Kylie Harris shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kylie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
The days look the same most days right now. It starts with waking up around 6:30 a.m., followed by my workout for the day. Sometimes it is mat or reformer Pilates, or some days it’s strength training. I try to listen to what my body is craving. After my workout, I will come home, clean my room, and get ready for the day before logging onto work. Around 9:30 a.m., I’ll make my breakfast – eggs and fruit of sorts – along with my coffee. I’ll work the rest of the day. Then after work I’ll go for a walk or grab dinner with friends, followed by Love Island, of course. Around 9:00 p.m., I’ll start to wind down. Put on slow music, do my skin care routine, get my book out, and try to decompress. The next day, I do it all over again.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kylie Harris, and I’m 26 years old. I’m originally from Georgetown, Texas, right outside of Austin, where I was born and raised. I have two younger brothers that I’m very close with, as well as a large extended family who mean a lot to me.
After graduating from Texas A&M, I wanted to do something different, so I moved to Dallas in the winter of 2022. At first, I struggled to make friends and find a sense of community. I’d always had that growing up, so not having it for the first time was challenging.
Through that experience, I ended up creating a women’s group formerly known as the Dallas Hot Girl Walking Club. We would meet for walks on the Katy Trail, host social events, and attend sporting games together. It was incredibly rewarding—not only to meet new friends but also to help bring women across Dallas together.
What made it so unique was that it was truly the first of its kind. Now, if you look around, there are social groups everywhere—but back in 2022, there were maybe only one or two other free groups where people could get together and meet. This was really something new: a way to bring women together at no cost, whether it was going for walks on the Katy Trail or meeting up for happy hours where you didn’t even have to buy anything if you didn’t want to. You could just show up.
It felt innovative and fun, and I’m proud of myself for making it happen. Moving here without knowing anyone or having any connections, but still putting myself out there, growing this community, and ultimately helping bring women together—that’s something I’m truly proud of.
Recently, I decided to pause the group, events, and walks to figure out what my next chapter looks like. I know that I truly love bringing people together, planning events, and creating moments that make people happy. So, I’m taking this summer to explore what that could look like moving forward.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
There’s a pivotal moment in my life that really shaped who I am and the beliefs I hold today. When I was eight years old and my youngest brother was just one, he had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency heart transplant. The transplant itself was successful—he’s had that heart for almost 20 years now—but while he was waiting for it, something tragic happened.
At the time, hospital policy required parents to leave during shift change, and during that window, all the nurses were down the hall at a Valentine’s Day party. My brother’s oxygen tubes accidentally came out, and no one noticed until it was too late. It was actually the janitor who came in and alerted the staff that my brother had flatlined. As a result, he went without oxygen for about 10 minutes, which caused a traumatic brain injury and left him forever changed from the child he was when he went in.
Because this happened when I was so young—and because it showed me just how quickly life can change or be taken away—it’s shaped how I live my life. I don’t stress too much about things or get upset over small stuff, because ultimately tomorrow isn’t promised. My family could have spent years playing the blame game and thinking about what could have been, but none of that would change what happened or how our lives were impacted.
Instead, it taught me the importance of staying positive and focusing on what you can control. It’s not necessarily about what happens to you, but how you choose to respond and who you become on the other side. That belief has truly carried me through life and shaped the way I see and experience the world.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
As I mentioned before, my brother’s accident has definitely been the biggest wound in my life. I think it’s a wound that will never completely heal, but it’s something I work on every single day. Through a lot of therapy as a child and the constant support of my family, I’ve been able to find ways to cope and keep moving forward.
That same year, my grandpa—who was truly a pillar of our family—tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident. So in a very short period, my family faced a lot of sudden change, loss, and grief. As an eight-year-old, it was incredibly hard to comprehend everything that was happening. But being allowed to feel and process my emotions openly, and having honest conversations with my family about how these moments changed and impacted our lives, helped me begin to heal.
These experiences, as tragic as they were, have shaped me into the strong, resilient woman I am today and that people know me to be. One thing I’ve really learned from all of this is that everyone will face hard things in life—and it’s so important to show up for others, ask questions, and truly listen. Everyone has a story to tell; you just have to care enough to ask and be there for them when they share it.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
If you asked any one of my friends what matters most to me, they would all say family. They tease me about it because, anytime I’m with them, someone from my family is usually calling, FaceTiming, or sending photos—and our family group chat is always going off. They always laugh and say, “Why don’t you guys just text?” But for us, it’s just natural: we’re always calling, always checking in, always staying connected.
Family truly is the most important thing in my life. I feel so lucky to have grown up with family living just down the street or, at most, only a few hours away. My cousins are more like siblings to me than cousins, and that closeness shows in everything I do—from my trips home and family vacations to the way I would do absolutely anything to protect them.
Family means everything to me. We’ll always be there for each other, and I know they’ll always be there for me. Anyone who knows me knows just how true that is.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that when I’m gone, the stories people tell about me will be about how kind I was, how great of a friend I was, how loyal I was, and how I always stayed true to myself—never changing for anyone or anything. I hope people talk about my zest for life and my deep empathy for others. I hope they remember that I wasn’t afraid to try new things, take chances, or put myself out there—and that I wasn’t afraid to fail.
I hope people laugh remembering how much I loved singing along to Taylor Swift, dancing to George Strait in the kitchen, or listening to Frank Sinatra while I cleaned. I hope they smile thinking about how much I adored my favorite foods—rainbow Skittles, popcorn, and fried chicken with honey, because sweet and salty really is the best combo.
Most of all, I hope people talk about how deeply I loved my family and my friends, because that was truly at the heart of my life. And in the end, I hope they say I was a great daughter, sister, and friend who truly lived life to the fullest.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: kylieharris17
