Whole & Unleashed

What does it mean to live courageously? To show up even when things are hard? I'm so delighted to share today's conversation with a dear friend, Kristen Esquivias where we talked about what it means to live with courage, authenticity and grit Kristen is an executive and personal coach, supporting individuals to reach their next level of success in their careers and beyond. Clients often seek Kristen’s support at times of change - expanding responsibilities, seeking a new position, pivot careers, or wanting something to shift but uncertain of where or how to start. She helps her clients connect to an authentic path forward, one aligned with what matters to that person, and discover new possibilities to achieve their goals. Kristen’s coaching experience ranges from corporate clients to entrepreneurs, emerging leaders to seasoned managers and c-suite executives, and spanning across functions, departments and industries.  She brings all of her experiences as a corporate leader, yoga teacher, mom of two, committed student of personal growth and leadership development into her coaching work to create trust, connection, and empathy. She’s grateful to get to do this purposeful work in the world and make an impact in others’ lives, one conversation at a time. In today’s episode Kristen shares: The ABC method approach where she goes from hyper-reactive to being more mindful and present Her relationship with her grandfather and how it inspired her to find what she's passionate about The importance of pausing and celebrating how far you've gone How she connects to her inner compassion when the self critique gets loud How she incorporates the enneagram system frameworks to support her clients

Brenne Hali is a communication coach, educator, and secret weapon to thousands of big-hearted go-getters around the world. Her greatest passion, and "the why" behind everything she does, is to empower people to show up (and speak up!) as the versions of themselves they most want to be. She provides teams and individuals with the practical tools and coaching they need to overcome nerves, express themselves clearly, and exude authentic confidence in ALL of their interactions. Brenne founded SelfSpoken with a mission to share the most valuable and practical skills she gained from both her acting career (which began with the national tour of a Broadway musical), and the near-decade she spent facilitating communication and leadership trainings in the U.S. and abroad. Nothing lights Brenne up more than empowering people (from every background, industry, and career stage) to stop trying to "prove themselves" when they speak, and to start communicating with real, undeniable confidence from the inside out. Outside of work, Brenne enjoys few things more than long, delicious meals with friends, traveling with her husband, Eli, and dancing full-out in her living room. In today’s episode Brenne shares: On why we feel nervous when we're put on the spot and how to overcome that On being self spoken, finding your voice and honing it The importance of intentionality and how to establish that What gentle authority is and how she incentivizes her clients to apply it How to change your relationship to nerves

Geri Coria is the owner of Apothegeri. She started as a project manager for most of her career until 2020 when she decided to pursue Apothegeri full time. Also known as APG, it started as a side hustle in 2018 which sprang from a place of depression. She was searching for a medium she could create within, but also an alternative to explore self-care. She had been working so much and was feeling disheartened by how her days looked like.  2020 was a year that truly taught her to pause, to appreciate what she has and it gave her the time and space to grow Apothegeri. Each product is made with gratitude, and good intentions. And making candles was ultimately her healing process in reconnecting to herself and recovering from burnt out. In today’s episode Geri shares:   How she felt disconnected in her corporate job and didn't have time for self-care  How the name Apothegeri came to be - Her appreciation for candles and how her father inspired her to create them  The beauty of community and how her candles started to spread some light in dark times  Her process in creating different fragrances and the memories behind them  On letting go, trusting the process and timing

Nikki McKnight has over a decade of experience working with companies to improve processes, drive communication and performance, and build a rockstar team. She’s worked with multi-billion dollar retailers, million dollar entrepreneurs, and startup boutiques looking to start off on the right foot. Nikki loves working with the artistic, creative, and spiritual personalities because she truly believes they will be the ones who will change the world for the better. Nikki loves cycling, pop culture podcasts, romance novels, and hanging with her dog, Riesling. In today’s episode Nikki shares: How she became a backend coach/operations magician The importance of having solid systems in your business so you can move through shiny object syndrome On mental health, her experience with bipolar II disorder and how she takes care of herself Such as creating space and flexibility in her business that allows her to step back whenever she needs to and how you can so so as well On the false sense of urgency and why it's important to recognize when it's running the show How she learned to streamlined her business with the minimum effect dose, inspired by a mentor of hers

In today's episode, my guest Grace Duong talks about strengthening your intuition through tarot and why it's so important to release expectations Grace Duong is the founder, artist, and author of Mystic Mondays, a popular tarot deck and app expanded to include the Crystal Grid Deck and the upcoming Cosmic Creatures deck. Grace is on a mission to empower people to connect with their own intuition, no matter where they are. She combines metaphysics into a vibrant visual language that transcends ancient esoterics for today's modern generation, using modern metaphysics to enhance self awareness, inner wisdom, and deeper connection. She believes that the more inner work we do, the more we can show up in the world as our most empowered and authentic selves. In today’s episode Grace shares: How an energy session helped her realize the blocks she was holding onto How she turned challenges into opportunities, from experiencing shipping damages to cold emailing a publisher and get published in the same year Her intention behind her company Mystic Mondays and how she's making metaphysics more accessible while empowering others to connect with their inner wisdom through her art, colour and tech. Learning to release expectations to make space for messages, lessons and abundance Choosing to carve her own path to honour her inner truth despite facing many kinds of resistance

Cate is a passionate, driven woman and mother who has worn many hats throughout the years, including: marketing director, childbirth doula, kickboxing instructor, TV series executive producer, and serial entrepreneur (current: UnstuckCo). She attributes her personal/professional growth to her failures and most painful experiences, not her victories. In today’s episode Cate shares: Why it's OK to change your mind, to continuously be learning and unlearning What gets a lot of entrepreneurs stuck and stops them from taking the leap The narratives we hold onto and in what ways they hold us back The types of overwhelm and how to move through them The difference between fixing and healing ourselves The beauty and lessons she learned from "failure and mistakes"

Kat Herro is a COO and integrator for 7-figure visionary female entrepreneurs. She supports the entire inner workings of their business by supporting team hiring and management, systems, automations, and operations. She has managed 6 and 7 figure online course launches, and loves helping visionaries step into their full zone of genius. She is also the co-founder of TTC Society, a community and podcast to support those who identify as women who are going through a fertility journey. When she’s not working, she loves to spend time outdoors with her little family and french bulldog. In today’s episode Kat shares: The moment she realized the career she studied and invested in wasn't for her How it felt to walk away from that path and let go of the identity The lessons she learned from allowing herself to explore and try new things Her "unconventional path" which might not make sense on paper but ultimately gave her clarity on what her zone of genius is The importance of boundaries and how motherhood helped her stop overextending herself How she manages multi-million dollar businesses and their teams with ease How to ask the right questions to get the answers you need What inspired her to create her podcast TTC society and what she hopes to achieve And a lot of great nuggets of wisdom. I probably highlighted the entire episode. Grab a warm beverage, some snacks if you want, get cozy and join our conversation!

Diana's passion for entrepreneurship and collaboration is at the heart of all of her work. As a critical thinker, design instructor and ecosystem connector, Diana contributes to the startup and innovation landscape in Montreal by forging strong relationships with the various communities to enhance the positive impact in Quebec. From hardware for physical wellness to educational frameworks for entrepreneurs, Diana's passion is less the medium and more about the message. Diana has the fire to build things from the ground up, but above everything, she aims to use her design and technical skills to foster collaboration and creativity to support people working on problems that really matter. Diana is also now completing her Executive MBA at Concordia University while raising her first child and building Go Coconut, a start-up manufacturing play couches for kids in Canada. In today’s episode Diana shares: About her career journey, the incident that helped her own her story and expertise How she started a business in the middle of a pandemic Common mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting a business The importance of diversity and collaboration How daily check-ins help her tune into her inner alignment and find balance How motherhood has impacted her life and being ok with figuring things out

Brooke Nielsen is a trauma-informed psychotherapist and the founder of the Therapeutic Center for Highly Sensitive People. Over 15 years, she's helped hundreds of people find freedom from anxiety and self-doubt. With advanced training in trauma therapy and relationships, she's spent thousands of hours helping Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) thrive. She's also the founder of Intuitive Warrior, an online learning community which helps HSPs discover the gifts that lie hidden in what they thought were the worst parts of themselves. In today’s episode Brooke shares: How being a highly sensitive person is not a disorder The gifts of being an HSP and the downfalls if it's not used in alignment The traits and different spectrums of being an HSP Some common challenges HSP face growing up The healing aspects of trauma work and how sometimes we get lost in comparative suffering when in fact there is no trauma hierarchy Her experience in learning she's an HSP and how that knowledge helped her go from being constantly anxious on high alert all the time to being better equipped in handling her triggers The importance of energetic boundaries and how to set them

Elizabeth Marx is a luxury wedding photographer and the founder of Almond Leaf Studios. Over 16 years, she’s captured hundreds of weddings around the globe and now helps other wedding professionals build profitable, sustainable businesses with the work life balance they’ve only dreamed possible. In today’s episode Elizabeth shares: How inner work allowed her to embrace and integrate her sensitivity into her business Creating space to have the awareness on what's working and what's not made a difference in life and business Her journey into motherhood and what her children is teaching her On almost hitting rock bottom in her business and leading her to reevaluate the way she was operating The realization that it's not about the destination And what's become possible once she started to lean into her strengths, align her business to her and let go of expectations