Rise and Tell with Sheekha

Are you ready to leave your corporate career and build a regenerative living community? 🌍✨

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, Marat Omarov, founder of The Ark in Costa Rica, shares his extraordinary transformation from a high-profile career to creating a modern regenerative village that redefines intentional living.

Marat went from being recognized by the president of Kazakhstan for leading Expo 2017 to pursuing a purpose-driven life in Mexico and eventually building The Ark—a blueprint for a regenerative living community through fractional ownership and sustainable design. His story will inspire anyone contemplating a major life transition or dreaming of creating impact beyond traditional success.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ How to overcome the fear of leaving corporate success for purpose-driven work

✅ The authentic journey of building a regenerative living community from scratch

✅ Why fractional ownership makes sustainable intentional living accessible

✅ Surviving two years of zero sales while building The Ark

✅ Practical insights on regenerative design and conscious community building

✅ The difference between ego-driven success and soul-aligned purpose

✅ How the pandemic revealed the need for intentional living communities

🌟 KEY MOMENTS:

• Marat's pivotal decision to leave Kazakhstan after Expo 2017

• The scary but transformative move to Mexico for self-exploration

• Building The Ark: combining regenerative design with fractional ownership

• Facing collapse after collapse during 2022-2023 with zero sales

• How perseverance and dedication transformed The Ark in 2024

• The importance of authenticity in business and personal growth

• Listening to your true calling versus external success

🏡 ABOUT THE ARK:

The Ark is a modern regenerative village in Costa Rica that serves as a real-world blueprint for intentional living. It combines regenerative design, fractional ownership models, and conscious community building to create a deeply human and profitable lifestyle that aligns with purpose rather than just performance.

💡 MARAT'S WISDOM:

"Everything that was surrounding me, including my personal external success, was feeding my ego without nurturing my soul."

"Your alignment with the universe is going to result in a better you—and a better world."

If you've ever felt disconnected from your work, dreamed of building something meaningful, or wondered if there's more to life than climbing the corporate ladder, this conversation about regenerative living community and intentional living will resonate deeply with you.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with founders, visionaries, and changemakers who are creating the blueprint for a better future.

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

**Rise & Tell** is where real stories meet personal growth. Host Sheekha Singh talks to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the pivotal moments that changed everything—from corporate careers to purpose-driven ventures, from fear to authenticity, and from success to significance.

#riseandtellwithsheekha #maratomarov #theark #regenerativeliving

Are you an overachiever struggling with burnout, or wondering if you should leave corporate to chase your dream? 🚀💡

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, I sit down with Téa Phillips, founder of Metaflex and mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur, who shares her inspiring journey from corporate security to building a groundbreaking medical device for arthritis patients.

Téa's story isn't just about innovation; it's about resilience, breaking barriers as a woman in STEM, and learning to manage burnout while scaling a startup. She opens up about the harsh realities of fundraising as a female founder, the gender gap in venture capital, and how creativity became her secret weapon against entrepreneurial exhaustion.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ How Téa transitioned from mechanical engineer to successful founder

✅ The personal motivation behind creating Metaflex for arthritis relief

✅ Why fundraising as a female founder is harder (and how she overcame it)

✅ Practical strategies to prevent and recover from burnout for overachievers

✅ The power of creativity and art therapy in managing entrepreneurial stress

✅ How women entrepreneurs can navigate the venture capital landscape

✅ Building company culture that prioritizes people over profits

✅ The importance of continuous learning and self-investment in entrepreneurship

If you're a high achiever feeling stuck in corporate, a woman in STEM considering entrepreneurship, or a founder battling burnout while trying to scale your business, this conversation will give you the courage and practical tools to move forward.

🎯 Key Topics Covered:

- Mechanical engineering to entrepreneurship journey

- Overcoming burnout as an overachiever

- Fundraising challenges for female founders (less than 2% of VC funding goes to women)

- The role of creativity in preventing entrepreneurial burnout

- Building a medical device company from scratch

- Women in STEM and breaking barriers in male-dominated industries

- Creating a positive company culture as a founder

- The Artist's Way and creative practices for busy entrepreneurs

💼 ABOUT TÉA PHILLIPS:

Téa Phillips is the founder of Metaflex (ATS Innovations Inc), a company revolutionizing arthritis care through innovative medical devices. With a degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Tech University, she left her secure government contractor position to pursue her mission of helping people like her grandmother regain independence. Despite the challenges of being a female founder in a landscape where women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding, Téa has successfully brought Metaflex to market across the United States.

Connect with Téa:

🌐 Website: metaflexglove.com

💼 LinkedIn: Téa Phillips

📸 Instagram: @tea.s.phillips

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, and changemakers who are redefining success without burning out.

📚 ABOUT SHEEKHA'S UPCOMING BOOK:

Sheekha Singh is the author of the upcoming book "Unburnable Ambition: How Overachievers Win Without Burning Out" - a must-read for high achievers who refuse to let burnout be the price of success.

Sign up at: shikasing.com/unburnable-ambition

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to entrepreneurs, founders, and changemakers about the moments that changed everything; from burnout to breakthrough, from corporate to creator, from dream to reality.

#riseandtellwithsheekha #teaphillips #femalefounder #mechanicalengineer

Are you a coach struggling to build your business, or thinking about leaving corporate to follow your passion? 🚀✨

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, Lidia Axe shares her powerful journey from CFO to successful coaching business owner, revealing why you don't need viral dances or trending content to build a thriving coaching practice.

Lidia Axe, creator of the Trust Method and author, breaks down her transformation from 15 years in finance to becoming a coach's coach. After reaching the top of the corporate ladder as a CFO, she realized success wasn't fulfilling her, so she made the bold move to entrepreneurship. Now, she helps coaches build successful businesses by leveraging real connections over content creation.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ Why building a coaching business is different from being a content creator

✅ How to leverage your existing network to find clients (without dancing on social media!)

✅ The biggest struggles when transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship

✅ Building structure and systems as a solopreneur

✅ Overcoming fear and self-doubt when starting your coaching business

✅ The Trust Method: real connections fueled by automation

✅ Why striking conversations are faster than posting content

✅ How Lidia combines coaching, consulting, and mentoring to help other coaches succeed

Key Takeaways for Building a Coaching Business:

- Your next client is just one conversation away, not one viral post away

- Lean into your strengths instead of fixing every weakness

- You already have access to thousands of potential clients through your existing network

- Building a coaching business requires structure, but you don't have to follow trends

- Fear and self-doubt never go away; but you can act anyway

Whether you're a coach looking to grow your practice, considering leaving corporate, or an entrepreneur building your first business, Lidia's practical advice will show you the faster path to success.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with coaches, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who are building businesses on their own terms.

Connect with Lidia Axe:

- Learn about the Trust Method and how to build your coaching business with real connections

- Discover her midlife coaching work and published book

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.

#riseandtellwithseekha #lidiaaxe #coachingbusiness #buildacoachingbusiness

Are you thinking about self-publishing your book, but feeling overwhelmed by cover design, formatting, and finding the right team? 📚✨

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, Michele DeFilippo (founder of 1106 Design with 50+ years in book publishing) shares insider secrets on how to self-publish like the pros and avoid costly mistakes that can sink your author career.

From self-publishing myths to book cover design psychology, Michele breaks down exactly what authors need to know before hitting publish. If you've ever wondered why readers judge books by their covers or how to make your self-published book look as polished as traditionally published ones, this conversation is packed with expert advice you can use today.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ The 3 ways to publish a book—traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid, and why self-publishing gives you 6-8x more profit per book

✅ Self-publishing myths debunked: You DON'T need a publishing company to self-publish (this changes everything!)

✅ Book cover design secrets: Why it's NOT just picking a picture and adding text—the psychology behind covers that make readers stop and buy

✅ The costly mistake Michele sees authors make: Writing the book THEY love instead of solving a common problem their market needs

✅ Why you should NEVER micromanage your designer (Michele's story about 34 cover revisions will surprise you!)

✅ Where to find professional editors and designers (hint: skip Fiverr—here's why real pros aren't there)

✅ Book interior design matters: The hidden typesetting details that separate amateur self-published books from professional ones

✅ AI in publishing: When to use it, when to avoid it, and why human designers still create better book cover designs

✅ FREE 80-page guide: Download Publish Like the Pros at 1106design.com

Understanding your market before you even start writing is the secret sauce Michele emphasizes throughout this conversation. She reveals how self-publishing transformed the industry, starting in 2001 when Amazon changed everything; suddenly, authors could earn $6-8 per book instead of just $1 with traditional publishers. But with this freedom came confusion, misinformation, and companies trying to take advantage of authors.

Michele's company, 1106 Design, has helped over 4,000 authors publish like the pros by providing quality editorial services, professional book cover design, expert typesetting, and reliable publishing advice. Her philosophy? Hire experts, trust professionals, and stop micromanaging the creative process. She shares why attachment to your book can actually hurt its success and how letting go leads to better results.

Self-publishing isn't about cutting corners or doing everything yourself—it's about assembling the right team of experts who know how to make your book competitive in today's market. Michele explains why books formatted in Microsoft Word or using DIY software like Vellum simply can't match professional typesetting, and why your book cover design needs to fit its genre to borrow credibility from major publishers.

Whether you're writing your first book or have had disappointing experiences with self-publishing in the past, Michele's practical advice will help you navigate the process with confidence and create a book that stands out in a crowded marketplace.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with authors, leaders, and changemakers who share real strategies for publishing success.

📖 FREE RESOURCE: Download Michele's comprehensive 80-page guide, Publish Like the Pros at 1106design.com (includes all her pricing, educational articles, and insider tips!)

💬 Have questions about self-publishing or book cover design? Drop them in the comments below—Michele and I read every single one!✨

Connect with Michele DeFilippo:

Website: 1106design.com

Free Guide: Publish Like the Pros

Free Consultation: Available for all authors

#selfpublishing #micheledelippo #authorlife

Are you ambitious but exhausted? Productive but disconnected? 🔥

In this special book launch episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, I'm opening up about why I wrote Unburnable Ambition and how it can help you protect your peace while chasing your goals.

This isn't your typical burnout book. It's written from an immigrant perspective, for overachievers who love what they do but are quietly burning out. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but something still feels wrong—this episode (and this book) is for you.

👉 What you'll discover in this episode:

✅ Why ambition without awareness leads to burnout

✅ The "quiet kind" of burnout that high performers experience

✅ How cultural expectations and immigrant pressure fuel unhealthy ambition

✅ Why rest isn't laziness—it's essential for sustainable success

✅ Practical systems to protect your mental health while staying ambitious

✅ How to redefine success on your own terms (not society's)

Unburnable Ambition is not a "quit your job and move to Bali" book. It's not about shrinking your ambition—it's about protecting it. This book teaches you how to keep growing without the guilt, the grind, or the burnout.

If you're tired of productivity hacks that don't address the real problem, if you're scared to slow down because everything feels fragile, or if you just need permission to rest without guilt—this book is your invitation to stop performing and start living.

📖 Get your copy of Unburnable Ambition: How Overachievers Win Without Burning Out now on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback available!)

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more honest conversations about ambition, mental health, personal growth, and redefining success.

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.

#sheekhasingh #unburnableambition #burnoutrecovery

Are you stuck in a cycle of people pleasing, limited attention span, or writer's block? 🧠✨ In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, I sit down with David McKee—founder of Another Angel Consulting, mindset coach, and author of Navigate the Noise—to discuss how to break free from limiting beliefs, reclaim your authenticity, and master your mindset in a distracted world.

David shares his personal journey from working with musicians battling writer's block to coaching CEOs on psychology and neuroscience. We dive deep into how people pleasing holds you back, why your attention span is shrinking (hint: it's down to 7 seconds!), and how social media feeds are literally rewiring your brain.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ How to overcome people pleasing and show up as your authentic self

✅ Why limiting beliefs are sabotaging your success—and how to rewrite them

✅ The shocking truth about diminishing attention span and social media algorithms

✅ Practical tips to break through writer's block and creative burnout

✅ How to use gratitude to interrupt negative thought patterns

✅ The "perfect day exercise" that unlocks creativity and productivity

✅ Why writing down your thoughts is the first step to real change

David opens up about his own struggles with people pleasing, ADHD, and stress—and how he transformed his life through self-awareness and mindset work. If you've ever felt stuck, burned out, or like you're filtering your true self, this conversation will give you the tools to break free from limiting beliefs and start manifesting the life you actually want.

🎯 Key Topics Covered:

- People pleasing and authenticity

- Limiting beliefs and how to overcome them

- Attention span crisis and social media's impact

- Writer's block solutions for creatives

- Mindset coaching techniques using psychology and neuroscience

- The power of manifestation and positive thinking

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with authors, coaches, and changemakers who are rewriting the rules of success.

📖 ABOUT DAVID MCKEE:

David McKee is the founder of Another Angel Consulting, a global advisory firm dedicated to helping individuals and organizations achieve breakthroughs through psychology, neuroscience, and mindset coaching. He's the author of Navigate the Noise: Mastering Your Mindset and has worked with musicians, CEOs, and creatives to overcome mental blocks and unlock their full potential.

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST:

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.

#riseandtellwithsheekha #davidmckee #mindsetcoaching

Are you a business owner struggling with cash flow—or wondering how to build real wealth outside your business? 💼💰

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, financial consultant and entrepreneur Sonya Corkery shares her incredible journey from losing $800,000 in 5 days to rebuilding a multi-million-dollar business through strategic financial planning and unwavering resilience.

Sonya opens up about growing up in poverty, working her way through corporate finance at a Big Four bank, and applying those lessons to save her electrical contracting business when three major clients collapsed during COVID. Her story is a masterclass in business resilience, debt management, and wealth-building strategies that every entrepreneur needs to hear.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ How to survive a financial crisis in business using strategic financial planning and cash flow management

✅ The "magic number" formula to calculate your wealth freedom goal (and how to reverse-engineer it)

✅ Practical debt management strategies: the snowball method, cutting expenses, and negotiating with suppliers

✅ Why business resilience comes from separating personal and business assets

✅ How to implement Profit First principles in your business and personal finances

✅ The mindset shift from scarcity to abundance that attracts wealth

✅ Why your 9-to-5 corporate job might be the best business training you'll ever get

✅ Teaching kids about money: shares, crypto, and building financial literacy early

Sonya's no-BS approach to financial planning will help you whether you're a business owner on the verge of closing, an entrepreneur just starting out, or someone working a corporate job who wants to build wealth strategically. From business resilience to debt management to passive income strategies, this conversation is packed with actionable advice you can implement today.

Key Topics Covered:

• Strategic financial planning for business owners
• Business resilience during economic downturns
• Debt management and the Dave Ramsey snowball method
• Corporate finance lessons applied to entrepreneurship
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz implementation
• Building passive income streams outside your business
• The abundance mindset vs. scarcity thinking
• Risk mitigation through a proper business structure

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with entrepreneurs, business owners, and financial experts who've turned their struggles into success.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Book: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
• Book: Girls That Invest (New Zealand author)
• Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps & Snowball Method
• Book: The Science of Getting Rich

#riseandtellwithsheekha #sonyacorkery #businessresilience

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth and business strategy. I talk to entrepreneurs, financial experts, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything—and the actionable strategies that built their success.

Are you a manager—or are you truly a leader? 🎯 In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, Dr. Andy Neillie, CSP—keynote speaker, leadership trainer, and best-selling author—breaks down the critical difference between managing tasks and developing people. From navigating remote leadership challenges to handling toxic work environments, Andy shares over 20 years of wisdom on leadership development that every emerging leader needs to hear.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ The stark difference between a manager and a high-achieving leader

✅ How to lead remote teams effectively in the 2020s

✅ Why "soft skills" are actually the hardest skills to master

✅ Strategies for handling difficult conversations and conflict resolution

✅ The importance of leading yourself first before leading others

✅ How to avoid micromanagement and empower your team

✅ Cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence in diverse workplaces

✅ Why leadership development starts with investing in your people

Dr. Andy Neillie brings real-world experience as a CEO, business owner, and leadership development expert who has earned 5 million frequent flyer miles working with Fortune 500 companies globally. Whether you're new to management or looking to transform your leadership style, this conversation will challenge you to become the type of leader people actually want to follow.

Key moments in this episode:

- The toxic boss experience that shaped Andy's leadership philosophy

- Why leaders should be at the bottom of the pyramid, not the top

- The "Leader's Hour" morning routine for high-achieving leaders

- How to conduct meaningful one-on-ones in a remote setup

- The Patrick Lencioni book that transforms team dynamics

- Why camera-on meetings are non-negotiable for remote leaders

- How to give credit and stop micromanaging

If you're struggling with leadership challenges, employee retention, or want to improve your leadership development skills, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can implement immediately.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with authors, leaders, and changemakers who are redefining success in the modern workplace.

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.

#riseandtellwithsheekha #drandyneillie #leadershipdevelopment

Are you stuck in hustle culture, doing more but feeling stuck? 🚀

In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, leadership expert Ryan Gottfredson reveals why high achievers often plateau and how shifting your mindset—not just your skills—can transform your leadership and life.

Ryan, author of Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation, breaks down the science of personal transformation through the lens of mindset development. Discover the difference between your "doing side" (skills, talent, knowledge) and your "being side" (internal operating system, mindsets, values)—and why elevating your being side is the real key to transformational growth.

👉 What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ Why high achievers get stuck focusing only on the "doing side" and how mindset shifts unlock personal transformation

✅ The 4 types of mindsets (fixed vs. growth, closed vs. open, prevention vs. promotion, inward vs. outward) and how they shape your leadership

✅ The 3 adult development stages—and why 64% of adults never move beyond level 1

✅ Surface, deep, and deepest level strategies for upgrading your internal operating system

✅ How trauma and neurodivergency impact your being side—and what you can do about it

✅ Ryan's personal journey from prevention mindset to promotion mindset and how it changed his career

✅ Why focusing on mindset development beats skill-building when it comes to becoming better leaders

Free Resource Alert: Ryan offers a FREE personal mindset assessment at RyanGottfredson.com—take it to discover where you stand across the four mindset continuums!

If you're a leader, entrepreneur, or high achiever who wants to stop playing small and start becoming better through mindset shifts and personal transformation, this episode is for you.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with authors, leaders, and changemakers.

#riseandtellwithsheekha #ryangottfredson #mindsetsforleadership

🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCAST

Rise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.

CONNECT WITH RYAN GOTTFREDSON:

🌐 Website: RyanGottfredson.com

📚 Book: Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation

📊 Free Mindset Assessment: Available at RyanGottfredson.com

Are you tired of playing the victim and ready to reclaim your power? 🌟In this episode of Rise & Tell with Sheekha, transformational coach, author, and podcast host Neena Perez shares her incredible journey from teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and poverty to becoming a culinary expert and empowering women worldwide through her Wisdom to Wealth program.Neena's story is raw, real, and deeply inspiring. She opens up about overcoming trauma, finding self-worth, breaking free from victim mentality, and building a life of purpose through faith and resilience. If you've ever struggled with burnout, self-doubt, or feeling stuck, this conversation will give you the tools and mindset shifts you need to transform your life.👉 What you'll learn in this episode:✅ How to shift from a victim mentality to a survivor mindset and reclaim your power✅ Neena's journey from teen mom to culinary expert and transformational coach✅ Practical tips to recognize and prevent burnout in your daily life✅ Why self-worth is the foundation of success and how to build it✅ The power of pausing: how to avoid overwhelm and create sustainable habits✅ How to overcome trauma and turn your pain into purpose✅ Why building self-worth matters more than hustling 24/7Key Takeaways on Building Self-Worth & Beating Burnout:- Focus on 1 main goal and 3 sustainable habits, stop overcomplicating your life- Recognize your life's rhythm: there are seasons for grinding and seasons for rest- Signs of burnout: poor sleep, constant irritation, crying for no reason, and mental exhaustion- The power of pausing: give yourself permission to rest without guilt- Feel it to heal it: sit with your emotions instead of fighting through themNeena also shares the courageous story behind her book Hit Me With Your Best Shot, how writing helped her heal from domestic violence and childhood trauma, and why she chose to tell her truth even when it meant risking family relationships.If you've been holding yourself back, struggling with self-worth, or wondering if your story really matters, this episode will inspire you to own your voice, set boundaries, and step into your power.🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations with authors, coaches, and changemakers who are rewriting their stories and empowering others.CONNECT WITH NEENA PEREZ:📖 Book: Hit Me With Your Best Shot🎙️ Podcast Host & Transformational Coach💼 Wisdom to Wealth Program🎙️ ABOUT THE PODCASTRise & Tell is where real stories meet personal growth. I talk to creatives, founders, and change-makers about the moments that changed everything.#fullpodcast #sheekhapodcast #sheekhasingh #communicationskills #publicspeakingcoach