We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kathleen Haden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kathleen, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I’ve held traditional jobs only in the early part of my career—as a fashion buyer, water therapist, and aerobics instructor—and I truly loved each of those roles. Being a fashion buyer was the most challenging; I was young in a highly competitive, fast-paced industry that demanded long hours, constant travel, and intense deadlines. Ultimately, I realized it wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted long-term, which led me back to school to study kinesiology and biomechanics with a minor in dance.

That decision sparked my entrepreneurial path. I opened an aerobics studio that I owned for eight years, followed by roles in water therapy and as a director of fitness for a city recreation center, where I expanded programming and introduced Pilates when it was still new. As my vision grew, I opened the first Pilates studio in the Fort Worth area, which quickly reached full capacity. There were moments—working full weeks in the studio and traveling on weekends to train instructors nationwide—when a regular job sounded appealing.

At the same time, entrepreneurship gave me flexibility to be deeply present for my children’s lives, and that mattered more than anything. I continued building wellness centers in Colorado and later Florida, where our work in water therapy evolved into Aqua Motion and eventually led us to explore sound and frequency in water. That journey became Good Vibrations Music Co., a nonprofit created to provide Frequency Infused Music to those in need, and now Frequency Infused Wellness, our for-profit company delivering these technologies worldwide.

In the end, I love being a business owner. I value the freedom, the creativity, and most of all, being in control of my destiny.

Kathleen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My path into the wellness industry has been guided by curiosity, movement, and a deep desire to understand how the body heals—physically, emotionally, and energetically. I began my career in roles that blended creativity and human connection, including fashion buying, water therapy, and group fitness instruction. While each experience taught me something valuable, it was my decision to return to school and study kinesiology and biomechanics, with a minor in dance, that truly shaped my direction.

That education led me into entrepreneurship and ultimately into building wellness-centered businesses. Over the past 25+ years, I’ve owned and operated multiple wellness centers across the country, including aerobics studios, Pilates studios, and integrated fitness and therapy facilities. Along the way, I became a Master Pilates Teacher, Yoga Instructor, Aquatic Specialist, Massage Therapist, and Sound Therapist. Each modality added another layer to my understanding of how movement, water, touch, sound, and intention work together to support healing.

A major turning point in my work came through water therapy. While developing an aquatic program called Aqua Motion, I began exploring how sound behaves in water and how frequencies could be used therapeutically. This research opened an entirely new chapter—one that merged modern science with ancient wisdom. We discovered that sound and vibration travel faster and deeper in water, creating profound effects on the nervous system and emotional state.

That exploration led my husband, John Anthony, and me to co-found Good Vibrations Music Co., a nonprofit created to develop and distribute Frequency Infused Music®. Our mission was simple but powerful: to make therapeutic sound accessible to people who need it most. Today, we maintain one of the largest libraries of Frequency Infused Music®, used in hospitals, wellness centers, aquatic therapy programs, and personal healing practices worldwide.

We are now expanding this work through Frequency Infused Wellness, a for-profit company focused on delivering the technology that allows people to experience sound and vibration more fully—through vibrational speakers, sound tables, underwater sound systems, and educational platforms. Together, these offerings support stress reduction, nervous system regulation, sleep, emotional balance, and overall coherence in the body.

What sets my work apart is that it is not about techniques or trends—it’s about understanding why something works. I don’t teach people how to play instruments; I teach them how sound itself affects the body, how frequency influences biology, and how intention, music, water, and vibration can be used together in a grounded, practical way. My approach bridges science and soul, structure and intuition.

What I’m most proud of is not just what we’ve built, but how we’ve built it—with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to service. Whether through our nonprofit work, our educational programs, or our products, the heart of everything we do is helping people return to balance.

What I want people to know is this: healing doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, real change begins by simply changing what you listen to, how you move, and the environments you place yourself in. My work is an invitation to explore that possibility—and to remember that harmony is something we can all tune back into.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My approach to funding a business has always been grounded in education, preparation, and responsibility. Before opening my first studio, I took classes through the Small Business Association and worked closely with a mentor who taught me the fundamentals of entrepreneurship—budgeting, long-term planning, understanding fixed expenses, and building a sustainable business model rather than reacting month to month.

When I opened my first Pilates studio, I had already built a loyal following while working at a city recreation center. Many of those clients wanted more classes and private sessions, so I focused first on demand. I then saved enough capital to open the studio and operate it for an entire year without relying on income. Only after that foundation was in place did I secure a location with strong visibility, ample parking, purchase equipment, and hire instructors.

We opened our doors on September 11, 2001. Overnight, everything changed. Many of our clients worked for American Airlines, and their lives were suddenly turned upside down. Instead of panicking, I asked myself how we could serve our community during such a difficult time. We partnered with a local radio station and hosted a day of wellness—offering free counseling, massage, Pilates, food, children’s activities, and collecting nonperishable goods for New York. Our original goal was to fill one 18-wheeler; we filled fifteen.

From that moment on, clients began returning—one by one. Because I had planned conservatively and had the reserves to cover those early months, we were able to survive and grow. That studio went on to become one of the largest Pilates studios in Fort Worth, Texas.

I’ve carried those same principles into every business I’ve built since. I don’t take on unnecessary debt, I work with strong teams and advisors, I stay current with tax and governance requirements, and I keep meticulous financial records. Being frugal isn’t about limitation—it’s about freedom. It allows me to build businesses with integrity, resilience, and long-term vision.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my cofounder and business partner, John Anthony, through what felt like both coincidence and purpose. A massage therapist referred him to me for help with a torn meniscus—one of the orthopedic conditions I had trained extensively to address through advanced massage and movement therapy. I worked with John in warm water using specialized orthopedic techniques, and to everyone’s surprise, his knee healed without surgery.

What began as a therapeutic session quickly turned into a deeper conversation. John wasn’t just a client—he was also a therapist, a musician, and a master woodworker who owned a high-end custom cabinet company. We discovered that we shared a curiosity about how the body heals, how sound affects the nervous system, and how vibration influences both physical and emotional states.

As we talked more, we realized we were exploring the same questions from different perspectives. My background was rooted in kinesiology, biomechanics, and therapeutic movement; John’s was grounded in music, craftsmanship, and intuitive understanding of sound. When we began experimenting with sound in water and movement, something extraordinary happened—our combined knowledge opened the door to an entirely new way of thinking about healing.

That collaboration eventually led to the creation of Frequency Infused Music® and the founding of Good Vibrations Music Co., followed by the expansion into Frequency Infused Wellness. What started as a referral for an injury became a shared mission and a lifelong partnership.

What makes our partnership unique is how complementary our strengths are. John brings the creativity, musical intelligence, and artistry; I bring the science, structure, and application. Together, we’ve built something neither of us could have created alone.

At its core, our story is about connection—between people, disciplines, and frequencies—and the belief that true healing happens when science and soul come together.

Contact Info:

• Website: frequencyinfused.com www.Goodvibrationsmusicco.com
• Instagram: goodvibrationsmusicco
• Facebook: Goodvibrationsmusicco
• Linkedin: Kathleenhaden@gmail.com
• Twitter: Kathleenhaden@gmail.com
• Youtube: Gvmusic369@gmail.com
• Yelp: Gvmusic369@gmail.com
• Soundcloud: Kathleenhaden@gmail.com

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