175. The Obstacles Are The Journey – INDAY Founder and CEO BASU RATNAM on Shifting from External Validation to Spiritual Fulfillment

In this episode, I share one of the most expansive journeys I’ve ever been on: my path to being 24 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby boy.  After multiple pregnancy losses, there have been so many non-obvious, non-linear initiations and activations that have moved through me to prepare me for this moment. In this solo episode, I share some of them. I have a feeling this will be part one of a series! We cover:  The layers of initiation we’ve been moving through on this pregnancy journey  How the desire to have children first activated in my body The role that our wedding choices played in our journey to expanding our family  Being stewards for a New World Soul   Some of the lessons that have revealed so far on this pregnancy journey  Some of the signs that our spirit baby has sent us  The support I’ve had on my journey to a healthy pregnancy: acupuncture, yoga, song medicine, biological dentistry, bodywork  The role that intuition has played on this pregnancy journey  Answering the call to visit the land I connected with as a child  How I am living the concept of a “conscious pregnancy”  Some of the books I’ve found supportive during my pregnancies  How I’ve been choosing what to share on social media and what to keep to myself around pregnancy and loss Learning to love my body through all the changes happening during pregnancy  Episode sponsor: Laird Superfood: Use my special link to save 15% at Laird Superfood at checkout. Go to zen.ai/ksenia15 add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset! Related episodes:  237 Honoring The Sacred Creative Pause, Podcast As A Ceremony, Magical Experiences During Recent Travels, Choosing Creation, and Lemurian Crystals 232 Miracles Abound: Recap Of My Healing Journey To Turkey 211 We’ve Moved To Austin! Trusting The Unknown  197 Reggie Riverbear: Coming Home To Yourself Through Voice, Finding Your Community and Trusting Spirit As A Business Strategy 180 Rebecca Naylor: The Universe As A Treasure Map, Learning To Trust The Mystery and Water As A Consciousness Carrier 201 Lion Tracker Boyd Varty: Following The Track Of Your Life and Creative Process In The Digital Age 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  

Four years ago musician, writer and podcaster Karina Ivanova was listening to one of my podcast episodes, and planted a seed that she’d like to be a guest one day. But then she heard an inner voice ask: “What would you be excited to tell Ksenia about?” That’s when she realized that the creations she’s meant to share with me (and with you) haven’t come through yet. So Karina got busy bringing her creative visions to reality, from a music album, to a poetry book, a podcast and a journaling movement in her home country of Kazakhstan. All while exploring her own spiritual journey through the Akashic Records and other modalities. Today, she shares it all with us, and I couldn’t be more excited about this coming full circle! We discuss:  Meeting Spirit while staying persent in your body How to learn another language fluently – Karina’s experience learning english Karina’s experience growing up with a musician mom First encounters with Spirit  Karina’s spiritual journey and how opening her Akashic Records changed everything  Karina’s experience with residency at the Watermill Center Making peace with your inner voice Pain alchemized into sacred work Music as an invitation to feel The creative process of writing a music album  The healing power of journaling and free writing  How to quantum leap through journaling  Changing the trajectory of your life by establishing a communication between your past self and future self  Creating your own mantras  Appreciating the little things  Karina’s upcoming creative projects  Episode sponsor: Laird Superfood: Use my special link to save 15% at Laird Superfood at checkout. Go to zen.ai/ksenia15 add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset! Mentioned:  How To Read The Akashic Records by Linda Howe  Related episodes:  My TikTok Experiment: 0 to 350K Followers | 5D Video Storytelling Strategy for 2021 52 Ashley Wood: Stop Worrying About What People Think & Surrender To Your Calling 152 Ceremonial Singer-Songwriter Ayla Schafer: Music as a Spiritual Force 197 Reggie Riverbear: Coming Home To Yourself Through Voice, Finding Your Community and Trusting Spirit As A Business Strategy About Karina Ivanova:  I’m a 26-year-old musician, writer and podcaster from Kazakhstan. currently, I’m creating “jazziam” (www.instagram.com/jazziamwithkarina/) which is a journaling movement, community and podcast, introducing the healing power of writing (jazu literally means two things in Kazakh: to write and to heal) to people. 2 years ago, I released my first music album “metanoia” in English (https://open.spotify.com/album/7DTRqa5W5eWahtx6qpVO7v?si=SvVevKNtS0KnxZJkmA17vw) and a poetry book called “символ отречения от контроля” (symbol of surrendering control), in Russian. It’s a collection of 110 poems-reflections on my spiritual journey activated after a series of events such as residency at the Watermill Center, opening my Akashic Records for the first time and ending my 8.5 year long relationship. I’m interested all things arts and spirituality, conscious living, writing, soulful entrepreneurship and relationships. My sacred work these days is to hold space for people, as individuals and in groups, through writing practices and mantra chanting.

In this solo update I’m sharing the WHY behind the longest break from podcasting I’ve ever taken, some of the creations that I’m currently bringing into the world, and why allowing the space for Source to move through is an invitation for miracles.  Here are some of the things I share:  - Our experience at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show (and an invitation for you if you’re called to Lemurian Crystals) - How I plan travel experiences to leave space for Source to guide me - I’m pregnant! How I’m approaching this pregnancy differently than the previous times - Fulfilling Eric’s childhood dream of going to the NBA finals - Releasing industry standards and expectations, and approaching every podcast episode as a sacred ceremony Episode sponsor: Laird Superfood: Use my special link to save 15% at Laird Superfood at checkout. Go to zen.ai/ksenia15 add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset! Related episodes:  236 Ksenia and Eric Brief with Michelle Sinnette: Why Spirituality, Taxes & Finances Are The Same Thing | Being A Business Artist | Facing Money Fears | ERC As An Opportunity for Source To Deliver Money 235 5-Step Intuitive Social Media Process for Artists, Creators, Healers, Coaches and Entrepreneurs 87 Eric Brief – All About Crystals 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

My mentor Michelle Sinnette and my husband Eric Brief join me in this very special conversation about a soul calling we’ve all said YES to. After a few very internal months away from podcasting  (I’m growing a baby in my belly!), I heard clear guidance to jump back in. What we share in this conversation is an answered prayer in many ways, and we go to depths I’ve never gone before on the podcast. Thank you for sharing this sacred space with me.  We discuss:  How did a spiritual mentor end up in a financial services business?  Why spirituality, taxes and finances are the same thing Living in alignment with Source in all aspects of your life Moving beyond the labels of “conscious business”  Transcending the need to “make money”  Being a business artist Building an outstanding business in a low trust industry  How Eric was guided to make SpiderERC a vertically integrated business  Being the invitation and letting go of the outcome  Being present for miracles instead of self-evaluation, over-strategizing and over-thinking  The role that Eric and Ksenia’s partnership and marriage plays in the success of the businesses Eric creates  The importance of feeling grounded from within before moving into action Your soul being in pure creation without the need to produce and perform Creating from fear is not creation… it is destruction  Seeing your business as a non-linear being  Moving through energetic blocks around money and stepping into freedom Ksenia gets real-time coaching on moving past old money stories  We also cover all things ERC: What is ERC? (Employee Retention Credit) and what opportunity does it offer for you? Who qualifies for ERC/ERTC? The Recovery Startup Business Provision The importance of proper documentation when you file for to get your ERC/ERTC What sets apart SpiderERC when it comes to choosing a company to file for ERC Can you file ERC yourself?  Why accounting firms choose SpiderERC to send their clients to file for ERC All of the global ripples Spider is producing beyond ERC  Episode sponsor: Laird Superfood: Use my special link to save 15% at Laird Superfood at checkout. Go to zen.ai/ksenia15 add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset! About Michelle Sinnette:  Michelle Sinnette is a seer and a mentor dedicated to catalyzing the leaders of tomorrow. She teaches them to harness their intensity, intelligence, and creativity to first move through the lens of their intuition and then move into aligned action. The result - true life fulfillment and tangible achievement beyond what they or their industry ever thought possible. Initiated fully into her intuitive gifts through two near-death experiences, Michelle now has an unparalleled ability to navigate into unseen realms for the purpose of activating more vibrant and meaningful living here on Earth. She has deep roots on the Big Island of Hawai'i and today her work takes her around the world. Her professional career has spanned the diverse fields of law enforcement, licensed therapy, neuropsychology, and business consulting. She weaves these realms together through intuitive mentorship and consulting for family empires, entrepreneurs, artists, and C-suite executives. Michelle believes that professional success is no longer the metric; it is aligned success rooted in peace. That is when we will see our full potential realized as a species. Connect with Michelle Sinnette:  www.legacycacao.com Instagram @legacycacao www.spidererc.com About Eric Brief:  Eric Brief is an entrepreneur, artist and crystal lover.  Connect with Eric Brief:  www.spidererc.com Instagram @ericbrief About Ksenia Brief:  Ksenia Love Brief is a storyteller, mentor and artist on a mission to weave a web of remembering through sacred one-on-one sessions, as well as intentional content across various mediums. kseniabrief.com Ksenia's email list Instagram @ksenia.brief TikTok @ksenia.brief YouTube Ksenia Brief Time stamps [also available on kseniabrief.com] 00:00:42 Intro, summary and a few tips for listening to this episode 00:07:45 Eric and Michelle join Ksenia in conversation 00:07:45 The interview begins here 00:18:00 The why behind creating SpiderERC as a service – what led Eric to ERC (Employee Retention Credit) 00:34:00 Why Michelle joined SpiderERC as an intuitive mentor  00:39:40 Being present for miracles instead of self-evaluation, over-strategizing and over-thinking  00:40:32 Letting go of the outcome and trusting people’s divine timing  00:46:00 The role that Eric and Ksenia’s partnership and marriage has played in the success of SpiderERC and other businesses Eric creates 00:50:11 Creating from fear is not creation… it is destruction. Releasing the fear of “needing to be successful” and shifting into doing what you’re meant to do 00:52:45 Employee Retention Credit from a spiritual perspective: the world is shifting  00:54:00 The complexity of claiming your ERC credit, some examples of businesses who have qualified and received their ERC credit, and who ERC is for 01:04:30 Do you qualify for ERC? How does this whole thing apply to you?  01:06:15 The ERC timeline: how much time is left to apply for this credit 01:10:35 Employee Retention Credit summary: who it’s for, who might qualify, and how to take advantage of this opportunity  01:22:28 Why SpiderERC and not your accountant or another ERC company (Michelle’s perspective)  01:26:00 Why accountants are not typically ERC experts  01:28:35 ERC as a puzzle  01:29:40 Why accounting firms are referring their clients to SpiderERC to claim ERC credits  01:31:20 Moving through energetic blocks around money and stepping into freedom 01:39:51 All of the global ripples Spider is producing beyond ERC  01:42:08 ERC affiliate program and Ksenia’s experience with referring businesses to SpiderERC  01:43:46 Ksenia gets real-time coaching on moving past old money stories

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed or just unclear about how to show up on social media – and wondering if you should show up at all – this one’s for you. In this episode, I will share a 5-step intuitive social media process that is inspired by some of the downloads that have been coming through during my one-on-one energy/social media strategy work with incredible entrepreneurs, artists and healers (shoutout to all the incredible souls that say yes to this courageous, vulnerable work.)  I guess you could say what I do is “shamanic” social media. In essence, I connect the different realms and hold the mirror of possibility for the client’s highest self-expression in this world, using the lens of social media. I continue to be blown away by what comes through in these sessions – it’s way beyond me or anything my brain could have come up with.  I don’t get a chance to work with everyone in an intimate one-on-one way, but I feel that this work is incredibly important, especially at this time. That’s why I’m so excited to share this process and this guidance with you here on the podcast!  Mentioned:  Journal entry that changed my life: Spirit of Content Related Episodes:  219 Social Media Energy Code For When You Feel Stuck 192 My Approach To Social Media Strategy in 2022 | Reframing “Social Media Growth” and Unleashing The Full Force Of Your Presence 189 Trust The Life Force Without Having To Understand It | #11DaysOfSharing on Social Media 186 Join Me For 11 Days Of Sharing On Social Media | Hyping You Up To Share Your Medicine with The World 151 Social Media Energy Download: This Makes All The Difference [Spirit of Content] 146 Conscious Social Media: A 7-Step Guided Journey Into What Really Matters 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

I really enjoyed this conversation with Nathan Maingard – podcast host, transformational guide and wordsmith.  This is the first interview under the updated podcast cover art, and that’s intentional: the depths to which we journey in this episode takes the sacred space that is this podcast to a new level!  We discuss:  How a conscious social media Google search brought together Nathan and me What is was like growing up barefoot and naked in a small village in South Africa Choosing to be the healer in your lineage Overcoming the lineage of violence “Trauma travels through the lineage until someone is brave enough to feel it” Nathan’s school experiences and being bullied as a hyper sensitive child  Trusting that your parents did the best they could  The beauty that came out of Nathan’s parents’ divorce  Nathan’s experience with family constellation therapy   Overcoming addiction to hard drugs  Some of the healing modalities and plant medicines Nathan has worked with, and the lessons they brought (kambo and psilocybin) Nathan’s spoken word piece that went viral  How Nathan is answering the call to pivot from music career    How Nathan is practicing being in balance of feminine and masculine energies  About Nathan Maingard:  Born at home to a writer and a craftsman in a tiny cottage on the tip of Africa, Nathan Maingard was raised barefoot and naked. As a highly sensitive person formed by the sounds of wild ocean and musical poets, he was nearly crushed by the limiting boxes society pushed him into. Through his inner healing journey of finding his 'enoughness', he has grown into an empowering wordsmith, healing facilitator, and transformational guide. His gift is to support down-to-earth seekers and free people as they feel, heal, and grow. Related episodes:  233 Weaving A New Reality (Podcast Update) 232 Miracles Abound: Recap Of My Healing Journey To Turkey 216 Cultivating a Sacred Connection to Source, Your Soul & Social Media Audience – ALYSON CHARLES INTERVIEWS KSENIA on Ceremony Circle Podcast 201 Lion Tracker Boyd Varty: Following The Track Of Your Life and Creative Process In The Digital Age 170 TikTok’s Grooviest Couple Is Bringing Healing to The World – GROOVE WITH GAIA aka CAM AND ELI on Movement, Mindfulness & Plant Medicine 123 Rebecca Naylor: Kambo, The Consciousness Expanding Frog Medicine Mentioned:  Jeremy Loops music Immaculée Ilibagiza Rasa adaptogenic coffee alternative Connect with Nathan Maingard:  Instagram: @nathanmaingard https://nathanmaingard.com 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

I’ve been in a deep process of surrendering and incubating an upgraded podcast name and cover, and I’m so excited to share this update with you. In this solo episode, I share:  Alchemization of WEB8 podcast name  How someone calling me out led to a big expansion New podcast cover! Some of the symbols within the WEB8 podcast cover art The most important “to do” list I’ve ever had: “surrender to God” Not saving things up “for later” – unclogging my creative field  Related episodes:  213 Introducing WEB8: New Podcast Name, New Era 186 Join Me For 11 Days Of Sharing On Social Media | Hyping You Up To Share Your Medicine with The World 118 Sophie Chiche: Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time Mentioned:  Shaq and kitty cat – viral TikTok Animal Power Book by Alyson Charles 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

When you have a feeling that there’s an adventure, a journey you’re meant to take, but you don’t know where to start… get patient and listen. The guidance always drops in.  In this episode, I share the boundless miracles that have unfolded for me and my family in the last couple of weeks as we journeyed through Turkey. We cover:  - Getting quiet and listening listening to the land - My experience being guided to go to Turkey and following through on it - Planting seeds for a healthy pregnancy  - Releasing the story that ancestral healing needs to be hard  - My experience with prescription ketamine medicine  - Supporting each other on our own individual journeys as one of the pillars of my relationship with Eric - The miracles that unfold when we say YES before we know the HOW  - My favorite way to use my intuition when shopping  - A magical 600-year-old garden I got to visit in Istanbul  - Creating family memories  - Disconnecting from external drama and re-plugging into the peace within  - How this year already feels very different like anything I’ve experienced in the past  Related episodes:  231 Manoj Dias: You Already Are Everything You Seek To Be | Meditation As A Catalyst For Healing 181 Intentional Journaling Prompts To Create A Vision For The New Year and Reflect on This Year 180 Rebecca Naylor: The Universe As A Treasure Map, Learning To Trust The Mystery and Water As A Consciousness Carrier 123 Rebecca Naylor: Kambo, The Consciousness Expanding Frog Medicine Mentioned:  Open meditation, breathwork and movement app  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

My guest is Manoj Dias – author, teacher, speaker and co-founder of Open, a modern meditation organization based in California. I have been using Open to participate in the January meditation and breathwork challenge, and it’s quickly becoming my favorite mindfulness app. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, download the Open app here. We discuss:  How Manoj found himself on the intersection of meditation and technology How meditation came into Manoj’s life From corporate marketing to being a meditation teacher  Transforming the story of “there’s something wrong with me”  How Open is giving spirituality a different marketing campaign  Meditation as a gateway to a life of clarity and ease Manoj’s cultural and religious background, and what it was like growing up in the Buddhist tradition  How Manoj knew that he’d just met his spiritual teacher  The journey of listening to your body  Expanding from a drop-in meditation studio to a global app    Finding the balance between rhythms of creation and rest as an entrepreneur  Trusting your body’s wisdom Finding harmony between the heart and the mind   Manoj’s decision to go from teacher to a tech entrepreneur   Connect with Manoj Dias:  Manojdias.com.au @manojdias_ Open meditation, breathwork and movement app  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 Related episodes:  217 Natalie Miles: Your Intuitive Power in Business and on Social Media 191 Kalpana Alejandra Arias: Ecosomatics, Reindigenization and Living A Devotional Life In The Digital Age 96 David Harshada Wagner: Plug Into The Mystical Path In The Midst Of It All 85 Dr. Andrew Weil – Expanded Consciousness, Breathwork & Matcha

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