Jenelle Kim – World Renowned Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Master Herbalist & Formulator, Author, Moving Meditation Teacher

Dr. Jenelle Kim, DACM, L.Ac., is a prolifically cited wellness expert that has been featured in Forbes, Allure, Meditation Magazine, Time, GMA, etc., and best-selling author. She is devoted to integrating the philosophy, ancient medical wisdom, and expertise of East Asia with the advancements of modern life and medicine of the West to touch and positively affect the lives of others.

Dr. Kim is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and is Nationally Board Certified in Herbology, Oriental Medicine, and Acupuncture. Dr. Kim completed extensive training in East Asia under some of the most respected doctors in the field of Oriental Medicine and is the custodian of her lineage’s proprietary Bi Bong® formulas.

Her book, Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation was published on January 11, 2022, by Watkins Publishing and distributed by Penguin Random House. Myung Sung is available globally in ten languages; Czech, Thai, Italian, Croatian, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Australia, New Zealand, and Serbian. 

With almost 20 years in the beauty and wellness industry, Dr. Kim has formulated some of the first all-natural luxury products carried in high-end spas across the world including Ritz Carlton, Four Season & Mandarin Oriental high-end retailers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus & Bergdorf Goodman, and in the natural marketplace in stores such as Whole Foods Market & Sprouts.

How did you start your career as a Master Herbalist? 

I am the 9th generation herbalist, practitioner of martial arts (Myung Sung Moving Meditation), and practitioner of the Tao in my lineage.  I am the first woman to hold this duty in my lineage, and the first to have the opportunity to share the principles of medicine, movement and meditation with so many around the world. 

I was born to do what I do.

I come from a long lineage of Traditional Oriental Medical doctors and herbalists, who have dedicated their lives to understanding the human mind, body and spirit in order to help us find tools to achieve our healthiest condition and most balanced life possible. 

Since I was 4 I learned the understanding of the human mind and body from my mentor. I simply started with secret formulas in my head and a huge wish to take these formulas into the world so that I could help as many people as possible with them.

After receiving my doctorate’s degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine after 6 years of studying post-graduate, I went on to study and practice both here in the US and abroad in East Asia.  While going to school I began developing high-end, all-natural products for the high-end spa industry.  It was at the age of 20 when I started building the first company that brought these secret herbal formulas to the world. 

I would wake up at 6am to formulate and develop innovating products and creating the brand that would bridge ancient wisdom of the east with the technologies and developments of the west in formulation, I would then go to school to study my medicine, treat patients in clinic and return around 9pm to continue working into the wee hours of the night.

Fast forward a few years… what started as a small few-person team in a laboratory in San Diego, has now grown into a team of 20+ employees, and the company is ranked in the top 1000 growth companies in the manufacturing sector based on Inc 5000’s rankings for two consecutive years. Growth has been organic and steady and JBK has grown in concert with its client base.

Its 50+ customers are carried on the shelves of Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods Market, Urban Outfitters, CVS, Kroger, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, multinational direct-selling companies, and other locations. The business model is unique in that the products produced by JBK’s contain natural proprietary herbal formulas, which have been handed down from generation-to-generation and are only available from JBK. Therefore, there is a built-in mechanism whereby JBK’s clients are able to have truly special products from everyone else on the market, and the products cannot be duplicated by other manufacturers.

Together with my husband – Craig Nandoo, we built a strong all-natural herbal manufacturing lab. After many years of hard work and breaking common molds that spanned all beauty/wellness industries, I now travel the world educating on herbal medicine, and I overlook our labs as we continue to create powerful products that include: skincare, body care, topicals, dietary supplements and pet products. 

When did you know that you could build a successful career doing what you are passionate about in the wellness industry?

For my entire life it has been my wish to make a difference in the world.  As an American born daughter of a Korean father and American mother, I learned from an early age the power behind centuries-old medicine and principles passed down from my mentors – the same principles that push me to continuously live a life of meaning, purpose, gratitude and giving.

 As my mentor taught me, it takes one match to light a thousand – one person truly can make a difference in this world.  I am fortunate in this lifetime to have the opportunity to share what I call the 3 M’s – Medicine, Meditation and Movement.  These 3 M’s are based on centuries old practices that have the power to truly improve our mental and physical condition. 

Although it has taken tireless efforts and non-stop work I always knew that as long as I was around other human beings the medicine, principles and movements would flourish, because they ultimately help all people to balance with anything that comes there way – health, relationships, work. I was correct in knowing this.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career?

I have so much more to achieve. However, 2022 marks the 10 year mark that my husband and I started JBK Wellness Labs, which is now an international company with labs in the US and in Europe. I could not be more grateful to be sharing the formulas that have been passed down in my lineage with so many people around the world and knowing that they are improving the lives of so many.  

In January 2022, I launched my debut book, Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation, with Watkins/Penguin Random House. In about 9 months, Myung Sung is now available globally in more than ten languages/countries: Czech, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Croatian, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Serbian, and in Australia and New Zealand. I cannot express how much it means to know that the principles of Living Meditation are spreading around the world with hopes to bring much positivity, balance and empowerment to as many people as possible.

I have begun sharing Myung Sung Moving Meditation, which are powerful movements (rooted in Qi Gong) passed down for centuries. These movements deeply affect the mind and body and help us to quickly achieve balance – mentally and physically – which enable us to relieve stress, gain mental clarity, improve energy, and ultimately enable us to take on anything that comes our way.  In just 3 months I have seen these movements benefit so many individuals in a 45 minute period.  Nothing is more rewarding. I recently returned from New York where I opened Diane Von Furstenberg’s Wellness Day with Myung Sung Moving Meditation. This was certainly a highlight in my career.

What were some of the challenges you had to overcome in building a successful brand? 

Sharing the 3 M’s is not any easy endeavor. For example, I was frequently told that no one would be interested in all-natural herbal formulations, no one would understand the beauty secrets of the East (interesting seeing that Korean Beauty is now the most renowned in the world 🙂); I was also told that it would be very hard to get the attention of a traditional publisher (I launched my debut book with Watkins/Penguin Random House in January 2022).  To these people I am grateful, because I have had to break through many barriers and I have had to earn the responsibility of being the first woman to ever have the honor of guarding my lineage’s secret formulas and principles of Living Meditation, which had never before been shared on such a large scale. 

What would you say has been the keys to your success?

Gratitude, hard work, faith, perseverance, and my wish to leave positivity and light behind for my boys and all those in the generations to come.

What advice would you give to other women who have creative talents and passion yet are afraid to step out and build a career around it? 

Life is short.  There is no time like right now to share your talents and passion with the world. 

People are looking for what you have to give. Do not be afraid, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

It is vital to have a clear direction, but it is also necessary to move with the Tao, because the one constant in this life is change. As an entrepreneur, if you can move with the changes and opportunities of life, you will achieve success.

I believe that one of the most important skills is to have the ability to balance situations vs trying to force them or back away from them. Knowing when to be hard and when to be flexible (this is Key 8 of Myung Sung Living Meditation), because often being flexible can be equally powerful, if not more powerful.

The top 3 principles I follow are:

1. Set your mind/intention and commit to your goal
2. Plug into the Tao (balance with the situations that you find yourself in and manifest the situations that you wish to happen)
3. Have Gratitude

Work tirelessly but be productive and have faith in the universe (regardless of what religion or belief system you follow).  There is only so much in our control. 

We love your book Myung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation. Can you share why it was important to get this book out into the world? 

“It only takes one match to light one thousand.”  This means that one person who chooses to bring goodness to the world can influence one thousand. My wish is that Myung Sung Living Meditation brings light and positivity to as many people around the world as possible.  It is needed now. 

I wish for all who resonate with these principles to be able to utilize the 8 Keys of Living Meditation as tools to help balance anything that comes their way.  Throughout the centuries, these tools have empowered all who come to know them by giving them the strength and practical methods to see themselves and the situations around them clearly.  

In short, imagine if all your struggles in life–in work, marriage, parenting, health, and more– could become less difficult. What if you could achieve a new level of awareness that allowed you to see yourself, others, and your path in life more clearly? What if you could change your habits so that every day you’re investing in your own longevity, happiness, and optimal health? While it may sound too good to be true, and it certainly won’t happen overnight, this is what Myung Sung Living Meditation teaches.

It is a lifestyle practice and mindset that originated with East Asian philosophers and is rooted in the teachings of the Tao, or the way of the universe. It has been passed down for centuries, helping people learn how to place themselves beyond the persisting negative influences in life, such as stress and conflict, to connect with the limitless reserves of natural energy that exist around us.

My hope is that regardless of our differences and challenges in life, we remember that we are all human.

So, instead of focusing on the differences, focus on the similarities – on what brings us all together as one humankind.  There is nothing more powerful than connectedness from a place of good.