David Denning: How He Beat High Cholesterol Without Statins
A high cholesterol number at a routine checkup pushed David Denning to act before his doctor did. His doctor wanted to start him on a statin right away. David asked for three months to bring his numbers down on his own first. His doctor agreed.
David runs Jumpstart Go with his wife, Elle. They teach insurance agents how to grow through social media instead of cold calling. David calls the old method "frown and drown." Old-school agents can spend 14 hours a day dialing the phone. Most people hang up.
Running Jumpstart Go Without Cold Calling
David runs Jumpstart Go with his wife, Elle. They teach insurance agents how to grow through social media instead of cold calling. David calls the old method "frown and drown." Old-school agents can spend 14 hours a day dialing the phone. Most people hang up.
One Meal a Day, No Calorie Counting
David built one change he could stick with. He ate one meal a day. He drank coffee and water in the morning and afternoon. He ate dinner at night. He never tracked calories or measured his food. The habit fit his schedule running a business with his wife and traveling often.
Sticking To His Default Instead of Chasing Perfect
He built in room for real life too. If a client wanted to celebrate over a meal, he joined them. He went back to his one meal a day habit the next day. He calls this his default. One missed day never turned into a lost week for him.
His cholesterol came down. He never needed the statin his doctor first suggested.
Why Real Stories Build More Trust Than Polished Content
David also talked about trust online. He said a real, unpolished story builds more trust than a polished post. AI content is everywhere now. He tells his own clients to pick one social platform and go deep instead of spreading across every platform.
Listen to Episode 132: Why Your Health Is Part of Your Personal Brand with David Denning
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Read the full episode writeup on the Driven For Health podcast blog.
Common Questions From This Episode
Can you lower high cholesterol without a statin?
Doctors do not always start with medication. David's doctor agreed to hold off and check his numbers again in three months. Diet changes brought his cholesterol down enough that he skipped the statin.
Does eating one meal a day help you lose weight?
For David it did. He drank coffee and water most of the day and ate one meal at dinner. He never tracked calories. The routine fit his busy schedule running a business with his wife.
What does "frown and drown" mean?
It is David's name for old-school cold calling. Old-school agents can spend 14 hours a day dialing the phone. Most people hang up on them. He grows his business through social media and referrals instead.
Should you post polished content or real stories on social media?
David says real, unpolished stories build more trust than polished ones. AI content is everywhere now. He tells clients to pick one platform and go deep instead of spreading across every platform.
What happens when David breaks his one meal a day habit?
He calls it his default. If a client visits and they share a meal, he eats with them. Then he goes back to one meal a day the next day. One day off never turns into a lost week.
What is Jumpstart Go?
Jumpstart Go is the business David runs with his wife, Elle. They teach insurance agents and agency owners how to grow through organic social media and referral partnerships instead of cold calling. David and Elle also host The Modern Insurance Agent podcast and lead a Facebook group called Marketing for Insurance Agents, with more than 37,000 members.
Should you build your personal brand on every social platform?
No. David tells his clients to pick one platform and go deep instead of spreading thin across every platform. Focus builds more trust than volume.
How does David balance running a business with his wife every day?
David and Elle started dating at 16 in high school. They married at 21 after five years together. They lived and worked in South Africa for two years before they built Jumpstart Go. They have run the business together for the last 12 years. Doing business and marriage with the same person takes work every day.
