The Undercurrent Podcast

Hitting rock bottom is never pleasant or fun. Events like these can be painful, full of grief, confusion and a ton of discomfort. Sometimes we can never fully recover from it. But on the bright side, studies show that it can also be a huge catalyst for some of the most amazing things in our lives to happen.

In my conversation with Natalie Kashani, she shares her personal story about hitting rock bottom. She lost everything: her marriage, her business, her ability to be present with her children, her friends and her sobriety. She fell into behavioral and substance addiction to numb and avoid the pain and circumstances of hitting rock bottom, and she was forced to go to rehab.

Through healing and doing the necessary work, she was able to recover, rebuild her life, and come back stronger than ever. She shares that she is the most confident, grounded and peaceful she’s ever been.

Natalie now has a thriving business and beautiful relationships with her family, partner and friends. Through her journey of adversity and after years of studying, she created a program for women to help them overcome addictions and self heal.

Listen to Episode 28 now

Progress isn’t linear. And it can sometimes feel like you’re going backwards. But in order to move forward, you’ve got to make these hard decisions.

In my conversation with Raluca Elena Rogoz, she shares her story about how she went from being a freelancer, to growing a thriving business, to working for a corporate company for the first time in her mid-thirties. It was only after going through this journey that she was able to kickstart her branding and marketing business with a much better strategy and perspective.

She also talks about her personal transformation: how she shed all of the layers of perfectionism and overworking to expose her true self. And why personal growth is the best investment that anyone can make.

Did you know that Oprah and Stedman have been together for over 35 years and have never married? And Betty White swears that she’ll never retire. She’s 99 years old and has a Guinness World Record for the longest-running TV career of any woman in history. Stevie Wonder became the youngest solo artist at No. 1 when he was just 13 years old.

We don’t have to do life in any particular way. We are not too old, too young or too much of anything. The timing of our lives is perfect the way it is.

In my conversation with Arielle Chendarra and Hansel Chendana, we talked a lot about this topic. They're siblings and entrepreneurs who each started their businesses in their teenage years. Arielle pioneered the Gluten & Dairy Free Cake industry here in Bali and Hansel is growing his specialty coffee business with beans that are raised and roasted in Indonesia.

They share the ups and downs of life as teenage entrepreneurs, the big lessons they’ve learned, how to manage naysayers and thrive in their businesses.

Listen to episode #26 now

In my conversation with Saskia Mardi, she shares her experience with being burned out in Bali - something that most people don’t believe can happen. But after experiencing it for myself, I can attest that burnout is real and it will creep up on you if you’re not careful - yes, even on a tropical paradise island.

Saskia is a wife, mother, entrepreneur and breadwinner of her family. She is a business minimalist who helps her clients get the right things done, with less stress and more joy. Kinda like Marie Kondo, but for your professional life.

Saskia grew up in Australia, moved to the Netherlands after meeting “a boy” (who became her life partner) and immigrated to Bali right before the pandemic. I hope you find delight,  inspiration and wisdom through hearing her story like I did.

Listen to Episode #25 Now

Have you ever experienced burnout? Going through it now? You’re not alone. Studies show that burnout levels are accelerating fast since the onset of the pandemic. There are plenty of tips that might be helpful for you in this podcast episode. And if you’re looking for more resources, I recommend you reach out to a mental health professional or seek comfort through self-care practices or your support system.

Agathe Faye is a self love and inner child healing coach who helps women reclaim their power and honor their worth. She specializes in coaching women who struggle with body image issues and codependency.

In our conversation, she shares her experiences of being in toxic relationships, her healing journey and how it led her to dedicate work to helping women heal and love themselves more.

She also shares how she left her stable, high paying career to create a unique lifestyle living all around the world.

I’ve had my fair share of toxic relationships and wish that I had someone like Agathe around to support me during these painful times. If you’re in a toxic relationship now or still healing from one, I hope that you can find relief in this conversation in knowing that you’re not alone.

Listen to Episode 24 Now. 

You know what I find strange about dating and relationships? In the “getting to know each other” phase, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to present the best versions of ourselves.

How are we supposed to really get to know each other when we’re only highlighting our good qualities and hiding all the other stuff?

Eventually the rose colored glasses wear off. And who we have standing in front of us is an actual human being: real, imperfect and also carrying baggage - and not some idealized version of who we want them to be. Our own imperfections are also mirrored back to us, exposing our wounds and vulnerabilities which can be super uncomfortable and almost impossible to be with.

In pretty much all of the relationships I’ve been in, I fought hard to keep up the facade of being the perfect partner: I would be agreeable, funny, easy-going, overly helpful, low maintenance and ignore my needs in order to be loved. I performed. I emotionally tap-danced. I walked on eggshells. And I abandoned myself - a lot.

After finally getting sick of my own shit, I committed to always put myself first. I went on a heart sabbatical and formed a deep relationship with my #1 - me. And right when that happened, Mario came knocking on my door… literally.

In this week’s episode of The Undercurrent Podcast, I share part 2 of the conversation I had with my partner Mario Mittag. 

We talk all about our love and connection:

• How he believes he manifested our relationship before we even met
• How we quickly went from being neighbors to lovers (even after I told him I wasn’t looking for anything serious)
• Why he feels he’s ready to commit to a long term partnership now vs. never feeling ready before
• How we navigate conflict and hard conversations
• How we are healing old wounds through our relationship
• What motivated him to move to Bali from Germany and how he did it

Being with Mario has been the most enriching relationship I’ve been in. Not because it’s been easy (we’ve had some storms), but because we both feel free to show up with our flaws, imperfections and vulnerabilities. To be loved not just despite these characteristics but also for them has been a beautiful and rewarding experience. And I think that’s what true love is.

On this week’s episode of The Undercurrent Podcast, I interviewed my partner Mario Mittag. The way he chooses to live his life and run his business is pretty inspiring. In part one of our conversation, you’ll learn about where he comes from (he’s Peruvian but grew up in a small town in Germany), the various jobs he had before working in corporate, the life-threatening event that eventually led him to quit his 9-5 and travel the world, and how he founded a conscious and inclusive business that is 100% remote.

Towards the end of the episode, you’ll hear Mario get emotional about why he structured his company in an egalitarian way and why it’s important for more leaders to put more focus on people and less on profits. Even as the CEO, he pays himself the same as the rest of his team - this is one of the many things I find admirable about him. 

I hope you find inspiration from this incredible human I’m honored to call my partner.

Who are you at your core?

I struggle with this question. Because I feel like I’m always evolving. I’m not the same woman I was last year and I’ll be a different woman next year. But I also believe there are parts of us that remain constant - no matter what job we’re in, who we surround ourselves with or how much money we make.

In my conversation with Sheena Vera Cruz, we talk about connecting with the authentic self and what it means to live your truth.

Sheena is a renaissance woman with many talents and skills. She’s travelled around the world as a professional dancer, managed a company, led programs as a fitness instructor and is now a life coach who empowers women to be bold and build more confidence. And while she’s held a variety of positions in her career, the common denominator in each of them has been working with people and helping them grow.

Further in our conversation, we talk about our identities as Filipino women and what it was like growing up in the US as children of immigrants. The struggle was real for our parents and the generations before them -  they had to sacrifice a lot for our survival.

Sheena and I both find ourselves in the privileged and peculiar position of wanting to honour our family’s career preferences while also following our passions and living a purposeful life by design.

Connect with Sheena on Instagram. 

Have you ever been in a situation where someone important to you doubted your decisions or abilities? It can be super deflating, right? Even to the point where we lose motivation and end up scrapping the plans we were once so fired up about. It’s not easy to make a transition without the support of your people.

In this podcast episode, I share a story of how I transitioned from working in a corporate job to becoming a full-time coach, which was completely a brand new career path. Have a listen and hear how I made this transition without the support of some key people in my life.

I also offer some helpful tips on what to do when people you care about are doubting your decisions.

ANNOUNCEMENT

My 8-week group coaching program is open for enrollment! Get clarity and direction on your biggest goals by creating a step-by-step action plan within a supportive and collaborative group! To learn more, visit www.pursuitonpoint.com

“What’s it like to work with a life coach?”

“What do you actually do in the sessions?”

“What's the difference between coaching and therapy?”

These are the typical questions that people ask me when I introduce myself as a coach. Either they’re curious and just want to know what it’s like or they’re ready to receive help and accountability with their biggest goals.

In my latest podcast episode, I chatted with one of my clients Dianna Austin - a full-time nurse, and women’s empowerment leader focused on supporting women of color entrepreneurs on how it was like to work with a life coach.

When we first started working together, she had so many thoughts and ideas, but she just didn't even know where to start and how to handle it. She also had anxiety and fear to put herself out there. Throughout this podcast, Dianna shares how working with a life coach has helped her so much in a short period of time, by taking a step-by-step approach.



ANNOUNCEMENT

If you are inspired by Diana's story and are considering making some big moves of your own in your life or career, I want to invite you to a FREE Life Design workshop I’m hosting LIVE today!

It’s called ALL THE WAY UP: 3 secrets to stop playing small and create the life you want.

Don’t miss it! To join the workshop, register here.