We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelsey Moore a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelsey, so happy to have you on the platform with us today and excited to chat about your lessons and insights. Our ability to make good decisions can massively impact our lives, careers and relationships and so it would be very helpful to hear about how you built your decision-making skills.
I think I have to thank my dad for helping me to develop decision-making skills. As a kid, I was pretty easy-going and indecisive, and I remember one evening my dad picked me up from an after-school activity, and offered to take me out to dinner, just the two of us (which was a big deal having two siblings!) He asked me to pick the restaurant, and started naming some as we drove by. As he named each one, I just shrugged and said, “I don’t care”. Before I knew it, we were home. I looked at him in shock, and he said, “well, you couldn’t make a decision, so I just drove home. We can find something in the fridge.” Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. That experience helped me realize the value of being decisive.
Now that I am an entrepreneur and run my own business, I have to make decisions all the time. There are definitely pros and cons of being the sole proprietor when it comes to decision-making. On one hand, it’s easy and efficient to be the only one deciding on things. I don’t have to comprise and I make decisions based on what I want and what I think is best. On the other hand, sometimes it is really nice to have anther person to bounce ideas off and ponder and debate over tough decisions. In those cases I sometimes call on friends and family for advice, but in the end, its still ultimately my decision. Over time and with experience, I feel that I have become a better and better decision-maker (especially since my days of losing out on dinner dates with my dad!)
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I founded Yoga Floats in 2016. We offer yoga classes on the water in Honolulu, Hawaii. I can honestly say it’s the best job I’ve ever had and I love going to work every single day. Our location is beautiful, the weather is usually perfect, and the guests are wonderful. We usually get first-timers joining us on the water, and many say it’s the highlight of their trip to Hawaii. We have fun in our classes and don’t take ourselves too seriously. About half the guests fall in the water, we love a good splash. We offer SUP yoga classes in the mornings when the beach is quiet and the water is so blue. We have sunset SUP yoga classes for the golden hour on the water. We also offer night SUP yoga classes under the stars with glowing LED lights illuminating the water below.
Aside from our SUP yoga classes, we also offer an introduction to paddling class where we teach the basics of paddling while we look for green sea turtles!
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?
I think a good work ethic is very important. There are so many little details to take care of when running a business, and you need to wear a lot of hats. It’s easy for things to fall through the cracks, so you really need to be diligent and focused to keep things running smoothly, and that means you don’t get much of a break!
I also think having a diversity of skills is crucial when running a business. Not only am I a standup paddleboard yoga instructor, I’m also an accountant, marketing manager, photographer, website builder, surfboard repairman, HR manager, and much more. I think it’s also important to identify the things are aren’t good at (or really don’t like doing) and outsource. For example, I hire an employee to manage my social media accounts and that was a great decision for me!
I think being open-minded and creative goes a long way as a business owner. Nothing is black and white and there are so many different ways to do anything with your business. Running an business includes using trial and error, reflecting on what’s working and what’s not working, and being willing to try new things. I think it’s important to get feedback from customers and employees and take those things into consideration as you move forward.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I’ve owned my business for eight years, but in the past 3 years I’ve had two children. Before I had kids, my business was my baby, and I could put all my time and energy into it. Now that I have two little ones, finding a work-life balance has been very challenging. It’s hard to feel like a successful parent when I’m trying to carve out time for work, and it’s hard to feel productive and successful in my business when my family demands a lot of time and energy. My goals now are to regain my focus and to be as efficient as possible when I have time dedicated to work. I also try to be fully present when I am with my family. And I think accepting that my relationship to work and my business has changed and that’s okay! I’m enjoying the challenges of this new chapter and I know there will be time again later to really dive back into my professional life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yogafloats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogafloats
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaFloatsHawaii/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yogafloats968
Image Credits
Photo credit: Deborah Kolb, Bryan Wyland
