Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Dani Katowitz and I am a 26-year-older social media professional that lives in New York City. When I graduated college from American University, I worked in the non-for-profit space, but quickly realized it was not for me then moved back to the New York area. I now work as the Social Media Manager at Berns Communications Group, a boutique PR firm that specializes in the intersection between retail and tech. I grew up outside of the city in Jersey so this is home.

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What is your passion and how did you find it?

I like to say my alter ego is @hold_the_fries, my health & wellness Instagram platform. I originally started the account with my best friend from college as a way to stay accountable when we were trying to live a healthier lifestyle. However, fast forward two years later, my bff quit the gig and @hold_the_fries became a part of me. I felt like there were not many relatable health and wellness influencers at the time, and I wanted to build a whole community around that. I have made lifelong friends through my platform, and by telling my own story I have inspired so many others to do the same.

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Why do you pursue this passion?

I wanted a creative outlet, a place to be myself, but little did I know by sharing easy healthy recipes, my favorite workouts, or on theme memes, I would create a whole side-hustle/passion project.

What has been the biggest obstacle you had to overcome while pursuing your passion?

My account has grown slower than many others, which can be frustrating at times. It's easy to compare yourself to others on social media and I am definitely one at times to do that. One of my influencer friends (who has lots of followers herself) told me to just be me and to let the growth of the account take its course, so I like to remind myself of that. 

What has been the highlight moment of your passion project?

Getting DMs from followers thanking me for something that I said or did and how it has impacted them.

What's the next step in your passion project?

Keep on growing until I feel like "wow I've made it!"

What’s the one piece of advice you would give someone who is considering starting a passion project?

Just go for it!!!!! Don't listen to the haters, just do what makes you happy!!!

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Speak now or forever hold your peace

Follow @hold_the_fries if you want some relatable and real health and wellness content in your life! Slide into my DM’s if you want to connect and talk more about health and wellness!