Last year, social media influencer and “Love Island” runner-up Molly-Mae was torn to shreds across social media for saying that we all have the same 24 hours a day as successful people such as Beyonce, but looking at Danielle Colby’s work, I have to acknowledge that Molly-Mae may have had a valid point. We all know Danielle as the boss lady who keeps the antique and collectibles business featured on “American Pickers” running by reigning in Mike Wolfe and his now former partner Frank Fritz’s excessive tendencies when it comes to acquiring collectibles, accompanies Mike on his treasure hunting expeditions, and keeps the office running. Besides her full time at the business, Danielle pursues other passions as an athlete, dancer, environmentalist, and vintage costume enthusiast, leaving her fans wondering how he juggles it all. So, what is the queen of multi-tasking and rust, as she calls herself, up to now?
Athlete
Before she became the boss lady that we all know and admire, Danielle was an athlete, a member of an all-female roller derby team known as the “Big Mouth Mickies” – she also owned the team and was part of it for three years until she was benched after an injury, forcing her to abandon her dream of making it big in athletics. The team disintegrated after Danielle left, and an extensive search of its name on the internet comes up blank.
Dannie Diesel
After a short but fulfilling stint playing roller derby, Danielle used her athletic talents and love for dance to get into burlesque; her love for the dance was born after watching some veteran burlesque dancers perform in Chicago. She trained to become a burlesque dancer and created a professional crew in Iowa; she named the crew, which had nine members, including herself, Burlesque Le Moustache” and has continued to practice and tour with the nine women around and beyond Iowa. Eventually, her enterprising tendencies led Danielle to start her own burlesque academy in Chicago. When she dances, Danielle takes on a stage persona dubbed “Dannie Diesel.”
When Dannie Diesel is not performing across the country, she is channeling Danielle’s love for antiques by collecting vintage burlesque costumes. The hobby has earned her the nickname “Queen of Rust.” Danielle uses her hobby to honor the burlesque dancers who came before her and inspire her by restoring their costumes and wearing them in her performances. A collection of Danielle’s practice and performance videos wearing the vintage costumes are available on her Patreon, where subscription fees range from $5 for various membership levels.
“American Pickers”
Danielle is a woman of many talents, and she excels effortlessly in all of them. She is particularly phenomenal in her role as the person in charge of the “Antique Archaeology Office.” Since 2010, when “American Pickers” premiered on the History Channel, Danielle has held the offices in Nashville and Iowa together, kept the partners in check when their love for antiques threatens the bottom line, and helped them scout for antiques to buy and sell, or to add to their personal collections. When Frank stopped appearing in the show in its 21st season, Danielle stepped in and accompanied Mike on his antique hunting expeditions, often returning with unique finds that sold for several times over what the business paid to acquire them.
Danielle Colby from American Pickers on The History Channel enjoys a beautiful day at the ocean while wearing the perfect bikini to fit her personality https://t.co/IeCgyE6oVP #DanielleColby #AmericanPickers
— Monsters and Critics (@monstersandcrit) May 22, 2023
Family and Relationships
Danielle’s life may seem full with her full-time job at the antique and collectible’s business, part-time practice and burlesque performances, and her work in several charities, but family is important to her and she makes time to spend with the people she loves. The 47-year-old has been married twice. Her first marriage ended shortly after amidst allegations that her ex-husband, an Englishman, couldn’t handle her rise to fame; she has primary custody of her two children from the marriage. Fortunately, the stars aligned for Danelle and she found love again, this time in the arms of Alexandre De Meyer. Unfortunately, Danielle found herself in court again, petitioning the magistrate to grant her a divorce from her second husband, finalized in December 2015.
They say the third time is the charm and we certainly hope this is the case with Danielle, who has found love a third time. In 2020, Danielle announced her engagement to Jeremy Scheuch, an artist who splits his time between Chicago, Kansas City, and Puerto Rico. The couple dated for six years before Danielle boldly went down on one knee and popped the question. The two intend to say their vows later in 2023. From the snippets they upload on their respective social media accounts, the two share more interests than their mutual love for tattoos, get each other’s jokes and sense of humor, and stand by each other’s side during difficult moments such as Danielle’s recovery from surgery last year.
Health Scare
Last year, Danielle’s career and hobbies took a back seat to her health, when she encountered some unforeseen health issues. As she would reveal later, Danielle was in excruciating pain caused by uterine fibroids, leading her to cancel a burlesque performance in Buffalo, New York State. The pain immobilized her for a while as she waited to undergo a hysterectomy. Although she wasn’t in her usual high spirits, Danielle kept fans updated on her preparation for the procedure, and let them know that the surgery was successful as soon as she was coherent and well-rested after the procedure – she took some time away from work, burlesque, and her charity work to recover. Jeremy was by her side the entire time according to a long appreciation post by Danielle, in which she thanked her fiancé for cleaning the house, doing the laundry, making their meals, running errands, and checking in on her several times at night, making sure she wasn’t in pain.
Nothing keeps Danielle down for long. By December last year, she was up and about, ready to get back to her full life. She celebrated her recovery with some saucy pictures and a double entendre. In one of the pictures, a nude Danielle was lying on the bed with a pillow under her abdomen. She cheekily captioned the picture “Happy Nude Rear.” Throughout 2023, she’s continued the trend she started on New Year’s by posting topless pictures or wearing risqué costumes that leave little to the imagination.
Community Service
Danielle travels around constantly for her performances, her antique sourcing expeditions, and her supervision of both “Antique Archaeology” stores. With all the traveling, it’s important for her to feel grounded and only one place feels like home to her. The Iowa-born multi-faceted woman has made a home for herself, her children and Jeremy in Puerto Rico, having discovered her love for the island on a charity mission to help the locals after Hurricane Maria.
She fell in love with the island, established roots in the community, and was elated to learn that some of her friends were making a similar move to Puerto Rico. She started by living in an apartment on the island and commuting to the mainland, before putting down roots and acquiring a permanent home there. Danielle gives back to the community that has accepted her by helping rebuild the island. In her free time, she volunteers at animal shelters and uses her voice and platform as an influential public figure to raise awareness on human trafficking.
Ultimately, Danielle Colby is the epitome of living a full life. She is nothing short of a wonder woman who finds a way to excel at work, hobbies, family, and philanthropy while making doing it all seem effortless. Is there anything she can’t do?
