The Dana Lee Project

05/21/2026

Ladies… we need to talk about sneezing.

Somewhere along the way, women collectively decided that crossing our legs while sneezing, peeing “just in case,” avoiding jumping at all costs, and pretending pelvic pain is normal was simply part of adulthood.

Respectfully… NO. 😂

Melissa Morgan, OTR/L, CFPHP, TIPHP and I are hosting a live Zoom session all about pelvic floor health and I promise this conversation is going to be equal parts eye-opening, helpful, and incredibly validating.

We’re talking about things women whisper about in parking lots after workouts:
• leaking
• urgency
• constipation
• prolapse
• painful in*******se
• core weakness
• postpartum recovery
• pelvic pain
• and why your body might feel disconnected even when you’re “doing all the right things”

You’ll learn practical tools that actually fit into real life such as breathing, posture, pressure management, relaxation strategies, strengthening exercises, and ways to support your core + pelvic floor without fear or confusion.

And honestly? One of the best parts of attending LIVE is being able to ask the questions women usually keep to themselves.

No shame. No awkwardness. No pretending everything is fine while secretly mapping every bathroom location from Target to Starbucks just trying to run weekend errands.

The replay will be available for a limited time only to those who register, in case you can’t make it live. But the live conversation is where the magic happens!

Come hang out with us.... Your pelvic floor would like a word.

Tuesday, May 26th
3pm ET / 12pm PT
90 minutes
Location: Zoom (link will be sent the day of)

Comment “respectfully NO” 😂 below and I will get you the registration link. 👇

05/19/2026

Last week I had a private call with a client where we had one of those smaller conversations inside a bigger conversation that kind of stuck with me afterward.

And honestly, this is exactly why I think spaces like the MidLife Evolution Society are so important for us. Because sometimes these little moments, these reflections, these tiny pieces of wisdom that come up in real life conversations… they’re worth sharing and talking about while they’re fresh.

We somehow got onto the topic of overexplaining.

You know, when you make a decision and then suddenly you find yourself in this weird defensive energy explaining why you’re doing the thing you’re doing?

And I asked her, “Do you think you’re explaining because you actually don’t fully trust your own decision yet? Or is the other person not even asking you to explain and you’re just volunteering all of it?”

And we both kind of sat with that for a minute.

Because I’ve definitely caught myself doing this too.

I was sharing with her how over the last year or two I’ve become way more self-reflective around moments where I notice myself explaining things when nobody even asked.

A real example of this was when I decided to finally learn Facebook ads.

Which honestly felt terrifying to me because that is SO not how my brain works. I joke around all the time that I have no idea how I’ve had an online business this long while being as non-techy as I am. Like… I’m super basic. 😂

But I had this bigger vision in me. I wanted to reach more women. I wanted women who were searching for another answer to be able to find me.

Not another diet.
Not another round of shame.
Not another place where they feel like they are failures.

So I decided to do the harder thing and learn Facebook ads and campaigns and all the stuff that felt intimidating and overwhelming to me.

And what’s interesting is that when I talked about it with people, I noticed I was explaining myself a LOT.

Meanwhile… nobody was even giving me pushback.

People were basically like, “Okay Dana, sounds great.”

But I was still over-explaining.

And that really taught me something.

Because now when I catch myself explaining something that nobody even questioned, I pause and ask myself if maybe I’m not fully rooted in my own intuition yet.

As in… did I actually make this decision from a deep place of knowing it was the right direction?

Or am I still looking outside myself a little bit?

And the other thing I think is worth talking about is how exhausting over-explaining can be.

Because if you’re constantly feeling like you need to explain yourself to family… explain yourself at work… explain your boundaries… explain your choices… that’s an energy leak.

And interestingly enough, the very first thing she said to me when we got on the call was:

“Dana, I’m so tired.”

This is part of why.

It takes energy to constantly feel like you need to prove yourself, defend yourself, soften yourself, justify yourself.

And lately, the more I trust myself, the less explaining I do.

Not because I’m closed off or because I don’t care or I just want to be a bitch.

No - It just feels like I’m leaning more into my own feeling of certainty.

And honestly… it feels really good. Quieter and more peaceful inside.

So this has definitely been something I’m sitting with lately:

Where am I explaining myself when I don’t actually need to?

Where am I leaking energy?

Where can I reel it back in and trust myself more?

I think there’s something really important for us there.

05/17/2026

FREE ONLINE WORKSHOP:
Pelvic Reset with Melissa Morgan

Tuesday, May 26th
3pm / 90 minutes
Location: Zoom

Most women were never taught how their pelvic floor actually works — which is why so many silently deal with leaking, urgency, pelvic pain, constipation, prolapse symptoms, painful in*******se, or feeling disconnected from their core.

Join Dana Lee + Melissa Morgan, OTR/L, CFPHP, TIPHP for a supportive online workshop designed to help you better understand your body, improve pelvic floor + core function, and feel more confident in movement, exercise, and everyday life.

You’ll learn practical tools for breathing, posture, pressure management, relaxation, strengthening, and pelvic floor coordination through a whole-body approach that actually makes sense.

Attend live to ask questions in a safe, supportive environment. Replay included for all who register.

If you are part of The MidLife Evolution Society, you are automatically registered and the replay will live in the member portal for you.

Register here:

Join Dana Lee + Melissa Morgan, OTR/L, CFPHP, TIPHP for a supportive online workshop designed to help you better understand your body, improve pelvic floor + core function, and feel more confident in movement, exercise, and everyday life.

05/14/2026

Lately I’ve been noticing changing dynamics in friendships.

Not dramatic falling-outs. Not necessarily conflict. I am just becoming more aware.

I had two different experiences fairly recently with women I’ve known for years (from completely different parts of my life) where I walked away realizing something felt different. In both situations, the conversation was almost entirely centered around them for hours. And I found myself sitting there observing it in real time thinking, this is interesting.

Not from a place of harsh judgment either.

I genuinely care about these women. I want to hear about their lives. Their kids. Their marriages. Their work. Their stories matter to me.

But I also noticed there wasn’t much curiosity about mine.

And I started wondering:...Was it always this way and I’m only now noticing it? Or am I changing?

Because when you start doing deeper work on yourself, you become more aware of your needs. I mean, that really is the whole point - getting your needs met after spending most of your life sacrificing them (or... let's be honest, not even acknowledging them in the first place). You start recognizing what drains your energy and what actually feels nourishing. You start paying attention to reciprocity. Ease. Presence. Genuine interest. Mutual care.

One of my friends actually surprised me in the best way. A few days later she messaged me and apologized on her own. She recognized she had been dominating conversations lately because of social anxiety. We ended up having a really meaningful exchange about it, and the next time we got together everything felt easy again, like we hadn’t skipped a beat.

The other situation didn’t resolve that way. And maybe it won’t. That's ok. I don't have expectations about it.

Some interactions with certain friends just become fewer and farther between.

And I don’t even mean that in a sad or bitter way. I think friendships evolve the same way we do. Some are for a season. Some deepen. Some slowly drift. Some require grieving even when nobody did anything wrong.

I’m also realizing social media probably changes some of this too. People feel caught up on my life because they watched my vacation highlights or saw my anniversary post, so maybe they don’t think to ask me deeper questions anymore.

I don’t know for sure.

What I do know is this: The older I get, the more I value quality over quantity in every area of my life. Friendship included.

I’d rather have a handful of friends where there’s mutual effort, thoughtful check-ins, easy conversation, and genuine care than constantly trying to force connection where it no longer fits naturally.

Some of the friendships I value most at this stage of my life feel easeful, yet have a conscious effort both of us want to - and do - make.

And I think that’s the difference for me now.

I am grateful for this level of awareness and also, for not feeling bad admitting to myself when a friendship (or relationship in general) has run its course.

Time and energy are too precious at this stage of the game. Don't you agree?

A more thorough and thoughtful conversation about how we navigate it together as women found in the comments.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas in here! 💕 Wishing you a beautiful day 🌿

Although I do not have children myself, I am honored to be a place where moms can come to plug back into themselves.

To get grounded, recharge and get what is needed when the rest of the world is pulling at you 10 different ways from Tuesday. Our little studio is such a sanctuary like that. ❤️‍🩹

Yes, we workout, but as you are well aware, it's far greater than that. People ask me about it, and it's not something to put into words, only something to experience.
You can come and be yourself.
Wearing makeup or not.
Being in a good mood or not.
Nothing to hold together, take charge of or to perform.
Nothing is demanded of you (except for planks lol) and the biggest decisions you have to make are which dumbbell you're gonna pick up that day or what station you want to start at.

You make enough decisions for your life and your family day in and day out, often sacrificing your own needs in the process, I am a place you can come to lean on, knowing I look out for your best interests and I am someone to help make good decisions WITH you, and sometimes for you - like what exercises to put together in what order and why.

*breathes a sigh of relief for something important you can check off your list ✔️*

But tides are changing 🌊 putting everyone else's needs before your own all the time is wearing you down in undeniable ways that can no longer be ignored. And especially after my menopause certification I can draw clear and distinct parallels in the hormonal waves and shifts happening inside our bodies as we are opening our eyes and being honest about angry feelings to finally say "ENOUGH." Drawing lines and healthy boundaries maybe for the first time ever in your life.

This is uncharted territory and it's sure to p**s some people off.

Some call that menopause, I call it a catalyst for our own personal evolution. The tide shifting is inevitable. You are indeed meant for more. But not in the "doing" sense of the word.

There was a YouTube video I did awhile back with Mandy where she asked me,

"after being a fitness professional for 30 years, what is ONE THING everyone should be doing on a daily basis to dramatically improve their health?"

My answer?

Not "drink water."
Not "get proper sleep."
Not "focus on getting enough protein."
Not even "strength train!"

My answer without hesitation -

"Pay attention to the quality of your thoughts and emotions because they DRIVE all of the physical stuff happening or not happening in your body and your life."

It's one thing you can do that makes everything else in your life easier.

However, I completely recognize that changing your thinking is not easy, not easy at all. It takes repetition, just like your glutes.

Wanna grow your peach? 🍑 Ya gotta commit to consistent glute strengthening actions.

Same goes for the mind. What you feed it daily, consistently, MATTERS.

You trust me to create new workout programs every 6 weeks (online livestreams + in studio programming), now I have the main "thinking" driver handled too -

It’s called The MidLife Evolution Society and although I am only 1 week + 2 group zoom conversations in, my heart is so freakin' full! The women have already shared how much they feel heard, supported, understood and already getting major behavioral breakthroughs. Just by listening and talking. That's it.

No, I am not a therapist. But, I have figured out what women want and more importantly, I give them what they NEED. That's my job as a trainer. That's my job as the leader of my community. It's my responsibility. And much like motherhood, I understand the assignment.

Enroll in The MidLife Evolution Society TODAY 🌊 Register here:
https://www.realfit.tv/offers/SssGvvnM/checkout

It’s honestly and truly one of the best gifts you can give yourself as a mother 💕 This is the mental and emotional health support I always dreamt of creating (in addition to physical well-being) for my community... and it's finally all coming together 💞 The Dana Lee Project winning combination and I'm just not gonna be shy about it - I want you to benefit from being in the M.E. Society!

See you in there. ❤️‍🔥

05/08/2026

Steve & I celebrated 20 years of marriage on Wednesday.

We were all dolled-up, ready to leave the house in time for our dinner reservations at Arca - a cool old church that was converted to a restaurant a few towns over from us I highly recommend - and we paused a moment for a kiss at the front door when Steve says to me “sorry, I didn’t get you a card.” to which I immediately laughed and say “I don’t fu***ng care, neither did I.” and we left. 😂

We don’t care about that stuff as a couple. Personally, it’s not important to either of us.

A few years back we took that love language quiz and discovered that both of us scored last in gift giving and scored about the same for valuing quality time and acts of service the most in a relationship.

Which made a lot of sense because if you know me, I am constantly setting up problems for Steve to fix, to build, to 3-d print, to solve or create … and I can honestly say that he loves it. He thrives on it. And it ends up being a source of pride for him, and for me. (Thank God because my wonderful ideas ain’t stopping anytime soon. lol)

But, it’s not just giving HIM a chance to problem-solve (acts of service) it’s give US a chance to do something together (quality time), as a couple. Even if sometimes that means I stand there holding the Molly’s & screws.

He has contributed so much to the success of my business and my studio over the years, it’s unreal. The emotional support no one can see, but all of my clients can benefit from (whether they know it or not). Only my closest clients & friends know the extent that he contributes to turning my visions and dreams into reality. A real, tangible reality. We are an incredible team.

From simple things like 3-d printing the holder that the remote control for the wall fan can sit in so my clients can easily flip the fan on with a switch without me, to building the sturdy TRX mount that we use practically every session, to this latest one - helping me create and display “The Dana Lee Project” signs both outside and inside because he wanted to learn how to use a CNC machine and play around with different materials that would result in what I had envisioned. He thought it would be more fun than paying a sign company to do it. And, he was right.

So, what is a secret to a successful and happy 20 year marriage?

Honestly we don’t need a dinner out to celebrate ourselves and what we have. I say things like “hon, I would like to hang a sturdier sign off the brick in front of my studio. Whatya think?” and then… we figure it out together.

Even if the project takes months because of his work schedule, and mine. Or because of the weather or because there’s a lot of thinking and research that can go into these problems I set up for him.. hahaha.. But, the time frame doesn’t matter to me. Besides, I already know there will be another project we work on together right on the coat tails of this one.

Here we are. and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my signs. Even moreso that we did it together. Kinda like growing your own food in a garden then cooking using those garden-grown ingredients and sharing that cooked meal with your family. It’s more meaningful. More flavorful.

I am so incredibly grateful that I have a partner who doesn’t think any of my ideas or these projects are a pain in the ass or a nucence. Or worse, that I am. He doesn’t lose his s**t when I ask for him to contribute to something I am thinking about. Even if he’s never done the thing before, he’s willing try and figure it out, always willing to learn. F**k it up and try again. I have learned so much from watching him approach problem-solving like this over the years, he’s had a profound impact on me in ways I bet he doesn’t even realize. It’s like I found my own freedom in saying f**k it! I’ll try and maybe it will work, maybe not, but I am willing to explore it instead of cutting myself off at the pass like I used to do.

In the process of learning how to use the CNC machine with this cool material, we ended up with a bonus sign a bit thinner than the one hanging above the front doors, but perfect for a spot inside on a wall somewhere. But - how to properly hang it when the back of the material is nothing like a picture frame?! It’s a flat smooth surface, like the front. So he designed these super cool corner brackets that could slide in and hug the edges, perfect for the overall aesthetic. He 3-d printed them and I fu***ng LOVE how it turned out. So freakin smart, I tell ya that Steve Shattls. 🥰

So the dinner isn’t the celebration of marriage, it’s this stuff we do together on a Sunday afternoon before our weekly trip to Trader Joe’s. It’s not always what we are doing, it’s the fact that we love whatever we are doing that much more when we do it TOGETHER. & IDGAF how cheesy that sounds. It’s not what a relationship LOOKS like, it’s what it IS that matters. And this is what it is for us. ❤️❤️

04/19/2026

I have been working behind the scenes developing a unique program to help women navigate the challenges of midlife and how empty-nesting, caring for elderly parents, relationship challenges and career pivots have their way of massively colliding with menopause. To the point that it can sometimes feel like an existential crisis, leaving a woman with more questions than answers about her life.

I'm calling it The MidLife Evolution Society because viewing it as a crisis vs an opportunity for personal evolution is THE thing that will enable you to rise from the ashes and build a life you love from here, when other women struggle and white-knuckle their way through it often with radical independence. Not the women I will be working with! Together, we will create YOUR amazing life and rock solid health from where you are RIGHT NOW.

I see menopause as a reckoning and I'm so fu***ng exciting about this as my next body of work that I wanted to let you know that it's coming very soon... doors will be opening within a few days and the window to enroll will be fairly short because I can't wait much longer - I am amped up and ready to start teaching this powerful material to the right women. Who is that you ask? You'll know who you are... in fact, you might know this is for you already. Stay tuned. xx

04/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18HP5Gzeg8/

03/24/2026

I just had bloodwork done yesterday. My phlebotomist noticed I was turning 50 this year she said, “you look really good,” while also reminding me just how many people she encounters on a daily basis.

I admit, it was a compliment that I happily received. And my response to her was “Thank you. I take really good care of myself.”

I am having bloodwork done because I am finally ready to properly address what the F is happening with my hormone fluctuations that have been affecting me for at least the last decade -as memory recalls- from when my legs first started this deep achy-hurt that went indescribable for many many years. Even as I tried to research it on the internet, I couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. That’s because I was looking in the wrong places for the answers and just didn’t know it at the time.

My leg discomfort wasn’t something I could properly address because it didn’t happen all the time and it didn’t keep me from lifting or staying active. Some days or nights I felt it deep down into my bones and it would prevent me from sleeping soundly. Other times it was more muscular. Not cramps. Not knots. Something else that for the life of me I could not put into words.

After 20+ years of overtraining, I just chalked it up to my body’s pendulum swinging back to course correct because too much training is destructive (just as too little training is also destructive - more on my “goldilocks era” in another post.)

Fast forward to my completion of my menopause certification last month and being introduced to incredible women like Dr. Mary Claire Haver and her body of work she’s doing for women going through perimenopause and menopause.

FINALLY some of this weird s**t was starting to make sense.

Even though I had a period like normal every single month… which was kind of confusing to me. Come to find out, regular periods did not mean my estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or cortisol was still functioning as normal. And the name this transition was given is “menopause” which means “end of periods” but that is not the thing. The name itself isn’t even accurate. It’s the drop in estrogen and the relationship to all the other hormones that weigh in its balance. 400+ estrogen receptors are found throughout the entire female body - the brain, the ears, the shoulder joint, the gut, the hips, & it goes on & on.... THAT is the thing. And that can happen years and years before there’s even a hint at your period ending.

All that being said, let’s circle back to my response to the nurse’s observation of my age: “I take really good care of myself.”

When that became a statement I lived by, the foundation I teach the ladies I mentor, decisions on my behaviors, actions and communications all fall into line. It’s not the other way around.

I take care of myself in relationships.

In how I run my business. No more hustle = no more burnout or resentment

How I take care of myself through my workouts. The type, frequency, intensity, & respecting my mood.

In my food choices and behaviors.

In my consumption - social media, podcasts, audiobooks, movies, tv shows.

In real-world company I keep (or don’t keep)

In my own thoughts and ideas about who the F I am and who the F I am NOT.

Turning 50 and looking good is not by accident. It’s intentional and it required some tough conversations and boundary-setting (ah-em boundary ENFORCING), saying no in order to say yes to me even when it felt uncomfortable and I felt guilty -bad-wrong doing it.

It’s not my beauty regimen that is my secret weapon. It’s my belief about who the F I am, and who the F I am not, as stated above. And the path to figure that out was a winding, rolling-hill, rough terrain that I chose to navigate regardless of the weather or season.

In all the years I have worked with thousands of women, the most difficult thing for me to observe and allow clients to choose for themselves - because it is NEVER something I have any part in controlling as much as they want “accountability” to solve this belief system about themselves - is the choices made that cause their own health to be pushed farther and farther down the totem pole; because her mother just fell, because her adult child is struggling with a bad breakup, because a coworker just got fired and now she’s got to take on the load and work late which means, no more workouts.

No accountability from a trainer or coach can solve that for you. That is your own power, not something that can be outsourced as someone else’s responsibility.

This is not about shaming ANYONE.

In fact, when shame is present, it is extremely difficult to heal.

The only reason I can write and speak to this is because I have my own fair share of this put-myself-last belief and behavior too. I wanted someone else to hold my feet to the fire so I could break my own weakness in putting others before me… BUT IT NEVER WORKED.

However, this has lead me to now see the symptoms of menopause differently than most coaches in this arena.

>>>> Symptoms are not separate from one’s belief system about their own self-identity, they are an expression and manifestation of it. Symptoms are an extension of one’s inner belief system. Not something that is broken to be fixed, but rather something like a child who is crying and screaming for attention, love, patience, and nurturing.

I believe it’s an opportunity to make peace with the wisdom of what your body was trying to whisper to you 20 years ago, tap you on the shoulder 15 years ago, then yell at you, scream at you, and swear at you when the gentle approach did not work and now, all in unison your body pain and night sweats are saying, “PAY ATTENTION & TAKE BETTER CARE OF MEEEEE!”

The EMOTIONAL me.
The MENTAL me.
The SPIRITUAL me.

After a decade of helping women repair and rebuild their relationship to their bodies, to exercise and to food, do you know what does NOT work? Hating yourself through it. Talking smack to yourself about how much your body and your life suck. Reading that it probably seems pretty obvious that s**t-talking yourself wouldn’t lead to a life or body you love. Yet, it’s still happening in the heads of women everywhere. “if I just beat myself up enough, I will love and respect my body.”

So… if that doesn’t work for body image and food freedom, would it work through a major transition like menopause?

This is literally the difference between midlife crisis and midlife evolution.

That is why I am writing this. It’s my invitation to you to open yourself up to see your body and what you are going through differently.

So, as I wait for my bloodwork to come back and I work with a nurse practitioner to interpret the results along with her help to take my history, symptoms and the whole integrated context, I am genuinely excited about the next phase of my life and the level of care that I never allowed myself to receive before. And when I see it that way, I honestly well up with gratitude for the whole thing.

I’ve been through a lot. I’ve accomplished a lot. I’m proud of all of that.

And yet, I believe the best is yet to come and my part in helping women turn their own crisis into the most powerful evolution is very exciting to me.

I trust there is a lesson for me in every life circumstance. Menopause symptoms are not exclusive to that. They are part of it.

I have been quiet in writing for a couple months because something is brewing. Another iteration of The Dana Lee Project will be unveiled in its proper time, as I am ready to share more of the pieces.

But for now, if this feels more aligned for you and your own path, I’m thrilled to have you by my side as we learn more about ourselves as women - who we were, who we are now, and who we really want to be when we are in the quiet, and being honest with ourselves.

As scary as that might be, I'm here for it. and I'm here for you.

More to come. xx

02/09/2026

Check out the new apparel!!!! Its so cute!!! https://wrazenwranch.myshopify.com/collections/all