#003 - Danica Van Horn (29 years) on Founding a Jewelry Line, Designing for Kenny Chesney

Welcome to the hackiversity podcast, where students learn how to achieve more by doing less in college. Learn the hacks from wildly successful recent college graduates as your host, Kyle Whine explores the colleges, majors, and paths that produce the biggest results in college using less effort. It's hacking time. Hey, hey, hey, hack nation. Kyle Whiny here. And do I have a treat for you today. If you're like me, you love country music. Obviously, the singers and performers get most of the attention, but there are a lot of people responsible for the glitz and glamour you see. Prepare to meet Danica Van Horn, one of the people who provide the bling to country music. In just two years following college graduation, Danica quit her career with Dell as a technical guru and founded Daxology, a handmade men's and women's jewelry line. In this episode, Danica and I discuss how creatives should cope with the feeling of suffocation in a college major, how the process of experimentation can reveal your passion faster than ever before, and what it's like to regularly interact with country superstars such as Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, and Thomas Rhett. Let's dig in. Danica, thanks so much for joining me today.

Of course. I'm so excited to share what I can with the world.

So, Danica, I am a huge country music fan, and I know you live in Nashville, which is the heart of country music, but more than that, I know you just attended the Country Music Awards, so you got to tell me, what was that like?

Yeah, so it was the Country Music Television Awards. So there's two. There's the CMA Awards, which is a lot bigger and more fancy, and that's in the fall. And then I was just at the CMT Awards, which is for country music television, so a lot more music videos and stuff like that. But, yeah, I have a connection at cmt, and I got to be a seat filler, which means you basically just sit in seats, like, right next to the. What they call the talent, which I just say famous people.

The celebrities.

The celebrities, exactly. So, yeah, it was crazy. You just stand backstage and you're watching all of them walk to their seats. And it's all the names. I mean, it's like Keith Urban and Sam Hunt and Dan and Shea and. Oh, gosh, just like all these people that you listen to and hear on the radio. And I was. It was crazy. And then they also had a couple people that were presenting because they just, like, present the awards. So I was, like, standing right next to Katherine Heigl at One point, and I was like, I'm going to lose my mind. Yeah, but you have to be like, you can't talk to them. You have to be very poised and.

Like, oh, you can't even talk to them. You can be next to them, but you can't talk to them.

Yeah, they say that, like, just tell to pretend like you're invisible because you're basically just filling a seat. They don't want the camera to pan to you. They don't want you to draw any attention to yourself. And they're like, so if they ask you, like, a question when you're sitting down next to them, like, you can answer it, but try not to carry on a conversation, which makes sense, because if the camera pans to you, the world will be like, who the heck's that girl sitting next to Katherine Heiglt? So, yeah, it makes sense. But it was really fun. I got to just experience that, which was awesome.

Cool. So you landed that opportunity through what you do through doxology, is that right?

Kind of, yeah. I was given the opportunity to make a piece to go into the artist gift bags that they give to all the celebrities that go to the show. So for my business, and so I was able to make a necklace for that, and then because of that, the opportunity to be a seat filler, kind of a rose.

I love it.

Which is awesome.

Yeah, Yeah, I love it. And I want to get more into what exactly you do through doxology, making pieces for celebrity and stuff. But, Danica, before we deep dive into doxology, I just have one quick question for you to set. How old are you?

I'm 29.

So you're 29 years old. For everyone out there, and Danica has accomplished some really amazing things. We're about ready to explore. Okay, so Danica, tell the listeners out there, what exactly is doxology?

So Doxology is a company that I started around four, well, five years ago, but it's been full time for four years now. And I hand make men's and women's jewelry, and I sell it on my website and in stores in Nashville. And then over the last year, I opened my own storefront here in Nashville, and I sell my jewelry there. So it's a men's and women's jewelry company. And it's been the biggest journey and crazy ride of my life, but it's been 100% worth it. Being a small business owner for sure.

I love it. And who are some of the people that you've designed jewelry for so far?

I've designed jewelry for Florida Georgia Line, Seth Bolt from Need to Breathe, and some of the other guys from need to Breathe, Kenny Chesney, Dan and Shea, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker, and a couple others that are not coming to mind right now. But it's mostly men in terms of the more well known people that wear my jewelry, just because that's kind of an arena that I was able to tap into when I started making jewelry because I realized men's jewelry is just so hard to find, especially it being unique and not flashy or anything. So a lot of my men's jewelry is worn by artists here in Nashville for that reason.

I love it. I'm a huge Kenny Chesney fan. He was kind of my gateway into country music. He and Keith Urban. I just. I really love those.

Keith Urban's my favorite. Yes, Keith Urban is the best. I did not like country music at all growing up. I really hated it. And then I went to college and I heard Keith Urban for the first time. And so he's literally who made me fall in love with country music.

I love it. So, Danica, these guys like Kenny Chesney, Thomas Rhett, do they wear your jewelry just kind of out and about, or do they wear your jewelry on stage in music videos? How does that work?

So it's kind of funny. So the connections that I've made to be able to do this is through their stylists. So most, I would say, if not all celebrities have stylists who help them pick out outfits and whatnot. And so I just, through word of mouth, close friends, different stores I sold at here in Nashville, I was able to connect to their stylist. And so they pick out pieces through me, and then they show them to the artist and they pick them out and decide what to wear. So they'll wear them. They'll pick out pieces to wear in a music video, a photo shoot, or an award ceremony or something. But most of the time, what they pick out, they end up wearing in their everyday life, too. I've definitely seen. I like to. This is funny. I like, well, kind of stalk them on social media to find pictures of them wearing it. Just because I love to see that. And I've seen almost all of them wearing the pieces that they've worn for music videos or, you know, award ceremonies in their everyday life. Which is kind of my favorite part, because that kind of proves to me that they really like the piece. They're not just wearing it for, you know, one night and then never wearing it again.

And what's that feeling like to actually see someone wearing your piece?

It's just. I feel very accomplished. I feel like what I'm doing is worthwhile and appreciated. I think that being able to see that something that you create is appreciated and wanted by people that are of a high status like that is just incredibly. I'm just incredibly thankful for it. It's great.

Yeah, I love it. Danica, you are obviously a really accomplished, creative person, but I also know that you are very technical in your background, and we'll get into that more later. But do you consider yourself more technical or do you consider yourself more of a creative?

I definitely would say I'm more of a creative, but I will also say I would not be as much of a creative if I didn't have the base of being technical, because I've always loved creativity. Like, my mom was a basket weaver growing up, and I used to help her, and I just loved making things with my hands. I would make little trinkets and stuff all the time when I was little, and that's kind of what got me into jewelry, because I started making it in, like, high school, and then that moved on into college. It was just a hobby. So I have a technical background in computers and coding, but it was graphic design that I had to take a couple courses in coding for graphic design in college. And that's what made me fall even more in love with making things and creating things. And that goes hand in hand with not only creating things with your hands, like what I do every day, but creating things in terms of my website and my logo and a lot of different graphic design stuff that I still enjoy doing. So I'm much more of a creative, but I definitely would not be where I am without the technical.

Yeah, that's fascinating. So, Danica, I love the story about you getting into basket weaving first and then transitioning into making jewelry. And I think that's really fascinating because a lot of students, I think, approach what they want as their end game first, and then they kind of miss over the fact that oftentimes it's more of a windy path, just like your story is. You know, you didn't never anticipated making jewelry for Florida, Georgia Line, and Kenny Chesney, but it just kind of happened. Because you were basket weaving one day.

Yeah, because my mom was.

Yeah. So for people out there wanting to perhaps start their own business, wanting to dabble in something that they believe they're passionate about, what is the first step that you recommend that they take?

Honestly, I Think it's just starting to dabble in a bunch of different things. I figured out that I loved to be creative and make things with my hands because I just started doing it with my mom, and I just realized how much I loved doing it and how these little tedious tasks or creating things gave me joy and made me happy. It's kind of the same that I. I've had this conversation basically, with musicians here in Nashville, and they feel the same way about writing music or performing, playing the guitar, as I felt about not just making jewelry, but making a lot of different things. So I would say kind of have an antenna up of what things that even may seem crazy that you do, like, that bring you joy and that make you excited. I mean, one of my friends, like, she just gets so pumped about, like, sneakers. Like, she just loves sneakers. And I was. Yeah. And she. And so I'm like, well, have you ever thought about maybe just, like, designing sneakers? And so it's just something that, like, we've had conversations about, but. Which is hilarious. But another friend of mine, she just, like, like I said, with musicians, she just loves creating songs and writing songs, and I have a lot of guy friends who do the same thing, and so they made a career out of it.

Yeah, I love it. In my book, I call that process experimentation. The idea is that you just get out there and you test what you like. You actually do it, rather than sitting behind a desk and speculating as to whether or not you'll like it. And I really love that story about you just kind of going out there, doing it, rolling up your sleeves, getting your hands dirty, and transitioning from there. I think that's a really amazing point for students to kind of walk away with.

Yeah. Yeah.

So, Danica, before you went to doxology, though, you were working at Dell as a product lead in a technical capacity, right?

Yes. Yes. I started as a software analyst for them.

Yeah. So why Dell?

So I was a computer science major in college, and honestly, I can dive really deep into that whole journey, but Dell happened because I actually had a friend in college whose dad worked for Dell. And so I was one of the only friends of hers that was in a computer major in college. And so she was like, oh, my gosh, my dad wants to talk to you about, like, a possible possibly connecting you with a job, because none of our other friends are in an engineering field. So I just gave him my information, and he ended up getting me my first job out of college with Dell.

Wow. So this came because you knew someone it came through a referral. Yeah. Networking is so important.

Oh, 100%. I would not be anywhere if I had. I was not networking.

So, Danica, what was the job environment like in Dell, and how does that kind of compare to the job environment you work in now? Through doxology?

Yeah, I mean, they are. It's a 180. So I didn't really know, like, what I wanted to do with my computer degree, and so I just started looking for jobs. Just because you need a job right out of college anyway, so I got that job, not really knowing if that was what I wanted to do, but I started working there, and it was very much what I thought corporate America would be. I was at a cubicle, sitting eight hours a day on a computer and just coding and testing code and sending it back and forth between the developer and the people who actually put it into motion. Did you enjoy it in terms of. No.

You hated it?

I hated it.

Why is that?

Yeah, I realized then, and, I mean, looking back at it now, I was not using my creative outlets, and the creativity that I know was just rooted inside of me at all. I was because, I mean, to be honest, I clawed my way through my courses in college, and it was because I didn't really know what I wanted to do until the end of my junior year was when I was like. I was realizing. I love the graphic design aspect of coding. I don't like the. You can't really see what the end result is. I loved that in graphic design coding, you could type in something and all of a sudden the screen would change and everything. So I did not like that my creative outlet wasn't being used, that I was literally not knowing what this code that I was testing and processing through was doing. I would go home at night from work and I would just start crafting and making things because I couldn't do it all day.

Wow. So did you feel like a piece of you was actually being suffocated then, at work?

100%, yes. 100%.

And I think a lot of people often feel that way, particularly people who are creative. But the thing is, I don't know if a lot of people realize that that's why they feel like they're suffocated. They haven't put their finger on the fact that they are creative, and the creativity is just not allowed to kind of manifest itself. So how do you recommend that people explore more of whether or not they actually are creative?

I mean, I think it's in the same capacity of figuring out what it is you want to do, you have to just start playing around with stuff. Like being a creative goes from working with your hands to working with computers and being creative in that way, working with your voice, a musical instrument. Marketing is even a creative space now. So for me, and I say this a lot when I talk to people about how I got into jewelry, is that I realized, like I said, the end of my junior year, that you either need to be very passionate about your, like, the path you're going towards, whether that's a major and you're in college, or if that's a career and you're outside of college. You either have to be passionate at it or be very talented at it to really feel like you have a purpose. And for me, I did not feel like I had a purpose at all in it once I kind of realized that, like I said, end of my junior year, because I wasn't passionate about computer programming at all. And to be honest, I was not very talented at it. I could do it because I busted my butt to be able to understand it and, you know, pass my classes, but by no means did I just have a talent for it, because that passion will drive you to do something better. You know, take more courses, work harder, because you have this fiery passion behind something, or you have this talent behind it, and you're just good at it.

Yeah, I love that. The tagline of my book, Danica, is achieve more by doing less. And it's not necessarily an endorsement for laziness, but what it is is to find out the things that matter most in your life. And I think that's exactly what you're talking about. Figure out what you're passionate about, and that way, what you're doing doesn't feel like a slogan, like computer science felt for you. And you can actually achieve so much more, just like you have with doxology, by finding exactly what it is you're passionate about or what it is that you feel called to do.

Yeah, I love it. Absolutely. Absolutely.

So, Danica, what type of person do you think is ideal for the type of work you were doing at Dell?

Like I said, somebody who definitely is just very talented in terms of computer programming or computer software. And also, I am a very social person. I love meeting people. I love talking to people. I love being out and about. I definitely refuel on my own. There's parts of me that are an introvert, for sure, but I was sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, you know, 40 hours a week at this job with Dell. And there would be days, Kyle, honestly, that I would not talk to one person. And it was like a heightened suffocation because I already felt like a part of me was being suffocated, but then it was like this character part of me was being suffocated.

And you feel like more of that is alive now through your work at Doxology?

Yes, because not only do you. Before I open my store, because obviously when you have a store, you're in retail and you're talking to people all day. People are coming in and out of your shop. You're saying hello. But before I even had a shop, I was going into other shops, talking to them, invoicing what they wanted to buy. I was talking to the owners of the stores to see what they wanted to carry. And then also with doing custom jewelry, you're meeting up with people to design a piece and talking to them.

So, Danica, let me ask you one more question about your experience at Dell and Doxology. And that is my favorite part of your story, is just the fact that you had a job at Dell that I think many people would covet. It's a safe job. It's a prestigious job. It's in the computer science field, which is exploding, and it didn't fit you. And so you took a big step and risk, frankly, in doing something much different than what you were trained to do and then what you had been doing at Dell. And so what can you tell students and recent college graduates about pivoting into something that they think might better fit them?

I think that, I mean, I will keep going back to, you know, figuring out what it is that kind of makes you light up and makes you excited. There's. I remember talking to a lot of people in college, and they. They didn't know what I mean. I remember people sophomore, junior year, they still didn't know what they wanted to do. But, like, one of my friends, she just majored in international studies because she knew that she had a heart and a passion for people overseas and for traveling. And she was like, I don't know what I want to do, but I know this is something I'm passionate about, so I'm going to go towards that. And you can do that in a lot of different areas of jobs. Like I said, with computers and computer software, there's so many facets of it. There are people here in Nashville that do computer coding, and they're working for music labels, you know, and so they're doing that because not only do they want to Be in a computer field or that's where they feel like they're being called to. But they love music, so they can kind of mesh the two together. So I would say just keep, like, explore the things that make you excited and bring you joy and try to see how you can kind of weave that in to a job, whether that's corporate or not. There are so many aspects of different kinds of jobs that you can discover and kind of search for.

So the big takeaway is never stop experimenting.

Never stop experimenting. Yeah.

Keep figuring out what you're passionate about, what drives you, what you feel called to do, and just run after it.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

I love it. So, Danica, let's transition to your college experience. So you graduated from Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very big school.

It is.

What was it like attending such a big school?

I will say, and I think a lot of people that went to Virginia Tech will agree with this. Even though it's big, it doesn't seem that big because of how it's laid out and all the different opportunities just to meet new people and, like, kind of get into a group of friends or a, you know, a club or something like that. There's. It didn't feel small, even though. I'm sorry. It didn't feel big, even though it was. And I think that's because of the different communities of people that I was able to kind of invest in. I know that a lot of people out there, you know, they have different things that they like to do on the side, you know, whether that's play soccer or kickball or, you know, like, you can play intramurals in college. I met a lot of my friends just through my faith is really important to me. So I did campus crusade in college, and that connected me with a good amount of people, so that's definitely important. And it makes a huge school seem a lot smaller when you find groups of people that have common interests and that could go along with computer science. There was a bunch of guys that were in my computer science classes, and they would honestly just get together on the weekends and make computer programs because they loved it. And I'm like, that's their niche, and that's what they found, and they loved it, so more power to them.

Yeah. And like you, I went to college at Penn State, which is also a very, very big school. And just like you, I always say that you can make a big school feel as small or as big as you like. It's just, what kind of community are you going to build there yeah, 100%. So, Danica, you graduated with a double major in mathematics and computer science. So why?

Well, no, I had a minor in math.

Oh, you had a math minor. Okay, I got it.

Yeah.

So. So why did you choose to minor in math and major in computer science?

Well, that was honestly my dad's doing. So when I was in high school, I honestly kind of flirted with the idea of not going to school, right to college, right out of high school, because I had no idea what I wanted to do. Absolutely no idea. I mean, I thought for a second I was like, maybe I'll just go to cosmetology school because I like doing hair and makeup. My dad was like, yeah, that's not gonna happen. So he was like talking to me about it. And he's an engineer. He has been my whole life. And he just said, dan, you're really good at math. You're really good at science. I did always like computers. They always fascinated me. And I think that was just the kind of creative, technical aspect that I liked. So he just said, if you like engineering, it could be an amazing field for you to be in. So why don't you go into college trying that? If it doesn't work and that's not what you want to do, we can figure that out when that day comes. And I thought, you know, that's a good idea. I should just go for something and see how it works. I liked. I liked the thought of it wasn't stuck in stone. It's not like I had to do it. And he was right. I mean, I scored really, really well in math and science. I did got really good grades in it in school, in high school. So I just went that route.

Your dad is a wise man. That's exactly why. That's exactly what I recommend in my book and for one of the reasons why is what your dad said. And that is engineering has application beyond engineering itself. And so my question is, have you found that to be true?

Yes. I mean, I'll even say this. I still use coding with my business. I mean, I do my own graphic design, I do my own website. I've even done websites for couple of my friends businesses just because they're trying to save money. And I will like not charge that much to do it, but yeah, you can. That is one thing that I am very glad that I listened to my father and did that is because even though that's not what I ended up doing in the long term, it was a great first job, it was a great major to be in. And honestly, it's been a little bit of a comfort that I always have that to fall back on. If jewelry didn't work out, which it's doing, it's great and I love it. And I don't think I'll ever not be making jewelry, whether that's on the side or full time. But I'm really glad he directed me in that way because I could have chosen something that would have not put me in the place I am now, even though I am in a completely different place.

Yeah. Danica, one of the other things I promote in my book is that employers absolutely love flagship state schools such as Virginia Tech. And so my question is, do you think that you had an advantage because you graduated from a flagship state school in Virginia?

I think it definitely helped for sure because I mean, for such a well known company as Dell, I mean, they see that, okay, I was in computer science at a school that is well known for engineering, you know, and they. And I think that definitely did help. And I think that it's also, I don't know how much. Obviously I've never been in like a recruiting or hiring role ever, but I think that having gone to the school I did, it just says something to the people that are employing you in terms of, okay, they went to a school that has notoriety, but it also has a lot of ways that mature your character in terms of the majors they have, even athletics and sports and all the different facets that come along with the school. I think that that has a lot. That can say a lot to employers without even you saying if you did any, like extracurriculars. I think that a school that has good notoriety says a lot to employers.

Yeah, it does. And employers love the notoriety, there's no doubt.

Yes, they do. Oh, yeah.

So, Danica, you graduated with a 3.2 GPA and many students are not happy unless they're scoring 4.0s. So what do you tell, what do you tell these students?

I will say that when you are applying for a job, I really don't think a lot of employers are going to look at unless it's horrible. I mean, 3.2 is not bad, but I don't think that a lot of employers are going to look at your GPA and that's what's going to throw your resume off the table. I think that the employment process, especially nowadays, has gotten to be a lot more about who you are and what you're looking for in a job. And not so much a number at all.

It's More holistic.

Yes. And, I mean, I hated that that was my gpa, but at the same time, I know how much. How hard I had to work to even get that gpa. So I was, like, coming out of college, and that was what it was. I was like, you know what? And I worked really hard. And I'm looking back on it, I worked really hard at something that I was not talented at and I did not enjoy. So that's my takeaway.

But even so, it doesn't seem like having a 3.21 GPA held you back at all in terms of your employment prospects, right?

No, no, not at all. I mean, I think that also the employers are looking for people that have drive. And I honestly think, too, that they will say if you're interviewing and that comes up and you say, you know what? Yeah, my GPA isn't where I wanted it to be, but I did my best, and I'm looking to do my best, like, with your company. And I think that just your character and how you present yourself in an interview and with a company says a lot more than a number on a page.

Yeah, I completely agree. That's why I think working so hard at grades is often overrated for the reason that you mentioned, you can get a 3.2 and be perfectly fine in terms of your employment prospects. So people who lock themselves away in the library just to score 4.0, I think, are really missing out on opportunities that can really boost their employment prospects outside of the library. Plus, that just seems really boring and really lame to lock yourself away in the library for all that time.

Yes. And I made that. Honestly, I kind of feel like I made that mistake my sophomore year. You could ask, like, friends of mine that I was able to really establish a good relationship with later on once. I kind of didn't put as much pressure on myself. But my sophomore year, I was either in my bedroom, studying at office hours in the library, on campus, trying to. To do whatever I could to understand, like, computer programs or whatever I was doing and trying to raise my grade. And I lost so much. Honestly, I think I lost a lot of memories that I could have had with friends because I was putting way too much emphasis on a grade.

Yeah.

So.

Yeah. And, Danica, much like you, I feel like we have a lot in common with our college experience. But much like you, I put the same kind of emphasis on grades. And my story is one where I worked really hard and I got really great grades, and I graduated at the top of my class, and I'M like, okay, well, I did everything I was supposed to do. Now where's this great job I'm supposed to get?

Right?

And I actually didn't have any job offers when I graduated. And I was watching one of my fraternity brothers, who is one of the biggest slackers I knew, score. And that was kind of the top line of his grade. But he ultimately got the exact job working on Wall street that I wanted. And I'm like, wait a second. This doesn't make any sense. I have higher grades than he does. But you're right, there's really diminishing returns when it comes to gpa. And it also comes with a huge trade off. And that is the kind of memories that, you know you're talking about. You kind of miss out on those experiences with your friends. So, Yeah, I think GPAs are overrated in a lot of respect.

Yeah. And I, like I said before, your character and who you are and, you know, the experiences that you have, they. They have a lot more influence and meaning in your job going forward. I mean, my brother, for instance, he was an engineering major, and he went into an engineering internship, and he was like, this is not what I want to do. And his girlfriend at the time was doing law school, and he found himself, like, having these intense conversations with her about her law classes. So he went and he took his. What is it? Lsat. Lsat and went to law school because he was like, this is what makes me excited. And this is the things that are, like, making my mind churn and wanting me. He was, like, looking up, like, law journals and, like, wanting to know more about law. And so he, in the same way that I take away things from engineering, he did, too. Now he's in patent law, which he got an amazing job as a patent lawyer because he was an engineering undergrad.

Yep. And all that stemmed from just one little, I guess, exposure to the law through his former girlfriend asking him all questions, just like. Just like your gateway into jewelry stem from one tiny experience doing basket weaving back in the day. Yeah, it's really amazing how just kind of getting out there and experimenting with things really can lead to awesome opportunity.

Oh, yeah, definitely. And that's why I also encourage people in college. And I'm glad I did it towards the end of it. But to immerse yourself in, you know, whether it's, you know, intramural soccer or kickball or Frisbee or whatever it is, because you can just start dabbling with certain things that you may think won't affect a job in the future, but. Or anything. But the most random things can kind of awaken a part of your mind that you didn't realize was there.

Totally true. Danica, would you say that there's a specific college track to get you where you are today?

No, because I think that I could have gone a lot of different ways and still ended up probably maybe doing jewelry or something creative. You know, I could have been a graphic design major, and I probably would have been really happy because I was doing something that was creative. And I could have been, you know, a communications major, to be honest, because that every. I mean, every job involves communications and, you know, marketing and networking. I could have been. I definitely could have been a business major. I kind of wish I would have taken more business classes in college because I had no business or any kind. Yeah, any business experience going into being a small business owner. So I've just had to learn that aspect through trial and error, talking to people who've own businesses and just honestly faking it until I made it in terms of figuring out how to do business and everything. So I think that to get you where you are, whatever that is, there's a lot of different ways that you can do that. And it's funny, I think about it some in the same way that I think about, you know, possibly meeting your future spouse. Like, you could meet them at a McDonald's, or you could meet them through a mutual friend, or you could meet them at a gas station. Like, there's so many different ways that can get you to where you are in that relationship. And it's just. I think it's the exact same way with where you are in life, in a. In a job, or doing what you love.

So many ways to win.

Yes, 100%.

I love it. There's a wisdom nugget for everyone out there. So, Danica, let's transition to my favorite part of the podcast. And this is what I like to call the rapid fire question section. And this is where I offer up some quick hitting questions. But that doesn't mean your answer needs to be quick hitting. Okay, are you ready?

Yes. I don't have to go really fast, do I?

No, just my questions are.

Okay. Okay.

All right. So my first question, Danica, is, what is the one thing you believe about college that most people don't?

That you can change your mind and take a different path whenever you want. I think a lot of people go into college and they think, all right, well, I chose this, so I guess this is what I'm doing for the next four years. And that's definitely not true. Yeah. So I think most people think that they have to have it all figured out going into college, you know, have chosen a major or, you know, even. I mean, nowadays you apply to a school and apply to their college of business or apply to their college of engineering, and some people are like, oh, my gosh, I'm applying. You're 18 years old, and you're thinking that you're defining the rest of your life. And that just gives me so much anxiety.

Yeah. I remember when I declared a business major, someone said, well, you're deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life. And I'm like, but I'm 18 years old. No, I'm not.

Right. And that's what I will say to someone over and over again. If I hear one person around me say, well, this is going to decide what you do for the rest of your life, I will be like, no, it's not. That is not true. Yeah. I think a lot of pressure is put on you as a senior in high school applying to college, and I really hope that your book, and just people in general, really take that pressure off, because that is a very young age to feel that kind of pressure to decide the rest of your life.

Yeah, I hope so, too. And that pressure, like you said, is a very unnecessary kind of pressure, 100%, because it's not effective, it's not productive.

So, no.

Danica, my second question for you is, what have you done differently in college than other students?

Ooh. What have I done differently in college than other students? Oh, well, the first thing that comes to my mind is I did what I didn't want to do. In the back of my mind, I knew I didn't want to do computer science and programming, and I think that I would have changed my major or changed what I wanted to do a lot earlier if I had. If I had actually listened to that small voice.

So follow your gut, is what you're saying.

Yes. Yes. Follow your gut. Listen to. I almost want to change my answer, but it's on the same path. But don't do something because someone else tells you to.

Don't give in to peer pressure.

Yes. And I will say I wanted to please my father and please my parents, and I think that's a very, very, very common stress, especially for college students. And that's a really hard one as well, because a lot of people, I am one of the very blessed ones and grateful ones that had college paid for. So that's Hard because you feel like you kind of owe it to them to follow this certain path and then other people who pay for their own. So that's kind of an iffy and kind of tangled web. But, yeah, I think my answer is definitely don't listen to. Not don't listen. That's the wrong answer. But, yeah, don't just do something because someone else says to do it. Listen to your gut. Listen to your heart. What makes your heart pitter patter?

Yeah, I love it. I especially love the pitter patter. All right, Danica, third question is, what do you wish your sophomore self in high school knew?

My sophomore self in high school? Well, I wish my sophomore self in high school knew that what I did in high school wasn't going to define the rest of my life. I think that even as a sophomore in high school, I thought that all the decisions I made were going to have this profound effect on where I was headed or what I was doing. I remember I was in a. Really. What I thought at the time, a very serious dating relationship as a sophomore in high school. And I was just like, this is the guy I'm gonna marry, and we're gonna go to the same college, and this is how my life is gonna be. And I was literally painting a picture of what my future was going to be as a sophomore in high school, which is crazy. I think you need to explore and have fun. And, you know, those high school and even college are the days that you need to play around with different facets of what you're interested in, you know? And I don't mean in, like, a fun sense, even though it can be, but I mean in like, a. Figuring out, you know, what you love and what you really want to do and the people that you want to be around, you know, who can you surround yourself with that make you better, not worse? And I definitely would say that to my sophomore self because I was putting way too much pressure on, you know, notoriety and popularity and who, you know, what I was wearing. And I look back on that, and I'm like, oh, my gosh, if I could go back to high school, I would be such a free spirit, and I would not be so rigid into, like, oh, my gosh, I have to look like this, and I have to be like this, and I have to get these grades, and I have to do this. I think I'd be so much more fun.

Embrace your flaws is what I hear.

Yes. Yeah.

I love it. Danica, if you could recommend something to a college student in the form of a tweet, what would it be?

I would say, follow your passions and listen to your gut.

That is tweetable. I love it.

It's definitely under the character limit.

I wasn't counting. But you're right.

It isn't either, but I'm pretty sure it is. Maybe you're wrong.

Danica, my final question for you is, what is the one pop culture trend you remember most from college?

Oh, my gosh. The Dougie.

The Dougie. Can you explain? I love the Dougie, but can you explain what that is?

Or what was that one, like, Superman?

Oh, Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy, Yes. Either the Dougie or Soldier Boy, for sure.

Can you explain what they are?

The Dougie was that one where you, like, you kind of rub the top of your head and, like, kneel down and kind of wiggle your. I mean, it's kind of hard to describe in a podcast, but. And then the Soldier Boy one had a lot of different steps to it, But I just remember, like, choreographed dances were so popular in college. You would go to parties and everyone would stop, you know, when a certain song came on and start doing the dance.

My favorite was when people. When people would crank that Soldier boy, which means they stick both arms out to the side and kind of rev a motorcycle. And then in the opposite direction, they just kind of hop backwards. But typically, what happened? They do the Superman. But typically, what happened was people would be so rowdy that when they were hopping backwards to do the Superman, they would just knock into people. And everyone said, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Oh, man, that was so many. So there were so many songs that had choreographed dances in college.

Those were the best ones.

Oh, man, I still remember them.

I know they are memorable.

The wobble, I think that might have been after college, but it was.

You and I are the same age, and I think that was, like, a.

Few years after the wobble was right afterwards. But I still learned it.

Also a classic. Yes. Cool.

Gosh.

So, Danica, this has been really fun. Where can people learn more about you and the work that you do?

Well, they can definitely follow Doxology or myself on Instagram. I mean, I post certain things that I'm doing in my life just for fun in terms of my personal Instagram. But they can follow Doxology and see what we're working on. New things coming up. And then Doxology is also on Twitter and Facebook. And yes, there's some new things. Hopefully working out with Doxology for the future. I'm really hoping to be able to start working with a non profit to get some women over in third world countries to maybe do some jewelry stuff. That's very, very bare bones right now. It's just a dream that I have and but that's something to follow for sure. But yeah, you can. I will always post now that there's insta stories are a big thing and as well as Instagram photos and everything. But I always post, you know, who's wearing doxology and new things I'm making and news in terms of new pieces and fun different things that I'm doing in Nashville. So if you're ever in Nashville, please reach out and send me an email. I have a huge, huge list of restaurants and fun things to do that I will send to anyone who wants it.

I love it. Danica. We'll leave it there.

All right.

Thanks for coming on.

Thank you.

If you want more hackiversity and achieving more by doing less in college, you can subscribe to the podcast on itunes or grab the book on Amazon. For the show notes and the latest on hackaversity, check out kyleweiny.com don't forget to follow Kyle on Twitter y and on facebook@facebook.com hackaversity Till next time, happy hacking.