We’re looking forward to introducing you to Keri Lemmons. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Keri , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
People often misunderstand my work as just ‘pampering’ or a quick-fix relaxation session. Something that is luxury and not necessity. But I’m not in the business of surface-level calm. I’m here to help people remember who they are beneath the stress. My sessions restore more than just energy. They help people reconnect with their inner authority, learn to listen to their bodies, and start honoring themselves in their everyday choices. This work teaches you how to prioritize yourself without guilt and stop apologizing for needing rest. My clients learn how to live in a way that’s sustainable, not self-sacrificing. That’s not selfish. That’s revolutionary.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Keri Lemmons, Rest Specialist and founder of Drop the Ball STL. Drop the Ball STL is a rest- centered practice helping high-achieving humans release chronic stress and build a lifestyle grounded in rest, not hustle.
I’m not here to help people do more. I’m here to help them do less, but more meaningfully. My work is built on the belief that rest isn’t earned and it isn’t a luxury. Rest is a strategy. It’s the foundation of a healthy, aligned, and sustainable life.
After decades of living in survival mode navigating chronic illness and trauma, I discovered what most of the world is just beginning to remember. When we stop pushing past our limits and start honoring our need for rest, our capacity expands. We become more present, more grounded, and more able to meet life with intention. Energy returns. Focus sharpens. Life begins to feel like something we’re actually living and not just managing.
Drop the Ball STL was created from that truth. Through trauma-informed support, energy work, sound frequency, and somatic practices, I help clients expand their capacity and show up in their lives with sustainable focus and productivity.
And this fall, we’re expanding into a new space that will include St. Louis’ first Rest Pods, half-day 1:1 retreats, restorative group experiences, and community events.
This isn’t just a business. It’s a movement. A rebellion against hustle culture. A permission slip to rest. A new way of living rooted in self-kindness and productivity that actually feels aligned.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
At 24, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness and chronic fatigue syndrome. I knew instantly that my body had been trying to get my attention for years. I had ignored it, stayed busy and kept smiling. I had goals to accomplish, goals that did not get met. I was pushing myself like being busy would get me some kind of award. I thought productivity was worth more than presence.
That diagnosis cracked that belief wide open. It was my body making choices for me because I had not been listening. That moment reshaped how I move through the world. It taught me that rest is not weakness or laziness. It’s wisdom. It’s capacity. It’s power.
Now I help others tune into that wisdom before their body has to scream for it. Because burnout or illness doesn’t have to be the awakening. You get to choose rest on purpose.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a moment I almost walked away from it all; my career, my vision, my voice.
My health was fragile. My marriage was abusive. My body was exhausted. I was doing everything I could to hold it together for my child. Giving up felt like the easier option.
But I didn’t.
I chose myself instead. I dropped the ball on everything that was breaking me. I protected my peace and started again on my own terms. And now, I help others do the same.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the wellness industry tells is that burnout can be fixed by doing more. More supplements. More morning routines. More productivity disguised as self-care.
It sells the illusion that healing is just one purchase, course, or cold plunge away. We are taught that our nervous system is a problem to optimize instead of a signal to honor.
There’s also a lot of toxic positivity in the mix. “Just raise your vibration.” “Everything happens for a reason.” It bypasses the real grief, trauma, and systemic pressures that people are carrying.
Wellness shouldn’t feel like another to-do list. What we actually need is less doing and more being. Not more tools, but more space.
That’s what I offer: space. Strategy rooted in rest. And the radical idea that healing doesn’t always look productive, but it is.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Right now? I’m definitely tap dancing a little.
Expanding Drop the Ball STL into a larger space has stretched me in all the best ways. It’s exciting and meaningful. I’m building something I believe this city needs: a sanctuary where rest isn’t earned, but honored. Where nervous system care and healing don’t require burnout or illness first.
I moved from a small town in Illinois to St. Louis in 2020. In my hometown, trust came easily. People knew me. That kind of connection isn’t instant in a bigger city. Here, I’ve had to be louder with my vision. Clearer in my leadership. And bolder in my belief that this work matters.
I’m not just building a business. I’m creating a movement toward a more rested, more intentional world. And even on the hard days, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.droptheballstl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/droptheballstl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/droptheballstl
Image Credits
Photos by Abbie Takes Pictures
