.png)
Meet Kim Louise
_edited.jpg)
Hi. I am Kim Louise.
I am always asked, "Kim Louise, what led you to become a lifestyle designer, consultant, coach, and author? How did you know this is what you wanted to do, and/or be?" For me, that is a loaded question! It has been a 66-year journey, of little purposes popping up along the way, that led me to my true purpose.
It was not an easy road. I had to go through many twists and turns, and great loss and adversity. However, it was also magical! I always felt that someone, or something was leading me somewhere, because of the unique synchronicities' that I would encounter, time and time again.
Because I am a writer and story teller, I thought the best way for you to get to know me, is to share with you pieces of my current book on the subject of finding purpose through adversity. I believe it is important to share our stories, as you never know when someone out there, may need a little bit of hope, and inspiration to lift their spirit. See you on the other side!
Kim Louise
The Intuitive Kid
Growing up as a child, in our hometown, Burnaby, B.C., I was surrounded by construction and design. My mother was a display and merchandising artist for The Bay department store. My father was a brilliant, house and fireplace builder. He never went to school, however, he could design architectural blueprints, better than most.
Although I was blessed with my parents' creative genes, I was the shy, sensitive kid, who felt everything; peoples emotions, peoples pain, sometimes their health problems. even from afar. I had no idea, not everyone felt this way. In today's society we are labeled as intuitive empath's, known as "The feelers". Usually these type of children are gifted creatively or musically.
Because my parents didn't understand this part of me, I gravitated towards my dog, Kelly, and my horse, Gidget, for nurturing. They seemed to understand me like no other. Also, I was forced to find a way to hide my feelings and sensitivity, so I could cope in society, so clothes became my addiction. Clothes gave me confidence and protection! And of course, everything had to match!
And so, my story begins as a young teenager.
The Teenage Entrepreneur
I was 13 years old at the time, when our family moved from Burnaby, B.C., to our new home on a 130 ranch, located in 100 Mile House, B.C. We were one big happy family, when half a year later, my parents began constantly fighting and arguing, Many a night I lay awake, planning how I could get away from it all.
Then one Saturday morning I had a brain-storm, idea! I could babysit my neighbours kids! Excited, I saddled up my horse, Gidget, with a goal to win over 2 customers. However, when one neighbour saw me riding Gidget on to their property, they disregarded my ask and said "Can you look after our horses and animals while we are away on vacation, instead?" Of course I said YES! Word got out to the other ranchers about my services as a home and pet sitter. The rest is history!
I did indeed run away from home at the age if 14, which is a very long story, but I continued my pet sitting business after I graduated, with a change over to domestic dogs and cats. Part of my gift to my clients was cleaning their homes for their return, which eventually they hired me full time, leading to an executive cleaning business. This early life, entrepreneurial experience, kept food on the table, and rent paid, while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
Creativity Blossoms
It only takes one person to change your life forever. One Friday afternoon, I was cleaning a house for one of my elite clients. It happened to be her 60th birthday that day. I decided to restyle her whole house, for a surprise birthday gift. I had 8 hours to do my magic before she came home from work. My client was so elated when she walked through the door, she rang up her neighbours and invited them over to see her re-designed home. Yes! Once again, the rest is history!
I freelanced under the name, "Display & Design" to get my feet wet, while I took a retail management position in the fashion industry, eventually moving over to work for The Bay department store, as their 'visual presentation specialist', in charge of store merchandising, and window display.
I worked my freelance business on weekends and nights, doing still photography styling for stock photography with photographer, Tony Hurely, and I also decorated Christmas parties, trade show booths for consumer product displays, to exclusive flower designs for weddings, to landing a 2-year contract with a modeling agency,
and then turning around and becoming a petite model myself. This training led me to teach modeling and design fashion shows in runway and tearoom shows.
Bluffed My Way To Fame
One job I was called on was located at the Bay Shore Marina, in Vancouver, B.C. The client wanted to sell their boat and asked if I could make it look pretty. At the same time, I had just restyled our home for resale, and magically it sold on the first showing.
The realtor asked if I did home staging for a living, A shock wave went through me. I bluffed and said, "Yes, but I ran out of business cards." He gave me his card and told me to meet him at his office in a week and he would refer me lots of work. I went along with it. Every once in awhile a bluff is okay, if it means opportunity is knocking! I then collapsed, Display & Design, and THE SPACE STAGER was born.
I had no idea what I was doing! I just put on my bold hat, and had faith in my design ability, I knew I could do it. The realtor wasn't bluffing, I became so busy, two years later I ended up on the front page of West Coast Homes and other newspapers.
I enjoyed my newspaper fame, while it lasted, However, unexpectedly, adversity would come knocking at my door. Life would never be the same.
Adversity Hits Hard
Around this time, my sibling and I had been losing family members, left and right, to cancer; mostly through our late 20's to late 3o's. It was the combination of my stepfather passing, and then two years later, my mother passed to cancer, a day before her 59th birthday, when something felt suspicious. Why did my family all die of the same disease, yet in different organs? A majority of my family were around the 60-age-bracket.
I drove eight hours in a blizzard-of-a-storm, arriving at 10:pm, at the Williams Lake, hospital. I was shaking profusely, as I asked to see my mother. The administration so no it was too late, but an angel overheard our conversation and came over and grabbed me by the arm, and took me to a room. Five minutes later my mother was rolled into the room, I was given an hour to be with her. Little did I know this angle was the person who was with mom, when she passed.
Mom was 95lbs, with a hole in her neck from smoking too much. I was horrified to think of what type of pain she was carrying to do this to herself. I sat quietly and held her hand. As the room became calm, I remised about our life together. It was the most beautiful experience. She was now with her siblings and no more pain.
As I left the hospital that day, I took a deep dive into the lifestyle history of our family generations. Smokers, drinkers, fast food. processed-boxed and canned food, hair dye, plastics, and floor to ceiling toxic chemicals, were prominent; the same thing I was witnessing in my clients homes. Not to mention, my family was very talented. Yet, there was a lot of self-sabotage going on. Sadly, many of my family died with their music still in them.
Meeting My Life Purpose
At 38 years old, and already, 11 family members lost to cancer, this was the kick start that became my life-long-purpose. I have never looked back. My mission was to learn all I could about one's life purpose, and how to live a healthy lifestyle, and then marry the two, to not only help myself, but also help my clients live healthy.
I wasted no time in getting rid of all the toxic chemicals in my home, all my sundry items, and the junk food in my fridge. Step by step, as I routinely built my healthy habits towards living a natural lifestyle, wise teachers appeared out of the wood-work, to help me advance my knowledge. All synchronistic encounters.
One example. Attending a health seminar, I was unaware that I had sat myself down beside the editor of Alive Magazine. (Alive Magazine was the first Canadian pioneer, preventative health magazine). This chance meeting, led to writing for Alive magazine and several other health magazines, and a writing career, hobby.
I furthered my training and became a Holistic Nutritionist, Feng Shui Interior Designer, and a Numerologist. Years later, I would became a published book author, and founded Easterbrook Publications.
Adversity Hits Again-Full Throttle
I was feeling on top of the world, and then out of nowhere, life throws another curveball. Adversity hit full throttle, this time.
Over these last eight years, I lost my husband, my father, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, and my bestie, friend, all to cancer.
Although death is one of the hardest adversities, any person can go through, not to mention the effects that it can have on our spirit, health, mind, and body, there are always gifts and blessings that arise out of these, tragic, life circumstances. Grief doesn't always have to look like death. Grief can take many forms; through the loss of a divorce, the loss of a job, the loss of a friendship, a breakup, even the loss of a pet, or selling one's home.
At some point though, we have to enter back into life, and go after our dreams and happiness, or find a new purpose for living. Our loved ones and friends would want that. Although I stepped away from life for some time, even rented a cottage along the way, so I could grieve and start this book, the hardest part of losing more of my family members and bestie, is, I lost myself in the process. I had to learn to reinvent myself in a brand new way. Strength within myself, I never knew I had, was the key to my healing.
Rebirth, Reinvent, Rebrand
At 66, now in the prime of my life, I made a bold reinvention and moved to a new town, to start a brand new life, with a fresh new landscape by the ocean. Next, was a rebrand of my business name to Kim Louise Life Design, to bring all my tools under one hat, and lastly, a rebirth, was in store, as the old me had left the building, and a new me was blossoming. This time around, I had much more wisdom, life experience and compassion for the human spirit to be of greater service to
my current and future clients.
There is a saying that resembles what I do. "You cannot put a forest fire out with just one hose, you have to come at the fire from all angles."
I look at all parts of the whole of your life, using my three step process, PURPOSE, SPACE & WELL-BEING.
As your Lifestyle Designer, Consultant, and Coach, I am here to help you Design Your Best Life! so you can Live Your Best You!
Book a strategy call with me below, and lets have a chat about your needs and where you are at in your life. I look forward to meeting and chatting with you soon!
Warmly, Kim Louise
