Yet, her journey didn’t stop there. She later transitioned into the publishing world, where her voice became just as powerful as her leadership. With the release of her best-selling books—Resilience Through Yoga, Passport to Self-Discovery, and The Power of Story—she carved a place for herself as both a thought leader and an author capable of inspiring transformation. 
  Austin has become a sought-after private advisor specializing in emotional resilience, leadership positioning, and high-status decision-making for women. She provides private insight into power dynamics, emotional mastery, and executive presence under high-pressure environments. Her advisory practice is built on discretion, ensuring clients receive guidance in navigating influence, maintaining composure, and making sound strategic decisions in high-stakes situations. Through invitation-only engagements, she serves those operating at the highest levels, offering a space where resilience, precision, and presence converge. Her expertise in emotional resilience and strategic empowerment has led her to shape high-level conversations around personal mastery and influence. She is also the founder of Collective Resiliency, a platform dedicated to curating elite wellness experiences and resilience-based retreats. 
  Preferred Health Magazine sat down with Austin who shared her journey and advice for anyone wanting to make a significant change in their life and career. 

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PHM: You’ve had such a dynamic journey from NASA to entrepreneurship. Can you take us back to that moment where you knew it was time to pivot from federal work to follow your entrepreneurial spirit?
DA: A lot of people think that I completely lost my mind by transitioning out of NASA. I’m going to be honest with you. I think I wanted to be able to empower women, and I felt like I wasn’t able to do that in that space. I think NASA is absolutely incredible, and obviously I enjoyed my time there, but I think that I wanted to do something slightly different. 

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PHM: Working at NASA is a dream for many. What did your experience there teach you about leadership, systems, and resilience that you now carry into your work today?
DA: This is a funny one. I would have to say discipline actually. 
I feel like working for the federal government is slightly different from working for the private sector. There are certain rules and guidelines that you just have to follow that are set in place. I feel like I was transformed into a different person showing up for work every day. I had to follow a certain structure and rules that I wasn’t accustomed to. It allowed me to build character. 

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PHM: Did you just feel a moment calling you to leave or was it kind of a growing feeling?
DA: Before I even transitioned into NASA, I was teaching yoga. I became a yoga teacher in 2003. I really enjoy that process. And throughout that time, I was in advertising and other fields as well. But yoga has always been my base. It was always health and wellness. Although my credentials allowed me to land my feet at NASA, as far as the corporate side, my heart was in health and wellness. 

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PHM: You specialize in high-status decision-making and emotional resilience under pressure. What do you believe are the biggest challenges women face in mastering these issues, especially in leadership roles?
DA: I would say the biggest challenge is controlling the emotion, but not actually filling it. When you’re dealing with, let’s just say corporate, for example, you have to appear a certain way. You have to present yourself a certain way.
You have to be able to, for example, have emotional intelligence. You have to be able to have some self-awareness, awareness of the room, awareness of people around you, and be able to control that space. 
  But if you’re controlling yourself all the time, when are you actually connecting and feeling? So that’s when I come into play to balance the scales. And I think it’s needed, and it’s appreciated, obviously. I think that we all need someone to be able to balance the skills for us in this crazy world that we live in. 

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On entrepreneurship and Collective Resiliency 
PHM: Tell us about the inspiration behind Collective Resiliency. What gap did you see in the wellness world that you wanted to fill?
DA: It was inspired by a book series that I created called Resilience Through Yoga. We made it to be a five-book series, which I was very proud of. So, the focus is on that book series. I decided that I wanted to do something bigger, outside of yoga. And so Collective Resiliency was born. The platform obviously focuses on mental and emotional health. We have wellness products that support your weekly or monthly regimen that you have for yourself. And we also have a yearly retreat in Los Angeles where we bring everyone together, which is mainly women, of course, to empower women, whether it’s a panel discussion around wellness and mental health, or it’s yoga or meditation or a sound bath, it’s something that people can come to and just take their shoes off, grab a cup of tea, and just enjoy themselves. 

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PHM: Your retreats and experiences have been featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Times Square. 
What do you think makes them so magnetic?
DA: I take a lot of pride in making people feel seen and heard and acknowledged and supported, and so I feel like that’s my focus with everything that I do. When it comes to events, I try to picture myself in their situation. “How do I want this person to feel when they enter this space?” And I want to focus on their heart space versus their mind. That’s because we’re constantly thinking about so much every single day. You don’t want to use your brain when you’re in a space of a sanctuary. That has been the feedback, which I’m very grateful for, and that’s my top priority. 

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PHM: Your books Resilience Through Yoga, Passport to Self-Discovery, and The Power of Story each have a powerful theme. Which book was the most personal for you to write and why?
DA: For the book series, I was able to meet so many incredible women from around the world. Each book has 10 ladies sharing their story of how they became resilient through yoga and through meditation. Those stories are incredible because you’re meeting a person personally through their story. 

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PHM: If you could leave readers with one mindset shift to begin living more resilient, empowered lives, what would it be?
DA: People have to be courageous enough to spend time alone. I feel like we’re always looking for answers in other people. We have to be courageous, to spend time with ourselves, to learn ourselves, to master ourselves if we can, because managing ourselves is a full-time job. 

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To learn more about Denita Austin and the Collective Resiliency visit www.DenitaAustin.com