Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyla Rawlins.
Hi Kyla, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started back in 2010 when my best friend and I decided to bring Buddha-full to life. We wanted to build more than just a place to grab great plant-based food and drinks, we envisioned a vibrant community hub. In those early days, the cafe was buzzing with energy, and we even kept the doors open after hours to host live music nights, bringing local artists and neighbors together.
Little did I know, those evening jam sessions and daily cafe rushes were about to spark a completely new chapter.
I hired Brittni Dominelli as a barista, and around the same time, Bobbi Smith became one of our regular customers. The three of us hit it off instantly. Between pulling espresso shots, chatting over the counter, and soaking in the music filling the cafe, we realized we shared a massive passion for harmony and songwriting. Right there, surrounded by the everyday hustle of Buddha-full, The Heels were officially born.
What began as spontaneous country-pop harmonies in a cozy coffee shop quickly took on a life of its own. Over the last decade, The Heels have had an incredible journey touring the world, releasing music, and playing massive stages. Yet, no matter where the music takes us across the globe, we always find ourselves sharing the story of where we came from.
Buddha-full isn’t just my business; it’s the roots of our band. Looking back at the last 10 years, it’s amazing to see how a humble plant-based cafe became the launchpad for a decade of global touring, lifelong friendships, and unforgettable music. Today, both Buddha-full and The Heels continue to grow side-by-side, grounded in the same community spirit that started it all.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t.
Balancing business ownership while building a music career is a wild ride, and both sides come with their own distinct set of challenges.
On the business end, running Buddha-full means constantly navigating the daily realities of entrepreneurship, managing rising overhead, navigating supply chain shifts, leading a team, and keeping operations tight through economic ups and downs. Small business ownership demands constant adaptation; what worked in 2010 looks entirely different today, and learning to pivot on the fly has been essential to keeping our doors open and thriving.
On the music side with The Heels, indie touring and building a brand in the music industry brings a completely different financial hustle. Funding tours, managing production costs, and balancing the unpredictable revenue streams of independent artists requires serious fiscal creativity and discipline.
The hardest part? Doing both simultaneously.
Dividing energy between the operational grind of a physical cafe and the creative, travel-heavy lifestyle of a touring band meant learning how to build strong systems and trust our team at home while we were away on stage. It has meant working grueling hours, adapting on the fly when plans fall through, and continuously learning how to scale a business while growing a music career.
Every struggle along the way taught us how to be more resilient, strategic, and grounded, proof that every hurdle was just part of building something that lasts.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What I Do & What I Specialize In
At my core, I am a multidimensional creative, vocal powerhouse, and entrepreneur. Musically, I bring a massive foundation of technical training, classically trained in opera and jazz, and having spent over 10 years fronting a rock band before finding my stride in country-pop. Today, I am a lead vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (playing ganjo, Mandoline, harmonica, and percussion) for the country trio The Heels.
Off stage, I specialize in building sustainable, community-driven lifestyle brands. I am the co-founder and owner of Buddha-full (a plant-based cafe and wellness hub in North Vancouver) as well as the co-owner of Bumbleseeds (bumbleseeds.com), an organic, non-GMO heirloom seed company I run alongside my aunty Kim to support local food sovereignty and protect wild pollinators.
My work sits right at the intersection of music, holistic health, and earth-conscious living.
What I Am Known For
* The Heels: Three-part harmonies with family-level blend, high-energy stage performances, and empowering songwriting. Known for taking our soulful country-pop sound everywhere from local stages to international tours and the Grand Ole Opry House for the Josie Music Awards.
* Buddha-full & Bumbleseeds: Creating iconic, high-vibe spaces, whether that’s serving raw, organic, plant-based food and juices at Buddha-full, or helping people across the country grow their own food and pollinator gardens through Bumbleseeds.
* Vocal Versatility: Known for a dynamic vocal range honed through years of opera, jazz, rock, and country.
What I Am Most Proud Of
I am most proud of building sustainable, heart-led businesses from the ground up while staying true to my creative roots.
It amazes me how interconnected my life’s work is: starting Buddha-full, having that physical cafe spark the formation of The Heels with Brittni and Bobbi, touring the world for a decade, and expanding my love for organic living into Bumbleseeds with my aunty. Creating a life where I can front a touring band, run a thriving cafe, and help people plant organic seeds is my proudest achievement.
What Sets Me Apart
* Dynamic Musical Range: Transitioning smoothly from classical opera and jazz to a decade of fronting a heavy rock band and ultimately into country-pop gives me a unique vocal power, performance presence, and genre-bending perspective as a songwriter.
* Rooted in Purpose: Every venture I touch stems from the same core value: nourishment and connection. Whether I am writing a song, running a plant-based cafe, or harvesting organic seeds, my work is entirely about helping people feel good, connect with each other, and live intentionally.
* True Entrepreneurial Grit: Balancing the grueling demands of independent music touring with the physical realities of running a brick-and-mortar cafe and an organic seed farm requires serious discipline, adaptability, and resilience.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
* Singer’s Friend App: My go-to vocal tool for staying sharp on the road. It’s perfect for backstage vocal warm-ups, running scale patterns, and keeping my voice in peak condition whether I’m on tour or prepping for a session.
* MasterClass: A constant source of inspiration across so many creative disciplines. Being able to dive into the minds of top-tier artists, storytellers, and leaders always sparks new ideas for both my songwriting and business strategies.
* The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: A foundational book for unblocking creativity and nurturing the inner artist. Practices like “Morning Pages” help keep my mindset grounded, open, and creatively inspired through all of life’s noise.
* Exit 209 with Storme Warren Podcast: An incredible podcast that dives deep into the real, raw journeys and origins of music makers. It’s super inspiring to listen to other artists’ paths, how they navigated the hustle, and what it truly takes to make it in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Theheelsmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylarawlinsmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HLfxCcwiV/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theheels?feature=shared
- Other: https://www.buddha-full.ca/
