In today’s blog post, we share an interview with Kelsey Neff, a writer, activist, entrepreneur and former employee at Cap Floats.
How did you find Cap Floats? What do you love about it?:
I love SO many things about Cap Floats! The community, the leadership, the innovation and focus on providing high quality services are a few that come to mind.
I have been a part of the community since 2021, when I actually started working there part time on the weekends as a way to destress from my super toxic 9-5. I had floated once before with my mom so I was on the mailing list and saw that they were hiring for weekend help. I applied, and was so happy when I got the job!
From my very first interaction with the leadership team I knew I wanted to be a part of the team. After just a few months of working there and floating regularly, I quit my toxic 9-5, started a consulting business (while still working a few shifts a week at Cap Floats) and began a long process of healing and working towards body/mind health.
What benefits have you seen from floating?:
I always say that floating and Cap Floats literally changed my life. I started there with serious burnout. Every level of who I was was on thin ice and constantly nearing break down, I was unhealthy and disconnected.
Cap Floats was transformational in so many ways. Getting the opportunity to work there helped heal my work trauma as I got to connect with an amazing team of humans led by kind, genuine leaders. Through their amazing commitment to ensuring employee wellness, I got to use all the amazing services and felt my physical body start to unwind for the first time in a decade.
It was as if every time I stepped into the sauna or the tank I could feel years of stress and tension leaving my body. I started sleeping better, eating better and being more conscious of what I consumed.
My creativity returned after years of being in survival mode and I felt my heart soften as I released trauma in the tank. I started writing again, was consistently inspired with business ideas, and developed a practice of manifesting in the tank. These practices somehow returned me to myself, but also leveled me up to the person I wanted to be. The quote about “rising tides raise all ships” sums up my experience at Cap Floats; it changed me on every level.
You have recently written a book, and have shared that you came up with the idea for it in the Cap Floats somadome. Can you tell us a little more about what happened? How did that environment support your creativity?:
We were fortunate as staff at Cap Floats to get to do a Trifecta (somadome, sauna, float) every week and I was religious about it. It became my favorite part of my week and I was starting to see so many benefits of the practice.
As I was growing my business I began to get so inspired during floats and somadome sessions of what to do, how to promote it and got really clear about what I wanted my message to be. I started the company to help leaders lead more effectively and teams work together more efficiently, and was posting content regularly on social media to get the message out.
I went into my somadome session that day a little preoccupied because I had posted a video about leadership training that went viral and so many people were commenting talking about how they didn’t have resources or support as a new manager. I sat down in the somadome with my mind elsewhere but after a few minutes was able to turn it off and focus on the session (love the somadome for that effect!)
My favorite track was always Manifest, I rarely listened to anything else. After a few minutes of a quiet mind, I felt something fall into my brain. It was “52 Weeks of Impact: A Guidebook for Your First Year of Leadership,” which turned out to be the title of the book. I had never thought about writing a book before then, but in that moment there was just no question that this was the way forward. The somadome is always good for me in that way – you enter with problems and questions and leave with answers.
Give us a quick intro to your book. Who's it for? What's it about?:
52 Weeks is designed to help first time managers and new leaders navigate their first year in leadership. I have been in the leadership game for over ten years so it’s a culmination of everything I have learned to this point – either through mentors, experts in the field, my own experiences or observing the experiences of others. It’s a mix of stories combined with practical advice for application. There are also guided prompts so the reader can document their own experiences in that first year. I like to say it’s both your compass and your creation – the goal being at the end of the year readers will be able to look back and reflect on growth and progress.
What are you most excited about with your book launch?:
I am excited for it to find its audience. One of my mentors had commented that there is a huge lack of practical leadership resources – especially for new managers. I really struggled my first few years in leadership and this book is what I wish I had to help me see it through. I hope it helps someone that feels lost or unseen.
What do you want others to know about Cap Floats? Any recommendations for newcomers?:
Go all in on yourself. We always have reasons why not to do it - cost, time, etc. But the longer we ignore and put our needs last the longer it takes for us to be able to self regulate. Capitol Floats is an amazing place of healing and community and will provide you with the answers you need. Even if it’s only every few months, prioritize yourself and your healing. If you’re a newcomer I would say go slow and give it time. Often people will try floating once, decide it’s not for them and then move onto the next. Floating can be a process of revealing you to yourself and peeling back the layers, so give it some time for that to happen. Self care is not selfish, and “Recognize Your Potential” is SO much more than a tagline – for me it was a reality.
Anything else you want to share?:
If anyone wants to order 52 Weeks of Impact the preorder for the eBook is HERE, or the paperback will be released March 19th, best way to find it is to add me on socials and I’ll have the purchase link live ASAP!
All the love to the Cap Floats team and community :)
More about Kelsey:
Kelsey Neff is a writer, activist, entrepreneur and lover of all the weird and wonderful
complexities of humanity. She founded By Design Consulting in 2020 in response to the high need for leadership support and workforce development. She improves company culture by focusing on two components: systems and people. By dismantling barriers on individual and organizational levels she enhances policies and professional relationships. She believes that excellence happens when you focus on both a big picture vision AND the daily operations to make it reality. As an experienced trainer she has presented at state, national and international conferences and believes in the power of awareness to ignite change, build capacity and create community. Her 10 year career in nonprofits has created a foundation in strategic planning, assessment and evaluation, grant writing, professional development and community organizing. Recently she achieved a life milestone of traveling to 30 countries by the time she turned 30, now she is actively working on 50 by 50. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
