Growth Mindset ON with Cristina Crucianu
Growth Mindset ON with Cristina Crucianu
Cristina Crucianu
Growth Mindset ON is back with a more nuanced podcast about navigating life's difficulties. Real stories. Raw emotions. Unfiltered conversations about identity, displacement, and the fight for belonging. In each episode, we dive deep into the personal struggles and triumphs of individuals whose stories are often left untold. Buy my book: https://a.co/d/gUitw6V Connect with me on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-crucianu-415268b0/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmindset_girl/
On Life's Adversities & The Power of Kindness, and Stortyelling
Have you ever wondered why people write memoirs? In my case, I wanted to tell my story to find healing. Thanks to it, I've outgrown the pain I felt as an underprivileged kid. Flavia who is an immigrant just like me shared her experience of coming to Spain, and her growth journey. A podcast that will inspire you to be kinder, and more open-minded about other's issues, and struggles.
May 17, 2025
43 min
On accepting life as it comes our way with Anna Bondarenko
Anna is originally from Ukraine, and she's had to leave her home, her possessions, and her country as she knew it when war struck in her country. Her personal story of leaving Ukraine through my native Romania from where she eventually got into a plane, is harrowing, and difficult to digest. Nonetheless, Anna always has a smile on, and takes life as it comes her way, accepting the best, and the worst with toughness, and grace. Her strength, and resilience is an inspiration to me but I only wish that we lived in a world where people didn't have to go through similar experiences as her's, and we stopped unnecessary wars leading to generational trauma, and loss at so many levels. It is worth mentioning that according to the United Nations, Russia’s three years of mass attacks on Ukraine are having a devastating effect on women and girls, with 1,869,000 internally displaced, almost 6.7 million women in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 3,799 women and 289 girls killed, with the actual number of deaths likely much higher.
Apr 14, 2025
1 hr 13 min
Hristina Racheva: How to exit Survival Mode & Calm our Nervous System?
This episode is for those who have lived in survival mode for too long and are now ready to let go, heal, and turn Awareness Mode On.Our guest, Hristina Racheva, is a career coach, somatics and nervous system facilitator, and the author of a Gratitude Journal designed to help people cultivate mindfulness and inner peace. With a long career in tech as a localization head and product manager, she is now on a sabbatical year traveling through Asia.In this episode, we explore the deep connection between financial stability, creativity, and the nervous system’s response to adversity. We discuss how growing up in adversity wires our nervous system to be constantly on high alert, and how somatics can help reduce this constant alertness to lead a more satisfying life.As two women with similar backgrounds, we explore the challenges of meeting our fundamental needs, reclaiming a sense of safety, and learning to move beyond survival into well being.Stay until the end for a special somatics session with Hristina—an empowering practice to reconnect with your body and inner strength.If you want, you can connect with her on LinkedIn or find her Gratitude Journal on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/ezunfv4
Apr 4, 2025
1 hr 10 min
Navigating Immigration as a Teenager and its impact on adulthood
In this episode, I interview a fellow Romanian, and she explains her story and the impact of immigration, and how being #underprivileged impacted her adult life. She talks about the limitations and the emotional #shrinking that occurs when you experience #bullying because of your background. She talk about the negative impact that it has had on her, and her family throughout the years. Overcoming those limitations, and navigating the cultural differences, and shocks has been a struggle.Proud to see that "Born to leave" has helped her to better understand how herself and grow aware of her own struggles. We talk about my book "Born to leave" and how reading it has helped her to put into words her own story and suffering, understanding where her vulnerability comes from. Buy my book https://a.co/d/hME1ldY
Mar 23, 2025
1 hr 6 min
Igualdad de género para un mundo más igualitario
Este episodio es uno de los episodios más personales ya que hablo del origen del feminismo y porque para mí la igualdad de género es equivalente a la justicia social. Es un episodio personal gracias a una charla que dí en una de las empresas que me invitaron a compartir mi historia personal y mi ímpetu para erradicar la desigualdad de género. Además de ello, hablo sobre mi libro que saldrá a la venta este Abril y ya está en preventa en Amazon https://a.co/d/hME1ldYDe momento, sólo está disponible en inglés."Born to leave" is a poignant and evocative tale of a family's journey from the rustic simplicity of rural Romania to the uncharted territories of Spain. Set against the backdrop of the early 2000s, this narrative is a profound exploration of displacement, resilience, and the bittersweet pang of nostalgia.The story begins with the family in Romania, where life is a tapestry of simple joys and the bonds of community, yet overshadowed by poverty and the remnants of a post-communist society. The mother, a pillar of strength and sacrifice, makes the heart-wrenching decision to relocate to Spain, driven by the hope of a better future for her children. This choice marks the beginning of a transformative journey for the entire family.Told through the eyes of one of the children, the narrative dives deep into the emotional turmoil the protagonist faces as she adapts to a foreign culture. The shock of a new language, the struggle to preserve her identity, and the quest for belonging in a strange land are vividly depicted, interwoven with nostalgic recollections of her past life in Romania.The story takes a poignant turn with the mother's untimely death from cancer, prompting the protagonist to re-examine her mother's life and decisions. This loss becomes a catalyst for a deeper understanding of the past, inviting a reflective journey into the sacrifices and choices that shaped her life and her family’s. The protagonist grapples with the complexities of memory and legacy, finding new meaning in the actions and dreams of their late mother."Born to leave" transcends the narrative of migration; it is a meditation on the endurance of the human spirit, the nuances of memory, and the unyielding bonds of family. More than a family's physical journey, this book is an introspective voyage through the landscapes of loss, hope, and the eternal quest for a place to call home.
Mar 13, 2025
55 min
My untold burnout story
While it has brought me to reassess my values, and took me to travel the world, here I explain what took me to take the harsh decision of quitting my job. There are many unconscious biases that affect minorities and less privileged people, and that's why it is crucial for me to share my story to shed some light on how it affects people on a daily basis. It is necessary to work towards raising awareness and learning together to bring equity in a world that has been unequal for far too long. Here I am explaining how I burnout reached me, the missteps that I did on my side, and how leaders, and managers can work towards building more diverse teams.
Aug 31, 2023
38 min
Scaling product teams, and other leadership lessons with Megan Murphy, VP of Product at Hotjar
Megan Murphy is a former VP of Product at Hotjar Her product career has developed at big players like Microsoft, Skyscanner, and N26, as well as early-stage startups and a boutique mobile app design studio. Originally from New York, Megan has spent the last 10 years building products and teams in San Francisco, Brazil, and now Barcelona. She is currently leaping into an entrepreneur.  In this new journey, she will be focusing on finding the right people for the right teams, and the right teams for the right problems. She will be talking about how she led product management while at Hotjar (currently part of ContentSquare) and tackles some of the points below, but not only.  Hotjar’s meeting culture Decision-making ownership  Breaking the silos between teams Coaching and one-to-ones (sushi feedback - we all like sushi right?:) Do you want to connect with me? Follow me on LinkedIn Do you want to know when my book will be out? Sign up, and be the first to know. 
Jun 23, 2022
53 min
Reflections on success & leadership styles.
 Leadership:   - is genuine and it is not meant to favor any side.   - is something transparent, it is something in the air that impacts everyone at the same level.  - Leadership happens because that’s what feels right and does not know about economic benefits and growth. - Leadership is about personal development in companies. Leadership is the love that our parents have for us without asking for anything in exchange.  That’s the lesson I’ve learned from someone who doesn’t have an MBA from an Ivy League school but works countless hours in order to make his workplace more human-friendly.  Because that’s what leadership is about.  Do you want to have my last book which describes my story's family, and how we've grown to be resilient, natural leaders?   Subscribe to be the first to have it when it's out!
Aug 18, 2021
21 min
How to thrive in your career when working remotely? w/ Head of Platform Partnerships at Intercom.
In this week's episode, I interviewed Jeff Gardner- Head of Platform Partnerships at Intercom He’s been part of the company since its early days and went through all the changes that hyper-growth startups go through. In this episode, you will learn about: How to effectively work remotely and attain a work-life balance How to build successful partnerships How to build a long-term relationship with your company’s management that fosters career growth. Some other subjects we've touched on are mental health, career-second and personal life first, climbing, and what is the best way to define life on your own terms.  Do you want to read my first book ? Subscribe to be the first to know when it's out.
Sep 28, 2019
40 min
La necesidad de ser más inclusivos en el sector tecnológico.
Español: Este es un podcast grabado en directo en el Forum de Fnac Plaça Catalunya en Barcelona el 12 de septiembre de 2019 donde he tenido la oportunidad de entrevistar a mujeres líderes sobre el impacto de las mujeres en la tecnología. Es un episodio realizado en colaboración con TechBloom, donde soy miembro fundador, y somos un Think Tank que da forma al futuro con la ayuda de expertos en la materia y proporcionamos este know-how a empresas dispuestas a disrumpir el campo en el que se encuentran. Nuestras invitadas de hoy son dos doctoras en tecnología e inteligencia artificial y uno de los miembros fundadores de Mobile World Capital, el grupo que está detrás del mundialmente conocido Mobile Congress que se celebra anualmente en Barcelona. Algunos de los temas sobre los que tuve la oportunidad de entrevistarlas son los prejuicios que la IA puede perpetuar y acentuar. Aprenda por qué los futuros reclutadores de IA pueden ser parciales a la hora de elegir a quién contratar o no debido a los datos históricos sobre los que están tomando decisiones, junto con muchos otros datos curiosos relacionados con la IA. En cuanto a la iniciativa empresarial, la ex Directora General Adjunta de Mobile World Capital destaca el problema de la escasa inversión en empresas fundadas por mujeres y la necesidad de resolverlo para permitir que las mujeres sean protagonistas de la tecnología disruptiva y tengan acceso a la tecnología. Inspírate hacia el final con lo que realmente está moviendo la aguja en el "empoderamiento femenino" y consejos prácticos sobre cómo dar forma a un futuro de género equilibrado e inclusivo, porque eso es lo que necesitamos. English: This is a live podcast episode recorded in the Forum of Fnac Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona on September 12th, 2019 where I’ve had the chance to interview female leaders about the impact of women in technology. It is an episode done in collaboration with TechBloom, where I am a founding member, and we are a Think Tank shaping the future with the help of field experts and provide this know-how to companies willing to disrupt the field they are in. Our today’s guests are two Ph.D.s Women in Tech and AI and one of the founding members of Mobile World Capital, the group behind the world-renown Mobile Congress that happens yearly in Barcelona. Some of the topics I had the chance to interview them about are the biases that AI may perpetuate and accentuate. Learn why future IA recruiters may be biased when choosing who to hire or not due to the historical data they are taking decisions on together with many other fun facts related to the AI. In terms of entrepreneurship, the former-Deputy CEO of Mobile World Capital highlights the problem of under-investment in female-founded companies and the need to solve it in order to allow women to be protagonists of disruptive technology and have access to tech. Get inspired towards the end by what’s actually moving the needle in “female empowerment” and hands-on tip on how to shape a gender-balanced and inclusive future because that’s what we need.
Sep 13, 2019
59 min
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