We were lucky to catch up with Kyra Oliver recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyra, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I believe that health and wellness is not just about being fit or eating the best foods. It also involves mental fitness and a positive mindset. I incorporate all of these into one program.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My entry into health and wellness was not an easy one. It came to me because of a tragedy. I was a successful entrepreneur having created a couple of businesses and a non-profit. I was married and then became pregnant.

But then, I received the worst phone call imaginable. “Hayes isn’t breathing,” said the voice on the other end. I rushed to the hospital. I just received a phone call that my precious baby is not breathing; my precious baby- my entire existence in this world, a love that I have never felt in my life; a love so strong and powerful—nothing one can really understand until they have a child.

I realized that this nightmare was my life. The hospital chaplain walked into the room.
My life became a very, very dark gray.

Horror became more horror. I held his hand. Cold. Blue. Lifeless.
He was gone.

My son had died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). That meant we do not know why he died. So we call it SIDS.

Sharing that story is crucial to everything I do now and for the rest of my life. To have been given the gift of losing my son– yes, I would rather him be here, but the gift is what I see now. The gift is what I went through after I lost him, though I could not see it for a very long time.

The gift is what I am sharing with others and my desire to help others live a joyful life.

I had to hit rock bottom in a lot of areas– almost every single area of my life to get here. I went through so many years of not listening. I allowed who I am to be lost in the emotion of it all. So many would think this is ok– I mean, wow, I lost my little boy whom I held in my arms. But the loss went further. While one would think that the loss of Hayes is pretty much as far as it can go, I spiraled. Many did not know. I was good at toughing it out. I was good at keeping myself up and motivated, but behind closed doors, I was hurting so much that it nearly took me to darkness that I could not escape.

THAT is when the process truly began.

It took me a very long time to understand love and kindness in its’ truest sense– love and kindness to others and to yourself. It took me so long to be able to share this with you, with complete confidence, owning my mistakes and committing to learning from them.

I will never be perfect in the sense of the definition we all know, but to me, perfect is doing your best by using what you learn and never giving up. I used to have days that were so difficult and unbearable. I now have short moments that I have learned to use as a way to see something good— an opportunity to be better. A way to give to others and to myself. This is what I coach. I started Y.O.U (Your Own Utopia) in 2008, focusing on helping men and women create a healthy lifestyle. www.yourownutopia.com.

I help others learn how to use their thinking and mindset to capture opportunities in life. I teach women how to start paying attention to their choices, specifically about mindset, fitness and food. All of these things work together, but we have been taught to think of them separately. In fact, for most, they are not taught anything about the importance of mindset. Mindset is key.

I am a NASM certified personal trainer and healthy lifestyle coach. I am super excited about a new project I am working on. I am about to launch a new masterclass and a 6 week online workshop with my partner, Terrie Price. We are focusing on women over 40 to help them create their own personal healthy lifestyle through mindset, fitness and food called the Tiki Method™. We have an amazing Facebook Group called My Tiki Tribe (https://www.facebook.com/groups/mytikitribe). The beauty of it is that it isn’t a diet; it’s a lifestyle and we teach women to create their very own– what works for them! We are so excited and can’t wait to see the transformations!

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

I met Terrie at Encinitas Toastmasters. I signed up to be a member because I want to be a great speaker and I was a keynote speaker at an upcoming event. I heard Terrie speak and immediately knew that she had to be my mentor. From there, it was a match made in entrepreneur heaven!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have served as a Fitness Director and now as the Director of Marketing at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, one of the top 10 luxury health spas in the world. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the top professionals in the industry in addition to amazing clients and celebrities.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @kyraoliver
• Facebook: facebook.com/kyraoliver and facebook.com/kyramoliver
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyraoliver/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KyraOliver
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTWb0a40TRhfAKpd5Co8fZA