Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Setteducati-Mann.
Hi Kim , 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?
Yoga really found me—I wasn’t looking for it at all. At the time, I was working in Human Resources, a career I had somewhat accidentally stumbled into, and I was responsible for organizing our corporate wellness program. That included a weekly lunchtime yoga class, which I had absolutely no interest in trying. But I was a good employee, so I showed up. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and, more importantly, by how good I felt afterward.
I had always struggled with stress and anxiety, and yoga quickly became a place where I could step away from the demands of everyday life. My mat became my safe space. I started practicing regularly at home and in local studios, eventually attending a yoga retreat in Aruba. Somewhere along the way, yoga stopped being something I simply practiced and became a way of life.
As my life began to change, I started noticing how clearly the things that no longer aligned with me stood out. I made some big changes, left the corporate world, and decided to pursue something that had been calling me for a long time: teaching yoga and opening a studio of my own. I completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training with Yoga Farm Ithaca and began teaching online, where my cat Piper frequently made an appearance—and ultimately inspired the name Piper Moon Yoga.
In 2021, my husband Tom and I decided to leave Ohio and its cold winters behind and move to the Raleigh area. We didn’t know anyone, but we felt strongly that this was where we were meant to be. We spent some time looking for a community where we could really connect and be of service, and we found that in Youngsville. Piper Moon Yoga opened its doors in August 2021, and it’s been such a joy to watch it grow and evolve into the community it is today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Opening a business is hard and opening a business in a community where you don’t know anyone adds another layer of challenge. We opened Piper Moon Yoga in August 2021 thinking we were on the other side of the pandemic, only to realize very quickly that we weren’t. Our first few months were incredibly slow. We had classes with only a handful of students, and many were canceled because we simply didn’t have enough enrollment.
At the same time, we experienced a very personal heartbreak. Our sweet Piper passed away just a few days after we opened our doors. We were trying to build this new life and new business while also grieving, and there were definitely moments when it felt discouraging and lonely.
But we kept coming back to our vision. We believed in what we were creating and knew that building a community takes time. We learned to be patient, to stay consistent, and to focus on creating a space where people felt genuinely welcome. Slowly, one person at a time, those connections began to grow.
Five years later, I think one of the greatest lessons has been that success isn’t always about how quickly something grows. It’s about building something that has meaning and staying true to why you started it in the first place. Piper Moon has grown into a beautiful community, and I’m incredibly grateful for the people who have walked through our doors, supported the studio, and made it what it is today.
There have certainly been challenges along the way, but I wouldn’t change the journey. The difficult seasons have shaped the studio just as much as the good ones, and they’ve taught me that sometimes the things worth building take time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Piper Moon Yoga, we believe yoga should feel welcoming, accessible, and personal. Yoga doesn’t have to be intimidating, and it certainly shouldn’t feel like something you have to be a certain age, shape, size, or fitness level to do. We’ve created a space where people can show up exactly as they are and feel supported, never judged or criticized.
Our approach is centered around helping people connect with themselves through movement, meditation, and mindfulness. We offer yoga classes seven days a week, many of which are accessible to beginners, along with private sessions, sound baths, and meditation practices such as Yoga Nidra. We love that our offerings allow people to choose what they need on any given day—sometimes that’s movement and energy, and sometimes it’s simply an opportunity to slow down, quiet the mind, and rest.
What sets Piper Moon apart is the experience we strive to create. We’re less interested in perfection or performance and more interested in helping people develop a practice that feels meaningful and sustainable for them. We encourage our students to listen to their own bodies, trust their inner wisdom, and remember that there is no single “right” way to practice yoga.
I’m especially proud of the brand we’ve built around that philosophy. Piper Moon has become more than a place to take a yoga class—it’s a place where people can come to reconnect with themselves, find a little peace, and feel at home. That sense of warmth, acceptance, and community is something we’ve been very intentional about creating, and it’s probably what I’m most proud of.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is creating a life that feels meaningful and being able to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around me. I’ve learned over the years that success isn’t necessarily about having the biggest business or accomplishing the most—it’s about feeling connected to what you’re doing and knowing that it has a purpose.
That’s a big part of why Piper Moon means so much to me. I love creating a space where people can take a breath, slow down, and feel a little more like themselves. If someone walks out of the studio feeling more peaceful, more grounded, or simply a little better than when they walked in, that matters to me.
On a personal level, I value authenticity, meaningful relationships, kindness, and having the courage to follow what feels right—even when it doesn’t look like the conventional path. I think life is too short to spend it doing things simply because you think you’re supposed to. For me, what matters most is creating a life that feels true to who I am and sharing that life with the people, animals, and community I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pipermoonyoga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pipermoonyoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PiperMoonYoga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1_jPLBawdVpEoBaqFOwJDA
