Meet Kimberly Marquardt | Owner and CEO of Body Food® body care.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly Marquardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balance is defined based on each individual’s perspective. Ideally, it should also be defined based on the input from the circle of friends and relatives closest to that person. Each of us will be driven to what balance looks like based on our individual drive, work ethic, interests, passions, talents, and family life circumstances. I have to balance a full-time job as an RN, my at home body care manufacturing business, a husband, and two teenage sons. This balance is then affected by my personal passion for health and wellness and my interest in pursuing information on that topic on an ongoing basis. Things that are important for me to consider are slowing myself down, being present in the moment, and having intentional downtime since I am naturally driven to be busy continuously. I think balance can also be defined as figuring out what in life creates imbalances and focusing on those areas to keep things in check. I started my business in 2015 when my sons were 9 and 11. It is a lot different now since they are 16 and 18 and I have a lot more time to dedicate to my own passions and interests. Professionals and entrepreneurs have to be able to evolve with all these life changes in order to achieve success. I have found that slow and steady persistence wins the race.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been an RN for over 2 decades now and am so grateful for the unique perspective this brings to life, leadership, and business. I have worked in labor and delivery, long term care, outpatient surgery, aesthetics, telephone triage, and now college health. I additionally have over a decade in leadership and management. All of this experience has contributed greatly to my role as owner and CEO of my own company. My greatest asset has been my ability to interact with other humans. Listening, understanding, appreciating, and learning what makes people tick is absolutely vital in both my nursing profession, as well as my personal business endeavors. What sets me apart from others in my profession and business is not only my ability to connect with others, but also my drive and capacity to multitask. When I am working on a project, I will get up at 4 in the morning with my mind filled with ideas that I execute throughout the day or week. I am a task master and find great joy and pleasure in being productive and completing things I set out to do. I also do not take no for an answer or consider anything a barrier. There is always a plan B, C, D, E, and F. Nothing comes easy, especially on the entrepreneur side of things. But as my husband always says, “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” I have learned that being willing to grow, change, and evolve with your business, and continuously develop new ideas is the key to success. Also, accepting that many things you may have thought would work may not, and you need to regroup and change things up regularly. I want people to know that anything is possible when you are willing to persist. I also want people to know that my products are truly a labor of love and passion as most small business products are, and that is something to be valued by consumers.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a homebody to an excessive degree. If my best friend was able to spend a week with me, I would hope it was 80+ degrees, inflate my blow-up backyard swimming pool, and have us floating around all day with a few cocktails with our husbands (also best friends) not far off enjoying a couple of cold beers. We would dine at my 2 or 3 favorite local restaurants less than a mile from home and have plenty of dinners in (I love to cook!) sitting around the backyard chimenea.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Eric is by far my biggest fan and supporter. I might even say he believes in my gifts, talents, and body care business more than I do. He has a God given gift for mentoring and coaching and I have the great privilege of having constant support from and collaboration with him. By another blessed twist of fate, his own professional career evolved into an ecommerce role and specifically, expert knowledge as an Amazon Marketplace Manager. This has coincided perfectly with the direction my business has taken in focusing on ecommerce sales on third party platforms. I am forever grateful and in Eric’s debt for his enthusiasm, persistence, and encouragement. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in life and in business.

Website: https://www.getbodyfood.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getbodyfood/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-marquardt-msn-rn-53a38151/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/getbodyfood

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getbodyfood

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7nW8bEeXXBGimTX2x6RBA

Image Credits
My product pics are by the brilliant San Diego product photographer NesliHunFoto,