Life by Intention with Sylvana Rochet

What does it take to walk away from a life that looks perfect on paper… to build one that feels truly aligned?

In this episode, Sylvana is joined by Martina Thurnher: a purpose-driven entrepreneur who left behind a stable career, a marriage, and a beautiful garden apartment in Austria to start over in Morocco.

Guided by a deep sense of inner knowing (and a surprising love for surfing), Martina shares the real story behind her radical life shift, and how it led her to create a life rooted in intention, community, and impact.

Together, we explore:

✨ How to trust your gut when it's telling you to leap—even if it doesn't make logical sense 🌊 The unexpected role surfing played in revealing Martina's desired life 🌍 What it's like to build a values-led business in a new cultural landscape 🌱 The unlearning required when bringing sustainability and systems thinking to a VERY different local context 💛 The beauty of cross-cultural community, and how "flipping thoughts" has become her superpower

Martina now lives and works in coastal Morocco, where she helps small and mid-sized businesses grow sustainably, hosts the Impact Lab podcast, and leads grassroots initiatives like composting circles and beach cleanups.

This conversation is for anyone who's felt the quiet nudge to change direction—and is ready to finally listen.

How to connect with Martina:

Website: https://martinathurnher.com/

Impact Lab podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-impact-lab/id1765866442

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-thurnher/

If you've ever felt like you're between chapters — not quite who you used to be, and not yet who you're becoming — this conversation is your compass. From career leaps to global relocations to the rise of AI, this episode is all about how we move through transition with clarity, courage, and yes… a little brio.

Sylvana sits down with Juliana Naranjo Pereira — community architect, cultural change leader, and former Global CMO who's spent the last two decades building belonging inside some of the world's most iconic brands. A native New Yorker raised across cultures, Juliana blends her Colombian and Portuguese heritage with a rich professional journey that's spanned the U.S. and 18 years in Spain — from luxury fashion and hospitality to tech and education.

Tune in for:

• How to navigate identity when you're always evolving

• What it takes to create belonging — not just for others, but for yourself

• A soulful take on AI and how to stay grounded (and human) in an age of rapid change

This one's for the reinventors, the bridge-builders, and anyone craving a life that feels as aligned on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Connect with Juliana:

Website: https://juliananaranjopereira.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliananpereira/ TEDx Talk: How to Build Meaningful Community — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1KR-lmraOo

What if inclusion wasn't a corporate program or a half-hearted policy​—but the beating heart of every decision you make? In this intimate and candid conversation, leadership coach Sylvana Rochet sits down with Natalie Alberta Dusey, co-founder and Global Chief of Staff at the independent agency collective Meet the People. Natalie traces the single off-site invitation that propelled her from a safe, established role into co-founding a fast-growing, people-first holding company that now spans a dozen agencies across North America and Europe. This conversation explores why most organizations unintentionally sabotage their diversity efforts, how to keep hope alive during today's DEI backlash, and why empathy-driven rituals (whether a dawn walk or a candid team survey) can transform both business results and everyday life. If you're tired of "performative inclusion" and ready for practical, soul-level change, this episode is your permission slip to stop ticking boxes and start building space that was never meant to be exclusive at all.

1. The Power of One "YES." Natalie's story shows how a single courageous decision can launch an entire movement—and why risk often looks smaller in the rear-view mirror.

2. DEI Dies in Silos. When diversity work gets dumped on HR or an isolated task force, it turns into paperwork. Embed inclusion into every role, from interns to the boardroom, or watch momentum evaporate.

3. Talk—Especially When It's Uncomfortable. Silence fuels the backlash. Honest, cross-level dialogue is the most underrated tool for turning resistance into renewed purpose.

• Meet the People – https://meet-the-people.com/

• Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/nataliealbertadusey

• Follow @duseynatalie on Instagram

• Books mentioned

• The Person You Mean to Be — Dolly Chugh

• The Courage to Be Disliked — Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

• The Power of Intention — Dr. Wayne Dyer

French-Tunisian saxophonist, composer and curator Yacine Boularès on how jazz, ancestry, and curiosity led him to his true voice—and a festival that's redefining Arabic music.

What happens when a jazz musician sets out to rediscover his roots—and ends up founding a groundbreaking music festival in New York City?

In this soulful conversation, I sit down with French-Tunisian saxophonist, composer, and cultural connector Yacine Boularès. From his unexpected entry into music to creating the first U.S. festival dedicated to contemporary Arabic sounds, Yacine's story is one of following intuitive breadcrumbs—and letting your identity unfold through art.

We talk about how music became a way for Yacine to reconnect with his North African heritage, how the Habibi Festival was born from a simple mind map and a moment of artistic courage, and why he's leaning into beginner's mind by learning new instruments and drawing—yes, drawing!—to deepen his decades-long craft.

Whether you're a musician, a cultural shapeshifter, or someone yearning to live more creatively and intentionally, this episode is a balm and an inspiration. (And, side note: prepare to get an education in world music with Yacine here too!).

• The winding path from philosophy student to full-time touring musician, including being featured on Placido Domingo's Encanto Del Mar as a soloist and arranger

• Why creating the Habibi Festival filled a cultural void—and how it's evolving

• How embracing new artistic practices can reignite mastery

• How one's identity (self and other-perceived) can shift and evolve depending on where we are in the world

• What it means to raise a child with music—not as pressure, but as presence

• Habibi Festival

• Joe's Pub Working Group

• Abu Sadiya (trio exploring Tunisian Stambeli music)

• Collaborations with Placido Domingo, Vincent Segal, and Tabou Combo

• https://www.yacineboulares.com/

"My daily practice was to be as open as possible. And I got guided into places—closer to myself, in the end."

🎷 About Yacine Boularès Yacine Boularès is a French-Tunisian saxophonist, composer, and curator whose work blends jazz with the rich musical traditions of North and West Africa. After moving to New York on a Fulbright scholarship, he toured internationally with legendary African and Caribbean artists—an experience that reignited his connection to his roots.

He's the founder of AJOYO and co-creator of Abu Sadiya, a trio exploring Tunisia's sacred Stambeli music. In 2019, Yacine co-founded the Habibi Festival, the first U.S. festival dedicated to contemporary Arabic music. His latest project, OSOOL, reimagines A Night in Tunisia through a modern, soulful lens.

Yacine is currently a National Arts Club Fellow and continues to shape a bold, borderless vision for music as cultural memory, resistance, and celebration.

What if your morning coffee could be a force for good? In this episode of Life by Intention, we sit down with Luisa Mejia, founder of Café del Cielo, a regenerative coffee farm in Colombia. What started as a "gut decision" to buy a small farm turned into a radical mission to transform the way coffee is grown, traded, and valued.

Luisa takes us behind the scenes of the coffee industry—revealing the hidden struggles of small farmers, the urgent need for regenerative agriculture, and the hard-earned lessons of leading change against the odds.

🎧 Tune in to discover: ✅ The real cost of your daily cup—why small farmers are barely making a living while the coffee industry booms. ✅ Regenerative farming in action—how nature-based practices are bringing soil, biodiversity, and livelihoods back to life. ✅ Leadership lessons from the ground up—what it takes to challenge the status quo and bring people along on a bold new vision.

This is an episode about coffee—but really, it's about so much more. It's about reimagining industries, empowering communities, and making choices that align with our values.

So grab a cup, hit play, and let's dive in!

🔗 Connect with Luisa & Café del Cielo:

Website: https://delcielofarm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafedelcielofarm/

Darling listeners, get ready for an illuminating conversation with the extraordinary Dr. Sangeeta Sahi, a post-humanist doctor and the visionary behind the Genuine Human Being Process. In this enriching episode, we explore what it truly means to evolve as a human, the profound interplay between physical healing and spiritual wholeness, and how reconnecting with nature can transform not just individuals but entire systems.

Sangeeta shares her unique journey across quantum physics, Ayurveda, and regenerative systems, weaving them into a holistic framework for healing ourselves and the planet. Together, we dive into themes of cellular integration, intentional leadership, and the power of co-creation.

If you've ever wondered how to align your inner and outer worlds or how to become a more present and intentional leader, this conversation will expand your perspective in ways you never imagined. ✨

Tune in for insights on:

1. How to Unlock Wholeness – Discover the transformative essence of healing as Sangeeta explains how releasing layers like unprocessed trauma and societal conditioning reveals your genuine self at the core.

2. The Magic of Cellular Integration – Learn how digesting experiences into wisdom at a cellular level creates harmony within and empowers you to embody your fullest potential.

3. Leadership Lessons from Nature – Hear how embracing interconnectedness and active listening, inspired by natural systems, can guide leaders toward greater balance, effectiveness, and compassion.

Special Mention: Sangeeta also invites us to join the Mothership Earth Summit, a free, global event celebrating the integration of planetary and human wellness. It's a beautiful opportunity to explore new ideas, technologies, and ancient wisdom with thought leaders from around the world. 🌍

Links & Resources:

• Dr. Sangeeta Sahi's website: www.genuinehumanbeing.com

• Unified Human Foundation: www.unifiedhuman.org

• Mothership Earth Summit 2024 replay: https://www.unifiedhuman.org/mothership-earth-summit-2024/

Thank you for listening! 🌟 Let's co-create a world of intentionality and wholeness together.

What happens when a journey through personal growth, cultural dualities, and the challenges of modern masculinity leads to a bold experiment in redefining business as usual? In this episode of Life by Intention, I sit down with Daniel Gomez Seidel, a Colombian entrepreneur and founder of inplural, to discuss his transformative journey from corporate America to building a people-centered business with the audacious goal of decolonizing late-stage capitalism.

From exploring identity in Bogotá's rich musical subcultures to navigating belonging as a global nomad and immigrant, Daniel shares how his personal challenges—bullying, breaking free from unhealthy versions of masculinity, and redefining home—shaped his leadership ethos. We also explore his bold invitation to serve courageously, with the heart as the compass.

Tune in for:

• Daniel's insights on navigating cultural dualities to create a sense of belonging.
• Tools for deconstructing harmful narratives around masculinity and leading with vulnerability as the way to finding connection.
• How to challenge the status quo of business by prioritizing integrity, community, and intention.
• Why creating home starts within and extends to the values you embody in the world.

This episode is an inspiring call to action to embrace intentionality, courage, and being of service of what you stand for.

Find Daniel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgomezseidel/

If you've sometimes wondered whether you have any control over how much suffering there is, or should be, in your own life, this one is for you. If you're like many of us, chances are you grew up in a context where suffering was taught to be seen as noble and necessary.

And here's the thing: many people unknowingly continue to live into some version of that story, accepting unnecessary suffering as just the way it is.

But what if it wasn't the way it is? Or the way it has to be?

What if we could design our life to be more pleasant and playful, using design thinking principles and experimentation?

This is what's explored in this episode with Dr. Caneel Joyce. Caneel is a writer, an executive coach dedicated to guiding CEOs and visionary change-makers, and host of the thought-provoking and awesome Allowed podcast. Prior to becoming a coach, she worked in startups and taught at the D-school at UC berkeley and at London school of economics and has a really unique lens of creativity and human design that she brings to everything she does. She's a mama of two and a SUPER insightful friend.

Tune in to hear:

• How Caneel radically redesigned her life and career to prioritize her physical and mental health, so she could avoid creating unnecessary suffering in her life, and get to a place of thriving.
• How design thinking, creativity and experimentation are key to alleviating unnecessary suffering.
• The drama triangle. What is it? How is each one of us playing into it? And how can we stop being roped mindlessly into it?
• What Buddhist principles regarding suffering can teach us about how to alleviate it in our lives.

This episode will reveal something you have not seen before, when it comes to creating a life with more joy and playfulness, and less (much less!) unnecessary suffering.

Resources that Caneel mentioned on the show:

Kristen Neff, and her work on Self-Compassion: https://self-compassion.org/

Beth Anstandig, and her leadership work on the Human Herd: https://www.thecircleupexperience.com/

Where to find Caneel online:

caneel.com

https://www.instagram.com/caneel.is/

You know that person who has built a life of so much meaning and purpose, that every time you turn to see what they're doing, it leaves you full of awe and inspiration? Join Sylvana and special guest Rachelle Rutherford to learn about what it takes to create a life of massive impact, fueled by clarity, commitment and LOVE.

Rachelle is the CEO at Kids on the Move Utah, an organization providing comprehensive support for families dealing with complex circumstances, like having children with special needs, mental health issues, and low income. She is Mrs. World America and won the crown as Mrs World International Fitness. Rachelle is the author of the book "Chasing the Impossible", and a mother of six children!

If you sometimes wonder how someone like Rachelle can seemingly do it all, you may be surprised to hear that for Rachelle, it's not about doing it all, but rather about choosing fiercely what matters to you in life FIRST, and then taking actions in alignment with that.Tune in for:

• Our discussion on why important choices we make in life mean tradeoffs, if we want to stay true to those important choices.
• How self-confidence actually gets created, and how we can cultivate it, to own our worth and advocate for ourselves.
• How one of the keys to Rachelle's success in business and life was to marry the right partner, and how they co-created the right dynamic from early on.
• Rachelle's secrets to negotiating for what she wanted throughout her career, in order to accommodate her family priorities. It is SO good.

(Heads-up to our listeners: There is mention of sexual abuse in this episode, as part of Rachelle's story. We don't go into details of the abuse, but you should know it will be mentioned.)

This episode is a masterclass in how to set seemingly impossible goals and reach them, by getting crystal clear on what you want and staying true to your values. All of this, even when your initial circumstances in life did not set you up for success, as was the case for Rachelle.

Rachelle's book "Chasing the Impossible": https://chasingtheimpossiblebook.com

Rachelle's website: https://rachellerutherford.com/

Rachelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelle.rutherford/

Rachelle on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellerutherford/

Kids on the Move, the organization Rachelle leads as CEO, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kotm_utah/

Purpose Powered Podcast: PPowered.com

And here's Danielle Cook, the brilliant copywriter who introduced me to Rachelle, and whose name I mentioned in the episode:

https://daniellecook.co/about

If you've been feeling disconnected from yourself or the people around you, you're probably like many of us: feeling the effects of living in a very loud and over-stimulating world. It's normal that you would feel that way! But it should NOT be the norm, and there are real ways that you can rebuild that sense of connection, starting with yourself.

On this episode, we talk about "rewilding" your life. Join Sylvana as she sits with guest Marc Cinanni, a creative writer, musician and co-founder of Muntanya Màgica retreat center in Spain.

After years working in startups and international affairs, Marc felt the need for a dramatic change. He sold everything and moved his family to a remote island off the Pacific coast of Canada, where he began a process of rewilding—reconnecting with nature, his family, and his own inner wisdom. This experience transformed his approach to life and creativity, living a life where he's fully aware and tuned-in to himself and the world around him, so he can make the most aligned decisions at any point. Tune in for:

• How Marc found his way to re-wilding his own life and what that looks like.
• What rewilding actually means when you use it as an approach, a mindset, to every facet of your life.
• The importance of learning to tune into yourself as a way of getting guidance for big and small decisions.
• How to integrate into a community when you're arriving somewhere new.

This episode is a reminder that, in this loud world of technology and constant noise, each of us is still free to make choices that get us closer to nature around us, to our own intuition as human beings, and to each other. We hope this inspires you to get closer to your own nature and feel more connected to everything else around you.

To learn about Marc and Esther's retreat center in the forest in Catalonia (Spain), Muntanya Màgica, as well as their upcoming events:

https://www.muntanyamagica.com/retreats

And here is Muntanya Màgica on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/muntanya_magica/

And here's where you can find Marc on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccinanni/