Why I Stopped Shrinking Myself and Built a Business That Uplifts Others: Joan Denizot’s Journey

Hi, I’m Joan Denizot. Founder of Body Ready. Author. Advocate. But before any of that, I was a woman trying to move through a world that wasn’t built for someone like me—a plus-size woman with a big heart, big dreams, and a big desire to belong.

Years ago, I hit a breaking point. Disillusioned with how few spaces were welcoming to people in larger bodies, I found myself longing for joy. And I found it—on two wheels.

Biking gave me freedom. But it also gave me frustration. I couldn’t find a bicycle that fit my body comfortably or safely. The industry didn’t design for people like me. So I decided to change that.

I launched ZIZE Bikes, the first bike company focused on designing bicycles for people with larger bodies. It wasn’t just about equipment—it was about dignity. It was about saying: we deserve joy in motion, too.

That journey led me to start Body Ready, where I now help businesses become size-inclusive. Because it’s not just about me. It’s about all of us. Our teens. Our coworkers. Our neighbors. We all deserve spaces—both physical and emotional—that celebrate us as we are.

My journey is still unfolding. But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: when you stop waiting to be “fixed” and start living fully in the body you have, you unlock the kind of joy and power no diet plan can ever promise.