Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Doran.
Hi Dani, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Bay Village, Ohio—and it’s still home. I’m a single mom and co-parent to 8-year-old twins who are truly my world. I also have a stepdaughter who’s now off in college, carving out her own path. She came into my life before I became a mother, and loving her helped shape the kind of parent I continue to grow into today. Our family wouldn’t be complete without Ruby, our dog, who drives us all a little crazy but is also the best snuggler.
I’m a free-spirited, independent, nature-loving human who craves learning, loving, and creating meaningful things in the world. Family and community are everything to me. I live near both my siblings and my parents, raising my kids in the same neighborhood I grew up in—which has given me a whole new perspective on my own childhood. I’ve developed such a deep appreciation for living near the lake, being immersed in nature, and having good friends within arm’s reach.
Movement has always been part of who I am. I was a dancer growing up—someone who loved to express through my body, to feel music and emotion move through me. Lately, I’ve been returning to that part of myself. I recently performed in my first dance show in over 25 years. It was incredible to be back on stage, surrounded by such powerful, talented women, remembering what it feels like to be fully alive and expressive. It felt like a reflection of this new chapter in my life—stepping further into my role as a solo-preneur with deeper courage and expanded artistry.
That love of movement & connection has shaped not just how I live, but how I work. I like to think I’ve been doing this work for a lifetime. Bits and pieces of it have always been with me—but traditionally speaking, I started my coaching business, Wild Fire Within, in 2020.
Before that, I spent nearly two decades helping build and operate a well-loved, humbly successful restaurant in Tremont with my mom. I officially parted ways with the family business in 2023 to finally follow the pull I’d felt for years—to coach full time. I didn’t start out knowing exactly what I wanted to do in life. My path was shaped by losing my way more than once, learning from the pain, and finding the courage to begin again.
After graduating college (too many years ago!) without being able to complete my teaching degree, I felt totally unanchored. I turned to the only work that felt natural at the time: serving. That decision eventually led me to partner with my mom in 2007 as she rebuilt her restaurant. Together, we grew it into a staple in the Cleveland food scene. During that time, I became a homeowner, a wife, and a mother—and hit more than a few roadblocks along the way. Some of those challenges affected my mental and physical health in profound ways.
That’s when I started reaching for help. I immersed myself in meditation, therapy, yoga, and healthy living—life rafts in the sea of a chaotic and often depleting industry. When I gave birth to twins, something inside me shifted even deeper. I knew I wanted to make a bigger impact in the world—one rooted in authenticity and service. I began studying the very practices that helped me heal. I became a certified meditation instructor and dove into mindfulness work.
And honestly, I realized I had been coaching all along. Even while running the restaurant, my favorite moments were when staff would come into my office during a hard season or big life transition. I’d offer support, a listening ear, and a sense of possibility. I always hoped the restaurant could be a stepping stone for people to get back on their feet, and eventually move on to what was next for them. It still carries that energy—nurturing, warm, supportive—and while most folks stay for a long time because it’s such a good place to be, that original spirit is still alive and well.
Creating my own coaching business felt like a natural evolution. It was time to deepen the work. I kept training—taking courses, certifications, anything I could get my hands on to expand my own growth and support others more skillfully. The turning point for me came when I found intimacy and relationship coaching. It felt so transformative, personally and professionally, that I couldn’t not share it.
After my divorce, I began to see just how much we haven’t been taught: about our bodies, our nervous systems, how to communicate, how to listen, how to feel confident and authentic in intimate moments. I was honestly blown away. Why wasn’t anyone teaching this? Thankfully, the doors opened quickly. People recognized they were craving support in these areas—and I was ready to offer it.
Now, I help people feel more alive and connected—within themselves and in their romantic partnerships. I support those who struggle with shame, self-doubt, or trauma to reclaim their sensuality, self-trust, and deep truth. I bring pieces of every modality I’ve studied—somatics, breathwork, meditation (you can find the full list on my website)—and weave them together with my own lived experience and intuitive wisdom.
I work with clients 1:1 and believe that healing shouldn’t feel mysterious or out of reach. It should be accessible, affordable, and empowering. My teaching background shines through in the way I hold space—I make sure my clients understand the process and feel equipped as the true leaders of their own journey.
My mission is simple: to help people reconnect with their bodies, reclaim their pleasure, and build relationships rooted in self-trust, intimacy, and truth.
And I’m proud to say—it’s happening. The impact is starting to ripple. More and more people are becoming curious about this alternative (yet profoundly effective) approach to healing—one that invites a tender, vulnerable, and necessary exploration of how we exist in our bodies, relate to one another, and find our way back to ourselves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been anything but smooth, but I’ve learned that’s part of what makes this journey beautiful.
I used to picture life as one long fairytale with a happy ending—no bumps, no mess, just ease. So when the hard moments came, they felt impossible to bear. I didn’t know that obstacles were the path. After years of healing and coming home to myself, I see now that it wasn’t the pain itself that kept me stuck—it was my expectations. The idea that life was only worth living if it looked a certain way.
I remember coming back from a profoundly impactful personal retreat, and someone asked me, “What are you going to do now, after this major peak experience?” My answer was simple: to participate.
It might sound small, but to me, it was everything. It meant I was finally willing to be with myself, fully. To feel all of it—not just the highs, but the confusion, the grief, the longing. I had just discovered that I could feel something other than “happy” and still survive.
For so long, I’d been ignoring myself. Hiding from my truth. Using unhealthy connection, alcohol, and over-functioning to avoid the discomfort of being fully alive. But something changed. I didn’t need to escape anymore. I could participate. I could say no and still be loved. I could say yes and be loved. I could say I don’t know—and still be held. I could believe that who I am is inherently good. That I’m not broken or wrong for being human.
And I know that might sound heavy, but honestly, it’s one of the most common things I hear from clients: “I want to feel closer to my husband, but I’m afraid to say what I really want. What if he judges me? What if he leaves?” “I’m holding so much inside. If I let it out, I might fall apart. And if I fall apart, will I still be valuable to my family?”
That’s why this work runs so deep for me—it’s personal. I’ve come to see that I can only take clients as far as I’ve been willing to go in my own healing. And no, I’m not perfect. But I walk this path with them. I learn alongside them.
In fact, the reason intimacy and relationship work speaks to me so strongly is because I’ve had to struggle and grow in the same places. We teach what we most need to learn, right?
Lately, I’ve been working on allowing myself to believe I’m worthy of a full-spectrum life. That I get to be both a devoted mother and a sensual being. That I can run a business and still be a playful, free spirit.
It’s all coming together. Slowly, surely. And I couldn’t be more grateful to be on this path. To have learned what I’ve learned. To finally feel like I belong in my own life. To be here. Participating.
As you know, we’re big fans of Wild Fire Within. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
n simple terms, my business is a life coaching practice. I’m a service-based practitioner who helps people struggling with intimacy and relationships.
You know the person who feels like they’re too much—too emotional, too needy, too intense—or the one who feels like they’ll never be enough—never sexy enough, confident enough, calm enough to be truly loved? The person who second-guesses every decision, hides parts of themselves in relationships, or constantly over-functions just to feel worthy of connection? Maybe they’ve been in survival mode for so long that slowing down feels unsafe, or they’ve lost touch with their body and don’t even know what they want anymore. These are the people I love to help.
As humans, I believe we’re meant to live lives that feel alive, inspired, and connected—woven with sensuality, embodiment, and pleasure. Of course, not every moment is blissful, but I’ve seen time and again that when someone is tapped into their sensual self, they often become their most powerful, grounded, and confident version. That shift tends to ripple out into every part of their life.
I love what I do because it’s truly holistic in a way I haven’t seen in other fields. You might assume that working in the field of sexuality means helping people have amazing orgasms—and sure, that’s part of it. But more often, we’re working through all the layers around intimacy: the patterns, beliefs, and emotional wounds that prevent someone from being fully present with another human being.
We explore how they feel about themselves, what they were taught about sexuality, what kind of attachment they had with caregivers. We move through grief, life transitions, nervous system regulation, breathwork, anatomy education, trauma processing, and most importantly—emotional honesty. Sometimes the most powerful work is simply holding space for someone to finally feel what they’ve been avoiding for years.
Lately, I’ve been comparing my work to therapy—not because I’m a therapist, but because therapy is a more familiar entry point for many people. What sets my work apart is that it’s desire-based, not diagnostic. I support clients in clarifying where they want to go in their relationship with themselves or with a partner—and how they want to feel. From there, we reverse-engineer a path by uncovering and unwinding the beliefs, blocks, and patterns that are standing in the way.
I use a blend of deep healing tools—parts work (similar to IFS), somatic exploration, and nervous system science—to approach the process from multiple angles. Together, we build both internal and external resources so clients can find true acceptance for the past while making space for the most alive, connected version of themselves.
What sets me apart from other coaches is how central safety and trust are to my process. I know that we can’t access desire or connection if the nervous system is stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. So we begin there. That may take time—but it’s the foundation. I also bring a unique edge to this work, especially in the Cleveland area where intimacy coaching is still rare. I’m proud to offer a space where people can speak openly and vulnerably about things our culture often teaches us to hide.
What I’m most proud of? I left a thriving business to follow my heart. I took the leap to do this full-time—and it hasn’t let me down.
If you’re curious about working together, I’m currently offering free 60-minute gift sessions. There’s no charge—just a chance to experience what it feels like to be supported in a space that’s honest, warm, and deeply human. No pressure.
I also have a free 7-day Embodiment Challenge available on my website for anyone who signs up for my weekly newsletter. My emails are a space where I share personal reflections, somatic practices, and updates on my offerings. I write a monthly blog as another way to stay connected to this work and share what’s alive in my world.
There’s more coming soon—a digital course and a group program are both in the works. I also host local workshops and speak at events for those looking for group facilitation, somatic education, or intimacy-centered conversations. All of my 1:1 sessions are currently offered on Zoom, making this work accessible no matter where you live.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Lately, I’ve really been leaning into referrals. When I’m looking for a new teacher or support, I tend to start with someone I’ve already worked with and trust. I ask who’s helped them, what’s worked well, and I follow the threads from there. That’s how I found both my business coach and my personal somatic practitioner—through word of mouth and shared experience.
I also follow what excites me. Usually there’s a part of life I feel naturally drawn toward—a place I want to explore more deeply. That desire to learn opens doors. I end up finding incredible teachers and guides who’ve influenced my path in ways I couldn’t have planned for.
Living in the place I grew up has its challenges. Sometimes it can feel like it narrows your perspective, keeps you in a familiar loop. That’s why I value travel and online communities so much. They’ve become essential ways for me to stay connected to what lights me up—and to meet people doing beautiful, meaningful work in the world.
Some of my most impactful mentors and teachers have come through those pathways. People I admire. People who show up with integrity, depth, and heart. People who remind me what’s possible. (current pricing is listed on my website)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.danidoran.com
- Instagram: @dani.doran
