In today’s episode, Raya Reaves and I are talking all about money - how to make it, mindsets to shift around it, and the stories we tell ourselves about it. I’m so excited to introduce you to Raya because her approach is simply powerful.

Raya teaches women how to create and stick to realistic budget plans and reach their financial goals without sacrificing all the good stuff in life. She launched City Girl Savings in 2015 as a resource for women from all walks of life to learn about personal finance and money management, and she resides in Austin, Texas with her boyfriend and two Yorkie dogs.

Listen, we’re taught to not talk about money, so this episode may be triggering for you, but I promise you it’s worth it.

Money doesn’t need to be uncomfortable. You’ll see why when you hit play.

Key moments to tune in for:

• [07:50] How Raya started empowering women for financial success
• [14:10] What you can do today for financial independence, especially when you’re reliant on your partner’s income
• [23:54] Simple budgeting mindset shifts: When you just don’t want to give up that lifestyle
• [32:47] The inner dialogue you have before and after using Raya’s methods
• [39:05] Working through the emotions and the overwhelm

Resources and Links from the Show: 

Discover more about Raya Reaves:

• Raya Reaves’ Website
• City Girl Savings
• Instagram
• Facebook

Grab my FREE Guide on 10 Must-Have Habits of Ultra-Confident Women: www.vasavikumar.com/freeguide

Join the MIND Your Own BUSINESS community here: http://vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

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Vasavi Kumar leads the coaching industry with 10 years of experience and has helped thousands of women overcome major life obstacles to create new heights of success. Her work is known internationally from speaking engagements in India and across the USA. Vasavi is recognized for getting to the bottom of the intersection of self and business roadblocks and her methods teach clients how to master the art of getting what you want, by mastering their mind.

Vasavi holds dual Masters degrees in Special Education from Hofstra University and Social Work from Columbia University. She’s the host of the Being Human with Vasavi Podcast and Former Co-Host of Studio 512, a lifestyle and entertainment morning show in Austin, TX. She's been featured in The Wall Street

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It's November 1! Which means it's a new month and new theme inside of the MIND Your Own Business membership community. This month we're focusing on...FOCUS.

When I think about how much time I’ve WASTED, how much energy I have WASTED, and how much money I have WASTED due to my lack of focus, I want to cry. 😭

Here’s the good news: it’s not too late. It never is. Because the moment you DECIDE to focus on YOU, YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS▶️you’ve got momentum.

Listen, I’m sorry if this is harsh. But I’m actually not sorry for sounding harsh. I’m sorry that you’ve allowed your creative projects and business goals to take a backseat. I’m sorry that you think you have time to waste on people, places, and things that aren’t bringing you closer to your fullest self-expression.

Most of all, I’m sorry that you haven’t given yourself a fair chance at bringing your FULL self to the table.

And if you’re done waiting, beating yourself up, going to bed at night promising yourself “tomorrow I’ll focus on....” then I’m inviting you to listen in to today's episode on the 7 Habits of Highly Unfocused People.

Links Mentioned On Today's Show

Interview with Jordan Gill: vasavikumar.com/blog/episode19

Join the MYOB Community: vasavikumar.com/membership

Book a 15-minute Solution Focused Call: calendly.com/vasavi/solution

Connect with me on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

Today I am joined by Amber Lilyestrom, a former Division 1 soccer player, transformational branding strategist and business performance coach, writer and speaker on a mission to empower women to position themselves as sought-after experts and thought leaders through social media, engagement marketing and the creation of an online brand presence.

Amber is a seven-figure business owner who has helped thousands of women worldwide turn their passions in to heart-centered brands and thriving businesses, while also homeschooling her daughter with her husband and business partner, Ben.

She has been featured in Entrepreneur and Working Mother Magazine and is the host of The Amber Lilyestrom Show podcast. She is the creator of the Ignite Your Soul Summit annual live event and multiple life-changing online programs.

Amber’s disciplined, athletic experience is a hot topic in this episode as we approach how her mindset has dramatically changed over the years, why she chose to shift into a surrender mindset, and how she helps women find the framework that fits them to build success.

This is an amazing conversation, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

Key moments to tune in for:

• [11:41] How Amber developed the disciplined mindset
• [16:40] Amber’s approach when faced with procrastination and other mindset shifts
• [24:16] Amber’s story, including the trauma and her family’s coping perspectives
• [35:50] This is what surrender looks like, and how it can save everything
• [44:49] Creating a framework that fits you

Resources and Links from the Show: 

Discover more about Amber Lilyestrom:

• Amber’s Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• The Amber Lilyestrom Show

Grab my FREE Guide on 10 Must-Have Habits of Ultra-Confident Women: www.vasavikumar.com/freeguide

Join the MIND Your Own BUSINESS community here: http://vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

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Vasavi Kumar leads the coaching industry with 10 years of experience and has helped thousands of women overcome major life obstacles to create new heights of success. Her work is known internationally from speaking engagements in India and across the USA. Vasavi is recognized for getting to the bottom of the intersection of self and business roadblocks and her methods teach clients how to master the art of getting what you want, by mastering their mind.

Vasavi holds dual Masters degrees in Special Educ

Send us Fan Mail

Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories
Real talk, real recovery, actually entertaining. Find Recoverycast now.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

Most of my twenties and thirties were spent invalidating and gaslighting myself. It was no wonder that I attracted people into my life who treated me the way I treated myself- with utter disrespect and disregard for my voice and heart.

Deep inside of you there is a voice, whisper, and a nudge that has never left you. Yet time and time again, you ignore it. You invalidate it. You disregard it.

You already know you deserve better from you.

Out of all the thousands of clients I have worked with over the course of ten years, the number one challenge for them is self-trust. 

It’s the reason why I started the MIND Your Own Business community and it’s also why I’m super excited to share that I have THREE spots left for my upcoming Hit Publish Mastermind for coaches, therapists, and service-based entrepreneurs.

You don’t need to change who you are. You need to remember who you are at the core. Get rooted in that knowing. Speak up. Share your message. Embrace your story. Because someone out there needs to hear it.

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Hit Publish Mastermind: vasavikumar.com/hitpublishmastermind

MIND Your Own Business membership Community: vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

Today’s podcast guest is Adriana Marchione MA, REAT, RSMT, a movement-based expressive arts therapist and educator who has been involved in the arts for over thirty years as a filmmaker, dancer, photographer and is internationally recognized in her work.

She has presented her creative healing approach with a focus on addiction, eating disorders, trauma and grief, at festivals, conferences, and treatment centers including South by Southwest, Studio le théâtre du Corps in Paris, Ohlhoff Recovery Program and La Ventana Eating Disorder Program.

We’re diving deep into the approach she has when working with trauma and addiction, the first steps you can take when turning to art to heal, and how to find true refuge during and after healing. 

If you’ve listened to my podcast before, you know the topic is near and dear to my heart, so I’m excited to share this profound conversation with you.

Let’s get started.

Key moments to tune in for:

• [06:35] Adriana’s creative healing approach with trauma - from addiction to abuse to grief
• [22:32] The first step to exploring your creativity even when you’re not creative
• [31:40] Support, community and accountability
• [37:14] The Creative High and finding true refuge when you’ve lived a false refuge for so long

Resources and Links from the Show: 

Discover more about Adriana Marchione:

• Adriana Marchione’s Website
• Adriana’s Film: When the Fall Comes 
• Adrian’s Film: The Creative High 

Grab my FREE Guide on 10 Must-Have Habits of Ultra-Confident Women: www.vasavikumar.com/freeguide

Join the MIND Your Own BUSINESS community here: http://vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

---------

Vasavi Kumar leads the coaching industry with 10 years of experience and has helped thousands of women overcome major life obstacles to create new heights of success. Her work is known internationally from speaking engagements in India and across the USA. Vasavi is recognized for getting to the bottom of the intersection of self and business roadblocks and her methods teach clients how to master the art of getting what you want, by mastering their mind.

Vasavi holds dual Masters degrees in Special Education from Hofstra University and Social Work from Columbia University. She’s the host of the Being Human with Vasavi Podcast and Former Co-Host of Studio 512, a lifestyle and entertainment morning show in Austin, TX. She's been featured in The Wall Street Journal, FOX, VH1, and was a regular on NBC’s Kansas City Live as the “Keepin’ It Real Guru.” She believes that when you cultivate a solid relationship w

Send us Fan Mail

Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories
Real talk, real recovery, actually entertaining. Find Recoverycast now.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

I wouldn’t be who I am today emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually had I not been given my bipolar disorder diagnosis 18 years ago. I am who I am today because of my journey—from being diagnosed with what the doctors said would be “lifelong” and that I would need to be on medication for the rest of my life—to learning how to truly care for myself, and listen to and understand my mind, body and spirit. I also respect and honor whatever it has taken me to get here—even the myriad of prescription medication I was given when I was newly diagnosed.

When you get diagnosed with a mental illness, it is very easy to feel alone and different, like you don’t belong anywhere. That is why cultivating a tight support system is essential to treating yourself. You don’t have to go through this alone. If you do not have friends or family that live close by then finding a support group would be the next best step, as well as developing a spiritual practice. This is often overlooked, but the most intimate relationship you can have is with yourself and whatever you consider a “higher power.”

Back then I didn’t appreciate or even fully grasp why I had to go through whatever I was going through. And often times, when we are deep into our healing process, we are blind to the gift that is actually being given to us.

For me personally, had I not been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I would have never embarked on the path of understanding myself on every level. I wouldn’t have the compassion and understanding that I do today for anyone going through any sort of adversity or painful situation. I wouldn’t have the perspective on life that I have today.

I wouldn’t be relentless in pursuit of my dreams and helping others do the same. I wouldn’t have made myself a priority. I would have taken my life and the lives of those around me for granted. I wouldn’t be a risk-taker. I wouldn’t have been as confident as I am today. I wouldn’t have learned to speak up and take charge of my life.

So yes, the entire process has made me who I am today. And I invite anyone listening to today's episode to start viewing their diagnosis or pain in their life as the greatest gift ever. Trust and believe that it is no mistake that whatever you are going through right now has a divine purpose.

Links mentioned:

2021 Coworking and Planning session: vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

Send us Fan Mail

Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories
Real talk, real recovery, actually entertaining. Find Recoverycast now.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

Today I am joined by Carly Brown, formerly Carly Shankman, a holistic health coach, yogi, juice enthusiast, wife, and mother on a mission to contribute to a happier, healthier world. 

Carly has been an inspiration to me. When I heard her story, I knew I had to have her on this podcast. Carly was faced with one of the most terrifying diagnoses we have - thyroid cancer - but instead of going the normal route, she chose a natural approach, which lead her on a path she’d never dreamed. Although she was already someone who prioritized her health, this experience created a perspective that forced her to go deeper than ever before.

From there she launched Alchemy Juice, a local juice delivery company in Austin, Texas and an 8-week detox course, The Daily Detox, on her website carlybrownwellness.com. 

She loves spending time barefoot in her kitchen making raw food meals, exploring with her husband and son, Cruz, and traveling to beautiful places off the beaten path.

In this episode, we’re approaching Carly’s challenge when she was diagnosed with cancer, why she chose to go an alternate route, and how her idea of faith shifted dramatically, leading to her businesses and the new way she experiences life.

Key moments to tune in for:

• [11:08] Carly Brown’s story and catalyst for change 
• [16:58] How Carly transformed faith in a way that worked for her
• [39:53] The dramatic shift you need for when you just don’t want to do that thing
• [45:46] Practices and transformations for the rest of your life

Links: 

Discover more about Carly Brown here:

• Carly Brown Wellness
• The Daily Detox
• Alchemy Organic Juice
• Instagram
• Facebook

Resources and Links for Vasavi: 

Grab my FREE Guide on 10 Must-Have Habits of Ultra-Confident Women: www.vasavikumar.com/freeguide

Join the MIND Your Own BUSINESS community here: http://vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

---------

Vasavi Kumar leads the coaching industry with 10 years of experience and has helped thousands of women overcome major life obstacles to create new heights of success. Her work is known internationally from speaking engagements in India and across the USA. Vasavi is recognized for getting to the bottom of the intersection of self and business roadblocks and her methods teach clients how to master the art of getting what y

Send us Fan Mail

Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories
Real talk, real recovery, actually entertaining. Find Recoverycast now.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

For most of us humans, our Inner Critic is formed very early on in childhood. What most people don’t understand is that the job of the Inner Critic is to protect us from disapproval, hurt, and abandonment from others. Basically, it’ll criticize you before you can receive any criticism from others. Basically your Inner Critic is the annoying, hurtful, condescending voice inside of you that is constantly trying to whip you into shape. The goal of your Inner Critic is to help you avoid pain, disapproval, and shame at all costs. 

Once you can clearly identify and understand that your Inner Critic is trying to help you and protect— you can decide whether or not you want to allow it to stifle your spirit and creativity— rather than hear and see it for what it is:

An overprotective, overbearing, terribly frightened parent who is trying to protect you from humiliation at all costs. 

You can make friends with and embrace your Inner Critic. If you are willing, it can become your greatest ally. 

Links mentioned:

Join the Hit Publish Mastermind by October 15th: vasavikumar.com/hitpublishmastermind

2021 Coworking and Planning session inside the MYOB community: vasavikumar.com/membership

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

Today I am joined by Vivian Kaye, the Founder & CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki, one of the premier textured hair extension brands for Black women, disrupting a $6 billion industry. 

In this episode, we stay true to Vivian’s “keep it real” approach as we dive deep into the courageous call-out that led me to discover her in the first place, and some deep prejudices people of color face, including those in the entrepreneurial space.

Vivian is a proven trailblazer for her industry and has graced international stages, enlightening entrepreneurs with her sage business advice and riveting stories of overcoming the challenges of running a multi-million dollar eCommerce empire all while balancing life as a single mom. 

She’s been featured by top brands, websites (like Refinery29 and Black Enterprise), conferences, and podcasts across the globe, which I will link below. 

In this episode, you’ll see exactly how this savvy and all-around dope woman has approached some of the controversial conversations surrounding Black Lives Matter with bravery and her perspective on owning your authentic self.

Let’s get to it.

Links to Connect with Vivian Kaye: 

Discover more about Vivian here:

• Her Instagram Stories and her weekly IGTV Show - Mind Your Business
• VivianKaye.com
• KinkyCurlyYaki

Vivian has been featured in:

• Shopify's Expert Academy Series, Course instructor for Shopify Compass, Ted Conference's "The Way We Work," Ezra Firestone’s Blue Ribbon Mastermind conference, and SheaMoisture Canada “Women of Colour stories."
• Print publications such as The Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail, along with digital publications such as Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Refinery21, and Blavity.
• Podcasts such as Shopify’s Vanguard, The Dean Grazosi Show, Side Hustle Pro, Being Boss, The Sakita Method, and She Did it Her Way.

Resources and Links for your host, Vasavi Kumar:
Grab my FREE Guide on 10 Must-Have Habits of Ultra-Confident Women: www.vasavikuma

Send us Fan Mail

Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories
Real talk, real recovery, actually entertaining. Find Recoverycast now.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud

To all my creatives out there...this is for you. To all my women out there who have a difficult time getting in the zone of focus and creation...listen to this episode. I'm getting into the five steps to clear your mind and get focused. As a highly creative and anxious human being, I've learned that there are things that I can do to get myself into a creative state of flow. If you've been feeling this nagging urge inside of you to create, and need a boost of confidence and direction to get started, listen in.

This month inside the MIND Your Own Business membership community, our theme is CREATIVITY. Looking for support, structure, and strategy to bring your creativity ideas to life? Join us inside the community here. 

Want 1:1 coaching AND access to the community? Join HIT PUBLISH Mastermind! We begin November 5th. Learn more and join here.

Connect with Vasavi on Instagram: @mynameisvasavi

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Resources + Links

Join The Out Loud School
Explore more of my work
Read my book, Say It Out Loud