20 Under 40: Kelly Carden
Kelly Carden – BUSINESS
Age: 32
Business: Cryo1One
High School:
College: Boston University
Community Involvement: Paws in the City
When Kelly Carden left her corporate job to start her own cryotherapy business, the dubbed “cold therapy” was relatively an unknown way to fight inflammation.
At the time, there were only 30 therapy stations in the whole country.
Now, three years later, the Preston Hollow resident is about to open her third spa in north Dallas.
The 32-year-old is the owner of Cryo1one, located in the Preston Royal Village shopping center.
There is also a Cryo1one on Cedar Springs Road in Dallas, and a soon-to-be location at The Shops at Legacy in Plano.
Multiple centers were necessary after the benefits of cryotherapy spread like wildfire, Carden said.
“Starting Cryo1one three years ago and seeing it expand to more locations is by far my proudest moment,” she said. “I absolutely love seeing all of the people we have helped with chronic pain and inflammation through the business. I also enjoy seeing the culture and Cryo1one community we have created, which sets our business apart from our competitors.”
Cryotherapy originated in Japan as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in the late 1970s and was popular in Europe for decades before its demand in the United States.
Carden said she’s seen near-immediate improvement in some patient’s ailments after as little as one treatment.
“I’ve had people come up to me after their very first session, and they can’t believe how much better they feel already,” she said.
While in the sauna, temperatures can drop to as low as -202 degrees, Carden said she hasn’t tried that level.
“I’m good with the [first level], the -167 degrees,” she said. “I’ve been doing cryotherapy for three years and I still can’t do -202.”
Besides cryotherapy, Carden is also passionate about helping animals.
She adopted her dog, Bella, ten years ago, and has volunteered at Artists for Animals and Operation Kindness.
Carden and Bella are nearly inseparable, with the dog often visiting the Preston Hollow location – to the delight of the customers.
Carden has also created a company called Fixin’ To Save, which offers free spaying and neutering to pets of low-income families.
“We have prevented over 1 million unwanted births in Dallas-Fort Worth, which has greatly improved the animal overpopulation epidemic that this area experiences,” she said.
Whether it’s helping animals or improving the lives of people through cryotherapy, Carden has called Preston Hollow home for her endeavors – even though she lives in Dallas.
“While Dallas is my city, Preston Hollow for sure is my home,” she said.
“I have met the most interesting and nice people the last three years owning a business at Preston Royal.
“Everyone is so supportive of Cryo1one and is genuinely excited for the businesses success. Although it may be a big neighborhood, it feels very well connected.”
What is the best advice you received when beginning your career? Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success. In today’s culture, I think we expect instant gratification, but I believe anything that is truly worth having is earned through hard work.
What is your business philosophy? If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers and business the way you would. Being yourself and having fun at your business is not only contagious for employees but customers as well. While we may be selling a service of cryotherapy, I really believe we are more so selling an experience – passionate, fun-loving and over-the-top customer service focused.
What inspires you? I absolutely love being a connector and networker in life. I love bringing people together for different purposes or goals that might not otherwise met. My mantra that I live by is Inspire others with your passion. I enjoy being passionate about the Preston Hollow community, Cryo1one and animal rescue and sharing and inspiring others.
If you could tell 16-year-old you anything, what would you say? At 16, I was always in a hurry for the next steps in life. I would remind myself at 16 to be present and truly enjoy the moment – enjoy the people and experiences at the time.
What is your proudest career accomplishment? Starting Cryo1one three years and seeing it expand to more locations is by far my proudest moment. I absolutely love seeing all of the people we have helped with chronic pain and inflammation through the business. I enjoy seeing the culture and Cryo1one community we have created, which sets our business apart from our competitors.
What did you learn from your best boss or mentor? The people that I respect the most that I have worked for were always very hands on. They lead by example, and they never asked me to do anything that they weren’t willing to do themselves. I also try to lead by working hand-in-hand with our employees to create a successful team atmosphere.
What was your first summer job? Working at a preschool and babysitting for over 50 DC families.
What do you love about your community? While Dallas is my city, Preston Hollow for sure is my home. I have met the most interesting and nice people the last three years owning a business at Preston Royal. Everyone is so supportive of Cryo1one and is genuinely excited for the business success. Although it may be a big neighborhood, it feels very well connected. My favorite is when people see others at Cryo1one that they haven’t seen in forever – I love that connectivity of the community.
Where is the best place for a business power lunch in Park Cities or Preston Hollow? TJ’s in Preston Royal. I love supporting my fellow business owners who equally care about custome service and quality like I do.
What is your fondest Park Cities or Preston Hollow memory? Bringing puppy yoga to Dallas and being able to see over 200 Park Cities/ Preston Hollow residents come together for such a worth cause.
Where will we find you enjoying your hard-earned time off? On a beach – anywhere. I love everything about the beach culture and small towns – so different than my life in Dallas. Living in Dallas, I appreciate the water even more when I can escape from work.
What do you want your last meal to be? Greek food – gyros, greek salad
What is your favorite color? Blue
What fictional world or place would you like to visit? The Secret Garden (set in Kent, England)
If you could be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose? Million Dollar Listings – I have always been interested in real estate and would love to represent the high end properties on the show.
What would your superpower be? Flight – I love to travel and experience new places and it would take the least favorite part out of it.
