I was born Jill St. John Gardner to the parents of Robert Lee Gardner and Gladys Mae Gardner. Through their experiences my purpose was forged. My father running the family businesses was known as the spokesman. Due to his untimely death, I was reared by my mother who instilled in me the humility, discipline, compassion, a strong work ethic and desire to help others. It is through her sacrifices my sense of family was solidified. Before my 18th birthdate, I enlisted in the Air Force following in the steps of my father, an Army veteran and my brother an Air Force veteran. My military occupational specialty (MOS) was a medical laboratory technician (MLT). Although leadership was instilled in me from positive role models like my grandparents, uncles, and aunts in my family life, it is the military where my skills as a leader were challenged & perfected. It is also where I learned the best leader knows how and when to follow.
My career in the Air Force hospital setting was the perfect opportunity to learn about the human body and physiology. After seven and a half years, I realized my journey was about to make a change. After being honorably discharged from the military in 1994, I moved to the Metro Atlanta area. It is there while working as a phlebotomist, I volunteered as an outreach worker with a local AIDS organization. I later became the outreach education coordinator. It is in that capacity I happened to take a course in herbology. I was introduced into the world of wholistic medicine and experienced my first fruit and vegetable diet. For the first time, I began to experience life in living color all from taking the time to perform a natural detox. I have been on a soap box for wholistic health until the present emphasizing the importance of incorporating rest, proper digestion, stress relievers and good wholistic nutrition along with moderate exercise.
I have lived in various places around the metro Atlanta area. I was married in 2003 to my wife, Alethea Luo. I took her last name to symbolize our union and to pay homage to all the women who have sacrificed in my life to make me who I am, especially my mother. It is my experience working in the civilian sector where I have seen the neglect of personal health with the greatest disparities in communities of color. It is only after being diagnosed with high blood pressure did I realize how important it was to have a consistent regiment of exercise to maintain my health at an optimal level. Although I have for the most part eaten healthy along with moderate exercise, I did not understand the importance continued exercise during stressful situations. In short, if you are not exercising regularly, you are dying. This I have experienced and observed in my personal life and especially in communities of color. It is that revelation that has spawned and solidified my purpose. Season’s of Nature is that modus operandi (MO).