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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Kimberly Snyder never expected to run a wellness empire. <\/p>\n
When she graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, she backpacked across over 50 countries around the world for three years, including India, where she discovered and studied yoga and meditation. <\/p>\n
Afterwards, she moved to a rent-controlled apartment in NYC, went back to nutrition school and became a yoga teacher. When she was getting started, there were days when lunch would be three oranges she could buy for a dollar.<\/p>\n
But Snyder had a secret weapon. \u201cThe one thing that I\u2019ve really tried to listen to is that intuitive voice inside,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Related: This Fitness Trainer Built a $191 Million Activewear Brand by Solving a Problem Every Woman at the Gym Faces<\/strong><\/p>\n That inner voice told her to listen when a neighbor suggested she start a blog. Although she barely even knew what a blog was, she began writing about her travels and perspectives on holistic beauty, nutrition and wellness on a free WordPress site. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was just really coming from my heart, and I wasn\u2019t editing it much. It was just sharing all the things I had learned from my around the world trip,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n A few months later, Good Morning America <\/em>found it. So did Uma Thurman. Soon Snyder was regularly appearing on national television and working with celebrity clients.<\/p>\n HarperCollins reached out about a book deal. The result was \u201cThe Beauty Detox Solution,\u201d which went on to sell nearly a million copies. It featured the Glowing Green Smoothie\u2014a recipe Snyder had created years earlier while dealing with digestive issues. This helped launch the green drinks craze and people couldn\u2019t get enough. More books followed.<\/p>\n Snyder\u2019s philosophy and books sold like gangbusters. Snyder appeared on Dr. Oz <\/em>and Ellen<\/em>. Drew Barrymore, Chris Hemsworth, Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon became clients. Her book launches included celebrity clients and supporters like Channing Tatum, who hosted one, along with Hilary Duff and Fergie. The press line was three rows deep. Drew Barrymore still talks about her philosophy on her show.<\/p>\n Related: This Founder Is Taking a Bite Out of the $50 Billion GLP-1 Market By Going Natural<\/strong><\/p>\n Success happened quickly. Most people would have doubled down on celebrity clients and more diet books. Snyder had the opposite reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t plan to be in the A-list world. I felt so comfortable in the ashrams in India and everyday people, I wondered why my life had gone that way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n After years on film sets and private jets, she realized she wanted to help more people, not just famous people. \u201cIt pushed me deeper into what I really wanted to share,\u201d she says. Her later books shifted away from dietary advice towards ancient wisdom on finding inner peace, intuition and the intersection of spirituality and science in modern life.<\/p>\n She also launched Solluna in 2018. The premier wellness brand focuses on digestion supplements and courses, and is built around her philosophy of combining physical, emotional, and spiritual health.<\/p>\n Some customers have stayed with the brand for five years\u2014an anomaly in the supplement space, where most brands struggle to retain customers for more than a few months.<\/p>\n That loyalty was intentional. Snyder focused on creating products that actually worked rather than chasing rapid expansion. \u201cIt\u2019s never been about how fast we can grow,\u201d she says. Solluna customers stick around because the products deliver on their promises. Snyder\u2019s guiding question has always been: \u201cHow can I serve this moment?\u201d<\/p>\n Related: The Future of Wellness Is Happening IRL \u2014 Not on Your Feed<\/strong><\/p>\n For Snyder, what ties it all together is grounding her work in classic traditions\u2014Ayurveda, Vedic teachings, principles she learned on her journey through India and that have held up for thousands of years.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much ungrounded noise and self-proclaimed experts, and I think people are getting sick of it,\u201d she says. \u201cNothing is more grounded than ancient wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, with more than a million followers across social media and a thriving business, Snyder is working on her ninth book while still producing new podcast content for her Feel Good Podcast<\/a> and being a full time mom to her sons before and after school. Her books have hit the New York Times <\/em>bestseller list three times, and some of her other biggest bestsellers to date include some of her spiritual books.\u00a0<\/p>\n In typical fashion, she\u2019s not overthinking her future. \u201cIn a world today where everybody\u2019s so rigidly focused on goals and having to manifest things a certain way, I think there\u2019s value in showing up and being open to even more unfolding than we can see.\u201d<\/p>\nAn accidental blogger<\/h2>\n
An unexpected pivot<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A common thread<\/strong><\/h2>\n