Big Body Business

Obvious Opportunities with the Overweight, Overlooked, and Underserved

By: Joan Denizot

Narrated by: Megan Selke

With the increase of entrepreneurship, business consolidations, and introspection of institutions, underserved communities are taking center stage. As each industry seeks to find the right trailhead to understand the complex solutions, Big Body Business applies the simple “golden rule” premise as a universal compass. This book is not here to address root causes of obesity, but rather accepts the data as reality, moves past the complexity of why it is so, and seeks to serve people without phobia or judgment. In fact, by reading this book, you can’t go back to seeing people of size as simply fat, one-dimensional characters.

Designed to be accessible, this book offers the passionate perspective of someone who has experienced many facets of business. Joan Denizot has found herself an accidental advocate and she embraces her role as a pioneer, all while in a big body. The ideas are in one sense obvious and overlooked, (as indicated on the cover), yet only now has the zeitgeist come to allow society to pause and take a closer look at pain points. Joan uses her personal journey, years as a lone voice in the desert making products exclusively for people of size, and the experiences of her customer base to make the much needed human connection to great effect.

The way to succeed is to help what hurts, and Joan has spent decades courageously and authentically putting herself into harm's way on behalf of her community. She sees the barriers for heavy people as invisible closed signs which most organizations have chosen to ignore or have simply never noticed. Big Body Business offers the wisdom and words that open the doors to new opportunities. With inclusion driving decisions in every boardroom, and the banner of fat advocacy waving proudly, you too can succeed in making more money, making better experiences, and making a difference.

Joan Denizot is an author, speaker, and founder of ZIZE Bikes, (the first and only maker of bikes exclusively for heavy riders), and BodyReady, a consulting company dedicated to helping bring change through empowerment and empathy.

©2024 Joan B Denizot (P)2024 Joan B Denizot

Critic reviews

“This was a thought-provoking book for businesses considering expanding their market and better-serving their customers. The author uses her extensive personal and business experience to demonstrate the importance of meeting the needs of larger customers. She identifies important issues for businesses to consider and provides practical suggestions for ways that businesses can grow their market and serve everyBODY.” - Madelynn Shell, Associate Professor of Counseling & Psychology

"As a physician that lived in a bigger body for many years, I very much appreciate the main themes of this book -- that we are deserving of respect, grace and dignity, no matter the size and shape of our body. Well done!" - Dr. Tro Kalayjian, Medical Director

We need not feel alone

This book shared so many truths about being a large bodied person navigating in this world. I have experienced all most all of the examples given, unable to exit the water unassisted, unable to fit in the interview chair, work directives being altered for all in an effort to help just me to lose weight, and many more. At times crying, others laughing, all of the time relating.

Thank you Joan for the call to action of company owners, entrepreneurs, designers and engineers to build up a world to include functionality and design to extend the invitation for so many of us to engage more fully in our communities and life at large.

The reading by the author is natural and passionate. Her heart to serve a major need in our society is undeniable and appreciated.