Kimberly Vega | Zenith Soul | Veterans Growing America

In this inspiring episode of the Veterans Growing America Podcast, we sit down with Kimberly Vega, founder of Zenith Soul — a brand where energy, music, and mindful fashion meet purpose.

A proud U.S. Army Veteran, Kimberly shares her powerful journey from military service to soulful entrepreneurship. What began as a love for music and high-vibrational energy evolved into Zenith Soul, a conscious apparel and wellness brand designed to uplift, inspire, and help individuals express their authentic selves.

In this conversation, we explore: How energy frequencies influence mood, creativity, and confidence The connection between rhythm, mindset, and personal growth Kimberly’s vision of fashion as a tool for self-expression and healing Her transition from Army life to building a business rooted in mindfulness and empowerment

Whether you’re a veteran, entrepreneur, or creative soul, this episode is a reminder that purpose and passion can coexist—and that alignment with your higher self can transform not only your business, but your life.

 Tune in, get inspired, and discover how to live, dress, and move in higher frequency. Learn more about Zenith Soul: https://zenithsoulreiki.com/ Learn more about Veterans Growing America: https://veteransgrowingamerica.com/

#VeteransGrowingAmerica #ZenithSoul #VeteranEntrepreneur #MindfulFashion #EnergyAlignment #WomenVeterans #PurposeDrivenBusiness #HolisticGrowth

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Veterans Growing America podcast. I am your single host today, Coach RL Simmons. I am here with another special guest. I have Miss Kimberly Vega. She is the founder and CEO of Zenith Soul. And she is also Army. Let's go. Go Army. Go Army. Kimberly, welcome to the show. How you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:41

Doing great. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:42

I am doing well. You know, my boy Don, you know, he had to take a knee. So we're gonna we're gonna take care of him tonight by ensuring that we get you on the platform and talk about uh talk about you. Let's talk about you. So tell me a little bit about your background and um uh military experience.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Uh yeah, I joined uh out of the out of high school and I got to Korea when I was 18 and then went to the Pentagon for 20 years. Um but I got out actually after three years and saw an opportunity for a career. So I kind of bounced around for a little while um doing contracts and then went federal and then I actually walked away from my career um in 2023 with nothing to start this.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Oh, that's amazing. So so um I'm we we we're gonna get to the product. We're gonna get to the product and I uh I'm excited about that, but let's let's take a step into um let's take a step into your how did your military um career in that small time uh influence your journey into entrepreneurship, or if it did.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

It did, actually. I realized um I had a lot of fellow comrades who had children with mental health issues. Um and then when I got to the Pentagon, I realized there were soldiers um that were no longer with us because and they were doing it there on the reservation themselves. And so I realized how mental health was, and then I realized how stressful some of the environments were around me and how that was impacting my mental health. And that's kind of like how it I don't know, kind of spawned for me to try different ways to want to help people with their mental health.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Yeah, that's amazing. So now let's get into the product. Let's get into the product. What is the product? Tell us a little bit about it. Tell us about your business. Let's how about that? Tell us about your business.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

So at Zenith Soul Act, I'm so excited to like talk about it because it's so amazing and it means a lot to me. Um, but I do products and services. Um, services are primarily my main focus. So I offer Reiki energy healing and I also do sound therapy. So I became a sound therapist. I went through the classes and learned about our brain and how certain music can impact the brain waves and causing us to like calm our systems naturally uh through music. And I love that. And I love that there were different modalities out there that helped uh with mental health because these were modalities that actually helped me on my journey. And when I saw how beautiful it was, I wanted to learn so I could help others with the same thing. Um, and then my products, let's see. Oh goodness. Okay, so I have a right variety. I have workout clothing, I have workout supplements, vitamins, um, all things that fuel your body to keep your mental health and your body intact.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

So tell me, um, I I want to dive a little bit deeper into the the product. Um, well one some of the products. What would you say is your staple product of your business?

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Ooh, the product piece, I would probably say is my workout um supplements and my vitamins are probably like a really big seller. Um I'm actually working with gyms uh locally, uh hosting and sponsoring events down there and uh working to get some of those products put in there on their shelves as well.

SPEAKER_02 4:17

So uh what are some of the range of uh products that you you have?

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Uh so I have like the whey protein powder, the creatines, um, some electrolytes, which is blueberry flavored, um, from the workoutside. And then when you go over to the vitamins, I have like sea moss and apple cider vinegar, uh, which I use my own recipe to put it into a gummy so that it's easier to swallow and handle. Um, I'm not strong enough to do it uh just out the jar or the bottle.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

No, that's good. That's really good. Um, of all of the products and services you have, do you have a favorite?

SPEAKER_00 4:53

My favorite would be the sound. I love to do the sound healing for people. I use a variety of instruments because not every person uh resonates with different sounds. So I have like the crystal singing bowls I had a djembe drum uh that was slown't in from Mali Africa. Um so authentic sounds, you know, can really resonate and like really touch people's soul and change them. Shaman drums, you name it. I got about eight different instruments. So nice.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Nice. No, that's that's pretty dope. So as a business person, though, let's talk about from the business perspective. Um, as you begin to grow your business, or even now, uh, what are some of the challenges that you face um as an entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

So from the services side, doing the Reiki and the sound healing, um, they're more of a holistic approach. So I think a lot of people um are very skeptical of them at first and don't really know or understand uh what capabilities and what it can do to help you. So that's kind of a challenge that I'm facing in working with different spas and studios so that it actually like people can experience it. I've hosted a couple of events and I host uh hope to do some more in the near future where I can give people an opportunity to experience those things and and really feel what it can do for your mental health.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

That's good. Now tell me this though. What's your superpower as a business owner? What's your superpower?

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Multitasking. I have right now easily 20 plus windows open, and I will multitask building my own website. Um, I can sit down here and be on phone calls and sending out emails while designing my next look for something, uh a new line of clothing or something. Like I will have a hundred different things going at once, but I'm a really good multitasker and um seeing it through to the end.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

Oh, that's good. That's really good. So um, as you got into business, um, like in your business, how do you do well, do let me ask you this question. Do you separate the services from the products, or do any of those things actually coincide?

SPEAKER_00 7:00

So right now they're all kind of like all on this website that I have here. Um, but I am working to actually start separating those out, uh, only because I wanted to be kind of like the Amazon of mental health. So if you're looking for some fun, different, unique workout clothing or nutrition or yoga mats, like I have so many things, right? But I wanted to be the Amazon stop, but I realized it's really, really hard and like my website's growing bigger and bigger, so it's taking a lot of bandwidth, so it's taking a lot more effort. So I'm like, okay, if I separate it, it'll probably hit out a lot better on like the SEOs and different things like that. Because there's so many things at once going on.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I um yeah, I asked that because a lot of times people will have products and services layered, and sometimes they they will combine. For example, in my business, do have the clothing brand, and but the the brand is embedded in the program. You see the goat, but and people like what wanting to be the goat. But essentially, the goat isn't the greatest of all time, the goat is greatness and outperforming, achieving, and thriving. And that is how we actually move. So if you're buying a service, you're gonna want the shirt because the shirt's gonna remind you about where you need to be because it's all about having a money mindset. No, that's pretty cool. So, as a as an entrepreneur, though, I want to ask you uh if there was an up-and-coming entrepreneur and they were listening to you right now and they're ready to start their businesses, what are some tips that you would give them? Whether it's some success steps or some trip-ups that you made when you started your business, what would you tell them about starting their new business?

SPEAKER_00 8:48

First of all, don't give up. Because a lot of times when you're not seeing things, the second you put your website live or you get your foot out there in the water and you just people aren't flocking to you, it's discouraging for some people. So, first of all, I would say never ever give up. Keep pushing, and when you dream it, you can achieve it, right? And the second thing, honestly, would be don't be afraid to ask for help. Um, I do everything by myself. It gets very, very, very overwhelming. Um, and it's some days, like I'm I'm exhausted, you know, by the end of the day. So don't be afraid to ask for help. And you'd be surprised when you ask for it how many people are actually standing around you that would contribute something to assist you.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Yeah, absolutely. Um, what's your favorite part of being a business owner?

SPEAKER_00 9:34

The freedom, honestly, the freedom of just being able to work from anywhere. Um, I can go travel and sit somewhere and continue to do what I do from anywhere in the world. Like it's the most beautiful thing in the world. That freedom. I don't have to ask for vacation. I don't have to beg for it. And what I do can make me money in my sleep.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I mean, that's being honest.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

You cannot beat that. What do what would you say are some of the um challenging things or the things that you could probably live without?

SPEAKER_00 10:07

The most challenging thing for me, honestly, is the promotion, like promoting myself and getting out there. It's it's nonstop with getting yourself on the websites and networking events and just traveling and making sure you're attending events and functions and setting up tables and putting yourself out there. I find that to be the most challenging part because of like my PTSD. Uh, so larger crowds of people and things of that nature kind of make it a little difficult. And then I don't feel I don't get the one-on-one with people uh for the services side to help them the way I would like to.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Yeah, yeah. And I a little bit of that takes time, especially transitioning from trying to transition one from someone in a networking space into a one-on-one. It's just it if you can't give the same value you would um knowing it, knowing what you could give. Um, this is a good one. Um what are some key lessons that you've learned in the military that you now can apply to your business?

SPEAKER_00 11:17

So live on one of the core principles, integrity. Um, I'm very, very honest about like, you know, the struggles that I've gone to be where I am for the products that I am have or my services where I went to school and where I've I've learned these things. Like, so I'm very, very honest with people. And I'm also um very blunt. So if I don't feel I'm capable of helping somebody, I'm gonna let them know up front and uh not waste their time, energy, or effort. Just like I don't want to waste my time, energy, or effort either.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

No, that's really good. I feel like that is probably the biggest thing that you can do as an entrepreneur is understanding uh understanding your customer. I think the biggest thing is knowing what problem you're trying to solve and then knowing if you can solve the problem. Because a lot of times, uh, you know, that's what business is, is uh is essentially people are looking to pay somebody to solve their problem. Now, when they're when you are presented a problem that you know you can't solve, or you know it's gonna be a problem for you to try to solve the problem, then it's it's uh perfectly fine to walk away from it. Um and let the other person know, hey, this this combination, us together is probably not gonna work out. I think that's clear.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

How to do that a couple of times, it's sad, but it's you know, like you said, you have to know when the when you're able to help and when you're not able to help.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Yeah, and I was uh I was actually talking to uh someone giving a little bit of advice not too long ago. Um I was just you know the the saying is all money ain't good money. And you know, sometimes you save so much more by not taking the the the check simply because somebody offered it to you. Um you sometimes again as a business owner there are problems tied to every dollar that you take, and so you have to be wary of which dollars you you you take. Absolutely. Let's talk about like the and the conception of your business. Like how did how did you um get into business? How did you start your business? What made you say, all right, this is the way that I want to go with with my business?

SPEAKER_00 13:33

I had a breakdown after I left my career um at the Pentagon. My own little mental breakdown where it was oppression. Didn't want to do anything. It just felt weird uh because of all the things that I faced in there was overwhelming on my conscience. And so I laid there and I took a trip actually down to New Orleans and had some great food, great company. And then I decided when I came back, I started seeing signs for Reiki and sound healing. So I started attending those. And I was like, it really brought me back to life and kind of connected me back to myself in a way that I haven't really been connected to myself in many years. And I think from there, I sometimes like, is this kind of like my sign that I keep seeing it, this everywhere that I'm going? And I was like, I guess this is my cue for what I'm supposed to do because I don't know, I've always had a a really good heart for wanting to help people, and I've always been someone that people come to talk to and share their problems with. Now it was kind of like all coming together to create this, to do the Reiki and the sound was like my first, you know, first thing that I started with, and I was super excited over it.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yeah. Was that the was that the the so we got the concept down now? Now my my thought process is what made you feel like, all right, yep, this is gonna work.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Um, I knew someone that I used to work with at the Pentagon, and um they sat in their car, and I don't know what else I can I don't know how to say it without keeping, you know, being too blunt. Um, but he's no longer with us. And it was a good friend of mine. And I didn't see that coming, and it affected a lot of people, and so um I started taking what I was doing and actually applying it to different people around me, and I started to see like that helped them cope with that loss and that transition of that loss, and now they're here and they're thriving and doing really good things in life. I still stay in touch with that family.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah, yeah. And so your mission is more personal than anything else.

SPEAKER_00 15:49

Yeah, the world, I don't know, the world needs a lot of love right now.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

And um, it needs a lot of I don't know. People are struggling in in so many different ways that's affecting their mental health, which affects their body and how they can get up and function every single day. And so I really enjoy what I'm doing, being able to help people on their journey.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Yeah, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

No judgments.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

That's amazing. So um tell me about your um experience with Veterans Brawn America.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

I love it there. Um, it definitely brings back that feeling and that vibe of the camaraderie that I feel I missed when I got out of the military. Um, so being able to have that camaraderie and that support and just meeting new people through these events and things that they host and that they do has been phenomenal to like stay in like connection and stay in touch with all my fellow brothers and sisters in arms.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Yeah. How did you how did you first come across Veterans Born in America?

SPEAKER_00 16:52

I was browsing through Eventbrite looking for networking events, um, trying to see what was around in the area. And when I saw there was one for veterans, I was like, count me in. I got super excited, you know, just to be around like-minded individuals that are like dedicated and very hardworking people. I was like, this is it. So I did the thing and uh now I go every single month, you know. I got addicted after the first one.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

I love it. I love it. What is uh give me one of the best highlights that you have from an event so far?

SPEAKER_00 17:24

Um, one of them was uh right before I hosted my first event at VGA. Um, Mr. Danell had gave me an opportunity to speak on the microphone. And that was my first time with a microphone to my face in front of a crowd to talk about my event. Um, so it was very nerve-wracking, and it kind of challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, but to have that level of support, and uh it meant a lot to me.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yeah, I love it. So before we shut down the show, and um, first of all, I want to thank you so much for your time. Um, and thanks for sharing your your personal journey and your business with us. Um, but before we um close the show, do you have any final words for those that are listening or watching at home?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Um, one of the things I love to tell my clients, a couple of the things I like to tell them, energy give. The energy that we give is the energy that we live, and there's power in our tongue, what we can speak, we become. So put out good vibes, good things are gonna happen, change your mindset, look for all the positive and good things around you, and you'd be surprised how life follows what you want to see.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

I love that. Um what what so how can people get a hold of you? Um, you and the Zenith Soul products and services.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Um, my website is zenassoulrakey.com. Um, I can be found on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram under Xenosoul. So all the foods you can find me on and LinkedIn as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

I love it. Again, Kimberly, thank you so much for joining the Veterans Grow America podcast. And um okay, at this juncture of the show, Donnell usually closes the show when he says, hey, make sure you go to veteransgrown america.com. Um, so you know he didn't give me the the the green light, so I'm gonna take it upon myself to do it anyways. But hey, make sure you guys um follow Veterans Grown America on all social platforms, um, except for TikTok. Also, you can go to Veterans Growing America and shop, baby. So, Kingly, thank you so much. Truly appreciate it. We are over and out.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Thank you.