Holding Space for Healers with Kristen Phillips
For the very first episode of The Fire Inside, I wanted to start where my own path took root. Kristen Phillips is the owner and space holder of Soul Wellness in Mooresville, North Carolina, the healing center where I practiced for three years before moving to Ohio. She built it from her heart, and it shows the moment you walk through the door.
In our conversation, Kristen shares how being deeply uncomfortable in corporate America became the spark that pushed her to build a home for healers. We talk about flexibility over contracts, the almost divine dinner that led her to a historic textile mill, and what holding space for others has taught her about herself.
What we talk about
Creating a space from the heart. Kristen opened Soul Wellness during COVID, wanting a place where healers could thrive and people could find support beyond conventional care.
Flexibility over contracts. Why she chose month-to-month rent for her practitioners, and what that freedom means for someone building a practice from scratch.
The spark of discomfort. Successful, well paid and miserable, Kristen describes the moment she knew she had better use for herself.
A home in the Merino Mill. A chance family dinner, a nudge from her brother, and a space that once housed Burlington’s denim looms, where her own ancestors worked.
Community as healing. Group healings, sound meditations, classes, and the people who come looking for their tribe.
What holding space teaches. In Kristen’s words, this business has lit her up.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome to The Fire Inside
0:55 Meet Kristen Phillips of Soul Wellness
1:58 What people feel when they walk in
3:15 Flexibility over contracts
4:39 Leaving corporate America
7:11 How Soul Wellness found its home in a mill
9:41 Denim, looms, and family roots
11:02 Why community matters in healing
12:08 “This business has lit me up”
13:14 A full spectrum of care under one roof
14:47 Where to find Soul Wellness
15:40 Closing thoughts
Links and resources
Soul Wellness, Mooresville, North Carolina
Soul Wellness on Instagram, @soulwellnessinc
This show is meant to educate and inspire, not to diagnose or treat. Everyone’s healing path looks different. If something here sparks your curiosity, please bring it to your own healthcare provider.
The Fire Inside is brought to you by Kusala Healing Arts. Stay close to your fire.
Full transcript
Read the full transcript
Ryan: Welcome to The Fire Inside, a podcast about the transformative power of fire, inside and out. In Chinese medicine, it's the fire of Ming Men, the gate of vitality, the ember that warms and sustains all of life. In Ayurveda, it's Agni, the flame at the center of digestion, vitality, and change. In a glass studio, it's the literal flame that turns raw material into something new. This show is where I talk with healers and artists who work with that creative fire directly, in whatever form it takes, and who found that real change moves from the inside out. One quick note before we get started. This show is meant to educate and inspire, not to diagnose or treat. Everyone's healing path looks different, so if something here sparks your curiosity, please bring it to your own healthcare provider, especially if you're managing a health condition. I'm Ryan Faught, host of The Fire Inside. Let's get into it. Our first guest for this first episode is Kristen Phillips of Soul Wellness out of Mooresville, North Carolina. Morning, Kristen, how are you doing?
Kristen: Good morning. I'm great. Thanks for having me on.
Ryan: Thanks for making time for the very first episode. And there's a very distinct reason why I wanted to start where I left off from. The weather is a big reason. The weather up here isn't great. So sort of connecting with North Carolina is always helpful. So I just wanted to talk to you about the space holder at Soul Wellness, like the person that holds that container for all those practitioners and all those guests.
Kristen: Yeah. Well, you know, Soul Wellness was created from my heart, and I wanted to make a space where healers like yourself could come in and do what they know that they're meant to do and really help people. And so there were a lot of moving parts to that business, because I wanted a space where healers could really thrive, but I also wanted this resource for the public. This was during COVID. I wanted people to have a space to go to really heal if they weren't so happy with their Western medicine modalities.
Ryan: And then when people walk into Soul Wellness for the first time, what do you hope they feel before they even speak out loud about it?
Kristen: Yeah, that was a big part of creating the center. I wanted everyone that walked into that door to feel just a weight lift, like, you know, this serenity. I wanted it to look professional, like, okay, I've just walked into somewhere where this is good stuff, but I wanted it to feel really good, relaxing and calm.
Ryan: And you did a great job of that. I don't know if you remember, but I think I came there in June or so of 2023, and a few months later started working out of those front rooms, and it was just so grounded, like it felt so right on so many levels. And I've rented spaces at several different places over the years, and none has struck me even close to your own. There's one or two others that are very close, but yours, just as I'm a male practitioner in the wellness industry, I felt like I felt at home, and I really appreciate that.
Kristen: That's great. That makes me feel really good to hear that, because, you know, hopefully we'll expand this brand and have more Soul Wellnesses across the country. Who knows where this will go? But that was really important for me, for all of the practitioners to feel that way and feel like they had that camaraderie too with other practitioners around them.
Ryan: Yeah. And just on the business side, you do something that I had not encountered before, is you're not holding practitioners to a contract. So for someone like me who's building a practice from scratch, having that flexibility and not being locked into a lease is just a sigh of relief. It's just like, I have my time, I can take my time building this. I don't have to rush. I can still feed myself, those sorts of things.
Kristen: Again, you know, this was all being developed during COVID, and everybody was so stressed out. I mean, everybody was so stressed out. We just didn't know what the heck was going on. And I did not want anyone walking into Soul Wellness and feeling stress. That is not the environment I wanted. And tenants as well. And I thought, you know what? I'm just gonna do month-to-month rent, because the uncertainty right now is just too much. And I'm not gonna chase somebody anyway. If something comes up and you need to move away, like you decided, you decided to move, you know, out of state, I'm not gonna come chase you for rent owed. I'd rather just flip your room and let somebody else have a nice place to practice. So, yeah.
Ryan: Totally. And that's just, that flexibility is unheard of. I'm in a space now that's also not holding me to a contract, so apparently others are in that realm. But traditionally, you know, you're gonna look at first and last month's, year-long lease, those sorts of traditional leases. And I know you mentioned this earlier, but what happened in your life that really brought about Soul Wellness? You mentioned there was a spark, you weren't satisfied with the corporate lifestyle. What really was that motivator to get you to commit to it?
Kristen: Yeah, you know, for me, I think really getting me to move, to make a decision to really do something, because we can all dream, but what actually makes you take that step and do what you need to do? I was really uncomfortable. I was really, really unhappy, and for an extended time, in corporate America. And like I've told you before, I was making great money. I had great benefits. I was traveling the country. There were a lot of perks, but I was miserable. I was just like, you know, this paycheck, big deal, if I'm unhappy and I don't feel like I'm helping anybody in any way. You know, I'm just going from one gadget or doodad to another, selling it, making a corporation very wealthy. But what is that doing for me, and what is that doing for others? Really nothing. And I thought, if I can find a business where I can support myself, feel good about that, but also be helping other people, you know, that's where I was just like, I've got to find something. I have better use of myself than this. So, you know, it was being very uncomfortable that pushed me into making the decisions.
Ryan: And sometimes those points in our life serve as a catalyst for this change, for this transformation. Like many, most everyone gets very intimidated or cold feet or fearful of that big transition, but that's ultimately what's needed. And I can't tell you, since I became a massage therapist, I went to school in '04, got licensed in '05. So often you see people in their mid-forties to mid-fifties, somewhere in that range, making this transition out of corporate America into wellness. So you did a great job of tying that concept together with Soul Wellness, 'cause it's not, you know, it's just very grounded. It's not soul healing. And I use that word probably too much, but wellness is probably one of the better words we have for what we do. Because we can't fix, or actually our goal shouldn't be to fix anyone, but just to be that catalyst for change ultimately within their bodies and minds.
Kristen: Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Ryan: And there's another thing I always, you know, commend you on, is the mill concept, which is unique to the Carolinas in the South. Up here in northern Ohio, we don't have mills. There might be one or two. Most are abandoned industrial warehouses. But tell me a little bit more about that mill you're in, 'cause that is really just the standout feature of your location.
Kristen: It really is cool. And that happened totally by chance. I really think that that was something divine going on, because I had no idea where I was going to set up camp. And, you know, location is a big deal when you're opening a brick and mortar. It's a big deal. And I thought, man, where am I going to put this? And in what town? I wasn't even set on Mooresville. And my family went out to dinner one night randomly. My mother said, let's go check out Barcelona restaurant, which is next door to us. And I thought, this is so strange. She has never brought up this restaurant. You know, elderly parents, they go to the same place every time where they're comfortable. It was very strange that she suggested that restaurant. And so we all went, and my brother, who is very much a business mentor to me, just kind of bumped me with his elbow and said, there's a ton of space in this mill. Have you checked this out for your business? And I said, you know what? I'm gonna make a phone call tomorrow. And it just took off. It was like it was just handed to me. It was bizarre, but that's where I'm supposed to be. It fell into place so fast.
Ryan: Yeah. And that just circles back to what I mentioned earlier. You're one of two business owners that feel called to hold that space. And that's, you know, that's a sacred space. Not everyone has that intention going into this practice, but your goal is to hold a safe space for everyone. So there are those folks out there that get into business, they maybe don't want to do the table work or do the hands-on component, so they look at other ways. And I really can't underscore the importance of that role of holding the space for the practitioners.
Kristen: Yeah, I'm very protective of my tenants, and I really view everybody as family. Like, I love everybody, and I want to see everybody in there thrive. That makes me just overjoyed. Plus, I'm super passionate about leaving corporate America and going out on your own, because I did it, and I know how scary that is. And so if I can help somebody and make somebody feel safe and secure doing it, yeah, I'm in.
Ryan: And just to back up, one thing I did wanna mention too, is this is at the Merino Mill in North Carolina. A little bit of history that I learned from some of the folks I worked with there: it used to be an old Burlington jean factory. They made jeans out of there. So they would roll the denims along the big looms, and that's why you get such a large footprint, is all those looms down there.
Kristen: Yes, it's so fascinating. My dad is in textiles as well. And it's funny, because he'll come into my space and he can tell by the stains on the floor what was sitting there, and he'll tell me, like, yeah, this was, you know, wrapping this, and this was doing this. And I just think it's so cool. I also found out that my great-great-great-grandfather and his daughters were working at that mill. So, and, you know, my roots are from South Georgia, so it's really, it's just been fascinating. I feel very protected in the space.
Ryan: And that sort of ties back into, you know, the real estate that's available south of, let's just call it West Virginia, for argument's sake. There might be some mills there, but even south of the Ohio River, the whole geography, the whole retail environment changes, you know, very subtly. But you know, the mills, who would have thought?
Kristen: Yeah, I know. And it gives such a cool environment, because the ceilings are so high, and it's a little bit new and a little bit old. So it's just, it's a cool style, it really is.
Ryan: Now, it's not just the treatment center, there's the community, because you do have space there to hold events. Why is community such a central part of Soul Wellness?
Kristen: So community is also a big part of wellness and healing as well. It's interesting, some of our practitioners hold group healings, sound meditations, things like that. And it's really cool to see who comes through the door for that. It's people looking for, like, their tribe. They're looking for their like-minded community. So that's been really a beautiful thing to watch. But the classroom space is also for continuing education courses. It's for anybody that needs a space that's large. So I've even had corporate meetings in there. But what's cool about corporate meetings is these are people that would never normally set foot into Soul Wellness. And then they come in for their corporate meeting and they're looking around, going, this place is pretty cool. And then they look at all the providers, and they think, I'm gonna have to come back here. Wanna check this out.
Ryan: Yep, totally. And what have you learned about yourself from holding space for the practitioners? Is there anything important you'd like to share?
Kristen: It has really filled my heart. So I can tell you that when people talk about finding their purpose, or finding their passion, finding their joy, this business has lit me up. And I can't tell you, you know, 10 years ago, what my passion would have been or what my joy would have been. It's almost like I had to be kind of, I had to be in that uncomfortable place. I made some decisions. I got into this business. And then I realized, like, wow, you know, helping people on this level, whether it's a tenant, a small business person like myself, thrive and really make it, or someone in the community that's really hurting, that hasn't found the help that they've needed through their Western medicine doctors, coming in and asking me now, what do you suggest? This is what's going on with me. And I've got resources for them. Really good resources for them. Like, that's been so fulfilling. I can't even tell you. It's like beyond words.
Ryan: Yeah, and you've even had, like, so we have the normal, I guess, the expected realm of bodyworkers, massage therapists, then you have a step up to acupuncture, then you have the talk therapists. But then you also have some RNs, and I think you have a DO in there. So there's, you know, the whole tier of medical practices within that space. And it's really nice to see.
Kristen: There are. In fact, we've got an integrative doctor that's going to start practicing soon in our daily rooms. And you're right, there is such a mix, because you've got your very grounded modalities, and then you've got some that, if you wanna delve into energy healing and you wanna delve into a little bit more intuitive work, we've got that too. So it's a nice mix.
Ryan: And it's so common to see, like, spaces like that in particular. I remember when I started many years ago, you'd go see a practitioner and it was just a room in another retail facility. So the room for the practitioner was so often an afterthought. You know, someone has an extra space, or they say, well, rent it out to a massage therapist. But then that's the end of it. So you actually provide full support as far as marketing for your practitioners, community events, and then the larger meeting rooms for improved foot traffic, just having people come through to see who's there.
Kristen: Yes, I wanted it to be an absolute no-brainer. When a practitioner walked through the door looking for space to practice, I wanted it to be a no-brainer. So they walk in and they look around and go, my God, I couldn't ask for anything more. It's got everything. I've got a nice waiting room, I've got a break room, I've got classrooms, I've got everything I need to just do my thing.
Ryan: Yep. And where can people find you and Soul Wellness? I know we've talked about this briefly, but is there anywhere you'd like to send our listeners?
Kristen: Yeah, so our website is www.soulwellness.net, and we're on all social media platforms as well. We're on Instagram and Facebook, Soul Wellness. You'll find us with our little green lotus flower. But yeah, look us up, and keep your eyes out, because you never know. I might be opening another one.
Ryan: And just to recap Mooresville, tell me where Mooresville is located in North Carolina.
Kristen: Mooresville is just above Charlotte, North Carolina. So we're about thirty minutes above Charlotte.
Ryan: And then for anyone that doesn't know, there's quite a strong NASCAR presence in the Charlotte, Mooresville area. So between the whole locations, you'll see quite a bit of activity, especially the back roads leading to the track and things like that. Is there anything else you'd like to say that we haven't covered?
Kristen: I think you've covered it all. This has been great.
Ryan: Well, Kristen, thank you not just for being here today, but for the three years you held space for me and so many others. A lot of what I'm carrying forward started in that room, and it means a lot that you're the first voice on this show.
Kristen: Thank you so much.
Ryan: That's the first episode of The Fire Inside. If something Kristen shared stirred something in you, sit with it. That's the fire doing its work. You can find links to Soul Wellness and to Kusala Healing Arts in the show notes. And as always, what we share here is meant to educate and inspire, not to diagnose and treat. Thanks for your time, and I'll catch you on the next one.