“Manage your stress before it manages you” with Kami Day
Manage your stress before it manages you. As I continue this path of entrepreneurship I realize more and more how much stress affects my mind, body, and soul. As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kami Day. From Kami’s home kitchen to commercial production that now […]
by Dr. William SeedsManage your stress before it manages you. As I continue this path of entrepreneurship I realize more and more how much stress affects my mind, body, and soul.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kami Day.
From Kami’s home kitchen to commercial production that now services over 2000 stores, she has turned into an incredible Chief Operating Officer and is critical to the success of Muscle MX.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Kami! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Born and raised in the small town of Draper, Utah., I have always had a passion for all things dance. I have kept dance close to my heart and continue to spread the love by getting to train not only my own daughter, but many other kids along the way. I really feel that dance is my therapy and the rewards of teaching my passion are endless.
In 2005 I opened a full service and fast paced hair salon with my then husband, Chris Pietz. I developed my own powerful leadership style, a strong sense of authority and a passion for personal care products. I have always considered myself a “product junkie” and know exactly what I like and don’t like when it comes to products and ingredients.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
Inever intended to be in the cannabis industry. When my business partner and best friend’s (Mike Baghoomian, Co-founder) father had a stroke, he was in a constant state of pain. We came across CBD as a new natural compound that was having major success in helping seniors treat a variety of pain symptoms. The information and medical studies were exciting, but we had no idea where to start. What ingredients fuse well with CBD? How much CBD is needed to be effective? These were just a couple of the many questions we had as we worked to create a solution.
Although we lacked a professional chemistry background, we did have a couple of advantages that helped us develop the first iteration of what has become known as our CBD Activate and CBD Recovery Balms. Mike has an engineering background, while I have always been driven in a lifelong pursuit of quality products. Continued research paired with trial and error, helped us develop an analytical approach to different formulations. I didn’t try to overthink the process, but instead followed my heart to create the perfect blend to exactly what I would want.
Over a period of time, our CBD balms started to line up with what we had envisioned months before. Our continued tinkering, coupled with friends and family feedback, garnered better and better products. We were actually seeing and hearing results! We used my salon to educate and provide free samples to customers with various aches and pains. Word of mouth spread about our “magic cannabis balms” and everyone was requesting samples. From tragedy to opportunity, Muscle MX began to take shape.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
After years of pouring product on my kitchen counter in my little rental house, we were finally ready to get a loan and hire a manufacturer to take over production. I was ready to stock my shelves, get my kitchen back, and finally breathe again. We put a lot of trust into their opinions, knowledge and so-called expertise and worked side-by-side in the lab perfecting our precious recipe.
I still don’t know what happened exactly, but the process did not go as planned. Crappy ingredients maybe? The finished product was terrible. The smell was awful. The screen printing on the plastic molds was embarrassing. Everything that could have gone, did go wrong. To top it all off, the manufacturer could have cared less. I was shocked and frustrated and the process left me in fear to ever try to outsource again. So, I didn’t…it was from that point on that we decided our formulations were too precious and we would keep everything in house. Literally, back to my house.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
It’s hard to pick a single person when so many have been very helpful along the way. However, my original founding partners, Mike Baghoomian, Chris Pietz, and Trina Baghoomian have been crucial to our success. Without the entire executive team and their hard work, we would not be where we are today.
In addition to the co-founders, I definitely would not be able to do what I do without the constant support of my parents and my two children. I am so lucky to have such a great support system and loving family.
Ok perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Our goal is to develop clean and safe products with an emphasis on natural ingredients that can be traced all the way back to the seed. Consumers can feel safe using our products. Muscle MX products help individuals live a more full and active lifestyle.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
- Find an activity you enjoy and do it often to help develop a passion. I am so grateful that I have the gift of dance to be able to express myself both emotionally and physically.
- Manage your stress before it manages you. As I continue this path of entrepreneurship I realize more and more how much stress affects my mind, body, and soul.
- Don’t forget to eat! I am a stress non-eater and somewhat of a workaholic so I too often easily forget to eat a healthy meal. Find a meal plan that works for you and be consistent. And don’t forget to gulp that water!
- Stay organized and manage your time. Stay focused on your to do list and set attainable goals so it’s manageable. Schedules are hectic and are in no way slowing down.
- 4. Eliminate negative choices that impact your mood. Unrealistic expectations, poor relationships, bad habits, etc. You are allowed to outgrow people along the way. Things always get harder before they get easier. Stay positive.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Clean wellness — simple, clean, natural choices would increase world health and have less impact on our climate and our environment.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1- Don’t take anything personally and ignore harsh judgements. Criticism is part of the growing process.
2- Always trust your gut to guide you and be impeccable with your word. Speak your truth even when it hurts.
3- Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and communicate with others clearly to avoid misunderstandings and drama.
4- Try to enjoy the roller coaster ride and remember to be grateful for the opportunity. Don’t forget to have fun and take a deep breath from time to time.
5-Learn to not over analyze situations. Overthinking will destroy your mood which can also destroy your drive to excel.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental Health. It’s okay to not be okay and sometimes, I am definitely not okay. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help! Society accepts when we battle physical ailments and injuries, yet a large portion of society is hesitant to address mental health & injuries to the mind on the same level. Why? Is it no less damaging? While mental health awareness is beginning to receive more attention and the social stigma behind depression and treating the mind is slowly fading away, we need it to happen faster. There is NOTHING WRONG with asking for help! Being depressed is not a sign of weakness. If you’re feeling down, confused, hurting or anything in between, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help!
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
Readers can follow me personally on Instagram @ _Kami_Day and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kamilynnday
Readers can follow Muscle MX on Instagram @ Muscle_MX and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MuscleMX.CBD.Products/
— Published on May 27, 2020