Meet Tamika “Mika” Newton | Sound Therapist & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamika “Mika” Newton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamika “Mika”, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The decision to start my own business wasn’t some perfectly mapped-out plan—it came from hitting a wall. After years in corporate leadership, constantly overextending myself and suppressing what I was feeling, my body finally said, enough. I was dealing with anxiety, burnout, and a kind of quiet exhaustion that I couldn’t shake.

I ended up taking a medical leave, and during that time, I didn’t know what was next. I just knew I couldn’t keep living the way I had been. That pause—those forty days of stillness—changed everything. I rediscovered sound therapy, not just as something I enjoyed occasionally, but as a true healing practice. It helped me sleep again. It softened my anxiety. It gave me space to breathe.

That experience made me look around and wonder: how many other people are silently struggling, just like I was? That question stayed with me. And over time, it became clear that I wasn’t meant to go back to business as usual. I was being called to create something new.

So, Zenmi was born from that place—from breakdown, from healing, from the belief that rest and restoration should be accessible, sacred, and deeply personal. This work is rooted in what I needed most: permission to slow down, to feel, to reset. Now I get to offer that to others, and it feels like purpose.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Zenmi was born from a deep need for something I couldn’t find in the spaces I was working and living in—stillness, rest, and realignment. After years in corporate leadership, I found myself disconnected from my own body and spirit. I was constantly doing, constantly producing, but inside I was depleted. That realization didn’t come all at once—it came in the quiet moments, the burnout, the anxiety, and eventually in the healing.

Sound therapy offered me peace when nothing else could. It helped me sleep again, helped quiet the internal noise, and gave me the space to exhale. What started as a personal practice slowly became a calling. I didn’t plan to become a business owner—but when you’ve experienced something life-changing, it becomes almost impossible not to share it.

Zenmi isn’t just about sound bowls or sessions—it’s about creating intentional space for people to come home to themselves. My work is rooted in empathy, realness, and care. I don’t perform wellness—I live it. I’ve sat in silence with my own pain, and I know how transformational it is to finally feel seen, held, and safe enough to rest.

Starting this business has stretched me in every way—mentally, emotionally, financially. There’s no blueprint when you’re building something from your spirit. But I’ve learned to trust the slow path. To honor alignment over urgency. And to remember that success for me isn’t measured in likes or followers—it’s in how people feel after they leave my sessions.

What I want people to know about Zenmi is that it’s honest work. It’s heart work. I’ve built this brand with intention, and I’m proud of the way it continues to evolve. At its core, it’s a reminder that you don’t have to keep holding it all together. You can lay it down. You can rest. And that alone is powerful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend came to visit, I’d want to show them the heartbeat of Atlanta—starting right here in Midtown where I live. We’d do brunch at The Flying Biscuit or Toast on Lenox, then maybe walk it off through Piedmont Park or catch a moment of stillness in the Botanical Garden. I’d take them to the High Museum or SCAD FASH for some art and beauty, and we’d definitely stop by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights downtown—it’s a must.

For dinner, I’d want them to experience the vibe of places like Poor Calvin’s, South City Kitchen for a taste of tradition, or Gypsy Kitchen in Buckhead for something sexy and scenic. One night would be reserved for live music or jazz—maybe St. James Live, City Winery, or just something spontaneous happening nearby. We’d rest, we’d eat well, we’d laugh hard, and we’d soak in all the culture this city holds. Atlanta’s got so many layers, and Midtown is the perfect place to feel it all—art, history, soul, and a whole lot of flavor.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to shout out my daughter; Ashlei. She’s been one of my biggest supporters throughout this journey. Starting a business, especially in the middle of a life transition, required sacrifices—not just from me, but from her too. And she never made me feel guilty for choosing this path. She understood what I was building, what I was healing, and what I was trying to create—not just for myself, but for us.

I hope she sees what I’m doing and knows that it’s okay to take a risk, to pivot, to choose a different way. I hope she watches me bet on myself and realizes she can do the same. That there’s always another way to live, to work, to thrive. I love her with all my heart, and everything I do carries a piece of her in it.

Website: https://www.zenmisound.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenmisound?igsh=bmkwYnQ0bGVhajkw&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamika-newton-5648451?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ko8xezRk7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@zenmisound?si=pItq6JlG5WD748VI

Image Credits
This Modern Love Photography
Treva Whitfield Photography