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

Kimberly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

One Monday morning in August of 2017 I sat on my bed signing dozens of papers transferring ownership to a well-known yoga brand after 18 years running a yoga studio that started in my living room in my mid-20s. The studio had defined my professional life and I was letting my baby go. It was a scary and liberating time.

The building of the yoga business had never been easy—managing a team, creating systems, taking on debt as the economy crashed in 2008, overseeing renovations of new studio spaces, handling the building breakdowns, keeping staff motivated and students happy. You know, all the things.

Yet the years before the sale had been particularly painful. I lost my beloved 99-year-old grandmother, my firstborn cat and dog to cancer, and I received an overdraft notice from my personal bank account due to covering studio expenses.

Although these things may seem par for the course, I no longer had the capacity to juggle it all gracefully. I was in my mid-40s and longed for a simpler life. I knew I had to make a change.

After I signed the documents and hosted a farewell party for the team (who all stayed employed by the new owner), the responsibility of payroll for 100 people, two expensive leases, and the marketing of a business I’d lost passion for lifted.

I mourned and celebrated the loss as I reinvented myself. Toward the end of my yoga studio time, I’d gotten a master’s in social work so I rented a therapy space in an old building with lots of charm. I decorated it in soft hues and soothing textiles and began working 1:1 with clients while managing only myself, my schedule, and one small room.

There came a point where I had to be honest with myself. Just because I’d founded a business and poured my heart into it for nearly two decades didn’t mean I had to keep going down a path that no longer felt right. Having these tough conversations with ourselves (and a good therapist or coach) can help shift our trajectory and ensure we’re moving toward a life that fits us in middle age and, hopefully, beyond.

Kimberly , 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?

I never know how to describe myself. It’s been yoga teacher, yoga studio owner, psychotherapist, podcast host, non-profit president, writer, and eco-fashion designer over the years. I always stumble and am never quite sure what to say because I do a variety of things. I like it that way (despite being awkward when asked what I do).

While working as a paralegal after college, I started a yoga studio in my living room, left the full-time paralegal job, and built the yoga studio into a million dollar business over 18 years before selling it. During this time I also created a clothing line to wear on and off the yoga mat using eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton and organic bamboo. I still offer it twenty years later and it’s made to order locally.

I also co-founded a non-profit to bring yoga, creativity, and leadership to teen girls before transitioning it to Pigs & Pugs Project in 2016. We give micro-grants to pug rescues and pig sanctuaries and it’s funded through the sale of the yoga studio and my online Tranquility du Jour offerings.

Tranquility du Jour is my overarching brand that includes a podcast (started in 2005 when I used to have to explain what a podcast was), a blog, coaching, online and in-person events and courses, plus six books and planners.

I believe that the small details such as the smell of lavender, the incorporation of tea, and soothing touches have helped set me apart in a crowded marketplace of yoga studios, psychotherapists, and small batch clothing designers over the years.

I’m most proud of:
1) my first book “Hip Tranquil Chick” which turned 16 last fall and is about taking yoga beyond the mat
2) Pigs & Pugs Project because I’m obsessed with both beings and love giving back
3) the Coterie which is my yearlong course teaching 12 modules to help women find more tranquility in their daily lives
4) hosting a podcast since 2005 (that’s a LONG time!) We’re celebrating our 600th episode with a live event on February 20 and you’re invited! Details here.
5) being a rescue pug mama to two special needs pugs
6) selling my yoga studios and transitioning careers at midlife
7) creating an online community of women around the globe seeking more beauty and balance
8) going back to school in my late 30s to study social work and building a therapy practice in my mid-40s

Also, I’m an adult ballerina who returned to the barre in 2018 and love the daily practice (and challenge) of structured, yet flowy movement. I’m obsessed with Paris, matcha lattes with oat milk, and seek to infuse more tranquility into my everyday.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In my work as a yoga studio owner, yoga teacher, and now psychotherapist, I think my attention to detail has built my reputation.

For example, I liked to describe the yoga studio and my time as a teacher as “Cheers sans drink” where people know your name, are glad you’re there, and treat you kindly. We nurtured all the senses by offering tea and cookies at the end of every class, hands-on assists, uplifting music, scents of lavender, and a beautiful setting filled with sustainable and stylish touches.

Now I offer a similar experience for my therapy clients by providing wafts of lavender essential oil, an assortment of herbal and caffeinated teas, a soothing setting with soft pillows and a throw. And I let them know that it’s good to see them. People long to be seen.

Also, the various products I sell are shipped with a lavender sachet and bag of tea. I pen the word “beautiful” next to their name on the shipping label. I like to tuck tea bags inside all handwritten notes and seal them with washi tape.

These small touches have defined who I am as a small business owner.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Absolutely, “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber shaped my entrepreneurial style.

His claim that if you have a business that can’t run without you, you don’t have a business, you have a job spoke to me early on. I set up SOPs for my yoga teaching style and I trained others to teach a class in a similar manner. We only brought on teachers who were trained in our style to ensure consistency. We had checklists for before, during, and after teaching a class. Checklists for the front desk staff to set the studios up (ex. refill the lavender spray, roll the hand towels) and maintain the common areas. Checklists to run the studio spa. Basically checklists for everything!

He also encouraged creating a consistent experience through your business and that’s where all those sweet touches that I mentioned such as serving tea and cookies, offering hands-on assists, playing uplifting music, diffusing scents of lavender, and a creating beautiful setting come into play. I try to tap into all the senses while ensuring clients feel seen and appreciated.

I highly recommend his book!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kimberlywilson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquilitydujour/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonkimberly/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/tranquilitydujour

Image Credits
All Marie Maroun except image at La Favorite in Paris is Teresa Ho, photo with woman petting my dog is Patrick Onofre, and photo of me teaching with chandelier is Tim Mooney.