All Things Fitness and Wellness

From Saje Natural Wellness to Lifted Movement: CEO Kiara LeBlanc's Inspiring Journey

January 31, 2024 Krissy Vann
From Saje Natural Wellness to Lifted Movement: CEO Kiara LeBlanc's Inspiring Journey
All Things Fitness and Wellness
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All Things Fitness and Wellness
From Saje Natural Wellness to Lifted Movement: CEO Kiara LeBlanc's Inspiring Journey
Jan 31, 2024
Krissy Vann

On this episode of the ATFW Podcast CEO of Lifted Movement Kiara LeBlanc joins Krissy Vann. Kiara's incredible journey in the wellness industry traces its roots back to her childhood when she was immersed in the world of essential oils and holistic wellness, thanks to her parents' pioneering work at Saje Natural Wellness.

Join us as we dive deep into Kiara's early exposure to wellness, which profoundly influenced her entrepreneurial spirit. Discover how her transition from working with Saje Natural Wellness led her to co-founding Lifted Movement, a fitness venture that was born out of personal transformation, a ski accident and a vision to fill a notable gap in the fitness equipment industry.

Kiara's story is not just about fitness and wellness; it's about a personal connection to a legacy and a vision for the future. She has been an integral part of Saje Natural Wellness since her early days, and her journey from stocking shelves to running the company's social media is truly inspiring. Tune in to hear her insights on the industry's evolution and the fascinating intersection of wellness and entrepreneurship.

If you're curious about the fascinating world of wellness, fitness, and entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-watch. Don't miss the chance to gain valuable insights and inspiration from Kiara LeBlanc's remarkable journey. Subscribe now and join us in exploring the remarkable story of a visionary leader in the wellness industry.

#fitnesspodcast #fitnessindustry #fitnessbusiness #entrepreneur 

Connect with Lifted Movement:
https://liftedmovement.com 
https://www.instagram.com/lifted.movement/ 

Connect with All Things Fitness and Wellness:
www.atfw.ca
https://www.instagram.com/allthingsfitnessandwellness/ 


Show Notes Transcript

On this episode of the ATFW Podcast CEO of Lifted Movement Kiara LeBlanc joins Krissy Vann. Kiara's incredible journey in the wellness industry traces its roots back to her childhood when she was immersed in the world of essential oils and holistic wellness, thanks to her parents' pioneering work at Saje Natural Wellness.

Join us as we dive deep into Kiara's early exposure to wellness, which profoundly influenced her entrepreneurial spirit. Discover how her transition from working with Saje Natural Wellness led her to co-founding Lifted Movement, a fitness venture that was born out of personal transformation, a ski accident and a vision to fill a notable gap in the fitness equipment industry.

Kiara's story is not just about fitness and wellness; it's about a personal connection to a legacy and a vision for the future. She has been an integral part of Saje Natural Wellness since her early days, and her journey from stocking shelves to running the company's social media is truly inspiring. Tune in to hear her insights on the industry's evolution and the fascinating intersection of wellness and entrepreneurship.

If you're curious about the fascinating world of wellness, fitness, and entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-watch. Don't miss the chance to gain valuable insights and inspiration from Kiara LeBlanc's remarkable journey. Subscribe now and join us in exploring the remarkable story of a visionary leader in the wellness industry.

#fitnesspodcast #fitnessindustry #fitnessbusiness #entrepreneur 

Connect with Lifted Movement:
https://liftedmovement.com 
https://www.instagram.com/lifted.movement/ 

Connect with All Things Fitness and Wellness:
www.atfw.ca
https://www.instagram.com/allthingsfitnessandwellness/ 


periodically on weekends, she would sit and be like, we got to get out fit that gym. And I'd say, I know I know. And we both Google like designer weights, nice weights, beautiful weights, pretty weights, home decor weights, and we would both come to them. Like, I'm like, I can't find anything. We both just were like, are we bad at Google. Like, I don't understand that there has to be something out there. Fast forward. My mum was having her sort of end of year goal setting time and she really was like, I am going to make this gym. And so she came to me and she said, What if you just designed a set of weights, and we designed some fitness equipment, and we'll use our manufacturing background, and we'll just we'll get a set made for ourselves. Yeah, okay, we can do that. And so I started think about this, everyone we told said, No, everyone we were told was like, What will you make me I said, I hate my weights. I hide them under my bed. I had them my closet. I put them in my basement. And so we were like, This is crazy. This many people. So my mom says to me one day, I think I'm going to turn this into a little business for myself. This is All Things Fitness and Wellness posted by Krissy Vann. Together we're uniting industry thought leaders and fit flew answers on the mission to inspire innovation and encourage people to live a life fit and well. Brought to you by the Personal Training Institute, learn how to train gain and retain clients visit BCPTI dot CA. Meet Kiara LeBlanc, CEO of Lifted Movement. hear his story goes way back to the days when she was just a young girl growing up in the heart of the wellness industry. You see her roots are firmly entwined with sage natural wellness, where her parents embarked on a journey that would eventually lead to the birth of a wellness empire. In today's episode, you'll learn about her journey growing up in the wellness industry. As she was immersed in the world of essential oils and holistic wellness. She was also honing her entrepreneurial spirit, she'll share her transition from working with sage natural wellness to founding lifted movement after a ski accident altered her lens of how she viewed physical activity, and also brought to our attention a notable gap in the fitness equipment industry that she was all too ready to address. Plus, we'll gain valuable insights from Kiara's entrepreneurial journey as her story is not just about fitness and wellness, but it's about a personal connection to a legacy and a vision for the future. Before we get to it, be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes every Wednesday featuring industry thought leaders and influencers. Plus every other Monday, we have a new episode of exercise snacks bite size science, where we explore the latest science and research directly with the scientists and researchers themselves. I'm your host, Krissy Vann and this is ATFW. We're both based here in British Columbia. So phage wellness is a brand we're very familiar with, obviously, you've been in sensation across North America. And we're going to be talking about lifted movement. But this isn't the only business obviously, you've been involved in. So talk to me a little bit about how you were really introduced to entrepreneurship from a very young age. Growing up, I had what I used to call a special love special hate relationship with the brand when I was young, you know, it felt like, like I was an only child. But when people would say How many siblings do you have, I would usually just quote the number of stores that we had. Because I felt like that took the same amount of attention as if I'd had a sibling, if not more. And so yeah, I think I grew up equal parts being proud of my parents. And you know, having my days where, you know, it meant that I didn't get to see my mom or I didn't get to see dad or leading up to holiday, you know, retails mental and so the good thing that came from it was we always had a commitment that we got away as a family for Christmas because I never saw them kind of leading up to the holidays. So that's been a that's been a lucky tradition that stayed. And truthfully, I really thought I never wanted to do it. I thought that entrepreneurship looked really hard. I thought that it just didn't seem like it was for me. And then over the years and through working with them, I kind of felt like there was no nothing else that I would ever be as happy doing. So it was a real one ad for me in my life. What was it that got your family into the wellness space into the first place? Yeah, so it was a combination of two things. So my dad suffered a lot of car accidents. Ironically, he raced cars when he was younger and made it out scratch Freedy and then had three really bad taxi accidents and oh my god out of the of all the things he's he's basically allergic to taxis today. And so, yeah, and so he was left with just a myriad of body issues on body issues, and he's in and out of hospitals. And then finally his final straw was they said to him, you know, now you're on this, you're on that we don't really know what's keeping you going. So we're going to add in Prozac because you're depressed and that was his sort of like No, like there has to be a better way. And so he's he heard on the radio about a wellness essential oils symposium in Europe, and he said to my mom, like let's go My mom is a wanderlust adventurer at heart. And she loves retail. And so the combination kind of came together, my dad came home with all these essential oils, he started formulating things he fixed, he fixed his migraines, he fixed his backaches, he fixed his stomach, and he was just giving things away as fast as he could blend them he was given away and so we kind of joke that my mom was just the cash register between him and the door. And and that sort of the the merging was born. And my mom's really passionate about community service and how we treat the people who walk through the door, she grew up in her mom's fabric store. And so she had a really, really small town, Ontario. And so for her, it was all about the community and people coming in and having like a different kind of retail experience. And so they brought together the 100% natural ingredients that my dad cared about, and the outrageous customer service that my mom cared about. And together that was sage, well, and then you add the magic of it, of really being rooted and believing in the purpose. And I feel like if you have that determination, and behind it, you can't go wrong from there. But of course, as you mentioned, you eventually went full circle and was like, Hey, this is something that I'd like to get involved with. And from what I understand it was social media that you were like, there's a way that we could do this. Right. So talk to me about your little entrance into pivoting the business a little bit. Because yeah, at the forefront of that, yeah, yeah, I am. I was really blessed that I tried that I grew up wanting to be an actor. That was my life passion. I used to tell my parents like, Don't worry, whatever happens to Sage, I'll be the next Julia Roberts. And I'll fix this all it's gonna be okay. And so what ended up happening was, my parents had, my mom was leading a new website, and I was sitting in her office, and I was reading a script. And and that gentleman said to her, like, when I pass this over to you, you're going to need someone to run social media and your site. And I remember my mom saying, you know, this was 2010. And she said, a whole person to do that. This to her was outrageous. And he said, at the end, he doesn't have to hire an expert. It could be her. And at the time, I was in that, like, you know, I didn't, I didn't want to be the waitress slash actor. And so I kind of jumped at it. I said, okay, like, Can I do this on 30 hours a week, and I can go to auditions the other 10 hours. And they said, Sure. And so I started doing it. And the digital agency brought me in, and they kind of taught me everything that I knew, digitally, social, all of that. And I loved it. I loved that I loved that I fell in love. I mean, we were a team. At our creative office, we were a team of about eight. And so it was scrappy, and it was fast. And it was interesting. And I was learning and I was 20 years old. And it was just like my brain was on fire. And about eight months, and my agent called me and she was like, Is your heart in this? And I was like, not really, like I would get, I would get auditions and be like, Oh man, I don't wanna miss the team meeting. And my mom would be like, What are you talking about, like, it's an audition for a TV show that you and I was like, I don't really and I just stopped really wanting to go. And so it was this sort of happy accident. And then I stayed on, on the capacity of digital and marketing. And then another happy accident happened when the product development person couldn't go on a buying trip. And my mum was lamenting to my dad, like, you know, this is gonna be like a heavy load to do this. You know, it was like a three week trip in Asia and all these buying shows. And, again, I was like, well, I'll go with you. And I can kind of just be your assistant and help you. And I walked into the buying shows in Hong Kong, and in China, and I just my brain exploded with just the possibilities of of what the brand could be. And so I always joke that really, if we summed up my 10 years at Sage, my passion was to make natural, sexy, you know, I think that for a lot of years, natural was like that, you know, where do you keep your vitamin C like only in the last two years are we starting to see some like, beautiful probiotics and vitamin C's and all these things coming out for so many years. I call it like the personal care grave, you know, there was like the and then you're not wrong. When you're really sick, you open the drawer and you're like, where's that zinc bottle, you know, but like, you don't keep it out. And therefore, you don't really use it as much. That was really my passion was if we could make this beautiful. If we made this something that was on your counter in your purse, you're going to remember to use it, it's going to be around you. And so that was my passion with the branding, the product development, our stores, our creative and that was sort of how my role evolved. And how was it being a mother daughter duo because anyone that is a daughter of a mom, like those dynamics can have so many different layers to them. And then when you add a professional sense, how was that balance? Yeah, I think I got lucky in that. My mum was really close to her dad, and he was a cattle farmer in small town Ontario and he worked with his son. And so my mum kind of grew up watching this father son dynamic. And so I think I got really lucky in that she was really good at it really quickly. She was really good at holding my feet to the fire. She was really good at still giving me the feedback like we had a we call it top grading at Sage. And it was a way of just saying like this is how you're performing. So we had A player B, player, B, C, and C. And at some point in my life, my health was a real challenge for me. And just when I was showing up the office like a storm cloud, and I think, you know, a lot of moms would had a really tough time saying something, she knew I was sick, she knew that she knew the why. But she still sat down and said, You know, I have to give you a really tough review. Like you're not performing, you're not showing up well, and this was really early in my career. And it was like, those are the moments when I go, Yeah. Was that really hard to hear from my mom? Yes. And did it shape who I am? Yes. And so, you know, there's times when you feel like, do I have to get an annual review every night? You know, it's like, it's Thanksgiving, like, I hear you all work on that. So you know, yes, it has its challenges. And, you know, I wouldn't trade it because I feel like, you know, is as cheesy as it sounds like feedback is the breakfast of champions, any young person that I talked to who's like, what's your number one career advice, I'll be like, become someone easy to give feedback to, we definitely lived by the to protect is to attack. So if you're not holding me as able to hear, that's actually it's not helping me. And so that's where I feel, I feel really blessed and lucky about how how the relationship went and how kind of seamless my mom made it and how she was willing to do the hard thing with me, and always give me the feedback so that we could have a great relationship. And to this day, she's an absolute best friend of mine. Talk about an amazing way to grow together as well. And I mean, the two of you clearly an unstoppable force, because naturally, even when things have gone very well, with this first business, you've decided to bring something else to the forefront and a really cool thing in this space. So talk to me about the birth of lifted movement. How did this even become an idea in the brain space? Yeah, so it was kind of a combination of two things. So one, we have a home in Whistler, and my, my, my mum has wanted to make a gym there for as long as we've had the home, so maybe six years. And so she would periodically on weekends, she would sit and be like, we got to get out fit that gym. And I'd say I know, I know. And we both Google like designer weights, nice weights, beautiful weights, pretty weights, home decor weights, and we were both coming to them. Like I'm like, I can't find anything. We both just were like, We bad at Google. Like, I don't understand that there has to be something out there. And so we just kept, you know, and we and then you know, life would go on and on we went. And so fast forward. And my mom was having her sort of end of year goal setting time. And she really was like, I am going to make this gym. And so she came to me. She said, What if you just designed a set of weights, and we designed some fitness equipment? And we'll use our manufacturing background, and we'll just we'll get a set made for ourselves. Yeah, okay, we can do that. And so I started think about this, everyone we told said, No, everyone, we were told was like, Well, will you make me a set, I hate my weights, I hide them under my bed. I had them in my closet, I put them in my basement. And so we were like, This is crazy, this many people. So my mom says to me one day, and I'm starting a different business at this point. And I'm in the early phases of figuring out the brand and all of this. And she's I think, I think I'm gonna turn this into a little business for myself. And I said, the weights and she goes, Yeah, I said, Oh, okay, great. Now, on a sidebar, I've had a ski accident. And I tore my ACL, and she decides to tell me, the day of surgery, my mouse is really great wave, she'll try and distract me with things. And I don't even realize that she's doing it. So we're driving into the surgery, I'm obviously hyperventilating. She says to me, I think I'm gonna hire a CEO, you know, I've really done that phase in my life. And I'm gonna hire a CEO to run this, this weights business. And, and I said, you're like, Okay, great. Like, I'm about to get my new chapter when I can't think about this right now. And I like in my mind, like, I look back down, I'm like, Oh, you were trying to distract me at the moment, I was like, stop talking about this, I don't care. And so we go in, I get my knee surgery. And now fast forward about three weeks, and I am really realizing if I don't truly choose rehab, I'm never going to ski again, I'm never going to, you know, run the same way play the same way, chase my dog the same way, all of the things. So I'm like, in this overwhelmed, and I'm starting an alcohol concept at the time. And my mom's over here, gonna start a fitness business and hire a CEO. And I was like, something is really wrong. So I text her I'm like, we just have one of these things is not like the other. Yeah, I'm like, something's broken here. So I say to her, let's go for lunch, I get my sticks. And I get myself as my first outing. And roaming so overwhelmed that like just even, you know, moving my body, getting in a car or going to a restaurant and all of the things so we get sitting down and I said, Mom, I found your CEO, she's like you did? And I said, Yeah, I'm gonna do it. And she said, but your business and I was like, I'm gonna call the investors and I'm gonna see what they say. And so I called my original group, everybody was more excited about this concept than the last. You know, the growth rate of the wellness and fitness industry is obviously outpacing the alcohol industry. And so I feel really kind of lucky that I had this horrible ski accident that turned into really the best thing that's ever happened. And so I said, Yeah, let's let's do it. And from that day forward, we just we just started I started drawing and then dreaming and branding and all the things. So what year then would you have come up with this concept? We started talking about it like when when Mum was in like Dreamland about it would have been 2020. And then 2021 is really when we started to like, put things on paper and you know, make things make sense. So what would be the process, then when you are looking to be like, this is an idea that I've gotten my brain cuz I'm sure there's people out there that are like, I have the vision, I want to bring this to a reality. Where do I even begin? Luck, lots of places to begin, I would say the number one for me. Now, I would say it's different for every different category of business. So for me, I'm a product person. You know, I want to make the best thing in the world like that. That's my passion. Some people are really passionate about talking to you about it. Some people are really passionate about, you know, running the numbers around like, I'm the thing, I'm the what, and then there's lots of people who are passionate about the how. And so for me, it was I needed to like really crystallize in my mind, like, what is this product line going to look like? And so how I started was I just I sat down in Illustrator, and just night after night, after day after day, I was just drawing and dreaming and rendering and, and sort of just just trying to figure out like, What the What was this line gonna feel like, once I have what the line felt like, and I actually never talked to Kate about it, I made this line in my mind. And I said, because she said, I feel like I can see it. And and so I said, Okay, I'm gonna go away and do something I want to come back to you. And is and I put it in front of her. And she was like, that's what I was seeing. And I was like, Great, awesome. Great. So it was kind of one of those like, we were both seeing the same thing, which always makes it easier than like, oh, what I thought the whole brand was reading 100% Yeah, so that was we had way different visions. Yeah, yeah. So to find out with the same vision. And so from there, once we had the product line, then for me, it was about what is this? What is this brand? What do we represent? What do we care about? And one of the things that mom and I both identified was we both really procrastinated movement in our life. That's been an easy thing. Like we're both we're working way, way, way too much traveling too much. It's age. And so while we cared about wellness, deeply, our physical wellness was a little bit quit our like our fitness wellness was a little bit put on the backburner. And so we said that we want to start a brand that the mission was ending procrastination. And so that really, like the day that we identified that it really anchored something for me, like on the days when it's like, I don't, I don't have I don't have time for that. I don't feel like it. I don't it was like, No, we're ending procrastination. And that doesn't mean start on Monday. That doesn't mean start January 1, that doesn't mean starting the summer. That doesn't mean I just do that booty work boot camp thing that did like that is like now it's every day. It's it's it's it's more incorporated into our life. And so once we had the product line, the mission, and then starting to put the brands sort of tone around it. And then the next step was to go figure out who and how I was gonna fund this. And so I sat down my I call my dad, my chief compensation officer, he's got a really great mind with things like so. Yeah, yeah. So I sat down with him and I said, Okay, how would you think about this? This is what I think I need. My mum is our amazing CFO, we always joked at Sage that she was like a tortured CFO, because she would like rerun everything. She was always like, numbers, numbers, numbers. And so she's done a great job of business plan. So I sit down my dad, I'm like, Okay, how would you think about this? And so we think it through and he says, Okay, now, my thinking is if you get a yes at one it plan for one and 10 yeses? Okay, great. So I make my list of people I'm going to pitch to and I did 21 presentations, and I got 21 yeses people were just like really excited about it. Everyone I talked to had weights, they were hiding somewhere. And so it was just this, like, it kind of felt like we started this business. And everywhere I look, there was just Greenlight screen lights of just people being really excited about it. So I, I think that, you know, my, my number one thing, though, is that eventually we're gonna hit speed bumps, and eventually we're gonna hit walls, and eventually you're gonna hit boulders up a hill. And so as long as it's a pipeline that you like, really, really love, like, it's something that you just like, gets you out of bed in the morning, then you just kind of you find a way. So I know everyone's process is different. But for me, I had to fall in love with the product, because that would make me get out of bed in the morning. What an appropriate analogy to considering it was and procrastination. So you've given yourself the reason to not and get out of bed. And you're so smart as well, because I'm sure you know the statistics as well. When it comes to movement. You're not alone in people that have perhaps neglected that as a priority in their lives. It's about 80% of Canadians and similar statistics in the United States and people that don't get enough movement. And I think there's a really big misconception that it needs to be a bold move to start introducing that in our lives. We're really it's taking those small steps and for yourself, I mean, you're into producing a beautiful aesthetic into someone's space that is multipurpose, it can be that little step in their day to pick up those weights. How do you visualize them being utilized then like how were they sold is it in a set of dumbbells or what's kind of the fold. So the the are sort of opening line will be a set of free weights, a set of kettlebells. And so with our free weights, we range from two pound with two and three pound little hand weights, so more of your Pilates yoga spin. And then we have free weights that range from five to 25 pounds. And we did a lot of increments, because one of the things that I learned in this journey is that women chronically under lift, and with our bone density decreasing, when we hit menopause, we really want to start lifting heavier things sooner. So we did say, for the ones in the back, yeah. lift heavier lift sooner. And so we did five 810 1215 1820 25, that. So there's lots of increments there. Because going from 10 to 15 is like that's often too much. And I've seen that a lot to gyms, and then we'll have a line of kettlebells that pick up where the free weights drop off. So there'll be 30 and 40. And so that's sort of our weights collection. And then we've got resistance bands, both fabric and rubber. And then wood, the line that I'm like, kind of the most excited about if I can say that, not that I have a favorite of my children would be our furniture line. Because exactly to your point, I want to get this, it's kind of the same thing that I want, it's exactly the same things I wanted to do with sage, which is if it's on your counter, if it's in your life, you're going to use it more than if it's in a basement, under your bed in a closet. And so we have for the color of furniture lines. So we have three different ways for you to proudly display, we say when you have to hide it, you'll reach for it. And so we have something that holds three sets of weights and a beautiful arc. And the vision really was that it's unobtrusive that you can walk in a room and actually not notice that someone has fitness equipment in their living room that it's like home decor meets fitness equipment, instead of this being like, Oh COVID hit, you've got a gym in your living room, which like that's fine. And that suits some people. But I know a lot of people who are their house proud and they want their place to feel like a certain way and they want a living room that feels like a living room. One night I was sitting up and I was drawing the drawing the free weights, and we have a built in bar in our home in Whistler. And so honestly, I looked up and I saw the built in bar and I got up and I made an ingrown and I kept working. And then I thought oh shoot, I'm not gonna I was gonna ride tonight. And I'm not going to do that. And then I thought if I had looked up, and I just seen fitness equipment, I probably would have remembered to train first I might have had a minute Roni after, but I still want to remember to train first. And so I that really got me thinking of job about just that like that. The inspiration that visual is in our life and how you know if I get water on my desk, I remember to drink water. If I see this I remember to so our movement cart, which is kind of our hero SKU holds the entire collection feels very much just like a it's a two foot in diameter side table. It holds all the free weights, the kettlebells, it's got a wood lid that comes off that you can put all of your on site leaves, it's got a steel tube down the center that holds it all up that you can roll up your yoga mat or movement mat and put that down the barrel. So yoga mats are a bit of an eyesore. And so all of that so it's like your gym and two square feet all able to just it's on wheels, you can roll it away. And then you know someone could easily walk by that someone can come to your house 10 times and think, oh, nice side table and then realize, oh, that's actually a two foot gym. I love that. And especially when you think of so many people who have much smaller square footage as well. It's increasing that accessibility to have that in your home, while it not becoming the eyesore that as you mentioned it often is, I know that we're a platform that yes, you and I are talking visually but many people are just listening. So are you able to describe the aesthetic of the weights that you've made. Obviously I've followed you I've seen them but maybe talk people through just how different it is compared to that typical little piece of metal with black knobbly ends on it. Yeah, yeah, I mean so what we found is what existed when I was on my quest of designer weights, best weights, beautiful weights, was you know, there's like you mentioned there's the steel in the black or there's what I call the jellybeans so there's the bright you know, Costco Wrapped in Red wrapped in yellow. And so what I wanted to do with our first launch is called our cloud collection. And so the intense former weather anchor I just have to say love the name. And so that is really supposed to be a not an aesthetic decision. Meaning it is all white is Carrera marble, and caps in the end caps on one side is our beautiful icon etched and on the other side gives you the weight that you're lifting so 810 12 And then there is down the center where you grip there's we added a on this is shout out to my mom, I had the weights totally ready to launch and she kept saying I don't like the feeling in my hands. And as I handed them to more and more women I kept hearing the same thing. Like I would ask, like, how do you feel about weights? I don't really like holding them. It's like, okay, so any barrier that's going to make you procrastinate, I want to delete it. So we pump the brakes, and we added a silicone grip. And now I will say she's definitely right. And it just gives such a nicer feel. And as you'll, as you know, like when you when you engage hands more, and you grip more, you're turning on more of your entire body, right? So it's, it's not only visually beautiful, it feels better, it's warmer, it's also helping you function and have something that you really want to grip on to versus something kind of cold and hard that you want to put down. Well in my manicurist doesn't always appreciate the inevitable calluses that happen on traditional weights. Yeah, so something that's gonna mitigate a little bit of that, that's also a really nice barrier to have removed. Yeah, yeah. And then our kettlebells the same. So they're dipped in a beautiful white coating, they look like they're like a nice semi gloss. And then they've got a marble inserted on the front. And and then that also says the level of weight that you're lifting. Well, I know that you have had, I believe the opportunity to go to a couple of interior design shows or maybe where you at the one that was just in vain did IDs in Vancouver? Yeah. So tell me a little bit about because it's exactly as you said, you looked in the market, you couldn't find anything like this, which means for a lot of people, it's their first meeting of lifted movements. So what was some of the feedback? You know, my favorite thing that happened with people would be people walk up and say, What's this? And that for me was like, yes, we've done it. Nailed it. It was like, you know, I wanted I want it to be like fitness equipment is it's the second thought. It's like, oh, is it are these free weights? And then people say, Are these real? Are these sculptures? I be like, yes, exactly. Exactly. Great. And so, yeah, I'd say that that was one reaction. And the other would be designers being so grateful, because they would be like, yeah, people ask me, like, I'm building this beautiful home. And then they asked me to build a home gym, I'll build them a beautiful gym, but then I don't know what to put in it. And so that those were the most sort of my two favorite pieces of feedback was Oh, finally, I have something to put in a gym where I can keep the aesthetic of the home. Very cool. Well, I know that lifted movement now. I mean, it's pretty amazing to think 2020 Now we're just a few short years later, it's come to life. So what are your plans for the future? As this is your launching your baby, so to speak? Yeah. So our, our question is launched our kettlebells are coming in March, our furnitures arriving in March. So we're kind of like we're still in the we're still in the like, just getting the The wheels on the bus going getting everything, you know, finalized. And then as I as I look to the future, I really there's there's two things one is I will look to other colorways. And so we're in conversations about maybe something in more of like a gunmetal, anodized black feeling. And then do you know, black marble and caps. So we've been asked a lot about that. And I would say everyone, I music, what color is next? And so we'll be figuring out, you know, what, what comes after the cloud collection? And then I just want to continue to figure out how do we really innovate in the category of home decor? is now movement equipment. So how does my TV watching experience, not just be a TV watching experience? How is my I'm sitting in the living room with people like how do we make movement more part of our life I was interviewing, I'm really guided by a movement expert that I work with. And I was interviewing him and I said to him, okay, so if I'm just starting out, like, like, really, I hear so many different answers. What is the number? How many minutes a day? Should I be training? And this number shocked me. He said, zero. And I was like, what? And he's like, ideally, we would live lives. He's like you said, ideal world. And I'm like, Yeah, ideal world. He's like, okay, ideally, we would live lives, that we moved so much, that it wouldn't be a pause my day at 9am Train, go back, he says, You're still a sedentary person. If you work out, you can go do like a crazy hard workout from 7am to 8am. And then go to your desk at 830. If you sit there till six, you're still a sedentary person. Yeah. And I think like hearing that, for me was like, a real like, hit on the head, you know. And so he was like, if you want to call it get up and farmers carry and walk around your office on your call, and then sit back down. And that's all you did. You just did that one thing. And then in 70 minutes, you know, get up and do like, you know, and so we've just got weights sat around our office, we've got a standing desk and a seated area. So we kind of rotate in between. And so I really just want to start to figure out what are all the ways that keep us sedentary, and how in a beautiful way and not these kind of there's some there's some ergonomic stuff out there, but I wouldn't say that's my favorite, sexiest, it's not the sexiest, and so that's that's really going to be my my our future and passion is how do we how do we make our lives more more movement focused, without needing to turn our living rooms into you know, ergonomic gyms that maybe don't look like we want them to? I think I've spoken with somebody about this on This podcast as well, because exactly that we're humans, we are meant to move, the way that we live our lives or the majority live their lives is completely counterintuitive as to how we should, it's a reason why sitting is comparatively just as bad for you as smoking. And you're exactly right. If you're just carving out that little time for movement, that's a great first step, but we need to be moving more. And that's why a lot of people sometimes feel more resistance to do physical activity as well, because innately like we just weren't designed to be like, Hey, I'm going to carve out this 30 minutes to move my body it is there's a reason why there's that resistance. And I love that you're on this path of figuring out yet another way that can help people break that down, you've obviously had a vast experience growing since your early 20s into this incredible story of entrepreneurship, stepping into this role of CEO, what have been some of your biggest takeaways from the experience so far are most valuable lessons. Um, I think the first most valuable lesson is about who you surround yourself with like this, it's gonna get hard, it's gonna feel yucky, there's gonna be days you want to quit. Like, that's just, it's just inevitable. And so I think, you know, I feel really blessed to work with a small but mighty team that really inspire me, and that on the days when I just feel like I don't want to move or I don't want to do this, or I like it's like, I have a different y. And so I would say that's number number one. And number two, like I feel, I've got a I've got a complicated health history with autoimmune condition, things. And so I think being connected to the why of the brand, like I always watched my passion, my dad's passion with sage, you know, there's no one who can talk to you about a pocket pharmacy like he can, because he formulated it for his things. It saved his life, right. So like, no one talks to him about pocket pharmacy and doesn't want three, one for them one for their mom, one for their best friend, like it's just and so I think I feel really lucky to have watched that. And for me that's lifted. So for me while I care deeply about the sage line, and I loved the sage brand, and I loved crafting it lifted for me is really, so connected to my why. And so that makes it's about so much more than the nuts and the bolts of business. And I think that anyone I was talking to a friend once and he started a business and I asked him why that industry? And he said, Well, I looked up as the lowest bankruptcy rate. And I was like, you know, it's an n number. It didn't seven years later, it didn't last. And so I think that to me is like if we don't have that, why that's like so in us, some bumps are going to happen, and you're not going to feel like keeping going. And so I think that's been the people and the connection with the Why are my two big takeaways? One kind of on that lasting note, you know, this whole business that you've started is that celebration of movement. So just tell me how much movement getting that physical activity has meant to you, especially coming out have a significant injury, which sounds like it. I mean, so many people don't value it until they encounter illness or an obstacle like that. So how transformative has movement been for your life? Personally? Yeah, I would say it completely changed who I am. When I came out of my ACL surgery I was I before my surgery, they told me I was too weak to even get surgery. And so I feel really lucky that I had a team in Vancouver on my side saying, No, we're going to help you Rehab we understand. I did acupuncture every day, for about six weeks, and then every other day for another six weeks. And again, when I asked like how often do I need to be working on this? The answer was five times a day. And I think that just brain shift of really committing and I had to find like we call it it lifted your fitness for a different why? So I had to find my why. And it I couldn't do it because I wanted like, Oh, I really I wouldn't cycle five times a day for nice legs, I would cycle five times a day because I want to be able to chase my dog because I want to be able to help my family bring in the groceries and not I'm not like the kid sitting on the couch being like Sorry, I can't do that. You know, I I move to be pain free. And I moved so that I can be a kinder person in my life. And I I really started to see just how much happier I was. You know, and in the early days, it was hard. I just sit on a peloton and my knee could rotate about you know, 10 degrees. And I would just sit there and push 10 degrees in anything past that. I'd start crying and then it'd be like, Okay, you get off and then you know, an hour later I'd get back on and 10 degrees and maybe the next day 11 degrees and and that was celebration when you get that and that was a celebration. Yeah, the first time that my leg went around in a full circle. I was really lucky to be at the gym that I train at and everybody broke out. It was clapping after watching me just sit there 10 degrees 11 degrees. And so I think getting those triumphs and then starting to really connect to Oh, this this has changed the way I ski this has changed the way I go upstairs, this has changed my energy levels, this has changed my desire, like, you know, everyone gets up to Whistler. I want to help people bring in their bags versus be like, Oh, God, I hope nobody notices that I'm, like, you know, weathering off over here. So I don't want to hurt my back if I help. And so those have been like it's been, it's been that different. Why, whereas when I was younger in the acting and modeling world, I trained for the wrong why? Yeah, you know, I was signing third models at 13. And I don't recommend it. You know, I was at the gym because of measurements not because of how I wanted to feel not because of how I was able to function in my life. And so now I, you know, I throat the scale, and I trained for how I feel and how my body functions. It's such a refreshing perspective. And I think the exciting part is that more and more of us are understanding understanding this narrative shift. Really seeing the scope of physical activity is exactly that. healthspan longevity, being able to move as women especially bone density, we talk about our mental clarity battling depression, anxiety, scientifically proven our social community and social wellness and because of you we got to do it in a beautiful way so I so appreciate your inspiring story and really carving out time and space especially as I know the holidays are where stress just becomes exponential add starting a business on top of it I'm sure makes things even more so. So thank you so much for your time. Absolutely. Thanks for having me. You've just listened to the All Things fitness and wellness podcast posted by Krissy Vann This episode was brought to you by fitness world your fitness your way. Be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry insiders and influencers together we're on a mission for everyone to live a life fit and well