How Positive Words Change Everything w/ Kimberly Wilkerson | Ep 08

Kimberly Wilkerson shares how setbacks, faith, communication, and mindset shaped her journey from speech-language pathologist to founder of Token Clothing Company. This episode explores resilience, affirmations, and the powerful connection between words, leadership, and hope.

In this episode of The Success Blueprint Podcast, Jason Grider and Morgan Peterson sit down with Kimberly Wilkerson — former Miss Wyoming, speech-language pathologist, and founder of Token Clothing Company — for a conversation about failure, resilience, communication, and the power of words.

Kimberly’s story is especially compelling because it blends two very different worlds into one mission. On one side, she brings years of training in speech and language, along with a deep understanding of how words shape the way we think, feel, and respond. On the other side, she brings creativity, fashion, and entrepreneurship through Token’s story and mission, which centers on helping women grow in confidence and self-worth. What makes this episode so memorable is the way those two worlds come together through practical encouragement and real-life experience.

One of the biggest themes in this conversation is the idea of failing forward. Kimberly is honest about the reality that success rarely looks polished from the inside. She shares how some of the earliest setbacks in launching her pajama line became some of her most valuable lessons in ownership, leadership, and communication. Instead of only blaming manufacturers or production partners, she reflects on what she could have communicated more clearly and how a better response in difficult moments protects relationships and strengthens a business over the long term. That mindset makes this episode especially valuable for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone building something meaningful.

The conversation also goes deeper than business. Kimberly explains how language affects not only mindset, but also the body and nervous system. She talks about the difference between negative and positive language, the impact of repeated self-talk, and how intentional “I am” statements can help reshape inner patterns over time. Her perspective as a speech-language pathologist gives the episode a different kind of depth, and it naturally connects back to her product line at Pajamas with Purpose, where affirmations are designed to be seen, spoken, and felt.

Another powerful part of the episode is Kimberly’s focus on women, encouragement, and hope. She shares that Token was never meant to be just another fashion brand. It was designed to be a tool that uplifts women and gives them something tangible that supports healthier self-talk and greater confidence. That vision extends into Token’s Pay It Forward With Pajamas initiative, which supports women connected to Refuge for Women, a ministry serving women recovering from trafficking and exploitation. That part of the conversation shows how purpose can become more powerful when it is connected to service.

For anyone listening who is working through setbacks, rethinking their inner dialogue, or trying to build something that matters, this episode offers both encouragement and practical takeaways. It is about fashion, but it is also about faith, ownership, gratitude, leadership, and the daily work of becoming more intentional with what we say to ourselves and to others. If you want more conversations like this one, you can explore more episodes on The Success Blueprint Podcast page, and if you want to stay connected with the Grider & Peterson team, you can reach out here or learn more about joining the team.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• Kimberly Wilkerson’s journey from Miss Wyoming to speech-language pathologist and entrepreneur
• Why failure is often the foundation of meaningful success
• Lessons learned from early production mistakes with Token Clothing Company
• How communication and ownership affect leadership
• The role of faith and perspective in entrepreneurship
• How positive and negative language affect the mind and body
• Why Kimberly merged affirmations with fashion
• The story behind putting affirmations on the inside of pajamas
• The impact of repeated self-talk and “thought worms”
• Journaling, gratitude, prayer, and daily mindset practices
• How “I am” statements can help build resilience and confidence
• Token’s pay-it-forward mission supporting women in recovery

Transcript

Chapter 1: Intro: Meet Kimberly Wilkerson on The Success Blueprint

Jason: Welcome back to the podcast. This is The Success Blueprint, and we’re here with my partner Morgan Peterson and Kimberly Wilkerson. Welcome to our podcast.

Kimberly: Thank you. It’s great to be here.

Jason: We’re excited to hear from you. You’ve done so many things, from Miss Wyoming to being a speech pathologist, which is pretty amazing, and now a new chapter in your life is coming up. So we’re excited to hear what’s going on in your world.

Morgan: One of the reasons we wanted to do this podcast is because we wanted to learn from great people in our community who have so much to give. From your perspective and your background, what has gotten you to where you are now?

Chapter 2: From Miss Wyoming to Speech Pathologist

Kimberly: I’m going to start with what I see and what I’ve experienced, and that is a lot of failure. Isn’t that interesting? But it is what it is. I’ve realized that being successful at anything means failing along the way. I’ve heard that from incredibly successful entrepreneurs, athletes, and business people, and it has absolutely been my experience too.

Kimberly: I remember thinking at one point that if there were a trophy for failing, I would take it. I don’t mean that in a pessimistic way, but truly, in order to be successful, you have to keep going. You’re going to stumble, you’re going to fall, and you’re going to fail. The key is to fail forward. Keep moving, assess what happened, and try again.

Kimberly: You’re not going to become the best version of yourself, and you’re not going to create the best product or the best service, without failure being part of the process.

Morgan: Do you have a failure or two that really taught you the most or became a pivotal moment in your life?

Chapter 3: Why Failure Is the Foundation of Success

Kimberly: Yes. One of them had to do with communication, which is interesting because I’m a speech-language pathologist. One of the first products we launched with Token Clothing Company was a pajama line. The whole idea was to merge beautiful fashion with powerful language because I understand the neuroscience and positive psychology behind words.

Kimberly: We put affirmations on the inside of the pajamas instead of the outside, based on research I had been studying. The issue was that most mills and cut-and-sew factories are not used to that. If there’s a graphic, they expect it to be on the outside of the garment, not the inside.

Kimberly: Our mill was in California, and they did a great job overall, but they ended up checking the outside of the fabric for quality instead of the inside. Part of the fabric contained a small amount of spandex, and I learned that spandex can tear in ways I didn’t understand at the time. When the fabric got to the cut-and-sew factory in Blackfoot, Idaho, they called and said they were seeing all of these tears and problems in the material.

Kimberly: That was an expensive lesson because a lot of the fabric could not be used. On top of that, because the factory was also new to this concept, they ended up cutting some pajama sets upside down. There were a lot of mistakes.

Chapter 4: Token Clothing’s First Big Failure & Lessons Learned

Kimberly: At first glance, it would be easy to say it was their fault. And yes, part of it was. But it was also my fault. I realized that no matter how clearly I thought I was communicating, I needed more feedback and more repetition. I needed to make sure every detail was fully understood before moving forward.

Kimberly: The other thing I learned was about how I respond when something goes wrong. When there’s a lot of money on the line, it’s really easy to get frustrated and say, “How could you do that?” But I felt a strong nudge that I needed to make sure they understood how valuable they were to me and how much I appreciated them. I needed to go in with gratitude, not just frustration.

Kimberly: That experience taught me to take a breath, think long term, and remember that I’m dealing with real people. As a business owner and a leader, that matters. How I handle difficult moments affects relationships and outcomes far beyond the immediate problem.

Jason: So many people would blow up in that situation. Very few people stop and ask what role they played in the problem and what they can change so it doesn’t happen again. Have you always been like that?

Kimberly: No, not always. I do care deeply about people, but I’ve had to learn. Part of that growth comes from journaling, prayer, meditation, nutrition, and trying to keep my body and mind in a healthy place. I’m also a woman of faith, and I believe God is a business partner with me in what I do. In moments like that, I pause and ask for guidance.

Kimberly: My dad is also an entrepreneur, and I’ve watched how he interacts with people for years. He always said to me, “You can say anything. It’s the way that you say it.” That has stayed with me. You can be clear, direct, and even blunt, but the way you say it matters.

Morgan: That reminds me of the idea that people don’t care what you say until they know that you care.

Kimberly: Exactly. You have to lead with that care, compassion, and concern.

Chapter 5: Communication, Leadership & Taking Ownership

Jason: So how did speech-language pathology lead to a clothing company?

Kimberly: I actually wanted a fashion company before graduate school, even though that would have surprised anyone who knew me growing up. I was more of a tomboy, and if someone had told me at sixteen that I’d want a fashion company one day, I would have laughed.

Kimberly: But while I was in graduate school at the University of Wyoming, I found myself thinking about fashion constantly. I would even sketch design ideas in the margins of my notes. I knew speech pathology was still right for me, so I kept going, but I also started taking drawing lessons, studying fabric, texture, color, and reading about fashion design on the side.

Kimberly: Back around 2015 or 2016, I launched a graphic t-shirt company with a friend. It focused on Americana and military themes. That was a great introduction to business and online retail. We only had that company for a couple of years, but it gave me valuable experience.

Kimberly: Then, around 2020 and 2021, I had an opportunity to go to the U.S. Virgin Islands as a speech pathologist. I love the ocean, sunshine, snorkeling, and all of that, so it was very tempting. But at the same time, I felt a nudge that it was time to start this company. I realized both options were good, but they would send my life in very different directions.

Chapter 6: The Role of Faith & Perspective in Entrepreneurship

Kimberly: So I decided not to go to the Virgin Islands, and instead in June of 2021 we launched the LLC. Then COVID-related production costs sent everything up. Between prototyping and actual production, costs went up about sixty percent. That caused a lot of hesitation, but I remember my dad saying that sometimes you just have to look off the cliff and jump.

Kimberly: That became a defining moment for me. I decided to move forward anyway. I didn’t know exactly how it would all work, but I knew it was time.

Morgan: So it sounds like the dream was there from the beginning, even if the final version of it changed over time.

Kimberly: Exactly. I didn’t know twenty years ago that I would merge language and fashion. That came later. One day I was sitting in my office looking at all of my design sketches and notes, and I realized that so much of my creative process involved words. I doodled with positive words all the time. That’s when it hit me that I had all of this expertise in language, neuroscience, and positive psychology, and I didn’t see that being used in fashion.

Kimberly: I had always wanted fashion to be different for women. Historically, the fashion industry can be incredibly competitive and even demeaning at times. I wanted to turn that upside down and create something that actually edifies the mind and becomes a force for good.

Chapter 7: How Positive Language Shapes Mind & Body

Kimberly: As I developed the first pajama line, I started thinking about the research behind words and even water. There are scientists who studied how different words affected frozen water crystals. Positive words like love, gratitude, and peace created beautiful crystal patterns, while negative words created distorted patterns.

Kimberly: Our bodies are largely made of water, and that made me think even more deeply about what our words are doing to us. We know from neuroscience that how we speak to ourselves matters. So I thought, I want these affirmations on the inside of the pajamas. I want the words touching your skin. I want the woman wearing them to see them and speak them.

Kimberly: The tops are reversible, and they were designed so that the person wearing them can see every other line in the mirror while someone else in the room can also read every other line. The goal was not just self-edification, but also uplifting those around you.

Morgan: So the power of words goes beyond just mindset. It is chemical and physical too.

Kimberly: Exactly. Even a simple word like “no” can create an immediate physiological response in the body. Heart rate can rise, blood pressure can rise, and the brain responds. That can be useful in some situations, but when we are constantly inundated with negative words, whether from ourselves, media, or other people, it affects us over time.

Kimberly: Positive language has a different effect. It helps calm the system. It creates a better environment for our brains to function well and for our bodies to feel more regulated. That’s one reason why positive language matters so much.

Chapter 8: Starting Token Clothing: Fashion Meets Affirmations

Jason: I heard someone say that one reason we don’t get as many life-changing ideas anymore is because we’re never calm. We are always listening to something, scrolling, or distracting ourselves.

Kimberly: I love that. Positive language helps create stillness and peace, which gives space for creativity. Some of my best ideas have come while exercising, being outside, or doing something that lets my mind settle. That stillness matters.

Morgan: I’ve found the same thing. Sometimes I deliberately work out without headphones just so my mind can think.

Jason: And if you don’t let your mind process things, you can keep anxiety trapped in there instead of actually letting it move through and out.

Kimberly: That’s exactly why awareness matters. We have to become aware of what is drifting in and out of our minds.

Chapter 9: Why Affirmations Belong on the Inside of Pajamas

Kimberly: There was research out of Canada that talked about what they called “thought worms,” which are basically repeated thoughts or phrases moving through your conscious mind. One finding suggested that we may have around 6,200 thought worms per day, and that about 80 to 85 percent of them are negative. On top of that, many of those thoughts are repeated day after day.

Kimberly: That’s a problem, because if you have negative self-talk and you are repeating it constantly, you are reinforcing those pathways in your brain. And a lot of us let those thoughts drift in and out without ever evaluating them.

Kimberly: One practical thing I’ve done is write down every first-person thought I have over the course of a couple of days — thoughts that start with “I am,” “I’m,” or anything tied directly to how I see myself. Then I go back through them, cross out the negative ones, and rewrite them in a positive way.

Kimberly: So if I write, “I’m ugly,” I cross it out and replace it with, “I am beautiful. I am worthy. I am loved.” Then I type those into a document, record them with music behind them, and listen to them daily. It’s a way of priming my mind with intentional truth.

Chapter 10: The Power of Words: Science, Water & Human Connection

Kimberly: That kind of practice helps because even if I know all of this intellectually, I still need systems and habits that support me when life gets hard. We brush our teeth and shower every day to take care of our bodies. What are we doing every day to care for our minds?

Morgan: So this has become a daily lifestyle for you.

Kimberly: Yes, intentionally. Some days I feel stronger than others, but I’m always trying to bring positive “I am” statements into my day. I put them on my mirror. I say them while doing other daily habits. Sometimes I visualize them too, because visualization also plays a role in helping create stronger outcomes.

Jason: We did a training recently where we had to visualize an obstacle in detail and then throw it away. It was amazing how powerful that felt.

Kimberly: Exactly. That release matters. And when we become more aware of the negative thoughts we carry, we can begin to refashion them. I like that word better than “reframe.” We can refashion language for good.

Chapter 11: Daily Mindset Practices: Journaling, Gratitude & Prayer

Morgan: Do you teach courses on this, or is this just something that has helped you personally?

Kimberly: Right now I mostly share it through podcasts, presentations, and conversations because it connects so directly to Token Clothing Company and why I’m doing this work. The clothing is one piece of it, but the bigger purpose is helping women transform their mindset.

Kimberly: I want to edify women because when we edify women, we edify the world. I understand the influence of women who are trying to do good, and I want to give them tools, strategies, and products that help them think differently and then help others think differently too.

Morgan: That’s incredible. It really feels like you’ve combined the two major passions of your life into one mission.

Chapter 12: Negative “Thought Worms” & Reframing Self-Talk

Jason: Tell us about the pay-it-forward program within Token Clothing.

Kimberly: I always knew I wanted a philanthropic arm with this company. So I started asking myself who would need these words and these products the most. Eventually I reached out to organizations that serve women who have been trafficked, and I came across Refuge for Women.

Kimberly: As I spoke with them, I knew this was the organization I wanted to partner with if they were willing. So now customers can go onto the website and gift a pair of pajamas to a woman in one of those programs. During checkout, they can also write a personal note of encouragement. Token Clothing then delivers both the pajamas and the message.

Kimberly: The names are kept private, and the women do not have to share their full stories. But they do share hopes and dreams, and that is remarkable to me. Even after what they have been through, they still have hope. That means a lot.

Morgan: That is amazing. How did you come up with the note idea?

Kimberly: Because language matters. I wanted there to be real connection, even within the limits of confidentiality. If we can’t create direct personal relationships, we can still send encouragement. That matters too.

Chapter 13: Using “I Am” Statements to Build Confidence & Resilience

Jason: When you think about highly successful people, how have you seen language change their mindset or perspective?

Kimberly: I think it comes back to response. Hard things are going to happen. Failure is going to happen. The question is what you are going to tell yourself next and how you are going to respond.

Kimberly: I’m getting ready to move out of state, and even that has brought plenty of stress and frustration. But I keep asking myself how I am going to respond, how I am going to show up with more faith, more hope, and more optimism. The hard stuff is going to happen no matter what. We get to choose our response.

Kimberly: We live in a world that is constantly feeding us negativity, criticism, and hopelessness. So we have to be intentional about rejecting that default and choosing a broader perspective filled with hope.

Morgan: That feels like the million-dollar question: how do you turn a pessimist into an optimist?

Kimberly: I understand that because I used to say I wasn’t negative, I was just realistic. But if I’m honest, that still leaned pessimistic. The shift started with awareness. A person has to decide they want to become aware of their patterns. Then once they notice them, they can start replacing those patterns with something better.

Kimberly: You replace the negative thought with a positive one and practice it until it becomes more familiar. You can do that through journaling, gratitude, prayer, recorded affirmations, habit stacking, and other intentional practices.

Chapter 14: Token’s Pay-It-Forward Program Supporting Women in Recovery

Jason: Hearing you say all of this makes me think about how often we casually joke or roast people without realizing what kind of thought patterns we might be feeding in them.

Kimberly: That’s such a good point. So maybe part of the challenge is not only becoming less negative, but also becoming more intentionally encouraging. What if we practiced saying more kind, uplifting, observant things to the people around us? What if we used our language to bring a little more light and love into ordinary moments?

Kimberly: Usually when we do that, it comes back to us. Encouragement tends to multiply.

Chapter 15: Final Thoughts: Failing Forward with Optimism & Hope

Morgan: This has definitely opened my mind to a lot of things I need to be more intentional about in my own life.

Kimberly: We all do. Even for someone like me who talks about this all the time, it is still a daily practice. The goal is just to keep getting a little better each day.

Jason: I definitely want to plug Token Clothing Company and encourage people to take a look. What a great cause and what a great mission.

Kimberly: Thank you.

Jason: Thank you so much for coming in.

Kimberly: You bet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main message of Kimberly Wilkerson’s episode on The Success Blueprint?

The biggest message is that success is rarely built without failure. Kimberly explains that setbacks are often the very thing that teach better leadership, stronger communication, deeper resilience, and more intentional self-talk. Her perspective is not about avoiding failure, but learning how to fail forward.

Why did Kimberly Wilkerson start Token Clothing Company?

Kimberly started Token Clothing Company as a way to merge her background in speech-language pathology with her long-standing interest in fashion. She wanted to create clothing that does more than look beautiful. She wanted it to help women build confidence and speak more positively to themselves through intentional affirmations and uplifting design.

How do positive words affect mindset according to this episode?

Kimberly explains that words do not just affect attitude in a vague way. Repeated language can shape thought patterns, influence emotional responses, and impact the way a person feels physically over time. That is why she emphasizes awareness, journaling, gratitude, prayer, and the daily use of positive “I am” statements.

What is Token Clothing Company’s pay-it-forward program?

Token’s Pay It Forward With Pajamas program allows customers to gift pajamas and a personal note of encouragement to women connected to Refuge for Women, an organization serving women recovering from trafficking and exploitation. Kimberly created the initiative to extend the company’s mission beyond fashion and into direct encouragement and hope.