A wellness entrepreneur who swapped property development for yoga teaching has built a business that’s grown exponentially in 11 years – and says it’s transformed his own health along the way.
Nolan Lee was burnt out and disillusioned working in real estate development when the 2008 financial crisis hit.
With his industry collapsing and his motivation at rock bottom, the then-35-year-old decided to pursue something more meaningful.
He enrolled in yoga teacher training – and never looked back.
“I wanted to do something more meaningful and fulfilling in life and it was also the financial crisis of 2008,” said Nolan, now 46, from Chicago.
“My work in real estate didn’t have a good future at the time, I didn’t like it anyway and was burnt out.”
After qualifying as a yoga instructor, Nolan began teaching classes and quickly realised he’d found his calling.
“I loved the results and transformation that I saw in my students and wanted to do more with health and wellness,” he said.
That passion led him to launch Balanced Flow, a wellness business he describes as “like a high-end car tuning shop but for the human body.”
The company helps clients recover from pain and injury, then optimises their fitness and function to maximise their health.
Nolan built the business alongside a business partner, drawing on their network of contacts from the fitness industry.
“It’s all been word of mouth and referral,” he said.
“My partner and I had a network of people in the fitness industry from being yoga teachers and it all started there.”
But running a business hasn’t been without its challenges.
“Learning to hire and manage people” has been his biggest hurdle, Nolan admitted, adding that the experience has changed him both personally and professionally.
The business was gaining serious momentum just before Covid-19 hit in 2020.
“We were doing well and then Covid happened, but we turned it around and now we’re doing the best we ever have,” Nolan said.
Over 11 years, Balanced Flow has grown by 40 times compared to when it first started – but for Nolan, the biggest reward isn’t financial.
“As a result of the services we offer, I’m in the best shape of my life. I physically feel like I’m in my late 20’s and I’m 46 years old,” he said.
“I love seeing the lives we’ve changed giving people hope, excitement, happiness.
“I joke at times that we just created what we wanted to have for ourselves and then offered it to others.”
Looking ahead, Nolan has ambitious plans for Balanced Flow.
He’s positioning the business as “the medical gym – where medicine and technology redefine fitness” and wants to become a household name.
“Being known as the pioneers of the medical gym idea and to be a household name,” he said of his PR goals.
His long-term vision is for Balanced Flow to become a nationally recognised brand known for innovating how people achieve peak fitness.
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