In this episode I'm interviewed by Tom Boyd for his show Creators Are Brands. It's packed with gems! Description from Creators are Brands: In a world where everyone is telling us to speed up, we talk about intentionally slowing down to create more of what you love, how to create your own algorithm, we talk about her integrated holistic way of working with sponsors (that i encourage you to borrow), why she stopped selling courses even though they were bringing in crazy money, how to re-frame feelings of jealousy or comparison of other creators, why she’s quitting being an influencer, and stay to the very end and she shares a strategy for connecting with your audience through every digital thing you make. We discuss: Rethinking content creator business Building a sustainable brand on social media  Finding meaning and longevity in digital self-expression Relationships over transactions  Social media as a stepping stone on the way of remembering who you are  The metrics that actually matter  Trusting the content you’re “meant to” share over logical strategy  How to reframe comparison on social media  Allowing social media to be a mirror of places you are meant to grow Redefining success  Seeing triggers as opportunities for growth  Do you need to create a separate instagram account for your podcast?  Clearing out your creative shelf  Give yourself the grace to move through what you’re moving through  Ways to connect to the joy of creation  How Ksenia is currently approaching podcast and social media brand sponsorships Related episodes:  225 Retiring From Being An Influencer: Identity Alchemy, Soul Journey As A Public Figure and Releasing Addiction To Hustle 193 Tom Boyd of @bonusfootage: All Things Content Creation, Short Form Video and TikTok Growth 186 Join Me For 11 Days Of Sharing On Social Media | Hyping You Up To Share Your Medicine with The World Resources: Meditation and breathwork challenge on Open  Social Media Challenge: 11 days of sharing  Hashtag Mindful class on Skillshare Connect with Tom Boyd: www.tomboyd.co Creators are Brands podcast  Instagram: @bonusfootage TikTok: @bonusfootage Twitter: @BOYDERyo Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Ksenia's email list Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

In this episode recorded over a cup of ceremonial cacao, I catch up with Florencia Fridman, my “cacao mama”. Her beautiful cacao ceremony offerings served as a doorway for me to connect to the spirit of cacao, and since then I’ve had the joy of doing a cacao ceremony training with Flo, as well as traveling to Guatemala with the cacao brand she runs with her brother, Cacao Laboratory.  We discuss:  How Florencia got into ceremonial cacao  Florencia’s experience going to a mystery school in Guatemala Answering the call to work with ceremonial cacao  Understanding the medicine of cacao through Maya Cosmovision  Cacao as a sacred food that helps us connect deeper with our relationship with Spirit  The one time that an Amazonian Indigenous elder asked Florencia for a cup of ceremonial cacao  The relationship between the spirits of plants and the dream world  Flo’s earliest memories of connecting with the Spirit realm  The first time Florencia met her spirit guides Ksenia shares how she overcame the fear of the unseen beings  Florencia’s experience moving from Argentina to USA as a kid Going off your path to come back stronger than ever How a marriage led Florencia to exploring shadow work  Finding your own way outside of a romantic partnership How ending a marriage propelled Florencia to commit to her spiritual path  Experiencing the energetic blueprint of freedom  Facing self-sabotage and shame and exploring internal conflict  Owning and honoring your ancestry and DNA How Florencia’s relationship with cacao has evolved  The magic of drinking cacao with local plants Plants that work synergistically with cacao – like blue lotus and mugwort  Florencia’s rituals with cacao  Spirit-led relationship with business Balance between humility and owning your worth  Rituals to nourish a brand Welcoming it all and generously allowing emotions to move through your experience  Choosing to live a fully expressed human experience  Lessons from plants and two months in Ecuador that Florencia is integrating  Activating your voice and trusting your path Social media through the lens of Spirit  Activating the new dream Florencia’s community platform Florecer and the vision for it  Episode sponsors: Op e  n Open is a meditation and breathwork app I’ve been loving. I’ve been wanting to re-commit to a daily meditation practice and this January, I will be doing a daily meditation + breathwork challenge with Open! Learn more and join me here: https://go.o-p-e-n.com/KSENIABRIEFCHALLENGE. With my link, you will get free access to breathwork, meditation and movement practices for the month of January, and a chance to win an Open in-person retreat in 2023 (valued at $2k-$5k).  Zencastr Have you ever bought anything after hearing an ad on a podcast? I know I have. Whether you want to diversify your ad spend, add a new marketing stream, or test out podcast ads, Zencastr – a longtime partner of this show – now has its own Creator Network that makes it easy for brands to connect with podcasters with aligned content and audiences. Interested in sponsoring podcast ads for your business and maybe even this show? Go to zen.ai/WEB8 and fill out the contact form so that Zencastr can help you bring your business story to life.  Resources:  Cacao Lab Ceremonial Cacao - use code BREAKFASTCRIMINALS for 15% off  What is cacao ceremony?  The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible (Sacred Activism) by Charles Eisenstein Caro Arevalo Chiricaspi plant  Anima Mundi Blue Lotus Flower to add to your ceremonial cacao Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert  Naku healing center in Ecuador Related episodes:  14 Florencia Fridman: Cacao Ceremony and Maya Cosmo-Vision, Align Making Money With Your Divine Purpose 223 How Jessica Scheer Helped An Indigenous Spiritual Leader Grow A 550K Community On TikTok: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Technology 169 Anima Mundi Founder Adriana Ayales: Meeting the Sacred in Plants, Business and Money 145 Michelle Sinnette: New Paradigm of Business with Legacy Cacao Founder 104: Caro Arevalo – Stay True To The Essence You Want To Share with The World 98 Mark Elmy: Mayan Astrology as a Key To Decoding The Matrix Connect with Florencia Fridman:  @florencia.fridman  Florecer, flourishingoneness.com Cacao: Food of the Gods Documentary  Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

Katie Hess is a flower alchemist, TEDx speaker, author of Flowerevolution and founder of LOTUSWEI, one of the world’s leading floral apothecaries. Katie Hess is one of my favorite people in the world, and I use LOTUSWEI products daily – they have been an incredible ally on my journey of stepping into my truth and into my voice.  We discuss:  Gathering of healer warriors Developing a new model of medicine    “Healer heal thyself” as the number one core value  Ksenia shares her experience with LOTUSWEI flower elixirs  Creating the energetic space for business expansion Internal resilience that comes from struggle   How flower elixirs work: Botanical wifi How live blood analysis is showing cutting edge new research around the impact of flowers on health Uprooting self-violence and tuning into the frequency of self-love with Divine Within LOTUSWEI series  Ksenia’s game-changing mindset shift while adjusting to life with a new puppy  Dogs as profound mirrors and teachers  Ksenia’s experience discovering biological dentistry and deciding to do a root canal removal surgery  Katie’s experience discovering cobalt trace mineral Flowers that can help you connect to your inner knowing  How Katie connects to plants and flowers and alchemizes LOTUSWEI products  Flower essences that can help you tap into particular Earth energy grids to resource information  Building the muscle of self-trust Unhooking from being right into the spacious realm of the unknown  Living in the question   Making love with the plant world through air The miracles that can happen when you start working with flowers   The journey to choosing your self  The lessons Katie and Ksenia are currently moving through   Our bodies as a temporary home Softening the “I got it” mentality and stepping into receiving Flowers for hopelessness and grief   Finding a home wherever you are The gift of receiving   Connecting to intuitive electrical communication  Being in the question   The dance between business and spirit  What to do when you feel torn about being on social media  Ksenia shares her rituals around social media  The power of saying no and the courage to opt out  Katie does a live mini flower reading for Ksenia  Episode sponsor: Zencastr Have you ever bought anything after hearing an ad on a podcast? I know I have. Whether you want to diversify your ad spend, add a new marketing stream, or test out podcast ads, Zencastr – a longtime partner of this show – now has its own Creator Network that makes it easy for brands to connect with podcasters with aligned content and audiences. Interested in sponsoring podcast ads for your business and maybe even this show? Go to zen.ai/WEB8 and fill out the contact form so that Zencastr can help you bring your business story to life.  Resources: LOTUSWEI.com use code KSENIA15 for 15% off through 2022 Divine Within  Sacred Heart Sacred Awareness  Radance Orchid   Radiant Energy Mist Pear Blossom Pieris Elixir Indian Paintbrush Elixir Fringed Orchid Elixir Related episodes:  223 How Jessica Scheer Helped An Indigenous Spiritual Leader Grow A 550K Community On TikTok: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Technology 222 Embodying Main Character Energy (Dropping The “Nice Person” Role) 220 Anna Gannon: How To Start Developing Intuitive Abilities and Share The Frequency of LOVE On Social Media 12 How To Build A Successful Conscious Business Infused with Ancient Wisdom with Katie Hess of LOTUSWEI Connect with Katie Hess:  LOTUSWEI.com @lotuswei @iamkatiehess Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify About Katie Hess:  Katie Hess is an expert of flower alchemy - using the healing power of flowers to awaken our true potential. She is the author of Flowerevolution and founder of LOTUSWEI, a leading flower elixir apothecary. She travels in search of rare flowers with the healing qualities most needed by today’s world, from the forests of British Columbia, to sacred sites in India, rainforests in Costa Rica, hot springs in Iceland and the jungles of Taiwan. Katie captures the lifeforce and activating potential of flowers and translates it into an accessible method to bring more happiness into our daily lives. One of the most sustainable forms of natural medicine, flower remedies are known for their short-term benefits like clarity, focus and sleep, with long-term benefits of rapid personal growth. Having gathered empirical research from thousands of private clients, Katie created a flower essence library with elixirs now used by people in more than 50 countries. She teaches mindful-awareness practices at Flowerlounge events around the world, and hosts the Flowerlounge Podcast, featuring experts in unconventional paths to self-awareness, with listeners in more than 75 countries. She’s founder of the Self-Arising Nature Center in Phoenix, Arizona, a center for flower essence education, experiences and practitioner training. Whether it’s hosting retreats, leading meditations, or her travels to find the planet’s most powerful flowers, the essence of Katie’s work is to awaken people to their own inner wisdom. Find out what your favorite flower means about you at www.lotuswei.com.

The most important home to visit during the Holiday season is the one within. In this solo frequency transmission, I share the waves I’ve been surfing around coming home to self, cultivating unshakeable peace, and BEing an invitation into love everywhere I go. Some of the topics we traverse: How to be when triggers come up around family  Invitation to shed anything you’re not meant to bring into the coming year Shining the light within the shadow Cultivating peace within Being a powerful weaver of your reality “How anyone around you acts is not a measure of how far you’ve come”.  Related episodes:  222 Embodying Main Character Energy (Dropping The “Nice Person” Role) 197 Reggie Riverbear: Coming Home To Yourself Through Voice, Finding Your Community and Trusting Spirit As A Business Strategy 173 Part Two: I'm remembering who I am  Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

In this episode, I share the top lessons I’ve learned so far from starting, growing and monetizing a podcast.  We cover: Why I started a podcast and my intention behind continuing it Why podcasting is my favorite form of content creation after experiences creating courses, blogging, sharing on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube The energetics of a successful podcast! The ways the podcast has helped me grow personally and professionally How switching my attention from the technical aspects of sharing my voice to the energetic aspects changed everything  How the podcast has remained the of my content universe as I’ve gone through multiple iterations of how I show up online How solo episodes have unexpectedly become a huge part of the podcast  My creative process for recording solo episodes How I make promo materials and graphics for podcast episodes   Some of the tools I’ve used to grow the podcast How I find and book podcast guests Top ways I’ve monetized the show  The easiest way to start monetizing your podcast no matter where you’re at in your podcasting journey Episode sponsor: Zencastr, my #1 podcasting tool since day one of this podcast. Zencastr provides crystal clear sound and gorgeous HD video. Use my special link https://zencastr.com/pricing?coupon=KSENIA&fpr=lek58 and use code KSENIA to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional.  Mentioned:  Zencastr for podcast recording and post-production Chartable Creative Market Canva Pro  Epidemic Sound My tech setup (Shure Mic with a stand and this Logitech Webcam or MacBook Pro Built-in Camera) Audacity software for when I want to record an episode on my computer (for solo episodes and in-person episodes) Auphonic (automatic post-production for times I record locally on my computer, not on Zencastr)  Transformational Speaking audiobook by Gail Larsen Related episodes: 224 Let Go Of The Myth Of Getting Somewhere and Trust The Timing Of Your Quantum Path – BRITTANY EASTMAN  85 Dr. Andrew Weil – Expanded Consciousness, Breathwork & Matcha 47 Dr. Josh Axe: How Vision, Strategy & Spiritual Practice Led To 17 Million Monthly Visitors 161 Rasa Founder Lopa van der Mersch: Business As Its Own Energetic Being, Plant Consciousness and Energy Intelligence 198 Trust What’s Coming Next, The Universe Only Gives Upgrades – DOE PAORO aka @doeknowsthings on TikTok 170 TikTok’s Grooviest Couple Is Bringing Healing to The World – GROOVE WITH GAIA aka CAM AND ELI on Movement, Mindfulness & Plant Medicine Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

Recording this solo episode has felt like a ceremony and I’m grateful to share this potent conversation with you! I share an update on my relationship with being a “content creator”, as well as some of the biggest lessons that I’ve been moving through both in my personal and professional life. I also share my vision for the future of being a storyteller in the digital age. I share:  Why I’m retiring from being “an influencer” My journey of being a content creator, public speaker, and course creator  Why I paused all sponsored content for 6 months How I leveraged short form video content to sponsor some of the tiny cabin renovations  Separating my worth from the addition to producing Expanding into being guided by Source  How I decide which brands I want to work with  How I make sure I don’t burn out as someone who shares my life online  Making space for what’s meant to come through you next  What do you choose to amplify with your powerful energy and intention?  A new way to look at being a storyteller in the digital age Episode sponsor: Zencastr, my #1 podcasting tool since day one of this podcast. Zencastr provides crystal clear sound and gorgeous HD video. Use my special link https://zencastr.com/pricing?coupon=KSENIA&fpr=lek58 and use code KSENIA to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional.  Mentioned:  One-on-one sessions with Ksenia My first social media course on Skillshare (which became the pilot for the Conscious Social Media Program) Related episodes:  222 Embodying Main Character Energy (Dropping The “Nice Person” Role) 210 Honoring The End Of The Tiny Cabin Journey: Holding A Big Vision, Channeling Creativity and Trusting Our Sacred Partnership 201 Lion Tracker Boyd Varty: Following The Track Of Your Life and Creative Process In The Digital Age 193 The Balance Between “Playing The Game” and Following Your Gut | All Things Content Creation, Short Form Video and TikTok Growth – TOM BOYD 188 Eleven: Identity Alchemy In The Digital Age, The Medicine Path and Being Your Own Pattern Interruptor 173 Part Two: I'm remembering who I am  Solo episode: trust your soul’s journey 165 Alyson Charles: Sacred Pause As The Most Powerful Way To Elevate Your Business  

Brittany Eastman is an adventurer and architect of inner worlds where beautiful lives, businesses and leadership emerge. Writer, multidimensional mentor and speaker, Brittany creates rich spaces and communities where mysticism, business and self inquiry collide and thrive. I discovered Brittany through Ellie Seilern, and since then have really enjoyed her content reflecting on social media, business and motherhood.  We discuss:  Why the key to success is becoming more you The importance of not taking entrepreneurial failure personally The moment Brittany decided to crumble her business and re-build from a totally new foundation Energetic understanding that led to building a successful mentoring business Letting go of “the myth of getting somewhere”  Why you don’t need to earn the right to success The social media metrics you’re giving way too much attention to How Brittany has structured her online offerings outside of the “industry standards” No one can teach you the thing you were born to do Remembering your innate power Practicing discipline and refinement of what you let into your field  Energetic understandings that lead to a whole new level of self-expression Not giving away your power to gurus and experts Embodying the archetype of the writer  Creating from pleasure and from “here I am” instead of “this is where I’ve been” Brittany’s journey of elevating her brand  Visual brand identity as an enriching storytelling experience  Related episodes:  217 Natalie Miles: Your Intuitive Power in Business and on Social Media 206 Ellie Seilern: Sacred Business and Sovereign Social Media Leadership 192 My Approach To Social Media Strategy in 2022 | Reframing “Social Media Growth” and Unleashing The Full Force Of Your Presence Connect with Brittany Eastman:  https://brittanyeastman.com/ @iambrittanyeastman Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

Jessica Scheer is a business strategist and world traveler working to bridge ancient wisdom to the modern world. Jess is the co-founder of Dream World, an online education platform sharing Amazonian dreaming wisdom through online courses and social media. Jess is back on the podcast to talk about the incredible growth of Dream World and how she helped the Sapara Nation Indigenous Leader Manari Ushigua grow his TikTok to over 550K followers. We discuss:  How an indigenous leader’s “Can you help me with my Instagram?” led Jess on a wild journey Co-creating The Dream World Program with Manari Ushigua sharing Amazonian dreaming wisdom  How an online course has become an incredible income stream for the indigenous Sapara Nation in Ecuador How they grew Manari’s email list from under 1,000 to 8,000 in less than a year Why consistency is the magic sauce for social media growth  What Manari thinks of having become an “influencer” Why she has chosen to invest her online business and marketing skills into other leaders and not her personal brand so far How Jess helped grow Manari’s TikTok account to 550K+ followers  The most important components of building successful social media presence How to respectfully create content to support indigenous knowledge and wisdom keepers  Connecting with the eagle and condor medicine  Honoring the ritual side of creation just as much as the implementation  How Jess makes ceremonial cacao anywhere she goes as a digital nomad The magical moment of exchanging knowledge between the Mayans and the Sapara nation What it was like to film the Dream World course in the Ecuadorian jungle with Manari  Rituals around the creation of the Dream World course, particularly sacred use of tobacco  Sapara Nation’s relationship with cacao (it’s not what you’d expect)  A spiritual message from Manari  Episode sponsor: Zencastr, my #1 podcasting tool since day one of this podcast. Zencastr provides crystal clear sound and gorgeous HD video. Use my special link https://zencastr.com/pricing?coupon=KSENIA&fpr=lek58 and use code KSENIA to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional.  Related episodes:  186 Join Me For 11 Days Of Sharing On Social Media | Hyping You Up To Share Your Medicine with The World 159: Indigenous Wisdom Meets Social Media and Intuitive Online Business – “Spirit of Technology” JESSICA SCHEER 14 Florencia Fridman: Cacao Ceremony and Maya Cosmo-Vision, Align Making Money With Your Divine Purpose Mentioned:  Dream World Program – use code KSENIA40 for 40$ off  Veed.io video editing with automatically translated captions  @wisdom.keepers  Stojo Collapsible Travel Cup Rechargeable handheld frother Cacao Lab cacao element blends – use code BREAKFASTCRIMINALS   Connect with Jessica Scheer:  @sayyeswithjess  http://www.sayyeswithjess.com Connect with Manari:  @manariushigua on Instagram @dreamworldprogram on Instagram @dreamworldprogram on TikTok https://www.manariushigua.com Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify   About Jessica Scheer: Jessica Scheer is a business strategist and world traveler working to bridge ancient wisdom to the modern world. Jess is the co-founder of Dream World, an online education platform sharing Amazonian dreaming wisdom through online courses and social media. Jess has worked in the online business world for nearly 10 years, supporting leaders in the wellness and spirituality space to share their message online. For the last 4 years, Jess has spent most of her time in Latin America, exploring and learning from indigenous communities. Follow along at @sayyeswithjess. 

Are you worshiping the cult of “being a nice person?” Did wanting to be liked and approved sneak up to the top of your subconscious hierarchy of values?  You’re here because niceness has likely hijacked how you express yourself in the world, putting a ceiling and a floor on how freely you share the TRUTH of who you are. The truth that is the swirling life force in the field beyond logic, spreadsheets, content plans and business projections. The kind of truth that wants to pour divine frequencies through you with no self-censorship. Even if it pisses some people off. Especially if it does. If you’re ready to let go of wiring that no longer serves you and hire a quantum electrician within to choose a new set of beliefs that make you SOAR, you are in the right place.  In this solo episode, I invite you to step into the main character energy that you were born to play in your life.  Related episodes:  221 It’s Time To Take The Leap (You Know Who You Are) 213 Introducing WEB8: New Podcast Name, New Era 173 Part Two: I'm remembering who I am  155 Share What Moves You, Not What Makes Sense ​​ Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify

In this transmission, I’m sharing the invitation to release expired parts of your identity, and how this energy has been showing up in my life and business decisions. Revisiting my ego-attachments to a brand I’d created that was once successful, I’m present to the fearful holding onto the idea that I might never create something as great again. Time to burn that sh*t in a sacred fire!  That’s how we make space for the new. For being pure vessels for Love that wants to pour in us and through us.  That’s how Source guides us to the most extraordinary, beautiful, abundant paths of creation and expression. I trust and choose to leap into the void, the in-between identities. Are you with me?   Related episodes:  213 Introducing WEB8: New Podcast Name, New Era 173 Part Two: I'm remembering who I am  155 Share What Moves You, Not What Makes Sense ​​ 145 Michelle Sinnette: New Paradigm of Business with Legacy Cacao Founder Connect with Ksenia:  kseniabrief.com Instagram @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief TikTok @ksenia.brief Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Spotify