Hello and welcome to the life of an entrepreneur. I'm Jan McCarthy with Entrepreneurial Voice and we are broadcasting live from Skid Row Studios.com. We're real radio on the internet coming from downtown and we're here every Tuesday at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time and we're here to talk about what it's like to be an entrepreneur and and share some business tips. We'd love to hear from you if you have questions. You can call it 1-800-893-9562. You'd think I would have that number memorized by now. But I am very very excited today because I'm interviewing Kimberly Fowler who founded and started Yaz Fitness Centers and we're here to talk about what it's like to be an entrepreneur. Kimberly you are also with Sherry and Vie and so welcome all of you! We're gonna have a great discussion today talking about entrepreneurial life and sharing sharing stories of how you get started and and some of the things that you might have to go through. Kimberly let you start by just telling your your story. What is Yaz? Yaz its a combination of yoga and spinning. I started it back in 2001 when no one had actually combined the two. So it's interesting because it's really, it's taken off. It's been a, it's, you know, it was a, since it was a new concept, it was a little challenging in the beginning. But now, so we also have a clothing line and DVDs, books, so. Water bottles. Water bottles, yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, it's all great. You're very, very accomplished. So, you know, you and I have talked about that you're the face of your business. And so what was the inspiration for you taking yoga and spinning and putting them together? Well, I had actually, I was in the corporate world. I was a lawyer for 18 years. And then I went in, I was a COO of a very large company. And I had a climbing accident, which put me out of commission. For about six months. And couldn't do my job. And had to figure out, okay, what are you going to do with your life? Most people wanted me to go back into, my friends, wanted me to go back into law. And I thought it was the, you know, probably the easiest transition is just to go back to being a lawyer. And I didn't quite, you know, it wasn't, you know, it wasn't resonating with me that that's, you know, should be. What I do. And I, my loves were, are yoga and spinning. And it was my workout forever. And I was going from a, you know, spin class to a yoga class. And very frustrated that nobody, you know, had them in under one building. And I just couldn't understand it. And I thought it was, you know, it's like it's so logical. And I went, hmm, I think I'm going to open up a yoga and spin studio. So that was sort of, that's how it started. It was just out of frustration. So a real light bulb moment. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It was, you know, and then telling everybody that's what you're going to do. And I was in my 40s and no one and I, not one person believed in it. I mean, all my friends thought I was nuts. I got all kinds of. I got all kinds of comments like, you know, okay. One, I got that I was too old. One of my best friends said that to me. You're way too old to go into the fitness industry. It was like, are you kidding me? Like, wow, that's cold. My friends are always there for us. Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, basically that's how it started. Well, I love that you brought up a couple of important things. I mean, I think it's really important to, you know, I think it's important to, you know, I think it's a couple of important points that a lot of times we launch a business, especially women, we launch a business from a place of pain or passion. And yours was kind of from a pain because you were traveling back and forth to the two different locations to try and get your workout in. And so, great. Had that light bulb moment and said, well, if I like it, somebody else must like that too. And then often as launching a business, we have a lot of naysayers. We say, no, this is not going to work. And I actually want to know how you kind of overcome that. I was listening to Matthew McConaughey on the Golden Globes the other night. He said Dallas Buyers Club was turned down 86 times. I mean, that takes a lot of persistence and drive and belief in what it is that you're doing. So, how did you overcome, especially when those closest to you that you, we tend to kind of trust a little bit more, feel like they're really looking out for us and what are they seeing that we don't see? How do you overcome that? How do you overcome the naysayers? How did you keep moving forward? Well, I mean, for me, it's like you tell me I can't do something and I'm going to do it. It actually fueled me in a way. You know, it's just like, no, I mean, I can do this. And I had, you know, I was just running a $200 million company, like running a business. I could, you know, definitely, and I could run circles around my friends. I knew I could do it even though I was too old. So, never too old. We've got a list of people who were old when they did their first thing too. Well, that's what I used. When people were telling me I couldn't do it, I was like, well, Martha Stewart, you know, launched her company in her 40s. And it's a billion-dollar company. So, hello. I, you know, I had explained why. And I would use that as an example how many people had started companies. Women in their 40s. Yeah, Julia Childs was in her 50s. Right. And Ray Kroc was in his 50s. Yeah. And, you know, there's, the list goes on. So, I'm really, really, I'm really happy that you, you said, yeah, this doesn't matter how old I am. It's never too late to do what you want to do. And I hope that that's the message that will come through to our listeners and others that we come in contact with. Yeah. So, was it a little scary, though, to go from, I mean, did you grow up in an entrepreneurial family? I mean, how do you get the guts to go from being an attorney to, okay, I'm going, even though you were running a very large company, how do you get the guts to kind of take that leap? It's fearful for a lot of people. How did you move past that or did you even think about it? Well, I mean, I grew up really poor. I mean, not really. I mean, no one in my family had gone to college. None of them. My dad actually was a painter. So, in a way, I mean, house painter, not a painter, painter. But, you know, so what, you know, and I think he did that more because he couldn't keep a job. You know, my family, you know, my dad died homeless at 40. So, I, you know, I didn't have any role models growing up. You know, to even go to college or to do anything really in my life. But, so, when I, you know, became an, you know, wanted to become an entrepreneur, it was just more like you just, you know, I never let my background stop me. You know, it was like, I actually look at it like I wouldn't be who I am right now without you. Right. Yeah. And I think that's what I learned about having to go through those struggles, you know, when I was growing up. I was working since, I can't even remember when I didn't work. So, I have that drive in me. You know, I've had to work and I like to work. So, that's just sort of something maybe I popped out of the womb with. I don't know. Well, I mean, it kind of brings up the question, you know, do you think an entrepreneur is born? Or do you think that they're made? Well, I really think I was born this way. You know, I think it could probably be, you know, a little of both. But I definitely, I just always, I remember trading. I had, this is a funny story. When I'm really young, I remember trading some snapper turtles that I found for some beautiful rabbits. That my, one of my neighbors, my parents had bought them. And I did this trade because I want, you know, so I've always, you know, it's always been in me. And I think I was probably like four or five years old at the time. That's really fantastic. I love that. Yeah, I think it's an interesting question. And I think that, I think you're born, but you're also made. I think you're born with the traits. And then obviously there's things that you need to learn. What do you think, Sherry? My parents, my father was an entrepreneur. He had his own company. So, I mean, and I, I'm an entrepreneur too. And I have that spirit I always have. I don't like working for other people. I don't stop working. Is that what's wrong with all of us? Yeah, I think so. I mean, I've done it before, but it's not my comfort zone. Yeah, yeah. And tell our listeners what you do with Yaz Fitness Center. I'm the vice president of all things Yaz. And that is actually on my card. I love that. So that means I pretty much do everything, a lot of different things. And V, why don't you chime in here? You can talk right into the mic there. Just tell us who you are and what you do with Yaz. I'm the consulting director of sales and marketing for Yaz Fitness Centers. Great. Thank you. And do you think entrepreneurs are born or made? I think it's a combination of both. I didn't come from an entrepreneurial family, but I've been an entrepreneur my whole life. And I am like Sherry. I can work with other people, but my comfort zone is to work with entrepreneurs, not in big corporations with cubicles and things like that typically. Yeah. Sounds great. Well, so when you started Yaz, what were your hopes and dreams with all of that? I mean, you've franchised Yaz successfully. You have several locations. You're continuing to grow. Like you said, you have books. You have CDs. You have tapes. You have clothes. You have water bottles. You have all kinds of stuff. I mean, it's amazing. And you've really taken this concept and you've grown your business tremendously. Is that how you envisioned it when you first started out? No. I mean, actually, in my business plan, I thought I'd have eight open within the first year. That was my goal. It's like I thought that was a logical amount. I never... So you don't come out of the chute thinking, well, I'm going to do this. I don't come out of the chute thinking small, do you? Yeah. I never thought I would teach. I never... Becoming the face of my business was not something that I ever thought I would do. It's just that was something that Sherry actually talked me into. But I'd always been behind the scenes. Lawyers are behind the scenes. You're helping your clients. I was the COO, which was... I was running the company. The CEO of the company was the face of the business and you were there to support the CEO. So, becoming the face was never something I had planned. So, no, it definitely isn't what I first envisioned. Well, it's worked tremendously for you and I think it is really important for... I mean, we all want to be involved with a business with someone that we think we know, we like, and we trust. Sherry, how did you have that foresight to push that forward and convince her to get out there in the forefront? Well, I mean, Kimberly has a really good story and I thought that because she was a lawyer and because she was a COO, she has a certain edge about her. That's a little... It could be difficult to understand and we're in this industry that's very touchy-feely and I think that she was having conflict because people weren't quite... They would think that she should be a certain way and they really didn't understand why she wasn't and it wasn't really working out very well for her. And I thought, okay, well, they need to know more about you and you've got this incredible survival story. She's a cancer survivor. She's done all these amazing things. She's coming from such a poor background. It just explains a lot as to why she is the way she is and that it also makes her somebody that you would want to aspire to be and respect. So, just kind of thinking about all that, that's really important for people to know. Yeah. And when we did put that story out there, the world kind of opened up and I thought that that was a really important thing to do. I think so too and I love that you did that and I think that someone can definitely take a page from your book and helping to let people really be more real and more authentic and it's not just coming to your studio and taking a class. It's coming to your studio and taking a class and sharing with you what their goals are and what they're trying to overcome and achieve through taking the classes and sharing. And I think that's really important because it's really important for people to know that they're not just taking the classes at your studio and even if you're not in every single studio, your story resonates with everyone. And just even, like you said, overcoming the challenges that you have and also making it more convenient too for those who really enjoy getting a workout and practicing the yoga as well. I think too that it made people feel much more comfortable coming into the studio because we're very accessible. And because Kimberly shared such a private thing, people felt inclined to come in and share stuff with her. People that are going through cancer treatments or have gone through it, they just feel very comfortable coming to Yaz because they know this is her place. Yeah. And it's great for anybody who's never been, you need to go. I agree. Thank you. Thank you. If anybody has any questions, we'd love to hear from you. Again, our number is 1-800-893-9562. You can call in to talk to me, to talk to Kimberly, Sherry, Vee, you can ask us any of those questions and we'd love to hear from you. So who inspires you? Well, I was asked that question, Los Angeles Magazine had come to me and they listed like the top fitness pioneers of fitness. They're the top fitness pioneers of Los Angeles. And I was on this short list with Richard Simmons and Tony Horton and it was like, wow. And Jane Fonda was on that too, right? I think so. Yeah. It was just like, wow. I mean, that was such a wonderful validation, but that was a question they asked, like, who inspired you? And it was difficult. I mean, I'm, you know, I'm a fitness person. I'm a fitness person. I'm a fitness person. I mean, I'm obviously inspired by, you know, like the Martha Stewart's, the, you know, Oprah's and, you know, of the world. And I didn't really, it was a hard, you know, question to answer for me because I really didn't have that, you know, inspiration growing up. But I mean, some of my students inspire me. I mean, wow. I know what they're going through. They share that with me. And it's sort of like what Sherry was saying. Like, I used to go, I've gone through a lot, but in a never, you know, you don't know about it. And it's a really wonderful feeling when someone shares what they're going through. And out in the world, they don't share that with people. Yeah. And I know so many stories. I mean, you know, I look around Yaz and I know a lot about a lot of, you know, a lot of people, a lot of our students. So that inspires me. You know, I can, I just go, wow. And they're going and they're, you know, doing their best and they have a lot of stuff going on. Well, you really, I mean, you have such compassion about you and I'm sure that while you're being inspired by them, they're continuing to be inspired by you. And it's just a really great thing to keep moving it up and kind of encouraging each other on a daily and regular basis. How do you motivate yourself? I mean, obviously, you've got a lot of responsibilities, but do you sometimes just get like tired? Okay. I just want to get away from this for a little bit and take a vacation. You know, so how do you constantly get reenthused and thinking up new things and staying fresh for yourself being in this business? Well, I mean, I'm pretty self-motivated. That's something that I do think I was born with. I'm constantly, I have a lot of drive. I'm in an industry that you're always helping people. So, you know, you have a lot of responsibility. You have a lot of, you know, it's like, I don't really call it a burden, but you know, I feel a responsibility to keep moving forward and keep thinking and, you know, and I have a lot of women entrepreneurs that look to me and I mentor them and, you know, so, and I like my work. So, yeah. Yeah. So, I think that's the drive. I do have a passion for what I do and, you know, it's been almost 12 and a half years and I still have a passion for my business. Well, it is very clear and obviously, I mean, to just hearing a little bit about your background, it must have taken tremendous courage and tremendous drive to say, okay, I'm not going to stay in this situation. I want something better for myself. Was there somebody that you looked up to when you were growing up that made you even realize that there was something else you could do to not stay in those same circumstances? Well, it's funny because when I were talking about it this morning, I was talking about when I was in high school, I was invited to a prom. Like at a very expensive. Expensive prep school up in, I grew up in New Jersey. I was just going to say, where'd you grow up? South Jersey, not far from Atlantic City and this prom was Penn Charter and it's like on the main line in Philadelphia and I got invited to this prom and I didn't have a dress and so I had to make a dress, a prom dress, you know, out of some clothes that my, fabrics that my grandmother had. It was just this whole, you know. Thing and I ran away from home because I was only like 13 years old and they thought I was older and I got to, you know, these homes were like, I mean, I, again, I grew up really poor and then you're seeing, wow, look at this. I'd never seen homes like this. I had never, I mean, it was a, it was hard for me because I had everybody looking at this, you know, dress, handmade dress. And here's all these rich kids and, you know, I didn't have the, you know, the cultural background that they all did and when they drove me home and they saw where I lived, they all looked and they went, this is where you live? And at that moment, and it was, it was that moment right there, I went, I'm getting out of here. There's more out there. And, you know, I'm not going to go back and forth. I'm going to go back and forth. And without that, even though it was a very painful and embarrassing, it changed my life. I was, you know, like freshman in high school and I went, how do I get to college? Because all everybody was talking about was college, where they're going college because it's their, their rights, that's what you talk about. And I went, wow, like, okay, like not even a thought for me or no one in my family had gone to college. It wasn't even like college. So, I went, how do I go to college? Let's figure this out. And, you know, that, that motivated me at that point. Well, I love that you, you took something that was so devastating and hard for you and, and you looked at it in a positive light or, I mean, maybe not at that time, but, but certainly to be able to go back and instead of saying, oh, poor me, you know, what can I do? We do have to. We have the wherewithal to change our circumstances. We have the, we have to sometimes look for those opportunities. And so, I'm assuming you had to look for the opportunities of, you know, how do I go to college? How do I go to college when I don't have a family that's going to financially support me in college? So, what do I need to do and start doing it now and taking action? I mean, sort of just very indicative of why you're successful today because you're one of those who gets it done. You, you're not alone. You take action. You move forward and, and you, you do what you have to do and you create a vision in your, in your head of, of what it is that you want. So, I think that's something that everybody can learn from and take from and, and you are such a great mentor and, and, you know, so if people can, can look at that and say, yeah, I can do that too. I don't have to be defined by my circumstances or by my limitations. You know? Right. So, that's really, really great, great advice. What's your proudest moment? Well, I remember when I got accepted to law school because, you know, I had the thought of, you know, even going, going to college and then to get accepted into law school. I remember just sitting there and I saw it, you know, and I just went, wow, like wow, girl, look at that. You know? You know, that was such a, that was beyond the goal I had. Like, my, my goal was to go to college and then, so, which, you know, was amazing that I was able to do that and then to go beyond that and go to law school. I don't know if it's the proudest moment of my life, but I just remember that feeling, like, just sitting there going, wow, wow, girl. Like, look at that. that. You did it. You did it. Yeah. Now, what about, because I think about how many lives you've touched. I know that you've been a speaker at many things. You've been written up in many magazines. Very lucky to have you here to be able to interview you. You've been on book tours. I mean, all kinds of stuff. But when I see you, I mean, like even taking classes with you, I think when you look out at just this large gathering, I mean, people are clamoring to come to your classes. It's got to be a very, really incredibly proud and fulfilling and gratifying moment to look at the lives that you have changed. And they are right there in front of you. And whether it's just given them the courage to overcome things that they've had to deal with, like Sherry said, like cancer. Or other health issues or just being able to go from maybe never being able to stay on a bike for more than five minutes. That would kind of maybe be me. To, you know, being able to go the whole hour and then come and do yoga too. And just feel that comfort level because it is, for a lot of people, it is scary to go out and take those first steps to taking control of your health. And you're really changing lives too. I mean, you've got the flat belly challenge. Yes. Tell me more about that. Well, Flat Belly Yoga is my new book. And that came out in September. And I'm putting a group from each location, we have four locations, and I'm putting a group from each location on the Flat Belly Yoga Challenge, which is basically what I did with the test panel for the book. So we got some great results. And right now, it's a perfect timing because New Year's resolutions and, you know, we had, I mean, I think my best results was this guy, Robert. He came in and we do before and afters. He came in, and he's got like, like, we asked him to come in in a white shirt. He has baby puke on his shirt. And he's, you know, he's frumpy and tired. And he's got like three kids under like, five or six, you know, it's just like, its a hard life. Yeah, you know, and he's got this big belly and, and I put him on the program. And after the 31 days, we didn't recognize him. I mean, he was happy. And you know, he lost like 21 pounds and 22 inches. And he, I mean, he said, I haven't, I've never slept better. I don't I mean, he goes, I don't think my life sucks. He sort of slept better. I don't, I mean, I, he goes, I just got my life back. Him and his wife did it together and they would switch off. Like he would go work out and she would watch the kids and then vice versa. And it, it really made this huge difference to him. He goes, first time I've slept in like six years. So, so it's, I mean, I mean, I love that. I'm, you know. Yeah. So I guess there's different kinds of proud moments. There's proud moments of knowing that you've set that, that goal and, and that you've, you've exceeded something that's more than your wildest dreams of for you personally. And then to be able to look at the lives that you're, you're changing every day, like, like with Robert and, and his wife and realize that really you have totally turned their life upside down in, in such a positive way. That's gotta be pretty fulfilling. And, and motivating and, and, and really goes like, this is why I'm doing what I'm doing. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, I get emails, testimonials all the time. And if I do feel down, you know, cause you know, owning a business tough. Yeah. It just really, it really is. It's, it's hard. And I'll, I'll go, I have a little, you know, email file and if I do get down, I'll open it up and just start reading and then go, okay, Fowler. Snap out of it. Yeah. Well, I, I think it's important. Do you agree to really know what your why is, why you're doing the business that you're doing? And when you look out at these people whose lives you're changing and, and, and you've given them a place to come and feel comfortable and, and do something for themselves, that's gotta say, yeah, yeah, this is why. Yeah. And I, I think you, as a business owner, you do need to know why you're doing this. Yeah. Cause it's, you know, otherwise you might quit. Um, what are some of the challenges that you've, you've faced, um, in starting, in starting this business? Starting the business? Yeah. When you first started. When I, when I first started, location was a hard one. Um, you know, I, I was living in Santa Monica and I thought I would just open in Santa Monica. Well, being a fitness studio, you have certain parking requirements, you know, do you have to do all that? Yeah. You have to sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort of sort find one in Santa Monica. And then remember, this was, you know, 12 and a half years ago. And then I just couldn't find a place. And so I said, okay, I'm going to try Venice. I drove down Abbot Kinney and there was this dilapidated building. It was pink. The windows were broken out of, it was tagged, you know, gang tagged. And I saw it and I went, oh my God, that's it. And I jumped out of the car, took the broker's name down. You know, I was just, I left my car in the middle of Abbot Kinney, doors open, keys in the car, you know, the whole thing. And my landlord was Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction. So that was, you know, he was, he was, really nice, very handsome, you know, it was like, wow, this is cool. So, you know, I started, found the location. Then I... So this is when your friends really said, what are you doing, right? Yeah. Not only my friends, but there was a bet on the street on Abbot Kinney that I would never make it. Never. Wow. Don't you feel good 12 and a half years later? I do. And one of my best friends, Leanne Gold, I will, call her out, bet against me. She has a store on Abbot Kinney called Neptina and she's been there like 18 years, but she never thought that I would make it. And we became friends instantly and still very close, but no one thought I would make it because it's, it's gang, it's really bad. I mean, it was, it was really a sketchy area back then. And so I went to start and, you know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. You know, let me let you guys talk about your life. Yeah. oh, wow, I'd already signed the lease. I'm ready to go. And I went, okay. And had you already done all the improvements and everything too? No. Okay. No. And you didn't have a big following at this point? Nobody knew who Kimberly Fowler, yes, fitness centers was, right? And so I went, okay, I'll just get my friends to back me. I was like, okay, I'll just, I'm just gonna have to figure it out. And all my friends said no. For the same reasons, I was like, no, you know, you're too old, you know, blah, blah, you know, what do you know about being in the fitness industry? Go back to law. It's just like, okay. So I can't even get any money from my friends. I have no money. I actually started on my credit cards. I just maxed them all out. And that's how I started my business. Now that's stressful. Yeah. I had to go through, okay, you know, budget wise, I have to cut money. I don't, I, you know, I really need to cut this down. And my contractor was costing me, you know, it was just about 50,000, you know, so I could cut down $50,000 if I just cut him out and did the build out myself. And I actually, that's what I did. I was the general contractor on that building. And did you have experience doing any of that? No, not at all. That was really hard. And I can, I can go see why they get the money that they do. I mean, it was awful. It really was. I'd be, I'd be driving downtown where we are now. And I'd be crying. I mean, there was a couple of times that I was just like, I can't do this. You know, I just, I, I, I can't do it. And it's like, you know, I'd be, I'd be sitting there going, you know, come on girl. You know, you've been through worse things. You can just figure it out. Like just, you know, keep on driving, keep breathing, keep breathing, keep on driving, you know, just, you know, you'll, you'll, you'll figure it out. And I, and I did, I mean, but, and it's, it's, it's interesting because Venice is still my favorite location. I, I really, it's your baby. It's my baby. I mean, and the great thing about your firstborn, it's my firstborn. Exactly. And, um, you know, and it's. It's the great thing about being the general contractor was going forward and opening up other locations. People can't, you know, They can't BS you. Exactly. You, they can't because I've done this. I know what it costs, you know, so, um, I can see the reason that happened, but boy, was it hard. So, I mean, it really just took sheer force and sheer determination and, and, and, and acting like a real entrepreneur going, you know, I've got to bootstrap this. I've got to figure out a different way. Um, and that's really what a lot of entrepreneurship is about is figuring out a different way to solve the problem. Yes. Um, and so you, um, and, and I don't know about your other locations, Silver Lake and, um, Orange County, but I mean, you came to downtown before downtown was, was happening. I mean, so you kind of have this cutting edge about you that, okay, I'm going to go into this depressed area. And, um, obviously, obviously you have some vision, um, or, or I don't know. Well, it is, I mean, Silver Lake was the same way. Um, Costa Mesa, you know, it, it was new to have fitness down there. Um, not, you know, it was still a, you know, the area wasn't a depressed area, but there was no fitness. Now we have an East Coast to Mesa. There is a, you know, spin studio yoga or, you know, whatever on. Every single corner. We have like two that are like right across the street. I could throw a, you know, brick at them. Um, so yeah, I, and I look for areas like that. They're just, you know, not, you know, I, not the she, she areas, but just up and coming. And then you become such a part of the community. Yeah. But it does take a certain vision. I mean, we were talking earlier about, about downtown and, and not everybody had that vision. I mean, I, I, I based what I did based on like a certain a bit of knowledge of, of what had happened in other cities and things like that. So how did you think about, I mean, Venice is such a hotspot now, um, but you didn't have crystal ball. So what were you just listening to your gut? Were you just, what was their data that you were saying? Okay, look, you know, this is, this has been improved up to this far. No reason why it shouldn't come another block or. Yeah. Where were you coming from that gave you the courage to, um, and location is so important. I mean, it really can make or break a business. And yet now your locations are prime, prime, prime, prime real estate, at least the ones I know about. So, um, what did you use to move forward in the face of not really having that crystal ball and knowing that this would turn out to be a great location? Well, with Venice, I did, you know, I went, okay, if you build it, they will. Come, you know, and, and that was. Isn't that about when that movie came out? Yeah, exactly. Well, and at first it's like, I couldn't get my friends to come there. They were like, I am so not going to Venice. You are insane. Um, so it started to build up around us. Um, so with Silver Lake, it was, it's sort of the same downtown just took off, like, you know, it had nothing to do with. Anything I knew, but it's downtown. I mean, I saw that I went to law school in Houston and downtown was like awful. And then it just built up and it now it's an amazing, it's, you know, the growth downtown. But, um, I think the nice thing about Yaz is it, it does, it brings people in, it becomes a community and then it brings some life into that area. You know, maybe it sparks the growth or, but so I, I like to, I actually like to look for areas like that because then they're, you know, they're not snotty. I mean, I like, uh, we were talking about that area earlier. I like areas that, um, people are just nice. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How, so how did you start building, building your clientele? I mean, if your friends wouldn't even come to this location, how did you get people you didn't even know to come? It was. It was very hard. We, I started with, um, these passes. I, I made, you know, free, you know, free come to Yaz passes and we still use these passes today. I'm probably have them in my purse on the way home from doing construction. I would hit a parking lot every single day. So after being, you know, building out Yaz, um, on the way home, cuz I was still living in Santa Monica at the time, I would flyer a. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. Uh, a parking lot. And here I, you know, it's so funny, like you're, you're putting a flyer on a, a pass on a car and, you know, you have people go, hey lady, get away from my car. And you're like, oh my God, I used to be a lawyer. I used to be this big COO and now people are telling me to get away from their car. Were you in your construction close to? Well, I did, it wasn't doing the construction. You basically just have to sit there. Yeah. You know? So then all, all you have to be there to manage it. You just have to be there. Yes. You just have to be there. So. Wow. And so you've, you, uh, that's, that's a great story and, and I think that it's something that we need to all, all consider. Um, what's been your, your greatest failure? Well, hmm. I mean, with me, I have, I don't know, I, I have high expectations. So, you know, it. It's like even Yaz right now, it's not where I want it to be. Um, I'm very hard on myself. I, I, I counsel, you know, women in business all the time and, and they, you know, I'm there for them and, you know, and I, and I'm always saying, don't be so hard on yourself. But, you know, it's easy to tell others. Yeah, exactly. You don't do yourself. Right. So I, I think, I don't know, Sherry, what would you say? My. My, what do you think my biggest failure is? Well, I mean, even Kimberly managed to turn a failure into a success story because I would say it was franchising. Yeah. Um, making the choice to grow that way. Um, we made some bad decisions when it came to franchisees and ended up having to buy them all back. So, you know, in a way it was a failure, but then we now own these locations. And we learned what not to do next. So we're going back into franchising. We're gonna try it again. But I think in terms of, you know, I think that would be the only. Right. Failure that I could really. Yeah, no, no, I, I agree. We made, we made mistakes there. I thought, I really thought with franchising, I needed a bunch of mini me's. Like I needed to be, have, face the business like little Kimberly's. Um, and that I was wrong. Yeah. I was definitely, that wasn't what I needed. And, you know, and, and it's still, even though it's a franchise, still business. So how are you, um, so how did you just sit down and say, okay, so that didn't work. I mean, and that's really what you have to do. I mean, failures can really be great, great things. I agree. And, um, it, it kind of teaches you what, what you don't want to do. And sometimes you don't know until you try it. I mean, there's no way that you can know everything. And, um, so, um. Right. Um, so, um. How did you go about deciding, did you sit down and say, okay, this is really what I'm looking for in a franchisee now going forward. And, and are you putting a plan together that these are the cities that I want to be in and all of that kind of thing? Yes. Yeah. I mean, I, I sort of revamped our franchise program. Um, I, you know, we are looking for franchisees that, um, have business backgrounds because, as I said, it's, you know, people forget that it is a business. It's, you know, it's, you know, you have a, you know, a certain model, you have a lot of help, you have, you know, proven, you know, it's, you know, it's been successful. We have so, but, um, it is still a business and it's still work. Well, having a clear idea of, of who you want to come in and do it and, and maybe not just being someone who's just, uh, fitness motivated. Right. Um, sounds great. Yeah. We, we put together a vision board basically of what exactly we want in a franchisee. Good. Right. We're very clear now. I think that's great. I mean, I, I think everybody should do that, not only with their customer, but, um, in your case, the fact that you're looking for someone to represent your business, um, you need to know exactly who it is. So that's a great way to do it. And, um, good advice, really good advice. Uh, what, do you have a motto? Haha. Do I? You have several. I do. I love mottos. I love quotes. I'm not your guru. You are. Yeah. That's, that's one. Yeah. I mean, and it's funny with I'm not your guru. You are. It was, that came out of like, I didn't understand how, like, especially with yoga, this happens a lot. Like people just give their power over to, you know, to people and I, I'm like, like you need to find that inner strength. It really is within you. And, you know, it's like, so, um, you know, that, that, that came out, it also came out of the time when, um, you know, like I had a brain tumor when I was in, in law school and I was given six months to live and had to like dig deep and find that power to just say, no. And lots of times what happens is if a doctor says that you're going to die in six months, it just happens because you believe it. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, so I, and I deal with a lot of, you know, people that are diagnosed with cancer and they, they just, they come to me and I'm like, you need to find that strength. I can't, I can't do it for you. So that's where I'm not your guru. You are came from. Oh, I love hearing the backstory on that. And that is really powerful. Um, that's great. That's really great. What do you do to unwind and unplug and, or do you ever? Uh, not much. I mean, um. Well, you do. I mean, this probably doesn't help you unwind or unplug, but I mean, I do want to bring up that you're very, uh, philanthropic and, um, and, and I think that's so important in businesses today to, to, to find something that, that they want to get back to. Do you want to take a minute to, to share that? Well, um, being philanthropic was in my original business plan. It was just part of. I mean, I was just having a business. I never thought that it wasn't, it was just not even like, you know, should I do this? Shouldn't I do? It was just like, you have a business and you should help the community or, you know, it's just help other. It's just part of, I mean, personally, it was just sort of part of having a business. And I mean, we've raised a couple million dollars for different organizations. I sit on the board of, um, think cure and, uh, it's a wonderful organization. Um, and that's been our, our, you know, main fund fundraiser. We do Yazathons every year. So, uh, I think cure is a community based organization and we raise money for cancer research, which is so important because really we need to find a cure. That's, that's the goal. Yeah. I mean, well, you certainly have something, um, driving you to, to, to want to make that happen, but not everybody goes into a business, especially because it's scary. I'm thinking, oh, so how can I get back before they've even made $5, you know? Um, and, and even though it is, uh, I don't want to say a trend because I hope that it's, it's much more than that. And it's, um, it just becomes a way of life for all the businesses. But even 12 years ago, it's not something that was on everybody's radar or their page. Um. So what, what do you think, um, helped you to see how important that was? You know, it's, I, I don't remember what I, I, I really never thought to not do it. I mean, it wasn't, and I know it's like, you know, exactly like you said, now it's become very common, which I think is fantastic. And I really do think that every business, you know, should be philanthropic. It's just, should be the DNA of having a business. Um. And, uh, back then, it's just, you know, it's something I should do. Well, just having that inside of you that, that kind of like your drive for everything else, that, yeah. Well, and it's an opportunity. Yeah. I mean, it's actually, it's an opportunity to, to help others. So what, um, we only have a few minutes left, but I mean, I could talk to you all day, you know, but, um, so what has been your biggest surprise? Hmm. Let's see. Okay. What's your biggest surprise for me? Well, I'm actually surprised at, you know, becoming the face of my business and, and, you know, like having like books and, you know, all it's like, that's been a surprise for me. It's still, you know, even like being, being here and being, it's, it, it's sort of a, it took a life of its own, you know, and I still think it's, you know, it's so surprising to me when I, when I have an interview or radio interview. You know, it's just sort of like, Hmm. Yeah. So that's, that's been a big surprise. What do you think is the biggest surprise? It's not my surprise. It's your surprise. I don't know. Well, what's your biggest surprise? How long have you been, how long have you all been together? Um, working? Over 12 years. Okay. So basically since it opened. Oh, okay. Great. So you've seen everything from the beginning to the, to the end. Well, I mean, it's not the end yet, but no, no, the beginning. It's only the beginning. It's only the beginning. Yeah. Um, I mean, I like when we do these fundraisers and, you know, ThinkCure is affiliated with the Dodgers. So when we, yeah, we are big time, but when we present the check, the big check, we're on Dodger field. Oh, so cool. So. We're on Dodger field, you know, with all the people there and everything. That to me is just that feeling of surprise and excitement, you know, and then that's, we raise this money and we get to be on the field, you know, I mean, that's pretty neat. So we get opportunities to do things and meet people that, you know, I don't, you know, that's always very exciting and surprising. Yeah. Well, um, let me, I have a final question that I want to ask all of, all of you all, but, um, do you have any dream collaborators? What's that mean? That means is there somebody out there that you would like to collaborate with? Oh, that's interesting. Like Martha Stewart. Yeah, I mean, I, I would, I would love to meet her and work with her. Oprah, I mean, I think, you know, cause especially since she's here, I, I am, I have a TV show idea and it would be love, I would love to. On the Youngstown? On the Youngstown. Yeah. That, that would, I think that would be, if I was, you know, put that out there. Let's put it out there. And it's an entrepreneurial, um, reality show, like going in and helping businesses, which, well, that's a dream for me. Yeah. So, so yeah. Yeah. Let's put it out there. Didn't you say you got something you wanted the other day and it wasn't very much. So we said, put, put the stakes up there higher. A little bit higher. There you go. Um, all right. So what is your best, um, you can look at it any, any way you want. What is your best business advice or what advice do you wish that you had been given or, or known? Um, and I'm going to ask all of you. So, um, so it can all be different obviously. And I want to kind of know what the story behind that, your, your business lesson. Well, I mean, I think honestly, just, just to do it, I, I say, you know, I have a DVD called Overcoming Obstacles, The Secret to Success. And one of the things I talk about it is just jump. Like if you're thinking about just do it, like you will figure it out. I mean, you know, and so if you really have a passion for something and you really want to do it, then do it. So that wouldn't be my advice. And where did you, I mean, is there something that, that propelled you to say like, this, this is, this is, is it because you've done it and you've seen that even though you may be flailing as you're, after you jump off that cliff, you can go, well, I can, well, maybe there's a parachute here. I can grab hold of that branch. Is that because of your own experience that you feel like this is one of the best business lessons to share? Yes, exactly. Because at any point during, you know, the startup of Yaz, if I had so many things going against me. I would have just stopped on so many occasions and it is, you know, like we've helped so many people and it's just like, wow, it would be, it would be a shame if Yaz didn't happen. Yeah. I couldn't agree more. All right, V, what about you? What's your, your best business lesson? If you're going to do something, do it right or don't do it at all. And so where does that come from? My dad. My dad always just instilled that in all of us. Just give it your best, do it right or don't do it at all. And I, I do everything with 100%. I like that. Sherry, what about you? Well, my thing is there's always a way. Oh, I like that. And I learned that from Kimberly because, you know, we'd get stuck, you know, something would happen and just, okay, there's always a way to figure it out. Always. And I never, ever think I can't figure something out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. that you do and and coming and honoring me with your your interview today so thank you so much for being on the show I really appreciate you having me and I love what you do I mean I really do thank you so much you