Professional tennis player and model across ninety countries, then a human rights lawyer and certified anti-trafficking investigator, now the founder of a wellness clinic in Seattle. Barbara Kvelstein's path doesn't fit any case study.
Barbara joins Sana to talk about tolerating pain as a founder, why she built her clinic around Scandinavian values she actually holds, and how a business can fund a cause without turning that cause into a marketing hook.
About the Guest:
Barbara Kvelstein is the founder of Nordic Clinic and creator of Norderm, a Scandinavian-inspired skincare line, in Seattle. Before that, she spent over a decade as a human rights lawyer and certified anti-trafficking investigator, and co-founded Earthlight Villas with her husband.
Key Takeaways:
- Tolerating pain, not intelligence or funding, is often what determines whether a founder makes it.
- A business built around real values can fund a cause without turning it into a marketing gimmick.
- Letting go of someone you care about, when their fit no longer serves the team, is one of the hardest parts of leading.
- You don't need the "right" credentials to build something new, willingness to learn quickly counts for a lot.
- Lasting change on issues like trafficking needs pressure on lawmakers, not just grassroots awareness.
Connect With the Guest:
Instagram: instagram.com/barbara.kvelstein
Website (Nordic Clinic): https://www.nordicclinic.co
Personal website: https://www.barbarakvelstein.com
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Opening: from pro tennis to human rights law to a wellness clinic (approx.)
[01:54] Growing up as a young tennis player and what it taught her about risk
[05:10] Building a business from nothing, and what Seattle taught them
[15:34] The hardest decision a founder has to make about their own team
[18:14] Why Nordic Clinic quietly supports anti-trafficking work
[25:41] What grassroots pressure can actually change on this issue
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