We were lucky to catch up with Jessika Olsen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessika, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I have been trying to measure success differently – I want it to be more of a feeling than attaching my worth to a certain milestone or have it feel like some contest. I want it to be about community and connection; how many lives have become even the slightest bit better through their experiences at our wellness center. The amount of people that can get relief in some way. In this vision of success, there is a strong emphasis on equity and justice, where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their race, gender, class, or other social identities. Success is not a competition, but a collaborative process, where people come together to share their skills, knowledge, and resources, and to support each other in achieving their goals and dreams.
Overall, this alternative definition of success promotes a vision of a world where people live in harmony with each other and with the natural environment, and where the well-being of individuals and communities is prioritized over profit and power.
So all in all I think what it takes to be successful is giving an alternative narrative to the traditional, quantitative capitalist patriarchy definition of success. If I am able to rest, be at peace, connect with people around me and find joy – then that is what being successful is to me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Veronika and I are identical twin sisters, and we grew up living and traveling around the world. We collected experiences, achievements, defeats, realizations, and, unfortunately, also a handful of auto-immune diseases- which led us to where we are now. We created a unique wellness center that allows us to grow, heal, thrive, and most importantly share the benefits with others. Having a better sense of well-being and wellness has become a passion; a need that we had to meet for ourselves in order to get through our day to day lives while living with chronic illnesses. Essentially, we have tried to create a place that we needed so that others could benefit from the collection of services that we offer, and have those resources and tools all under one roof.
Sonder Mind and Body offers two powerful and transformative therapies to support your health and wellness goals: floatation therapy and infrared sauna. Our floatation therapy tanks provide a relaxing and meditative environment where you can let go of stress, tension, and anxiety, while our infrared sauna provides a deep, penetrating heat that can help detoxify the body, reduce pain and inflammation, and promote relaxation. Whether you are seeking relief from chronic pain, a boost to your immune system, or simply a way to unwind and recharge, these two offerings are powerful tools. Our other services include massage, chiropractic care, hypnotherapy, nutritional support, physiotherapy and other integrative therapies that are designed to support your physical, mental, and emotional wellness needs.
My sister and I are creative and inspired people, always learning and experimenting. On our business journey we have searched for people with new ideas and techniques that are also geared to finding balance in this chaotic external world. To have a community of people who are always wanting to learn, and most importantly, to help others move through the world with more peace is very important to us; as our world, lives, emotions, and bodies are constantly and rapidly changing. Having this similar outlook keeps Sonder moving forward- toward a fuller sense of self and a healthier, happier way of life.
Our wellness center is set up in a way to help other small businesses open and operate with minimal overhead and start up costs. My sister and I own and operate Sonder Float – which is our floatation tank and sauna service line. We then sublet space to other wellness practitioners, which allows us to have more offerings from a variety of people with different abilities and skill sets. In the front of our wellness center we have a coffee shop and charcuterie board creator because small pleasures also enhance our wellness. 95% of the businesses under Sonder’s roof are women-owned and operated. When you walk into Sonder Mind and Body the vibe is energetic and fun, then in the back it is a calming oasis. We love having a space that offers so many different modalities for stress management, centering, healing and connection.
This is the definition of the word “Sonder”: the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Every individual has their own challenges and experiences. Many people are on a journey to integrate and have a healthier grasp on all of the varied elements in their lives. Sonder Mind and Body is a center where you can begin, or continue on your path toward overall wellbeing. We have tried to create an inviting place for people to feel calm, grounded, clear-headed, and motivated. There is truly something for everyone, and we are honored to be trusted with people’s time and attention.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson that I’ve had to unlearn is that I am able to do everything. When my sister and I first opened our wellness center we also had a full time café in the front. I have a culinary background with a passion for allergen free cooking and food. We were open 7 days a week serving breakfast and lunch – cold pressed juices, smoothies, fresh baked goods and whole fresh meals. Everything was plant based, gluten free, peanut, tree nut, soy, and corn free. (That is another lesson I am constantly trying to unlearn – pleasing everyone!) We opened our doors in May 2018 and it wasn’t until we temporarily closed due to Covid in March 2020 that we had time to step back and rethink what all I wanted to actually do. I realized that it was not sustainable for me to run 3 full time businesses. I learned to let go. Yes it was a great concept, it served amazing food, and most importantly allowed people with allergies and food restrictions to eat out and feel “normal” but it came at the expense of my overall health and wellbeing. My sister and I were creating this all encompassing wellness center, helping people on their healing journeys at the cost of our own health. I wasn’t living the life that I was trying to offer others- the knowledge that it is important to take care of yourself and prioritize your own wellbeing. We are so lucky to have amazing employees that help run Sonder and also help remind us when to stop and just say no to doing all the things
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
We started our center with 3 different revenue streams. Veronika thoughtfully designed the layout of our center to include a café, our float and sauna service rooms, and more spaces to sublet out to different wellness practitioners. Our inviting storefront café brought in foot traffic to learn more about what we had to offer and subletting to experienced and established practitioners allowed us to not just depend on booking and selling float and sauna sessions. Not only were we bringing in income from our café and subletting, it also allowed us to expand our marketing reach to a bigger audience and potential clientele. Now that the café is closed we just pivoted a bit and include a coffee shop and food creator to our list of subletters. We were the first to bring floatation therapy to Greensboro, NC so it was important to make sure that we had other revenue streams and offerings in case it didn’t catch on as quickly as we felt it would. Luckily we didn’t have to worry about that. The power of floatation therapy speaks for itself and it was quickly accepted and enjoyed by our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sondermindandbody.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sondermindandbody/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Realizetheconnection/
Image Credits
Betsy Blake Photography (headshot photos)