Kimberly Hall & Sole Inspired are names you won’t soon forget. Through Kimberly’s pain and perseverance, you’ll know why we had to have her on the show. Kimberly makes her greeting card debut at Omega Sports Show in Greensboro. Her company, Sole Inspired Inc, was birthed in adversity, and with this brand, her goal is to inspire, heighten perseverance, and help people break over to the other side where their potential lies.
Get to know Kimberly Hall
Kimberly held a corporate job most of her adult life. She was the director of sales for a company that sold doors. While the top salesperson for the company, she resigned. Losing both of her parents in 2016 sparked the question of if I were to leave this world today, would I have any regrets? And the answer was yes. So she took a leap of faith and became an entrepreneur.
Harkening back to her running, she started the sport in 2008-2009, right when her son was off to college. After almost two decades of committing to raising her son, she finally was able to take a step back and do something for herself that made her happy. Before we dive into the road that led her to Sole Inspired, it’s imperative to note where Kimberly was at that stage of her life. In 2001 Kimberly tragically lost her Navy pilot husband in an airplane crash. Through this tough transition in life, she began scrapbooking, using this as a way to remember the story of her husband through paper.
Fast forward to her son leaving for college, Kimberly found herself at the YMCA, where she spotted someone wearing a Tri It for Life shirt. Tri It for Life is an organization that helps women train for triathlons. Having never played any form of sports before, Kimberly felt intimidated and self-conscious, but as they say, life begins where your comfort zone ends. She reached out and began training for her first triathlon, which was a combination of swim, bike, and a 2-mile super sprint. Unbeknownst to her, the running portion would become her favorite part!
Needless to say, running is her thing, not just for the physical aspect but for the emotional side as well. Running for Kimberly became a means for escape, a chance to be alone with her thoughts. But running also served as a challenge. From the very beginning, she started setting goals for herself, the most prominent one being running 50 marathons by the time she turns 50, giving her exactly 10 years to complete. Admittedly, the chief inspirer herself confessed that this challenge was daunting at first. She began doing a couple a year, to 3-4, and then graduating to run-cations—her 50th marathon taking place in Paris, France!
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Sole Inspired
Sole Inspired is an inspirational brand that came to be out of adversity with words of encouragement being a focal point. Living in a world where social media runs our lives, it’s easy to let yourself become engulfed in other people’s “perfect” lives. We watch other people thrive without taking into account the hours of labor it took for them to get there. As Kimberly states “everyone’s journey is different”, she emphasizes focusing on what you are doing and celebrating wins along the way, big or small. When you cannot find inspiration within yourself, find it within others. For Kimberly, she was able to find motivation with her fellow runners. People are looking at your progress and they cheer you on from the sidelines, whether you notice it or not.
This is the message Sole Inspired wants to make, and her greeting cards represent just that. Greeting cards are a way to show someone you care but Sole Inspired goes one step further. They help celebrate important moments in your life like completing your first 5k or even just taking that first step into an active lifestyle.
Honor and Remember
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Honor and Remember Run for the Fallen is a run that recognizes over 20 years of fallen soldiers. With every mile ran, the runners stop and call out the fallen hero’s name. This is meaningful to Kimberly because it gave her an opportunity to recognize her husband. When Kimberly recovers from her surgery, she plans to participate in more runs. In the meantime, she donates a proceed from her patriotic cards to the organization.
What’s next for Sole Inspired & founder Kimberly Hall?
Kimberly Hall is pleased to continue her partnership with Omega Sports and will have her cards available in more locations. Right now, you can visit the Greensboro location or order directly from Kimberly on her website.
To get in contact with Kimberly, you can reach her through her website or Instagram.
Want to learn more about Kimberly? Listen to her interview on The Women’s Only Podcast with host, Cleo Faucette.
