Today we’d like to introduce you to Pauline Kim.
Hi Pauline, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m originally from New York with a background in accounting. I married into the military, and for over 13 years, I moved around the country every 1 to 3 years. I was in the Special Forces community, and life meant constantly starting over — building a new network, a new community, often struggling through what felt like a lonely, single-mom life.
In 2020, we were relocated to Okinawa, Japan. In 2023, I separated from my husband after realizing how lost I felt as an individual, as a woman, as a mom, and as a spouse. I took a huge, scary risk and decided to leave — leaving my kids behind to go back to New York and pursue my passion for fitness.
We often hear about men and dads leaving, and that seems to be more of the norm. But rarely do we hear about a mom leaving. I know my kids still don’t fully understand it, and I struggled with so much mom guilt and judgment from my own family. It was dark and lonely, and one of the most difficult times of my life. But the reason I left was to rebuild myself, and this life that had been shaped by my childhood, by expectations, by societal and cultural norms. I left so I could re-discover myself as an individual, as a woman, as Pauline. I left in hopes that one day I could have my kids back with me and provide for them, no matter my marital status or a paycheck from the military.
I gave myself two years to rebuild, with the goal of bringing my kids back to be with me for good by the summer of 2025.
Back in New York, I took a job as a personal trainer and quickly grew my network. I took on multiple coaching jobs and started building my online coaching business too. But knowing how expensive New York was — and after experiencing the world — I didn’t see myself raising my kids there. I looked to Texas. After a couple of trips to the north Dallas area, I pulled the trigger and decided to move to Frisco and bring my kids with me. I relocated them from overseas to Texas after 5 years of living in Okinawa.
I quickly fell into my current position as Program Manager at Gracie Barra Frisco because of my passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Strength training had always been my background, but Jiu Jitsu is where I found a lot of my healing and an outlet for my stress, especially during the days I was without my kids. I’m also rebuilding my personal training and coaching business from the ground up as I settle into my new home in Prosper/Celina. I opened a workout studio in my garage where I host women’s strength training sessions, and I’m planning pop-up wellness events this summer — the first one is on June 13th in Frisco!
I love instilling confidence in women, because so many of us struggle with self-doubt and negative self-talk, and we stay stuck in our situations because of it. I want women to realize they are so much stronger than they think, and capable of going after their goals — in the gym, in their health and fitness, and beyond.
My passion is to serve the people around me through fitness, Jiu Jitsu, and overall health and wellness. My dream is that this would fuel my passion to ultimately serve the world, and meet people’s needs in all aspects of health — mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh my goodness. I think I covered some of this in my last response, but being a military spouse was a huge struggle. At the same time, it gave me experiences and a resiliency I wouldn’t have built otherwise.
My marriage struggled. My role as a mom struggled. Going from depending on a stable paycheck one day to suddenly having nothing was a huge struggle on its own. I would lose sleep over my finances, not knowing how I’d be able to support my kids.
My relationship with my own mom struggled too, especially coming from a religious Asian family. The decisions I’ve made and the paths I’ve taken are far from the norm, and she made it clear she did not approve. It’s been difficult and hurtful, but at the end of the day, after many years of living according to other people’s expectations, I realized I only have one life.
My relationship with my kids has struggled, and I’m currently working to rebuild that trust with them — to show them that everything I’ve done these last couple of years has been for them. Even now, with them back in my care, I’m juggling so many hats: single mom, entrepreneur, multiple jobs, multiple projects. I deal with the guilt of not having the flexibility to be everywhere with them and for them. I just hope that one day in the near future, they’ll understand that all of this has been for them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I wear a few different hats, but they all come back to one thing — helping people get stronger in every sense of the word.
I’m the founder and coach of PMK Fitness, where I specialize in strength training, nutrition coaching, and performance for women and everyday athletes. My focus is on helping women build real, lasting strength — not just physically, but mentally too. So many women come to me stuck in self-doubt or feeling like they’ve lost themselves somewhere along the way (something I know firsthand), and I help them rebuild from the inside out. I also work closely with Jiu Jitsu athletes, helping them stay strong and cut weight in a healthy way for competition.
I’m also the Program Director at Gracie Barra Frisco, where I get to be part of one of the most respected Brazilian Jiu Jitsu communities in the world. Jiu Jitsu played a huge role in my own healing, so being able to help others find that same outlet — whether it’s for stress, confidence, or community — is something I don’t take for granted.
On top of that, I work in the longevity and recovery industry, helping business owners and operators grow their topline revenue by bringing state-of-the-art recovery and wellness equipment into their facilities. As the industry shifts toward longevity and performance, I help operators stay ahead of the curve and create real value for their members.
What I’m most proud of is honestly the fact that I’m still here doing this. A few years ago, I was starting over from nothing — no paycheck, no plan, away from my kids, rebuilding my life from the ground up. Today, I’ve got my kids back with me, I’m running my own business, leading at Gracie Barra, and helping others in an industry I genuinely love. None of it came easy, and that’s exactly why it matters to me.
What sets me apart is that I’ve actually lived it. I’m not coaching from theory — I’ve been the woman stuck in self-doubt, the mom drowning in guilt, the spouse who lost herself, and the entrepreneur starting from zero. I’ve struggled with my weight and self-image my whole life, and I’ve worked my postpartum body into the strongest version of itself yet — at 40. I’m also an athlete and competitor. I’ve competed in Olympic Weightlifting and still compete on the mats in Jiu Jitsu today. So when I tell my clients they’re stronger than they think, I mean it — because I had to learn it the hard way myself. I bring that lived experience into every session, every program, and every conversation.
At the end of the day, my mission is simple: I want to serve people through fitness, Jiu Jitsu, and overall wellness — and help them realize they’re capable of so much more than they give themselves credit for.
How do you think about happiness?
My kids. Being with them gives me peace and a sense of wholeness that nothing else can.
Working out with women and teaching them how to lift weights properly and efficiently — and sharing what I know on the mats — also brings me so much joy. I’ve been told there’s a confidence that comes out of me that I don’t even realize, and that excites me because women need to be built up from the inside out. There’s so much fulfillment, joy, and pride in watching a woman lift a weight she didn’t think she could, or seeing how much Jiu Jitsu has changed her life — and even her children’s lives. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
But ultimately, living out my purpose is what makes me happy. Staying focused on that and not getting distracted by the noise, the comparison, or the judgment — that’s where I find real happiness.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulinemkim/
