Leadership and Yoga

This is a completely free-form, unplanned, behind the scenes chat where I tell you my whole life story and how it impacted where I am today with yoga and podcasting. I just turned on my mic and started talking to see where it would take me.  I share insight about my childhood, how my love story changed me forever, and the unfoldings of my own inner workings and self-discovery. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Tune in to get to know me, and to perhaps release a bit of perfectionism and fear... and whatever else is holding you back so that you can SET YOURSELF FREE.  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam: https://www.shawnakru.com/  Leadership and Yoga IRL: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:00 Leadership and Yoga IRL 05:38 Childhood 11:50 My relationships 16:30 Self-sabotaging and tearing myself down.  24:00 Being in an incorrect relationship with an incredible person can make you depressed.  28:30 Meeting my future husband & how my love story changed me forever 42:40 My first big abundance synchronicity. 44:00 I did a BS job. 47:00 Reaching for something, weathering the confusion.  50:00 Instagram yogis and leadership coaches. 54:00 Bathtub podcast inspiration. 58:00 From teaching my first yoga class to deciding to go all-in. 1:02:00 Seattle: from being in a business drought to drinking from a fire hose.  1:03:03 Finding my place within the yoga world and an injury from an assist.  1:07:20 When people turned against me in the yoga world.  1:13:00 Podcasting changed my life. 1:17:45 Full circle, releasing perfectionism. 1:19:00 It’s okay to be confused.

I sat down with Kelly Smith to talk about releasing the starving artist mentality, starting a podcast that changed her life and watching the podcasting industry blossom, diversifying your offerings, creating business abundance, and BTS of Kelly’s story.  Kelly is the founder of Yoga for You and a Yoga Instructor, host of the top 0.1% ranked podcast, Mindful in Minutes Meditation, with over 500,000 monthly downloads. She is a yoga and meditation instructor who has hosted global retreats, published books, trained thousands of students, and been featured in various publications, from big names like Forbes to local news stations. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE WITH KELLY, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!! <3 Find Kelly on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforyouonline  Kelly’s website: https://www.yogaforyouonline.com/  Kelly’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7s1ydwJkcWeJD1TngMN9Rk?si=4807a754e97d41d9  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam: https://www.shawnakru.com/  Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction to Kelly Smith and Her Journey 02:32 The Evolution of Kelly's Yoga Practice 06:48 The Decision to Teach Yoga 10:06 Building a Yoga Business from Scratch 14:50 Starting a Podcast 19:12 Podcasting Growth  22:08 Lessons Learned from Podcasting 24:21 The Importance of Community in Podcasting 31:48 Setting Boundaries and Personal Privacy 37:57 Consistency in Content Creation 41:49 Writing and Publishing Books 46:19 Mindfulness and Family Dynamics 47:36 From Starving Artist to Abundance 56:26 Diversifying Income Streams 01:07:49 Scaling Your Offerings 01:20:34 Qualities of Exceptional Leadership 01:22:12 The Billboard Message

Is Austin, Texas a creative vortex? Entrepreneurship real talk. Starting from zero, feeling guilty for uprooting my whole life, yet feeling more aligned than ever before. Happily ever after and how discipline can be satisfying. It’s not personal, there’s nothing wrong with you: it’s a passing storm. Thoughts on facing fear & all about my most recent move. Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Get a copy of my guided journal. https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/  Leadership and Yoga IRL info: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl  Time stamps:  00:00 Intro 01:30 Happily ever after.  04:30 What a day: Facing Fears.  06:00 I sponsor my own show.  08:00 I haven’t burned a potato and evacuated the whole building.  11:30 Driving to Austin. 13:30 A magical bed and breakfast & proof that it’s never too late in life to start your projects.  16:30 Greenlight after greenlight.  18:00 More lucky than chance allows.  19:15 Making friends. 20:30 I can’t relax watching stand up comedy. 24:00 Starting from zero, feeling guilty for uprooting my whole life.  26:00 Entrepreneurship real talk. 28:00 Beyond when it’s fun: discipline can be satisfying.  29:00 It’s not personal, there’s nothing wrong with you: it’s a passing storm. 31:40 Living in a basement & every neighbor is your teacher. 36:00 Is Austin a creative vortex? 38:00 What I visualize when I get scared. 

This is not an episode on dieting, life-hacking your food consumption, or ideal nutrient consumption. This is a healing conversation on the art of food and cooking. We touch on finding joy and presence around meals, how to avoid rushing or not feeling “full” or fully nourished, and what you might try if you have a difficult relationship with food. This is about sparking the cozy, “loved and fed” feeling, which is the name of Kaelyn’s events. She is also a private chef for yoga retreats and a yoga instructor herself. Kaelyn is my longest friend so today you will also hear the story of how we met in 7th grade and what we learned from each other in those impactful years. Tune in for a chat that warms the heart and belly. I am eternally grateful that such a special human has been in my life since the early years.  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE WITH KAELYN PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. <3 Find Kaelyn on instagram: @kaelyn.thede  Kaelyn’s Loved & Fed Newsletter: https://lovedandfed.substack.com/  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Shawna’s website: https://www.shawnakru.com/ Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:30 We met in 7th grade. On being goofy.  04:00 You taught me how to feel my feelings. 06:24 Agenda: Let’s talk about the beauty of FOOD. 07:30 Loved and Fed events. 15:00 Watch me do it. 18:45 Food has always been for me. 23:45 Finding what lights your fire. 26:00 Anxiety is space taking.  28:00 How can I stop eating and cooking fast, and eat intuitively? 33:30 There’s nothing new in cooking. 35:00 The subtle elements of food & myths? 37:30 Feeling truly “full” and fulfilled.  41:00 Nature cycles in food.  44:30 You have to get your soil ripe and full of nutrients.  49:00 Picking the most interesting thing instead of the “life hack” 50:30 On having a hard relationship with food.  52:00 You deserve to feel nourished and have energy.  56:00 Fine dining cooking under pressure: I am an adrenaline junky. 1:00:00 My boss right now is an exceptional leader. Mutual respect.  1:02:00 Billboard message: Feed yourself: body, mind & soul. You have the power to. 

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for a solo episode on the leadership lessons I’ve learned through yoga and my work in the wellness industry as a whole. As a result of experiencing bad leadership in the yoga world, I made this podcast… Yes, it inspired the name and the whole study. Plus, I share my high school graduation speech. Let's explore the following topics:  All teachers can only ever be a finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.  You will find what you are looking for in leaders. The premise of yoga is that we have somehow become separated from the whole, or fallen out of union, yoga. Leadership makes or breaks the whole.  Leaders will inevitably let you down and they will pleasantly surprise you.  The leaders who are truly the most abundant, who have the “most to lose” are the ones who are the most generous and willing to share.  What’s missing from definitions of leadership. Leadership is not a title that is bestowed upon you or earned after a certain amount of time. Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Last chance to join the Podcast Launchpad! November 7th we start: https://www.shawnakru.com/the-podcast-launchpad  Leadership and Yoga IRL info: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:00 Welcome in 02:15 Last call Podcast Launchpad 07:45 My chile fingers story. 10:30 Agenda of the episode 12:00 All teachers can only ever be a finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.  13:00 The frozen lake story. 16:00 What is the light within the leader? Everything is a paradox.  17:30 In leadership, you find what you are looking for.  18:30 “Mean wellness” 20:45 Yoga means “to yoke yourself” 25:00 There are gifts in that which scares us.  26:30 Leaders will let you down, and they will surprise you. 28:00 As a result of experiencing bad leadership, I made this podcast.  31:00 We must take responsibility.  34:00 Levels of intimacy: Read the room. 37:45 The most truly abundant leaders are the ones who are the most generous.  39:30 High school graduation speech.  47:00 What’s missing from definitions of extraordinary leadership? 48:00 Avoiding the blame game.  50:30 Leadership is not a title that’s bestowed upon you.  52:00 I don’t like the concept of 200 hour trainings or being “graduated” 55:20 What you need to know: leadership is a state of being. 

Today I sat down with Cameron Rosin to get an inside look into what lights his creative fire, the background on how he has come to see the world and the evolution of his craft. Cameron is one of the few creatives that I tune into religiously and consistently am left feeling inspired, hyped and in awe. I hope today’s episode leaves you feeling refreshed and excited about taking on the beautiful mystery that is life and the creative process.  We talk about everything from how Cameron starts his mornings and what he wanted to do when he grew up, to creating with ease, writing, trance state, entrepreneurship and expression. You don’t want to miss this one.  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE WITH CAMERON, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!! <3 Cameron’s website, community & Portal Project: https://website.beacons.ai/cameronrosin/community Cameron’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronrosin Cameron’s podcast: This Might Be Helpful https://open.spotify.com/show/3dFhZkjazjFZt9UmtAjIUT  Find Shawna Krueger on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnakru/  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:20 Episode overview 04:10 Cameron’s mornings: Disrupting the thoughts we wake up with.  08:55 Writing: Where creation comes from.   10:00 What helps with writing and expression: environment.  14:30 Fueling thoughts: On coffee, music and relaxation vs stimulation.  20:00 Where creativity “comes from.” We are not individuals, we are a collection of intelligences. 23:00 Creating from ease: the full storm cloud. 26:00 The inverse relationship with trying.  28:00 Create a greater territory for yourself, rattle the cage, there was never a cage.  30:30 The process of simplification.  33:00 The role of trance state in Cameron’s life. Transcendence. Putting on the masks. 38:40 So much of what we seek is what we already know.  43:00 Becoming full of other peoples’ words.  46:30 Not judging, trying again in business & creation. 48:00 Cameron’s life growing up. 52:30 No full year of schooling. On belonging.  55:30 What Cameron wanted to do when he grew up & his work history. 57:30 Starting a podcast.  1:02:00 Cameron’s start on social media: a friend posted his videos for over a year.  1:06:00 Portal Project: Create with Cameron in community 1:10:00 The role of yoga in Cameron’s life.  1:13:00 What makes an extraordinary leader: seeing people.  1:15:00 Billboard message. Nature has a place for you.  1:17:00 Final moments.

It’s season two!! Hello from my new home in Austin, Texas. Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an episode on longevity in our yoga practice and body, along with longevity when going after our dreams and big ideas. Plus a BTS of my drive across the country and what’s going on in my podcasting and yoga teaching career.  This episode has a special energy about it. I hope you enjoy this coffee chat. Listen all the way to the end to find out what this week’s secret emoji is.  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Join the Podcast Launchpad: https://www.shawnakru.com/the-podcast-launchpad  Leadership and Yoga IRL info: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl    Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:20 Hello from Austin, my new home. 04:00 Connect with me live. 10:30 What is longevity?  12:30 Instant gratification trap.  14:00 The disaster. 16:30 Quitting my job expectations vs reality.  22:00 The path has not run out.  23:00 Longevity in yoga and your body. 27:00 Injury starts with a whisper in yoga. 32:30 Using the electric, amped up energy wisely.  34:50 We believe in evolution? Don’t we? 37:00 A practice in connecting - eye gazing.  41:00 Longevity of our dreams. 45:00 Focus like a surgeon?  47:00 Surges of pure excitement on my way to Austin. 51:00 Finding the aligned version of myself for the first time in Ecuador. 52:00 A reading from The Woman Who Runs with Wolves 55:00 The scavenger hunt of life & my box crushing neighbor. 

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for a solo episode on facing the unknown and a recap of my recent trip to the middle east.  DISCLAIMER: This episode is unedited, unfiltered and has some silly, jet-lagged energy.  Plus, I am moving so this is a homespun episode… literally. It was recorded in my childhood room. It’s giving childhood slumber party vibes where you stay up all night talking to your friends.  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Join the Podcast Launchpad: https://www.shawnakru.com/the-podcast-launchpad  Leadership and Yoga IRL info: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl  Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:33 Collecting Stories and Facing Change 05:48 The Blessing of the Unknown 08:37 Setting the Scene for Adventure 13:43 Experiencing Dubai 25:56 Facing the Physical Unknown 34:04 Dreams and Symbolism in the Unknown 35:11 Navigating New Experiences 38:56 Facing the Unknown in Nature 41:51 Breathwork and Emotional Grounding 46:31 The Impact of Environment on Emotions 50:16 Embracing Fear and Uncertainty 52:52 The Search for Belonging 57:05 Decisiveness in the Face of the Unknown 58:55 Exploring Spiritual Unknowns 01:01:53 The Cycle of Seeking and Trusting the Unknown

I sat down with Marine Chapon to get a BTS look into her yoga practice, teaching origin story, art, business and philosophy. Marine is a French yoga instructor and host of the Off the Mat podcast. She also has an extensive youtube following and set of classes.  As Marine has one of the most shocking and beautiful practices I’ve seen on instagram but generally teaches in French and has her podcast in French, I have been curious about learning more about her background for a while. It’s an honor to share our coffee chat with you! It left me smiling the whole entire interview, and for hours afterwards.  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE WITH MARINE, PLEASE DROP ME A RATING & SUBSCRIBE. Thank you. <3 Find Marine on Instagram: ⁠@marine_chpn⁠ Find Marine on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/Marine_chpn⁠  Find me on instagram: ⁠@shawnakru⁠ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro  02:50 Agenda for the show 4:00 What Marine wanted to be when she was little. 6:00 Creating and starting to teach, to share on youtube & social media. 8:30 What changed in her life after finding the softness of yoga.  12:00 What are you striving after? Shoulder injury and embracing the duality of striving for more and enjoying the now.  16:20 How can we find the fun in discipline?  18:20 It’s not all or nothing. Finding the artistry.  23:00 Yoga is here to teach us that we are not what we can do, we are not what others perceive of us.  24:30 How can we cultivate self-trust.  26:45 Posting on social media and creation, authenticity and detachment. 30:00 Create the trend, instead of jumping on a trend.  32:30 Content with the community she has and where Marine finds inspo on instagram. 35:00 Creating a masterpiece when recording classes that take students on a journey.  37:00 Starting a podcast.  46:00 What makes an exceptional leader? 48:00 Tips for new yoga teachers. 51:00 Billboard message: You cannot fail.

Moving, traveling, a big announcement of my moonshot goal becoming reality, knowing no one. Also, my podcast recs, where I gather inspiration, routines and other randomness. You know how I said if I ever didn’t have time to make an episode I would pop on and tell ya so? Well, here we are.  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Join the Podcast Launchpad: https://www.shawnakru.com/the-podcast-launchpad  Leadership and Yoga IRL info: https://www.shawnakru.com/leadership-and-yoga-irl  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:30 When I sat down at this very table. My last episode in this apartment. 06:30 My podcast recs. Freedom friends.  12:00 How I spend my days.  17:10 Drinking from a fire hose.