Photo Credit: Gerardo Briceno
Health and wellness has been in the limelight for the past year especially due to COVID-19. As coaches, influencers and brands circulate the web promoting a more balanced and diversified lifestyle, there is one in particular that stood out amongst the rest. De La Heart is a Miami-based lifestyle brand created in 2015 by Gigi Vogel the Chief Empowerment Officer. Vogel, holistic health coach, and beauty leader practices and preaches through her social media accounts and her brand. Her fast-growing platform was born through her love and the personal necessity to merge all of her passions into one. Haute Beauty sat down with Vogel to talk about the journey to De La Heart, her health guru inspirations, and what’s to come of the brand as we near 2022.
Haute Beauty: Tell me about De La Heart and how you got started on this lifestyle journey?
Gigi Vogel: Till the age of 25, I worked in the fashion, retail, and wholesale industry both in Miami and New York. Being overworked, underpaid, and getting sick all the time, led me to the wrong relationships, with alcohol and partying. The work hard play hard lifestyle was mine to the tee. As much as it seemed amazing at the time, it was not sustainable I was sick often and overall unhappy. Realizing this, I started to see a holistic doctor. Back in 2011, no one understood what a holistic doctor entailed but I knew that I had to figure out why I was gaining weight, having crazy breakouts and my health was quickly depleting.
My holistic doctor helped me navigate all these things. I got off antibiotics, and ultimately when I reached the emotional part of treatment, she preached how unhappy I was. That’s when I began to make significant changes in my life.
Seeing the evolution of my health and lifestyle throughout the years, thanks to my holistic coach, motivated me to help others. With that, I attended Integrative Nutrition school to become a holistic health coach. At the time, I was doing real estate to pay the bills and working one-on-one with clients on the side. However, I wanted to find a way to reach more people and change more lives, this is when social media was starting to gain traction. So I began to share my everyday recipes and workouts on Snapchat stories and on Instagram. A couple of years later, the De La Heart blog was born. Both the blog and my social media channels (@delaheart /@gigivogel_ ) started growing like crazy, this presented a ton of opportunities to work with wellness brands. However, it was hard for me to promote products that I didn't necessarily use myself or align with. With this, I felt called to create a line of products that I truly believed in and was passionate about.
HB: Speaking of not being satisfied, is that what led to the inception of your first product?
GV: Yes! At the time, my friend had introduced me to lymphatic drainage - a wellness practice that I immediately gravitated towards. I loved everything about it and the results were mind-blowing. When I shared my newest beauty secret with my OG wellness guru, my mom, she immediately mentioned that she had been doing this since the 90’s using a wooden paddle- which she still owns.
With this, I took the bull by the horn and designed my first product, the Lymphatic Drainage Body tool - a better, more ergo-dynamic version of my mom's OG tool. People started to ask me what I was doing, how I was doing it, and what I was using.
At the time, it was a very strange tool and idea for people. No one really knew what it was so when the product launched it was not a slam dunk right away. Around when COVID-19 hit and a year prior, lymphatic drainage became Hollywood’s ‘best next wellness treatment.’ Tons of people were doing it at home but it was not accessible to the average person due to the cost. We didn’t reinvent the wheel, but we definitely changed the game when we made lymphatic drainage accessible to everyone with our The Lymphatic Drainage Body Tool for only $29.00, which provides incredible results when you follow the protocols that we share.
HB: Is the lymphatic drainage tool your most popular product right now?
GV: Yes! The tool is what put us on the map and what differentiates us from other wellness brands. To complement the line, we developed an array of body products. The lift and tone cream, body oils, and more.
In the spring of 2022, we will be re-launching our products with new formulas and 7 new skews. Sticking to our traditional ingredients, but adding into the evolutions of where we are today.
HB: On a daily basis, what methods do you personally use?
GV: I practice yoga, pilates, and mindfulness meditations. I eat a plant-focused diet, but no food groups are off-limits.
As far as wellness and beauty, I do lymphatic drainage massages every day. I really believe in this wellness practice, and the results are incredible as your lymphatic system is crucial to our body, well-being, and overall beauty. When you assist your lymphatic system through manual stimulation, you are riding yourself of toxins and excess fluids equating to high energy, improved health and high vibrations. I am also a big fan of the Gua Sha facials and we have an array of these beauty tools available on De La Heart as well as very helpful tutorials.
Photo Credit: Gerardo Briceno
HB: Who are your health guru inspirations?
GV: Throughout the years, I have tried and followed every wellness trend but only a few have stuck. I really respect and admire Gwyneth Paltrow, not only is she an incredible actress but she’s really been a pioneer in the wellness industry and the work she’s done with GOOP has been incredible to watch and follow.
As far as functional medicine and food, I love Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Will Cole-- I really align with what they stand for when it comes to nutrition. I love Melissa Wood and her approach to holistic living and for spirituality and meditation, I love Eckhart Tolle and David Ji.
HB: Last month marked the 4-year anniversary of De La Heart, what is your biggest accomplishment thus far?
GV: When you are running your own business and growing your family at the same time, you are bound to learn new things. I am a perfectionist but over time, I have learned to let go and go with the flow. Sometimes things will happen in a different way than envisioned, but it always works out. And for me with my business, that was COVID-19. When the pandemic hit, I thought I couldn’t work, my business would not survive but it ended up being a blessing in disguise. De La Heart promotes at-home wellness, this was a crucial time for both the growth of our company and my personal growth.
HB: As De La Heart continues to expand, what are you looking forward to the most?
GV: I really love what I do. I am super excited to share all of the projects that were put on the back burner due to COVID-19. Growing our community, having events, a wellness retreat (coming soon!) and being able to launch our new products are just a few of the exciting things I have in store for De La Heart. I also am looking forward to going back in the field, sharing my products with retailers – that’s the part of the business that reminds me why I loved the fashion industry so much.
As much as we are so strong as an online platform, I miss human contact and that in-person connection so I'm ready to jump on full force for 2022 and engage with our community how we used to before.
HB: Last question, what motto do you want your followers to live by?
GV: Choose to love yourself first, and everything else will follow. And I am living proof of that. When I really learned to love myself and work out of a place of love rather than fear, I was able to turn my life around. I am now so aligned that I’m living the life of my dreams. I have a beautiful family, a career that I’m passionate about, and I feel better than ever. To all the women, you can do it all! Don’t compromise or settle and always follow your heart.
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