Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Janice Kelly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Janice, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from the influence of my hard-working parents. My mother immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam on her own with almost nothing and worked tirelessly to build a life here and support her family. For her giving up was not an option, it was a matter of survival. Additionally, my father, worked in a high stress sales job and faced many highs and lows typical of the profession. His mentality was to wake up every morning with a positive attitude and to get back out there no matter how tough the previous day had been. They both instilled in me a strong sense of discipline, self-respect, and an attitude that no matter how many times you fall, you get back up.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am deeply passionate about wellness and its capability to transform people’s lives both personally and professionally. After a professional ballet and Broadway dance career, I transitioned into finance working as a technology analyst at a hedge fund. Both industries were competitive, and intense, but in very different ways. My dance career required a highly active and healthy lifestyle which I ultimately benefited from because it was part of the job. It was quite a culture shock to be an office where it was the norm to go for hours without the basics like drinking water or getting up from a desk.
The pivotal moment for me was when I started getting migraines that blurred my vision. I quickly began incorporating breathing/meditation exercises I had learned from years of yoga and the migraines completely went away. This experience inspired me to receive my yoga and meditation teacher training certifications to specialize in workplace wellness and help professionals with their physical, mental, and emotional health so they may perform their jobs at a higher level, with less stress, and more sustainably. After several years of teaching private clients and corporate programs in NYC, I ultimately launched my wellness programming company Vo Han in 2019.
Today Vo Han partners with New York and Florida corporations, hotels/resorts, and residential communities in person, and through live, on-line sessions nationwide providing transformative, uplifting, and healing experiences for employees, guests, customers, clients, and residents. Since the pandemic, our personal and professional lives have become much more integrated, and we are seeing wellness more commonly acknowledged as a necessity rather than a luxury.
Our programs are uniquely designed to promote individual well-being and drive organizational success. When we work with our corporate partners, we facilitate events that create a sense of excitement and support that translates into inspired, motivated, and committed employees. When working with our hotel partners, we become a significant touch point in the guest stay so they feel deeply valued and cared for providing a competitive advantage for the property.
Just as important to me is the positive impact we have on the wellness community as a whole and supporting our instructors. We have incredible teachers and coaches with so much knowledge and wisdom to share. By connecting them with spaces where wellness is needed, we help them build sustainable careers, and advance and enrich their teachings so they may continue to share high quality, best in class programming, and ultimately continue spreading their goodness and joy to others through out the world.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Adaptability has been crucial for me, especially through my career transitions—from performing artist to finance professional, and now entrepreneur. By adjusting to the demands of different environments and industries, I’ve gained a diverse range of knowledge and experiences to draw upon when navigating challenges or uncertainty. When you find yourself in new or uncharted territory, tap into your unique strengths to find ways you can solve problems or positively contribute while still keeping an open mind and being sensitive to the needs of the current landscape. Change can be intimidating and uncomfortable, but the more you can embrace it instead of resisting, the greater the opportunity for growth.
2. Authenticity has had the greatest impact on my leadership and team-building efforts. It’s common for leaders to feel they need to pretend everything is perfect, even when it’s not, or avoid admitting mistakes. While it’s important to inspire confidence and optimism, I’ve found maintaining open and honest communication with your team helps you build their trust and gain their respect. It also empowers your team to come up with ideas and solutions that you may not have been able to come up with on your own. There is a Tina Fey quote that says “In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” I have an amazing team of reliable, professional, inspiring, kind, uplifting, and extremely knowledgable industry leaders. I don’t pretend to know everything and I let my team be who they are. I think this support helps my team to do their best work, ultimately leading to happy clients and a successful organization.
3. Perseverance has also been extremely impactful in my journey. During my career as a professional dancer, rejection was a constant but the ability to tolerate disappointment and continue to try again led to my greatest professional achievements. For 4 years I didn’t receive any dance job offers until I landed my dream job with the Broadway show The Phantom of the Opera after auditioning 3 times. That experience taught me rejection is not a reflection of my worth, but rather an opportunity for growth, and that your dreams are sometimes closer than they feel. If you want something badly enough, continue to put yourself out there, keep showing up, embrace the lessons along the way, and forge ahead.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did was provide space for me to figure things out on my own even if it meant making mistakes or failing. While it was daunting and overwhelming at times, it was also highly motivating because I had full ownership of my goals and ambitions, and the problems that came along them. This taught me how to be resourceful and self-sufficient, and it gave me the freedom to make my own choices. It’s possible my parents would’ve provided some sort of safety net if things got really bad, but I never found out because I had the perception that if I really wanted something, it was my responsibility to make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vohanwellness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicekimkelly/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicekimkelly/
Image Credits
Justin Patterson (personal portrait photo)
Nadine Potvin (yoga portrait photo)
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