IAM1297 – Wellness Coach Invites Her Clients with Empathy

Title: Transcript - Tue, 12 Mar 2024 01:34:52 GMT

Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2024 01:34:52 GMT, Duration: [00:17:50.73]

[00:00:00.60] - Speaker 1

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[00:00:28.19] - Kara Simon

If you can connect to a mindset that serves you and align that with your action, with your motivation, That that's the key. That's the key for manifesting. That's the key for succeeding, whether that's professionally or personally, in relationship, not just with others, but within yourself as well.

[00:00:48.29] - Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I am CEO podcast.

[00:01:15.59] - Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Kara Simon of Loving Heart Holistic Wellness. Kara, super excited to have you on the show.

[00:01:26.00] - Kara Simon

Yeah. Thanks so much, Gresham. I'm really excited to be here as well and appreciate the invite.

[00:01:31.20] - Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. I appreciate all the awesome work that you you're doing. And, before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Cara so I can hear about some of that awesome work. Care founded Loving Heart Holistic Wellness in twenty sixteen in Bedford, Indiana. Currently located in Arlington, Virginia, Loving Heart Holistic Wellness provides mindfulness, meditation, Reiki, personalized yoga, and weekly yoga classes, emotional freedom techniques, sound healing, and other healing services. Kara believes in compassion and sustainability and provides classes and services that are trauma informed and accessible to all. She is passionate about promoting resilience, nourishment, and enrichment for your mind, body, and your spirit. Cara, super excited to have you on again. Are you ready to speak to the IMCO community?

[00:02:15.40] - Kara Simon

I am absolutely ready. Thank you.

[00:02:17.90] - Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. Appreciate you as much too. And before, we kinda jump a little bit more into it, I wanted to kick everything off by rewind on the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

[00:02:28.90] - Kara Simon

Yeah. Definitely. So, it's actually a fun story. I was, working in a coffee shop in twenty fourteen, selling coffee. And I was a vendor at a yoga and music festival so I was born with generalized anxiety and taking this first yoga class was like the very first time that my mind felt quiet and clear. Probably for the first time in my life, I was like, what is this feeling? What, I didn't know this could be a thing. I didn't know I could live in this headspace of not chatter all the time and, feeling calm and centered. So that's really where my journey started. From there, I just found my own practice at home. I had always been into kind of natural and holistic medicines in general using essential drive for things that maybe were not taught in this Western culture, that I have found really to be beneficial and soothing and supportive for my own life. And that's how my journey got started.

[00:03:46.50] - Gresham Harkless

Nice. Well, I appreciate you sharing that so much, and it it's so funny how, often we, you know, we get led, to different places in our life and on our journey as you said so well, and we don't sometimes realize the impact that it has on ourselves, but it ends up it sounds like in your case as well too, it's had an impact on a lot of the people that you've worked with as well too.

[00:04:05.69] - Kara Simon

Yeah. Definitely. It's you know, doing this work is really phenomenal, getting to just meet people where they are and reach clients in a way that, I know helps and benefits them because these are all things that I received benefit from for myself, you know, first. So I, you know, that it's I love that that's my mission and my drive because I know the benefits that these services provide, because I also receive them.

[00:04:32.39] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. It starts to make, you know, I guess, provide a little bit more clarity sometimes to the reason that we kinda go through that journey and and what that is sometimes for. Sometimes it's not just for ourselves. Obviously, it's for us impacting, many people as well too. And one of the things that kinda stuck with me that you said is that, it's not something that's always taught and and, I guess, readily accessible for people. So, I I love that you're able to kinda bring that to light because sometimes we don't know the opportunities and tools that can help us, to get to where we need to be. So, what I wanted to hear is, I guess, how you were letting people know, how you were impacting people, and drill down a little bit more to hear about your business and how you're, serving the clients you're working with.

[00:05:11.30] - Kara Simon

Yeah. Sure. So right now, I, teach virtual weekly classes through yoga. So I have, three days a week that I teach online yoga classes, which is really cool because even though my business was founded in Indiana and I'm now in Arlington, I'm still able to reach the clients that have been with me for the last five years. So, you know, doing a six hundred mile move wasn't as traumatic as maybe it would have been on my business. Had we not already shifted to an online world anyway. And I, I see that, you know, being an offering for my future as well, just doing a hybrid of in person and online services. I, just got a physical space. So I have a space where I'm able to see private clients, whether that's for yoga or, tapping emotional freedom technique, or Reiki. So really excited about that. That just came to fruition earlier this week. Actually, so super excited about that. It, you know, it feels like I have a little more, roots in the ground here, so to speak, than what I have the last couple of years that I've been in Arlington. So really, really excited about that. And I I and I'm hosting other things too. Like, I've got some partnerships going on with some local businesses, doing a few workshops of my own. And, one cool side piece of my business is that everything I do is about connection. And so this year I launched a nonfiction book club, which I am super excited about. So it'd be a space for us to just gather in connection, in conversation, and in community. I really just wanted to provide a space for us to discuss and to live, you know, in a space of community. I've done a lot of personal growth and personal development on my own and by myself through reading and, decided that in my thirties, I really wanted to do that in a community setting. So I am hosting a book club.

[00:07:19.19] - Gresham Harkless

Nice. What I wanted to ask you now is what I like to call your secret sauce. And this could be for yourself, the business, or a combination of both, but what do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes unique?

[00:07:29.00] - Kara Simon

Yeah. I when I saw this question, I loved it. And the reason I loved it is because I have spent a lot of time in personal growth and personal development. And something that's really important to me is providing services that are trauma informed and services that are accessible. So, you know, in the yoga world, in holistic wellness world, I think that that is what sets me apart, from other studios, other teachers, other, you know, places that are offering similar things because I have done extensive study and research on being trauma informed and, have done a lot with nonprofits that are maybe working with people living with homelessness. I was a board member of the United Way when I was living in Indiana and being somebody who can meet you or anybody exactly where you are is so powerful. It, it puts the power in your hands, right? Like it, it gives my clients the permission to be who they are to show up with whatever they're showing up with, whether that's mental or physical or emotional. And I'm really proud of that. I'm really proud to say that I'm a business owner that can show up in the community to be trauma informed and also provide services that coincide with, you know, other therapeutic services or, you know, other medical services that those clients might be needing as well. So that's that's my secret sauce is, meeting people where they're at and being trauma informed and inviting a space of compassion.

[00:09:06.50] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. And that's so powerful, as you said. You know, it starts to empower people to to realize that no matter where they are, what they've potentially gone through, they can, you know, be and have that accessibility to, each of the the awesome things that you provide. So I I absolutely love that, and I wanted to, switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. What's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:09:32.10] - Kara Simon

Yeah. So, I love reading as I've already shared. Right? So, of course, I wrote down a book when I answered this question. And, one of the one of the most powerful books that changed my life is by an author called Masten Kitt, and the book is called Claim Your Power. And it's a very, it's almost like a journal. It's It's a very like workbook type of setting, in his book where you really have to be honest and, take a good look inside of, you know, what's holding you back? What limiting beliefs are you carrying? What's stopping you from being successful? Whether that's as a business owner or in your career, in your family, whatever aspirations you have. Right? Really taking a look at who you are and what that means and how to step into your full power and to be the exceptional person you are. And, we're, we're all unique. Right? Like we all have our place and we all have our own power and the world likes to tell us otherwise sometimes. And, I'm also a huge Brene Brown fan. So, the the first book we're gonna read in the book club is her new one, Atlas of the Heart. So I'm actually super excited to dive into that because I've read all of her other ones. But because I've read all of her other ones, I wanted to read this one in a community setting. And then the last tool I would say is there's a really cool meditation app that I love using personally. So, it's called Medito, M E D I T O, and it's a free app. It is ran by a few different universities. So they upload different types of meditations on there. And, it's a really simple tool to use. There's no subscriptions. It's all free. They have some sleep stories on there as well. So it's it's just a great a great tool to have, you know, that's completely free and accessible resource that really anybody, if you have a smartphone, could could utilize.

[00:11:27.29] - Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Something I like to say, if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell younger business self.

[00:11:39.50] - Kara Simon

Yes. So, what I would tell my younger business self and anybody listening to this, is that the power of your mindset, is huge, to not write that off. And that when mindset matches your action and matches your energy and matches your motivation, that is the key for manifesting absolutely anything that you want to manifest in your life. It took me several years to learn this, in my thirties now, so I guess I'm doing okay. But it it's, it's just so true. And if you can, I don't necessarily like the term master? I really love the term claim and connect. If you can connect to a mindset that serves you and align that with your action, with your motivation, That that's the key. That's the key for manifesting. That's the key for succeeding, whether that's professionally or personally, in relationship, not just with others, but within yourself as well.

[00:12:44.50] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That's absolutely powerful. So, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And We're hoping to have different quote, unquote CEOs on this show. So, Kara, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:12:56.00] - Kara Simon

Yes. So being a CEO to me means being compassionate, to the community, passionate compassionate to one another, and just living a life of compassion. It also means being exceptional. So being exceptional in the work that I provide, being, you know, almost ahead of the game, like being trauma informed, really making sure that I'm meeting where they people where they're at. And then the last piece to that, the O, is staying open minded, being willing to learn more, to receive more, being willing to give and to balance my own self care. So staying open to possibilities and, staying open to resources and accessibility for people.

[00:13:41.29] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. I absolutely love that, especially that word, you know, compassion, because I feel like that encapsulates, like, so many of those aspects of meeting people where they are. You have to have that compassion to be able to do that of being open minded and being ahead of the curve and ahead of the game. You have to have compassion and understand that you can always kinda get better and and improve and learn more about people and and everything in between and things that they've gone through. So I I love that piece, and it kinda sounds like you might have led with that because that seems like it'd be a very foundational piece in the work that you do and everything that you've been able to build.

[00:14:13.50] - Kara Simon

Yes. Definitely. It's you know, if you go to my website, you'll see it right on the front that, you know, like, one of the very first pieces I talk about is being sustainable, trauma informed and compassionate. Because that's really, that is the root of my mission and my purpose in this business. And, you know, and also the other side of that is my willingness to be authentic and my willingness to be vulnerable and my willingness to not just show compassion to others, but to myself because I'm human. Right? I don't always have good days. I have bad days too. And and so really encompassing what that means and, you know, letting it be a lifestyle as opposed to just a word that, is connected to relationship.

[00:14:59.70] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. You know, not just being a buzzword, but something that you you live, breathe, and and have it manifest itself, but also understanding and not, I I'm really big on saying, especially over this past couple years, is giving yourself grace to understand that we're not perfect. We live an imperfect life. We do imperfect things, but I think, a lot of times, you can you get the idea of, like, where that foundational element comes from, what somebody is truly striving for. So absolutely love that definition. Of course, love that that's a foundational element as well in the business and everything you do. Absolutely, Wakaira. Truly appreciate that definition, of course, and I appreciate your time even more. So what I want you to do now was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best people get a hold of you, find about all the awesome things that you are working on.

[00:15:45.60] - Kara Simon

Yeah. Thanks so much, Greta. So right now, I do have a few upcoming workshops. All of that information is on my website. That's really the best place I can send you. It has all of my contact information there, has more information about the classes, the services, and you can also just book sessions straight from my website as well. So, that website is loving heart wellness dot com.

[00:16:10.20] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. I appreciate you tremendously. And just, the English major in me as well too wants to know, is the book club information also on the website as well too? Yes.

[00:16:21.39] - Kara Simon

Yes. The book club information is on there, and I am holding an information session, coming up this Sunday on, the twenty third.

[00:16:30.70] - Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. No. I I appreciate that so much, and we will definitely have the links and information as well in the show show notes so that everybody can follow-up with you, find out about all the awesome things that you're working on. Appreciate you, Kara, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of that day.

[00:16:43.20] - Kara Simon

Thank you. Thanks so much, Graj. Have a great day.

[00:16:46.00] - Intro

Thank you for listening to the I am CEO podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue sixteen Media. Tune in next time and visit us at imceo dot co. I am CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Check out the latest and greatest apps, books, and habits to level up your business at CEO hacks dot c o. This has been the I am CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless junior. Thank you for listening.

[00:17:20.70] - Speaker 5

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