Photos courtesy of the Diva Movement
In 2012, Noni Banks’ friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. Overcome with emotion, Banks decided to go get a mammogram, too. Though she was young, Banks got a wakeup call when physicians found a lump.
“I was always in that arena of working fulltime, raising kids, running a business and volunteering my time. This made me stop and say, ‘What do I really want out of life?’” Banks says. “I wasn’t happy because I had all these goals and dreams I wanted to implement, but I kept putting them on the backburner.”
Banks created a Facebook group for a women’s book club. She laughs, recalling how she didn’t even finish the book for the first meeting. But it all worked out when the women wanted to talk more about their struggles and accomplishments and less about the book.
In that moment, the Diva Movement was born.
Based in Westerville, the group is made up of more than 400 women and is now growing beyond central Ohio. The Diva Movement provides its members with support, tools and resources to help them succeed personally and professionally. From one of the darkest moments of her life – her mammogram result – came one of the most uplifting.
“It’s really about creating an atmosphere where women can build meaningful relationships and have authentic connections,” Banks says. “We have so many success stories where women say things like, ‘Hey, I met someone at your event and she told me about her journey to wellness, and so I brought her into my job to talk about it. Now we have a wellness program at work.’”
Member or not, everyone is welcome to attend one of its largest events, the Women’s Wealth & Wellness Expo on Saturday, Jan. 25. The event celebrates five years of the Diva Movement, and is hosted at The Point at Otterbein University with speakers, demonstrations and discussions about fitness, wellness, finances, beauty, and professional topics.
Banks says the expo started after her divorce. Through this new moment in her life, Banks realized that her knowledge of handling finances was slim and that stress can override your mental, spiritual and physical health.
“I booked this small space (the first year) and over 200 women showed up,” Banks says. “We need a space and an event where women can focus on those two important elements: wealth and wellness.”
This year, Banks and her team are introducing the Small Business Bootcamp, where visitors can talk with local agencies and learn about free or low-cost community resources to help their businesses grow. Participants can sign up before and during the expo.
“It’s hard for new business owners to navigate this entrepreneurial landscape,” Banks says. “You want to see someone who can relate to you and can tell you, ‘Yes, I want to help your business grow.’ And for women especially, it’s hard to get capital – if you’re a minority woman it’s even harder. So why not use these resources?”
Other additions include a plant-based cooking demonstration and an entirely woman-led physician panel, where several medical professionals will talk about women’s health.
Nanette N. Lacuesta-Kimmel, MD, a family medicine physician with OhioHealth, says she’s honored to share her expertise with the panel.
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“I feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to address what I see, specifically as a family physician, as a woman and as a person of color, to help participants be the best versions of themselves,” she says.
Lacuesta-Kimmel says she’s excited to bring topics to the surface that are stigmatized or uncommon so women can feel less isolated and more aware.
“I think a lot of times, women are sometimes the worst at taking care of themselves because they have a strong sense of taking care of other people instead,” Lacuesta-Kimmel says, “and this panel could give them a lot of information and empower them to take the first step to taking care of themselves.”
Lacuesta-Kimmel says this is her first interaction with the Diva Movement, but she can already see why the organization is flourishing.
“Any time you have the opportunity to be in a gathering with a group of women who want to become the best versions of themselves, it’s really exciting,” she says.
The expo proves that, no matter whether you’re going through a difficult divorce, dealing with an uncertain medical diagnosis or financial instability, you can learn something new, find a support system and grow stronger.
“We’ve been where you are. We’re here to stand beside you, walk beside you, push you if necessary or drag you if needed, because we’re here to support you,” Bank says, “and a lot of women get discouraged, (but at the expo) you can come out and be with people who want to see you win.”
Lydia Freudenberg is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
