Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/51669
E ach morning, from its prime perch on the corner of John Nolen Drive and Williamson Street, downtown Madison's Machinery Row building bustles to life. Cars pause at the corner stoplight as they head across the isthmus while locals pop into the first floor restaurant and bike shop. Upstairs, venture down a long second-floor hallway and office space gives way to The Studio, a dedicated yoga space where exposed brick, a plush sofa and a warm cup of tea greet visitors at the door. There, Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau sits at a simple wooden desk. Phone in hand, she looks up and smiles as she advises a potential yoga student about which class would be right for him. It's a gray, blustery day but the natural light streaming in through floor-to- ceiling windows creates a welcoming glow. Her comfortable fleece hoodie, jeans and riding boots complete the cozy atmosphere. A small-town girl from northwestern Wisconsin, Slattery- Moschkau has led a life full of unexpected twists and turns that have shaped the woman, wife, mother and yogi she is today. A decade-long career in the pharmaceutical industry inspired a for- ay into filmmaking, and the popular movie that followed led to a nationally syndicated radio show that spread Slattery-Moschkau's message far and wide. Just months ago she called it quits, making the decision to not only speak her truth but live it right here in her quiet corner of Madison. She ends her phone conversation with simple instructions to her potential yogi: Honor yourself. Straightforward and succinct, it's a message that resonates far from the walls of her studio. Having lived the mantra herself, letting it take her to Hollywood and back, the creed is still a fitting tribute to Slattery-Moschkau's life today. 40 BRAVA Magazine December 2011 It was 1991 and Slattery-Moschkau was flat broke. Having just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a political science degree, she did what college grads do: Hunt down that first paycheck. After a brief stint in cell phone sales and marketing, Slattery- Moschkau received a call from a pharmaceutical sales recruiter who dangled a hefty paycheck and company car in front of the wide-eyed 22-year-old. Slattery-Moschkau was shocked she was qualified without a science background—after all, she would be tasked with telling medical professionals about why particular drugs were best. In the end, the chance at a career—and the salary that came with it—enticed her. "I think I was excited at first because I was this little business- woman with my little briefcase," she says. "I didn't question much." Over the next decade Slattery-Moschkau built her career in cor- porate America. However, she couldn't shake that initial concern from the back of her mind. "How can I be a political science major telling these doctors what to prescribe?" she asks. "How could I not be telling them about a major side effect that could be a matter of life or death? It got to the point where I couldn't even look in the mirror anymore," she adds quietly. The nagging ethics involved in making a sale weren't the only problem. "I didn't love it," she says honestly. "So many people are in careers that do nothing to tap into their greatest talents, that do nothing to make their souls sing."