We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin Derus Dore a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kristin, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents were a great example of how to be successful. They were not wealthy or famous, but they were happy and showed my brother and I how to live that way.

My dad worked for the State of Minnesota and had a passion for helping people. He was hard working and dedicated both to his job and to his family. My father always had his priorities in order, making sure he was there for both our family and his extended family any time someone needed him. He taught me a lot of lessons about how to treat people and about how to be successful at work.

My mom stayed home with my brother and I when we were young. She went back to work when we started school. She was also hard working and responsible; putting love and family first but also recognizing the financial aspects of that. She worked in customer service for a large healthcare company and did her best every day. She found a job she enjoyed and worked hard until she was able to retire.

One of the life lessons my dad taught me was about punctuality. He always said if you start work at 8:00, it doesn’t mean you are parking your car at 8:00 or walking into the office at that time, or even getting coffee. Starting at 8:00 means you are at your desk, computer up and running, ready to work at 8:00.

Both my parents taught me the value of working hard while also of treating people well. They demonstrated the value of social capital both at work and personally. If you treat people well, they will treat you well. Kindness is the most important commodity we can acquire.

For me, success comes from bringing the lessons of respect and kindness that my parents taught me to my own life, personally and professionally.

Kristin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Biofeedback is FDA approved for stress reduction and pain management, which are the main focuses of my practice. Stress has such profound impacts on our health and reducing it can deliver all sorts of benefits. Research has shown stress can exacerbate or cause many unpleasant things within our bodies.

My story is similar to many pandemic entrepreneurs. Over the past few years, I re-evaluated my life and realized I wanted to give back and help others. After personally experiencing great results from biofeedback sessions, I purchased and learned to use the technology. Biofeedback was fascinating and rewarding, and useful! After realizing I could help others, I left my corporate job and founded Eden Biofeedback.

Reducing stress or managing pain simply, and without drugs, is very appealing. Stress has been linked to insomnia, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, migraines and so many more things. My clients come to me for biofeedback for many reasons and report all sorts of improvements after sessions.

The most rewarding part of my business is meeting so many fantastic people and building wonderful relationships with them. While I have enjoyed jobs I had in the past, this is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. In addition to paying clients, I also provide services at reduced rates (or free) as a volunteer.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started my business, I was focused on being extremely professional and being all business. It was working fine, but sometimes I felt like something was missing. I was fortunate enough to have a session with a business coach who helped me discover the root of the problem. While I was running an, “all-business,” business, I wasn’t showing up authentically as myself.

The (amazing) coach helped me realize that I shouldn’t check my warm, friendly personality at the door. He encouraged me to be more myself during and after client sessions. One way I have incorporated this into my business is by sending clients personalized birthday cards. I hand write every one, because I consider my clients friends, not just people who pay me. This has been very popular with my friend/clients and it makes me feel great. I’m a card person and I get to bring that with me to work.

I had to un-learn being too formal and stuffy and professional and learn to relax and be myself. Doing so has made my work a true pleasure to me and has enhanced the sessions for clients too.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In a word, networking!

I like to say if I am not working, I am networking. Biofeedback is better known in other countries and there isn’t a large awareness of it here. My goal, beyond helping my clients, is to spread the word about biofeedback, educating people both what it is and how it can be useful.

In my first year of business, I met with more than 200 people, one on one, to educate them about what I do. Those efforts were critical to building my brand, brand awareness and clientele. Beyond that, I have met so many incredible people. I’m better prepared to serve my clients because I can connect them with other providers if they have needs beyond biofeedback. Networking has also created many fantastic opportunities for me that wouldn’t have appeared without the strong relationships I’ve built across our community.

Now, I continue to spread the word and network; but my clients do much of that work for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.EdenBiofeedback.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-derus/

Image Credits
Patty Landeis – PK Photography