Trendsetter Tuesday: A Look Into Dami Kim's World of Wellness
To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today launched "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue.
Dami Kim is a wellness warrior who's been practicing how to effectively care for her physical, emotional and mental well-being for 26 years. Now, as director of Body & Brain Wellness, she is helping some of the most stressed professionals in the world do the same.
Kim was named a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today for her desire to educate the industry through innovative and transformative practices fueled by her passion for helping others.
Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to see how she turned her own life around and found her passion for helping others do the same.
[Related: The 2024 Meetings Trendsetters Paving New Paths in the Events Industry]
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Transcript:
Editors note: The following transcription was facilitated by AI program Otter.ai and proofed by our editors. Although it is very accurate, there inevitably will be some mistakes, so please consider that when reading. Thank you.
Taylor Smith
Hello, and welcome to this Meetings Today Podcast. I'm Taylor Smith, destinations and features content developer for Meetings Today, and I'm back with another exciting podcast celebrating our Meetings Trendsetters class of 2024.
Every year, Meetings Today selects 20 Trendsetters whose unique contributions to the meetings and events industry make them stand out, and we receive dozens of nominations from across the industry. The editorial team also compiles our own list of standout professionals that we've connected with over the course of the year, and the process of narrowing over 100 names down to 20 is one we don't take lightly.
But those 20 names were recently revealed in our July/August issue and online at MeetingsToday.com at the start of August, and I was so happy to see so many familiar faces on this year's list, including the inspirational Dami Kim, director of Body & Brain Wellness.
I first met Dami on a wellness retreat in Sedona, Arizona, and I truly mean it when I say she changed my life for the better. Her approach to educating others on the importance of taking care of their well-being through innovative and transformative wellness practices is one fueled by passion and her genuine desire to help others.
With over 25 years of expertise at the forefront of wellness innovation, Dami is helping a community of some of the most stressed professionals on the planet learn how to prioritize their well-being as much as they prioritize their careers in meetings and events. Her insights have made people believe in the importance of taking true ownership of the well-being of their body and brain for successful career longevity.
We are so excited to celebrate Dami as one of our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters. She's here with us today to tell us all about how she got there. Thank you for joining me, Dami.
Dami Kim
Thank you, Taylor, for having me. I'm so honored to be part of this podcast and a part of Meetings Trendsetters.
Taylor Smith
Of course, we're honored to celebrate you. I want to start by giving you a chance to introduce yourself to our listeners today and tell us about your story in the meetings industry, as well as your wellness journey.
Dami Kim
I started my wellness journey 26 years ago. What happened is, when I used to work for the Korean government, and suddenly my skin created a lot of breakouts, and I was so stressed by seeing my face, because I was 20, and by looking at the mirror, I was so angry and frustrated. I tried so hard to do everything to fix these issues, but none of my doctors could figure it out, none of my dermatologists could figure out. I tried whatever you can think of, like changing cosmetics, everything I could, but it kept getting worse and worse.
So, one day, my manager in my office asked me, ‘Do you have gut issues?’ I didn't think about gut issues connected to my skin, and then he recommended me to the Body & Brain training center near my office. So, I visited one day, and then they poked my gut, and I realized how hard it is, how tight it is, and I had no idea why it was connected to my skin. And the first thing I learned is there is a very basic principle I also shared with you and share with everybody. It’s the ‘water up, fire down’ principle, right?
So, we have fire energy in our heart, water energy in our kidneys. Fire is supposed to go down, make my gut warm and strong, and then support my lower back. My kidney energy, water goes along the spine, cools my head—but I was completely opposite. I realized my hands and feet were always cold. My face was hot and stressed, which I didn't connect why it connected to my skin, and I realized I hold a lot of a fire in my chest, and it came upward to my head, and I just broke out. So, by knowing the principle, I had a lot of hope.
So, I started training, and then by training myself to change my health issues, I realized so many things about myself. I realized I have so many anger issues, I had so many fear issues, that I knew it but was never able to address it. I never ever accepted it. I had it because I had to hide and I didn't want to allow anyone to look at it, because I feel ashamed. I feel embarrassed, right?
In Korean culture, especially, culturally, you should be really good and try to do always nice. And of course, a lot of culture is that way, but there was a lot of pressure, and especially within the relationship with your family, you have to respect your parents and you cannot say about your issues with your family. So, I realized so many things. I suppressed my emotions somewhere, and I didn't deal with them, I just put it aside. I thought, ‘I don't have it.’ I pretend I don't. I pretended I didn’t have it, and I looked always happy. I look always happy. I try to make people happy. But I didn't know it helped me to look at it.
So, by going through the Body & Brain Wellness classes, I realized it's all related. I kept, you know, I didn’t know what to do with my emotions. So, what I learned the most is I had to accept my emotions, my anger, ‘Yeah, I'm angry. I'm afraid. Yes, I'm so afraid of what people think about me.’ I had a such a fear and anger. But that energy, I didn't accept it. So, it influenced my organs, it influenced my guts.
So, once I learned how to accept those emotions, I could let it go of it, and eventually I was able to love myself the way I am. I was able to accept me the way I am. So, I couldn't deal with it. And I used to be very feminist. I used to be also an environmentalist. So, I used to fight with the men all the time. I used to fight with the non-environmentalists. So, I realized how much I didn't deal with those emotions. I only focus on action and fighting. It doesn't solve any problems anyway.
So, by learning how to accept myself, I accept others, I accept man’s side, I accept the non-environmentalist, whatever side I could accept it. So since then, I realized I could change my own life. I realized I can help others lives, because there's so many people who have the same sufferings the way I got through, and what if they can also change their life within a few months? It will change the whole world.
So, I decided to quit my job and then completely put my whole life into this wellness, because I believe this is going to change my life. So I started the job 26 years ago, right after five months of practice. I had five months of my transformation, I let go of my current job and got into this business for 26 years. It helped me. I thought, ‘I can change the world.’ But actually, when you really face people's lives, it's very challenging. I had to learn more about myself, how to help others, also different ways, because the people have so many different issues, so many. It's not the same, but the root to issue is the same. But I have to help them to narrow down their root issues more, each one so they could let go, they could be free from their issues and being able to love themselves, right?
So that helped me to grow myself for the last 26 years. It's not only me helping others. No. They helped me to look at me so I could grow from it too. So that's how I started, and how I'm still doing it because I believe in it.
Taylor Smith
Yes, I love that. And as so you're the director of Body & Brain Wellness. Which Body & Brain Wellness is kind of a branch of a bigger company? Correct? Can you explain that to our listeners and kind of tell them how Body & Brain Wellness relates to the meetings and events industry.
Dami Kim
That's true. So, we used to work for the general public, I mean, at the studios, like yoga studios or wellness classes, not in the meeting industry. So, I've been doing it for 25 years, then I'm very expert into helping individuals or small groups. But last year, when I got into the meetings industry with Reina [Herschdorfer], as you know too, she brought me to the Caesars Entertainment [Global Wellness Summit]. And I realized there's so many needs in the meeting industry. And I realized you guys struggle a lot.
Taylor Smith
Some of the most stressed people on the planet.
Dami Kim
Exactly. So, it was eye opening for me. Of course, I helped with the people generally, wherever I am, but then in the meetings industry itself, your conferences, your events, they have such a need for wellness. And then she brought me to the wellness industry. So, I was being introduced, then I was able to see the needs of it, and we created a Wellness Department, and then started.
Taylor Smith
So, tell us about some of the successes of Body & Brain Wellness so far. And some accomplishments you're proud of and events that you've been a part of that have, you know, gone really well.
Dami Kim
Yes, for me, it's new. I got asked so many questions. I always wanted to be a speaker. Of course, I used to be speaker before, too, but not in the meetings industry, but I was a little bit surprised at how many requests I received from the first exposures last year. So, I've been invited to the meeting show, the Asia Pacific launch in Singapore. I was invited in February there, and I was in Caesars’ Wellness Summit. You were there last June.
Taylor Smith
Yes, you did wonderful.
Dami Kim
And also we had the corporate wellness retreat in Sedona.
Taylor Smith
I think March is when we were there.
[Related: My Transformational Experience With Body & Brain Wellness in Sedona, Arizona]
Dami Kim
Yes, March. So, now I got also invited to SITE Classic in September, exciting, yes. And then Luxury and Wellness by Northstar in September, and also National Black MBA Association. There, we will provide whole wellness services for two days for the National Black MBA Association in September. And October, you know, everybody goes to IMEX. Finally, I always want to be speaker, but I got, you know, I have the opportunity now to be speaker on October 9 too.
So, there are a lot of different requests. So, I am very proud I was able to receive those recognitions and success. But I think because you need somebody or you needed something, that's why the timing was right, not because necessarily I did so much things in the meeting industry, but I think what I have done for last 26 years is just being needed for where you are. So, I think that's brought me a lot of success.
Taylor Smith
And in the meetings industry, I think we're finally starting to see why we need to prioritize taking care of ourselves more than we do right now.
Dami Kim
Yes, yes. I think it's growing so fast, right? Meetings industry grows so fast compared to two years ago, after pandemic. But then the need is strong, but the people, you know, your responsibility is also so big, but the energy you give to yourself is so low and so small, so you cannot handle all the responsibility you're facing already. So, I hope wellness brings you the solutions to handle all, to be beneficial for all of you, and including you and attendees, the conference organizer, whoever.
Taylor Smith
What are some practices or offerings that people can work with Body & Brain Wellness to offer at events? I know, I mean, I personally love the aura readings, so things like that. Can you detail a few of those?
Dami Kim
I recommend a few things in the events, because people come in with, you know, their own mind is all over—a little anxious, a little excited. And so, I think aura imaging and reading help them to come down and relax because they can see themselves. Because a lot of times in the meetings, it gets stimulated. We get stimulated by outside, by people, light and decoration all over. We have so many stimulations, so we forget how to focus on ourselves. So, aura reading really helped them to see their condition. Now, their body-mind balances, stress level, relaxation level, your energy level.
So, we help them to see so they learn how to change it. So, after that, their aura color changes as well. So that's one thing. But generally, in the events, we bring wellness classes in the morning, like 7 a.m. or 6:45, and give them 45 minutes to refresh and reset their body and brain, and also educational sessions. Right? Education is very important. I think once you know what it means to you, what value you have from it, then you’re also willing to practice. So, we do brain tapping, we do right breathing, proper, mindful breathing, mindful walking. You know, make a proper position. Any small little technique will help to change your body and brain.
Taylor Smith
Even just working with you at the Caesars Global Wellness Summit on the walking and the posture of yourself and how you hold your body can affect how you feel and your energy levels. That was just…That was crazy to me. I never noticed; you know? I mean, I did notice that I tend to slouch a lot at work, and I was like, just lifting myself up physically, it almost lifts me up mentally too. It all is connected. And that goes back to your experience finding wellness. We have to know how every part of our body, physically and mentally and emotionally, relates to one another, in order to, you know, give ourselves a well-rounded wellness experience.
Dami Kim
That's so true. There's nothing separate. Everything is connected. So, it means if you face any issues, either health issues or mental health issues or any issue even in the workplace, there is a solution. Everywhere. There is solution once you connect with the body and brain, yeah. So, I just want to deliver the experience everybody can have. We carry this body, we carry this brain, but we don't know how to use it well. We don't know how to feel it, how to use it. Then we just carry these proteins in our head that are not used, so I hope we bring the experiences the way you said so well. We bring the experiences you can explain, right? Yes, experience is what matters.
Taylor Smith
You're definitely bringing those experiences and people are noticing, which is why you're one of our Trendsetters this year, because you are being innovative and making change in this industry. And trendsetter, the word trendsetter is a common term that we use often in our industry, including by us here at the magazine. But I think trendsetter can be defined in so many ways. So how would you define a meetings industry trendsetter?
Dami Kim
Most time, most people think about trendsetters, and it means you're creative and innovative. Those are the major things. But for me, trendsetter means lifelong integrity, I can say. So, what I believe, I take action, but it needs to be in your real life. So, what you said is different than the way you live.
Taylor Smith
Actions speak louder than words.
Dami Kim
Yes, walk your talk is the most important for a long time and daily life, and then it shows the way it is. So that's why I thought I didn't do much really. When you told me, I was, like, shocked. Why am I a Trendsetter? Really? I couldn't believe how I didn't get into industry that long ago and you recognize it. For me, it's a shocking thing. I couldn't believe it when you said it for the first time. But I think because of long-time integrity, it created that energy, and the timing was there. That's what you recognized. That's what I, you know, interpret that way.
Taylor Smith
And it’s not only your integrity, right? But I think the fact that you were shocked that you were a Trendsetter and surprised to see your name on the list points to another quality of Trendsetters that I admire, which is how they stay humble, despite their accomplishments and the positive changes that they've made, and you are so humble and just so grounded and genuine, and that makes people drawn to you. That's the reason people admire the work you do, because they see that you do it from a place of passion and a place that shows that you genuinely care about us. You're not doing it for your own personal gain. You're doing it to help others. And I think, you know, to be a Trendsetter, you have to be willing to help others out there with you, and you definitely do that.
Dami Kim
Exactly. You got the point. That's a second point of Trendsetters. The way I see it, it made me feel very happy. By seeing your changes, like, I see people's changes, it made me feel valuable in what I do, and also, by seeing so many people's changes, I see how the whole world can change.
[Related: Lessons on Well-Being From the Inaugural Caesars Entertainment Global Wellness Summit]
Taylor Smith
Oh yeah. I mean, you helped me change my whole world when I was in Sedona with you at our wellness retreat, and just opened my eyes to all of the ways I was subconsciously holding myself back from reaching my greatest potential because I kept, you know, putting my wellness at the bottom of my priority list. It just wasn't something that I thought was as important as meeting my deadlines for the magazine, or making sure I stayed social and reached out to every single one of my friends all the time, and I was just consistently forgetting to put myself first. And, you know, everything about that retreat in Sedona was just so beneficial and inspirational and memorable for me, and I just want to thank you very much for helping me see my well-being in a different way.
Dami Kim
You're sharing always motivates me to be where I am. I have to keep going. Thank you so much. People like you motivate me always.
Taylor Smith
We'll just keep motivating each other! So what was—you kind of mentioned this already—but what was your initial reaction to finding out you are a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter? How do you want to continue motivating and inspiring the industry through your work?
Dami Kim
As I said, yeah, I was a little bit shocked, but I accepted. Eventually, I accepted, ‘Yeah, this is it, and I deserve it.’ So, what matters is I would like to have a lot more opportunity to share the experiences people are expecting. That’s all I need, and I will just keep going until everybody see the benefits. Everybody sees their own life changing, and even for the whole world, sustainability, or, you know, equity, everything, what we are dealing with in the meetings industry is coming from you.
Sustainability, it’s not that you have to take care of the earth by just picking up the tree, picking up the branches. No, when you love yourself, you care about nature. When you care about you, you care about people. It's a natural thing.
So, I hope, you know, people see the internal values and find the solution within yourselves and then take action outside, instead of learning how to be sustainable, how to take care of the earth. The action is…We know what's the right thing, but it's not coming from internal nature. They're creating a lot of gaps later in the future. So, I hope what you believe needs to be experienced in here, in your heart, so your body and brain is working together toward the solutions.
Taylor Smith
Yeah, you have to be your best self to do your best work and to be the best person you can be.
How do you continue to inspire yourself and stay motivated when, you know…Whenever I need someone to pick me up and remind me to take care of myself, the first person I think of is always going to be you, because you've helped me find those tools that I need to be able to do that. But when you're the expert in your own world, you know, how do you motivate and take care of yourself through all of that?
Dami Kim
I do a lot of practice. I do meditation practice. I do some specific practice every day, 7 in the morning. It's a routine every day that I do, but what matters truly is when I communicate with people, when I help people, that time I stay focused and do the way I believe how to help them. So what matters is, how can I help them, instead of what kind of success I will receive from it? How can I help them? What kind of value do I deliver so they can value themselves? So, there is some training for my own, but also that real practice is working with the people.
Taylor Smith
For me too, that's how I stay motivated and inspired, by building those connections and seeing how, you know, I could use my platform as a writer to share someone else's story and help them in that way. It's always, I think, the biggest reward for the work that you do is knowing that it's helping other people.
Dami Kim
Yes, and then giving you the tools, right? I think about how the greatest accomplishments I made is not only just going to give a one-time event thing, no. It’s giving them tools so they can take it home. And as you do, we met one time and you did a little practice. You didn't have a lot of experiences, but you still utilize, and you brought enough tools to do it.
Taylor Smith
Yep. I think, I totally forgot what it was called, but the one thing that I do all the time is, and I need to get one of those little sticks, but it's…
Dami Kim
Belly button healing, yes, yes.
Taylor Smith
I'll just, you know—and it is true that when I'm stressed out, I feel it in my gut. Your gut is just like…I never realized how centered your gut was and connected it was to all these other areas of your body. But I mean, that was one technique that if I'm feeling stressed during the day or nervous before an interview or a speaker session, that's the first thing I go to is belly button healing, because it just makes me feel so much like I'm resetting my nervous system almost.
Dami Kim
Exactly! It’s like your reset button is your belly button.
Taylor Smith
Yes!
Dami Kim
A lot of time people do not know about their guy. It's very simple, you know, the principles. Your gut has 30% of your blood in there. You have 95% of your serotonin produced by the gut itself. So, by stimulating your gut, you can have chemical balances in your emotion, so you can handle emotion better. Also, all the pain you have, shoulder pain, neck pain, all connect to your gut. So, once you just push. You can do it this way. Put your fingers into your belly button and push, pump, yep, and breathe out. That's it, or anything a little bit bigger, like a stick, push and breathe out. Yeah, it's a very simple thing everybody needs to learn. I think everybody should learn basic information about gut health or your body and brain connection. Everybody can be healthy so easily and not hard.
Taylor Smith
What are a couple of ways people can find you and find, you know, those techniques that they need to increase their wellbeing and take care of themselves?
Dami Kim
Sure. So, you can contact me through my email, dami@bodyandbrain.com, or go to our website, bodyandbrainwellness.com. There is information, and you can just contact me. That's the best way. And even if you're not doing any event personally, especially event professionals. If you need any help, please contact me. So, I will give you 20 minutes at least, time to listen to you. Or what you need is I give you at least one tool you can take with you. I will do some YouTube later, but we are preparing—we already have a YouTube channel, but not a corporate wellness channel yet, but we're starting soon. So, once I start that one, you're going to have a more tips and practices you can practice.
Taylor Smith
Perfect! As soon as that starts, let me know, and I'll make sure I link to it so that our listeners can find it and keep their wellness practice going.
Dami Kim
Of course, of course.
Taylor Smith
So, my last question for you today is, what is one piece of advice you'd give to others in the industry who are looking to become trendsetters themselves, or maybe just better versions of themselves?
Dami Kim
As I said a little earlier, too. So, think about what people need. Think about, how can you help them first, no matter what, no matter what’s before on your agenda, bring them in and think about what they need and what kind of help you can offer. And then I think once you start that way, everything will roll on its own. So that's the only thing I can say.
Taylor Smith
Well, thank you so much for participating in this special Trendsetter Tuesday Podcast episode, Dami. I really appreciate it, and like I said, I've connected with you so much and learned so much from you. So, it's truly a pleasure to be able to share your story with our listeners and hopefully help them find some tools and practices to improve their wellbeing too.
Dami Kim
Yes, I will. Thank you so much for having me.
Taylor Smith
Of course! That was Dami Kim, director of Body & Brain Wellness and one of our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters. Once again, I'm Taylor Smith, destinations and features content developer for Meetings Today. And I want to thank you all for joining us for this special Meetings Today Podcast. If you're interested in listening to more Meetings Today Podcasts, visit us www.meetingstoday.com, and thank you again for listening.
