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

Hi Kelsey, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Working as a therapist and while living with an invisible disability, I realized there was a need for a different way of viewing one’s health and delivering healthcare. A need for a place where collaboration occurred among various healthcare professionals, where creativity and thinking outside the box could foster, and where limits were redefined. Growing up I was always told two important messages that I continue to live by: to always ask questions and if I couldn’t find something I needed, then I should create it. Unable to find a place like this, I decide to create it, and Defy Therapy & Wellness was born. Defy Therapy & Wellness, as the name suggests, challenges the status quo every day and in every client we treat. We improve our clients’ lives on a daily basis. We help people return to their independent, mobile, and pain-free life by defying the odds of age, diagnosis, and prognosis. Our focus is on quality rather quantity of client care. As a result, we dedicate a full hour of one-on-one care to every client in a quiet boutique clinic. This allows us time to locate and target the problem so we are not just treating the symptoms. We are able to sit down and discuss a plan, discuss what worked and didn’t in the past, and evaluate to determine where the problem is. To maintain consistency in treatment and progress, our clients work with the same therapists and/or trainers throughout their treatment program. For clients with busy schedules, we also offer concierge therapy and wellness services in home or office for convenience.

What should our readers know about your business?
The best way to describe my path to small business and launching Defy Therapy & Wellness would be a rollercoaster ride. It’s definitely not easy, but totally worth the ride. I have faced challenges that range from personal health injuries, physical space electrical and water issues, vendor response time and competency issues, and more. With a great support team, both personally and professionally, and perseverance I have been able to overcome these challenges and learned an immense amount. The biggest lessons I’ve learned, and continue to learn along the way, are to develop and foster a strong support group, create and schedule balance in your life, understand and accept that you will be constantly learning, practice gratitude for those who’ve helped along the way, appreciate and realize growth is a process, always help others regardless of your situation, and feed your passion as this fuels perseverance. My brand, Defy Therapy & Wellness, was developed to challenge the way healthcare is viewed and received. I hope my brand and story will inspire others to launch their business and/or dreams, and to defy their own limits as to what they believe they can do.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Some of the best spots in Miami include morning power yoga at GreenMonkey Yoga, or pilates at Renegade Pilates followed by lunch at Huahua’s Taqueria and a little shopping on Lincoln Rd. You can get artsy and creative in Wynwood and have a delicious doughnut at Salty Doughnut then head to downtown’s Pamm Perez Art Museum. After, learn something new at Phillip Frost Science museum followed by a stroll in the beautiful museum park on the water. For a little more adventure I highly suggest mountain biking in Virginia Key followed by a nearby stop to Key Biscayne where you can climb up the lighthouse at Bill Braggs Cape State Park and experience breathtaking views of the ocean. Afterwards relax on the beach and grab a laidback sunset dinner at Boaters Grill. For those who love a city view, check out Miami’s rooftop bar, Sugar, in Brickell, great for drinks and appetizers then head down to Zuma on the water for some of the best fish in town. If you love the water and have time, I highly suggest making a trip to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in the keys and trying a snorkel boat tour. A trip to Miami is not set without a visit to famous Ocean Drive and South Beach, with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world in addition to delicious restaurants like Upland, Joe’s Stone Crab, and Prime112. Another favorite of mine is renting one of the Citibike beach cruisers and riding the newly completed boardwalk along the beach, I like to start around 82nd and Collins where it’s quieter and you can ride south or north on the boardwalk.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are people who come into our lives who make a ripple so big they have no idea the impact they’ve made. They can live an entire lifetime without realizing this. I had the amazing opportunity during one of my college clinical rotations to live with my best friend’s aunt Laura, and her family. The few months I spent at her house truly changed the course of my life. I always dreamt of being a business woman, a mother, and a wife but never experienced any role models who did it all. I didn’t grow up with a lot and I questioned whether I could or would ever “do it all.” Without knowing anything about me, she took me in as one of her own—any experience she wanted me to have, she made sure I did. Never did she ask for anything or expect anything from me.The unconditional kindness, generosity, and love she showed me all the while traveling across the country, juggling career and family, I never heard her complain. Laura is not only an amazing business woman but an incredible mother, sister, aunt, wife, and friend. I am so grateful for where I am today and where I’m going and I know, I owe it all to her. She is a true boss lady as the new generation has coined it. I am confident, kind, giving, and strong because of qualities she showed and instilled in me. Words will never express the gratitude and upmost respect I have for her and her family. What may have seemed small to her, because of her giving nature, truly impacted my life. I’d like to thank her for being fierce, compassionate and humble, for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and for inspiring me to follow my dreams.

Website: defytherapyandwellness.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defytherapy/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/19122626 https://au.linkedin.com/company/defy-therapy-and-wellness
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defytherapy
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/defy-therapy-and-wellness-north-miami-beach
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/DefyTherapy/_created/
Other: Yellow Pages: https://www.yellowpages.com/aventura-fl/mip/defy-therapy-544545778
Google: defy therapy and wellness Bing: https://www.bing.com/search?q=defy+therapy+and+wellness&qs=AS&pq=defy+therapy&sk=AS1&sc=3-12&cvid=A83B663483E643E1B5063842557CEDB2&FORM=QBLH&sp=2