Dancing to the Beat of Her Own Drummer at Kahlena Movement Studio
Dance like no one is watching — or at least no one except your dance instructor at Kahlena Movement Studio. If you’re looking to breathe deeply, build muscle strength, and have a little fun at the same time, plan a visit to this North Vancouver studio. Find out how Karen Kobel, a mom of one, manages to keep the groove going at work while also creatively managing quality time with her daughter.
Q: How did Kahlena Movement Studio come to fruition?
I’ve been a dancer my whole life and it was always my dream to own a studio when I was older. I am originally from New York, and then spent time dancing on cruise ships before I landed in Vancouver.
I started teaching at the dance studio now known as Kahlena Movement Studio, 15 years ago while I was still doing my Pilates teacher training. In my early 30’s I had a bit of mid-life crisis. I got divorced and decided to spend some time travelling overseas to Africa to find myself again. I taught dance to women with HIV and listened to their life stories. It re-inspired me to come back to Vancouver and continue teaching to uplift and connect with women locally.
When I returned, I was fortunate to be able to go back to the same studio and continue to work alongside the owner. When she decided to move on from this studio space, I was honoured that she chose me to continue managing it and that is when Kahlena Movement Studio was born.
I’ve been running the studio for just over one year now and I’m finally at the point of expanding and creating new classes. I really want to make this space a one stop shop for dance, Pilates, yoga, cardio, kid’s classes, pre and post-natal yoga as well as family yoga.
It’s been really important for me to connect with our local community in North Vancouver by hosting workshops and events where people from all different practises, backgrounds, and businesses can come together.
Q: Did you ever explore working in the corporate world?
When I was younger I tried working several 9 to 5 jobs but never found one that was for me. I do believe for young people they teach discipline and respect, but I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue long term. Most 9 to 5 jobs are quite stagnant and require you to stay in one place for 8 hours — as a dancer, I could never sit still for that long!
On the flip side, owning your own business often means you are working 24/7, especially in the beginning, but it’s never going to be boring. Every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity.
Q: How have you managed child care with running a business?
I’m very lucky to have lots of support from friends and family. My good friend picks up my daughter from pre-school a few days a week, and she spends a lot of time with Grandma. My husband is also off work right now on medical leave so she is able to be home with him when I am at work.
One of the more creative ways I have managed is by incorporating my daughter into the work I am doing. For example, when she was a baby I created the, “Yummy Mummies Class,” mom and baby Pilates, Yoga, Dance Class. Then I designed a toddler and parent class as she got older and now she’s in the kid’s yoga program and the, “Tots be Dancing” class I have just launched inspired by her. I do realize that one day she may not be interested in taking the classes with me anymore, but for now I am so grateful she likes hanging out with me.
Q: What has been the most surprising since running the studio?
The importance and intensity wrapped up around social media has been surprising to me, as someone who doesn’t use social media a lot personally. I do realize that it’s important to understand this world and utilize it from a marketing perspective, but it’s been hard to reconcile that with the holistic approach I want to take with the studio.
Coming to Kahlena Movement Studio is really about tuning out a lot of the junk and negativity that can be found on some of those platforms and tuning in with your mind and your body. I really believe in old school marketing and the value of face-to-face interactions. You can only get a small sense of the vibe and energy a space has to offer from looking at photos, you need to show up in person to see if it’s right for you.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to work to overcome?
Keeping my eyes on the prize and moving towards my bigger dream of having a wellness centre is one of the biggest challenges I am working on. It’s hard to not spend all day caught up in the small details, and be able to take a step back to make sure that what you’re doing is in line with your overall vision and mission.
Also, I am always working to see if what I am doing is resonating with people — am I making a difference? How do they feel when they enter my space, what will bring them back for another visit?
Q: How do you carve out time for yourself?’
Right now, I am the primary breadwinner for our family and this puts a lot of pressure on the studio so I haven’t been taking much time for myself. But teaching for me is doing something that I love so that counts. I am working to carve out more time for me outside of the studio, but I know that will come in time. I need to do a better job of taking my friends up on their childcare offers.
Q: What’s the one piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of starting their own business?
Follow your heart. Listen to the quiet voice inside your soul, it can sometimes be hard to hear over your brain, but try to tune in to what it’s saying.
Remember why you thought about starting a business, those dreams are what is going to drive you to get it done. It’s not always, “rainbows and unicorns,” but it is worth it to pursue your passion. Think back to when you were a kid and someone asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This was your most authentic self without any self-doubt. Listen to your inner child and go for it!
Call to Action!
This is part of a series of everyday mom inspired stories who quit their desk jobs to work on their passion, all with kids in tow. If you enjoyed reading it, please leave a comment or a clap! See the full series at: medium.com/the-mompreneur
Are you a mom with an inspiring story to share? Send me an email to connect: mompreneurstories@gmail.com .
