come full circle; planting seeds and watching them grow to fruition. Success is offering a solution that could change someone’s path, and then having them do the same for someone else; presenting an opportunity which changes someone’s “wHealth” (Health and Wealth).  

What are you most excited about right now in our community?

I am thrilled about the creation and growth of our new business groups. The WEB provides a support system for local women, who for whatever reason, don’t have access to one. We draw strength from each other and are inspired by others’ accomplishments. I am also excited about the launch of our local Chapter of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce, an incredible resource to spread the word about local holistic businesses and practitioners. The HCC will offer easy access to a targeted community of like-minded people and businesses for holistic and alternative health support systems. I see incredible possibilities for these groups to provide strong alliances and thriving businesses. 

You might be surprised to know:

According to the Medical Journal of the College of Nutrition in January 2020, DNA personalized nutrition is recognized as the CORE of human health and the key to the turning point to end the chronic disease epidemic. If we are not checking our DNA, we are guessing at the root cause, the diagnosis and most importantly the treatment. Testing blood work is testing a point in time. We should add a new tool by also analyzing DNA. DNA does not change. If we do not take proactive action against genetically predisposed illness, genetically predisposed illness will take action – sooner, rather than later. 

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

The most gratifying part of my job is adding life to peoples’ years and adding years to peoples’ lives – helping a child keep their mother healthier and present a little longer. I love being able to pay a kindness forward with no expectations.  

What has been the most challenging part of being a female business owner or a woman in business?

Women are such emotional beings! Although all businesses should have a specific and defined target market, one expects to be supported by family and friends, regardless. When the target market includes family and friends, it is surprisingly hurtful when they turn a blind eye. The challenge here is to not take it personally. “It’s business, it’s not personal.” Repeat that until you accept it. 

I admire women who:

Have incredible self-discipline; who know that with practice comes perfection; who find excitement in the unknown; who have overcome the fear of rejection; who keep pushing forward, knowing that moving forward is the pathway to finding the right answer, the right solution, the right location, the right partner, the right customer.  

What was the best business advice you ever received?

The best business advice I have ever received is to use a calendar (with times of the day) to plan for everything! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Write down every daily personal task from morning through night. Block out time for everything from morning meditation, shower time, meals, appointments, child pick-up, through retail therapy. Once your daily routine is written down, fill in your daily business non-negotiables! Block off time for checking your email, networking, follow-ups, team calls, training, social media, new ideas, self-development, etc. Use an audible timer to stick to your schedule! Here is the tough part: Do not go to bed before your non-negotiables are completed. Hold yourself accountable for your actions and make no excuses.  

I hope more women will:

Explore natural, plant-based, holistic and healthy alternatives! I hope more women will take better care of their health, especially with pre-existing familial illnesses and diseases. I hope more women will take color, religion, gender preferences, etc., out of relationships and businesses; we all bleed red. Encourage participation with love and kindness and remove prohibitive labels. Welcome differences and celebrate diversity. The future isn’t promised to any of us, but we can take certain actions now, in areas that we can control. We can live better and live longer.  

How could women better support each other?

Women can better support each other by building real relationships and not just looking for customers with money to spend. Be our authentic selves, show up as who we are and not who we think others want us to be.  

I wish I had known:

About holistic alternatives earlier in my life. I wish DNA analysis existed 30 years ago. My recent analysis coincides with my health history: Examples: variants in free radical defense (early onset of skin cancers), cellular detoxification (inflammation, absorption inabilities), weight management (problems keeping weight off, hormone imbalance), healthy immune system (chronic fatigue, frequent colds), healthy circulatory system (brain hemorrhage). Knowing what I know now, I could have supported my genetic weaknesses much earlier in life.