Featured photo via The Dr. Joy Show
“To Disseminate Relevant Wellness Information That Positively Impacts the Lives of Others” – This is how Dr. Joy E. Ohayia of New Jersey describes her life mission. A strong advocate of a ‘total wellness’ approach to health, author, college professor, and highly sought-after motivational speaker, Ohayia is a fitness celebrity in the northeast, where she also runs a locally-syndicated television and radio program, and has contributed to HR work in corporate America for decades.
Born in northeastern United States, Dr. Joy (as she styles herself) actually started her career in the pure sciences, completing Bachelors program in statistics from Stony Brook University, and Masters from Rutgers University in applied mathematics. Ohayia began her career in the corporate world around the mid-‘80s, working in the telecommunications and financial sectors for twenty years until 2005. Her last job in the field was as in the Executive Level Financial Services, according to an interview in 2013.
In 1988, Joy Ohayia joined the NYU School of Professional Studies as an adjunct professor of mathematics and statistics. Amazingly, her tenure at the University continues to this day. According to her colleagues, Ohayia encourages both her graduate and undergraduate students to think differently about maths, offering a new perspective with a strong focus on an ‘applied hands-on’ experience and ‘real-world’ situations rather than abstract quantitative analysis.
After losing her corporate job to a layoff in 2005, Ohayia decided to pursue a completely new path in life with the support of her husband. While caring for two young sons and attending to her teaching duties, she also entered the health and wellbeing industry by receiving a Ph.D. in Natural Health and Holistic Nutrition and Healing from the University of Natural Health in Jackson, Mississippi. The now Dr. Joy developed her own unique variant of a ‘Total Wellness’ philosophy, elaborating on ‘The seven elements’ of physical, nutritional, social, environmental, financial, spiritual, and emotional/mental well-being in constituting a holistically-healthy and happy life.
Ohayia has since started an online blog, a social media presence, and her very own award-winning weekly television show ‘The Dr. Joy Show’. Since then, Dr. Joy has authored several books, including: “Pivot to Find Your Joy”, and “Don’t Let “IT” Get You!: An Empowering Health and Fitness Guide for Women”, which she describes as her ‘personal story of achievement’. Dr. Joy also co-authored a brief treatise by the name of “Are We Functioning Under Conflicting Knowledge Every Day?”, and featured in Chapter 1 of “Blueprint for Success – Proven Strategies for Success and Survival”, whose listed authors/editors are Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard.
Dr. Joy and her TV show have been critically acclaimed for over a decade, and she has become a well-respected motivational speaker on issues of health and well-being, appearing on Ted Talks and contributing to the well-being of employees in several corporate programs. She was honored with a 2010 Proclamation of Honor for the State of New Jersey. In 2012, Dr. Joy received the Women In Business – Mentor of The Year Award from Greater Media New Jersey Magic 98.3 FM.
For newcomers to the wellness field, Dr. Joy has the following advice to offer: Narrow down your niche field, specialize in it and build your credibility with certificates, and do not hesitate to seek help from individuals already accomplished in the field!
Dr. Joy can be found online on LinkedIn, social media platforms, or through her university email.
Anthony Tilghman, is an 3x Award-winning Photojournalist, Education advocate, Mentor, and Published Author with years of experience in media, photography, marketing and branding. He is the Winner of the 2020, 2021 & 2023 Dateline award for Excellence in Local Journalism.