Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Donangelo Marshall
Meet DeAnna Hightower! DeAnna and her fiancee, Brian, are the owners of Old Mill Nutrition. Located in Flowery Branch, Old Mill Nutrition offers healthy meal replacement shakes and a wide range of loaded teas. As a mother of four, she formerly worked in the medical field but decided that she wanted to help people reach their personal health goals so she decided to open up a store.
We want to thank DeAnna for spending time with us recently and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County.
Question: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
A: “I am very outgoing, ambitious, energetic and a mom to four girls. I was in the medical field and was just transferred into surgery when Covid started last year. It was really something that helped with my health goals at that time and we decided to open our own store so we started it during the pandemic. I am always happy, always glass half full person and I am just looking others to do the same like whatever you want to do, you can do it.”
Q: Please tell us a little bit about the products you offer at Old Mill Nutrition.
A: “Old Mill Nutrition serves healthy meal replacement shakes, with protein, low carb, low sugar, low fat. We also offer loaded teas; so our teas are both green with ginseng and guarana, they’re topped with a liquid aloe for absorption, digestion, these are more to sustain energy. Personally for me, I had to stop doing coffee so this replaced my coffee but it’s also an essentially better option than soda or Red Bull.”
Q: What inspired you to led you to your current career?
A: “My passion for helping others. Yes, I did so in medical field but this is so much more personal. When I leave the store, my day doesn’t end. I’ll be responding to messages and I’m coaching people on their health and wellness. Outside of here I’m trying to put together a good plan for them for their goals.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I’ve lived in the surrounding area for about eight years. I originally worked in Athens in Athens Orthopedic Clinic, we’ve been here for eight months now.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Hall County?
A: “I would say Tony Price, I don’t know anybody that well but he lives right here. He works at L
awson Funeral Homes and he’s just been such a great resource to us. He was in the Gainesville-Hall Chamber of Commerce at some point and he’s given me a lot of good references and a lot of good directions. I felt like it’s really hard during this time for one that has a business to decide like you’re gonna do this but also to feel like you’re supported.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “I’ve always wanted to go to England. I’ve heard that the family atmosphere, parks and picnics is a big thing there…My fiancee and I are getting married in October and we are supposed to go to Jamaica for our honeymoon.”
Q: What is your favorite movie? What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
A: “For some reason Star Wars is standing out to me…but I love comedies like ‘Rush Hour,’ it’s my favorite, the ‘Fast and the Furious’ and since I have four girls so we can just enjoy watching any Disney movies all the t
Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?ime.”
A: “Follow your heart, stay true to who you are and if there’s a chance and opportunity, take it and don’t look back because you might not get that chance and opportunity again.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “Elk Hunt, I like to hunt.”
Q: What is your favorite music or three bands that you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I love country music and I can’t wait to see Jason Aldean again, I love Lauren Daigle and we’ve seen Luke Combs a couple times and I love to see him again, too. We are ready for concerts and I am taking my girls and hopefully it’s supposed to be rescheduled on June or July, I’m taking them to Backstreet Boys for their first concert.”
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County?
A: “As a family, we just loved going to Texas Roadhouse and my fiance and I liked to have date night
there.”
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
A: “Carrie Underwood and we will have lunch at Texas Roadhouse. She’s super down to earth, obviously she’s a musician but she started her own businesses too, she’s a mom and I feel like she’s one of those people on social media that is so relatable.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Hall County?
A: “It’s unique to us because it’s our home and where we started everything. We want to grow our business and this community and the people have been open to us. The local schools, all the businesses around us have been super supportive. It feels like a family and it’s not as busy as a city and everybody still has this small town fee
l.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “I hope that I have another business venture take off, as a family we have another store. One of my girls off to college, we just built our home and made this our forever. I hope that I still have a close-knit community and I hope that I’ve helped a lot of people reached goals for their health, make more friendships and I hope I make an impact or difference to the community.”
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Home is where the heart is, begin each day with a grateful heart, and family is everything.”
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “Maybe a comedy movie with my fiance and my oldest daughter.
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