As an organizational consultant I have been trained to perceive problems as symptoms, analyze said symptoms, diagnose the root cause, i.e. the actual, underlying problem, research best practices and potential solutions, customize solutions for said problem, and present/help implement.
I went into my Masters knowing I wanted to help save the world and solve BIG problems.
So everything I learned I tried to apply to society.
How can I analyze societal symptoms?
What’s the root cause?
And then what to do about it?
Well, I reached some conclusions and I’m doing something about it.
After conducting an informal content analysis, I concluded that all the world’s problems, i.e. symptoms are at the root, caused by a lack of knowledge/awareness around what drives our behaviors. Predominantly, it’s our thoughts and beliefs, which are mostly influenced and shaped by social conditioning and generational trauma. That’s the root.
Yes, there are some happy, healthy unicorns, I mean humans, but they’re the anomalies in this “study” (and if we were to study them they’d probably just prove my hypothesis).
That leads us to the solutions.
The Solutions
I’ve spent the last decade researching and experimenting with solutions in attempt to rewire, override and correct my conditioning and trauma. It took me a lot of time effort and money, but I eventually succeeded.
I was diagnosed with PTSD and BPD 14 years ago. Traditional methods (therapy and meds) did not work. Which is what led me down my path of self development and subsequently self actualization.
THIS IS THE SOLUTION.
This, is the secret to saving the world.
Finding our path to self actualization, as Maslow’s hierarchy demonstrates, is the ultimate goal. Once we start to walk that path and realize our fullest potential, the happiness, joy, contentment, inner peace, awareness and consciousness, it all ripples outwards in a cascading waterfall of effing goodness.
It impacts everyone and everything around us.
This is how we save the world.
Self actualization
Self awareness, self knowledge, self development.
Post traumatic growth.
I’m not saying that we all become unicorn-humans riding around in Utopia, BUT, I am saying that when we understand why we do what we do, and adopt a growth mindset and focus on knowing BETTER, and then on implementing what we learn, we can DO better and BE better and FEEL better.
This will culminate in a society that is ultimately happier and healthier.
Less stress, less disease, less conflict, less poverty, less crime, less ignorance, less judgement, less misunderstandings, less hate, less racism… etc etc etc
Perhaps I haven’t managed to convince you…
Yet.
But I aim to.
And if you already know that this is the way forward (becuase, let’s face it, I’m not alone, there are many, many out there who’ve figured this out and are working towards this goal), and you want help with self-actualizing, you can learn more about my program here. Alternatively, if you are actively trying to help others self-actualize (like me), then find me on my socials, I’d be honored to connect.
This month’s Big Idea Blog post showcases an eco-friendly entrepeneur building a business with love. The inspiring, Russian born, Ksenia Koroleva, who moved to France, then Switzerland, and now currently resides in Israel, shares with us how she built her eco-friendly business with a lot of learning, and a lot of love.
Ksenia was a corporate sales exec, who after quickly establishing herself as a entrepreneurial badass, found passion and purpose in her business pursuits. A natural businesswoman, with an eye for trends and a heart of gold, Ksenia is a true inspiration and I’m honored to share her story.
The Beginning
Helloooo Ksenia!!!
Let’s dive right in – can you please share a bit about what you do and how it all began?
Ksenia: Hi! Sure:
Well, I never wanted to be an eco-friendly entrepeneur. To be honest, I didn’t even know what being an entrepeneur really meant until I opened my first business!
I think it was around 2017, when I started to think about it. It was very present in social media and online in general, that it was way better to be independent rather than being employed.
Now, I don’t really agree with this, but being a business owner seemed like an ultimate life achievement and symbolized huge success to me, so I wanted to try.
I started my first business in 2020, after coming to Israel. I did have sales experience in the corporate world (total of 12 years).
My first venture was vintage clothes and as it was during Covid, I sold my first stock via Instagram and in pop-up sales in various bars in Tel-Aviv.
Then, totally by chance, some friends of mine had rented a space, but because of Covid, they didn’t know what to do with it. So roughly 6 months after my first pop-up sale, I landed my first physical store.
The landlords were so happy with me as a tennant, they quickly offered me a second commercial space in front of my clothes store, which is how my eco-shop came about.
Hold on! So you decided to start a business and your friends “just happened” to have an empty commercial space…?
I dont believe in “chance”.
I believe that when we make decisions based on what we WANT and what feels right, then things start to “align”. And this I see all the time in purpose driven, mission driven initiatives!
You were MEANT to have this store!
You were MEANT to be an eco-friendly entrepeneur!
The Mission
Ksenia, what’s your why? Why an eco-shop?
My why is a belief that people don’t need chemical products, that our bodies are perfect as they are and they only sometimes need a little bit of help and love.
I believe that the world is more beautiful and healthy without garbage and the oceans are amazing without plastic bags in them. And I love nature and animals and want to help them survive.
Also, I believe that conscious capitalism can be a solution to many problems of modern society. And I believe in quality (cheap made products are always, well, cheaply made, bad quality, and break quickly).
My mission is to give kindness, love and assistance to people. To offer them a pleasant experience in a pleasant environment with healthy products.
You see!
You have a GOOD, benevolent, socially conscious drive behind your business and I believe that THAT is the exact kind of thing that makes the universe or whatever powers that be, work in our favor.
The Inspiration
As someone who’s interested in how we can inspire more socially conscious businesses and eco-friendly entrepeneurs, I’d like to know, what was YOUR inspiration?
I started to be eco-conscious because of the whole communication and public education system in France; French people are very careful with resources and nature, they/re very responsible. The government communicates all the time via social ads the importance of saving water and electricity, food waste, fast fashion etc.
Also, In Switzerland I learnt to pay attention to public well-being (Swiss people are extremely respectful of society).
So I felt at the same time a responsibility towards myself and the planet and at the same time towards the global community.
Wow. What a beautiful example of social conditioning working FOR us as opposed to against us! Bravo to the French and Swiss governments!
Yes! But, to be honest, my biggest inspiration are women… Like women in general. They are amazing.
Women can be moms AND business women.
They can overcome abuse and neglect and come out strong and beautiful.
I’m a big fan of women.
Yes, I agree, women are incredible and resilient af. I see it first hand every day with the work that I do and the incredible community of women I’m proud to be part of.
So on the topic of resiliency and awesomeness, what’s YOUR personal biggest transformation?
I learnt to love myself. Took me my whole life.
Good for you! Self-love is a tough nut to crack in our society. To be honest, it was the foundation of my healing journey and birthed my business too!
The Message
What’s your message for the person reading this now?
Love yourself, believe in yourself and don’t be afraid.
I love that you say this!
It’s legit the reason I created this blog: to show people it’s OK to believe in yourself.
So… on your journey to becoming an eco-friendly entrepeneur, what helped you believe in YOURSELF?
Knowledge and learning.
Remember that you can learn everything, especially now, in times of the global Internet.
Yasssss!
Thank you!
I’m a HUGE believer of self-learning and taking advantage of this mindblowing resource we have at our fingertips! Despite this, so few actually do this and too many abuse it and waste their time… (sigh).
By the way, did you always want to own your own shop?
Not at all! As a chid I wanted to be a rock singer (I don’t sing well) or a doctor (I was really bad in chemistry). However, I was always good in communication and languages.
Lol, i also wanted to be a singer… but then I realized that it was mainly about wanting to have a message, be seen, heard, recognized… You also wanted to be a doctor so I’d assume you always had a desire to make impact in some way. And it’s inspiring af to see that you’ve found a beautiful way to create such big impact. Furthermore, you not only advocate and promote healthier living, as an eco-friendly entrepeneur, you are also setting an example and impacting everyone who comes into contact with you and your business. No small feat!
We need more of you in the world!
The Big Picture
Now, I’m a big believe in having a vision, so I ask all my interviewees: What’s your vision for the world in 2050?
Gosh… 2050… I hope that people will live in self-sustainable urban homes providing most, if not all, of their needs in food, which will lighten the burden of food production on the Earth.
I also hope the circular products will completely take over single use ones.
And I hope that humans will repopulate the planet with forests and world animals.
Beautiful.
Last question Ksenia please: what MOTIVATES you?
My motivation comes from love.
Love for the products I sell, love that I receive from the relationships with the suppliers.
Love that I give to the customers and to the world.
When I feel unmotivated and weak I come to the shop, smell the soaps, lighten an essential oils lamp and enjoy life.
Ahhh I love you!
Beautiful!
Thank you Ksenia, it has been an absolute pleasure and I applaud you and hope this interview inspires others to follow your lead. Keep doing what you’re doing!
My pleasure and thank you!
The Eco-Friendly Entrepeneur Takeaways
As always, I have included a summary of a few of the key takeaways from the interview:
#1: What often seems like chance or coincidence may actually be the OPPORTUNITY you need!
#2: One proven way to start believeing in yourself is to LEARN, gain knowledge, take advantage of the resources already available to you!
#3: Lean into LOVE. Learn to love. Yourself and the rest will follow.
I hope this has inspired some ideas and highlighted the importance of self-love and of learning. Perhaps it has planted a seed and perhaps it’s exactly what you needed to hear to nudge you into inspired action! Who knows – perhaps you will be the next inspiring eco-friendly entrepeneur to find passion and purpose and love!
Please let us know in the comments below what your biggest takeaway was!
If you enjoyed this article feel free to share it and you may also subscribe below to receive the next one straight to your inbox.
Please note that I’ll either be interviewing inspiring, purpose-driven entrepreneurs or sharing my personal big idea journey only once a month. I hope to show you how real people CAN make real impact, and how believing in your big idea, can truly make a difference in someone’s life. You can find previous articles here.
You can connect with Ksenia, find her store details and see what she’s up to on facebook.
I wish you a wonderful month and would love to get to know you and hear what you’re up to! Feel free to find me on my socials (below).
If you’d like to learn more about me and my work then click here.
Hi, I’m Emily, founder of The Big Idea Consulting Company (and Blog). I believe we learn by example, so I’m searching for examples to learn from. I’m searching for people who can show us that if we believe in ourselves, our big ideas can genuinely make a difference. If you’re a girl boss, entrepeneur or changemaker, and want to be interviewed, or you want to nominate someone for interviewing, feel free to DM me!
This month’s Big Idea Blog post showcases an incredibly inspiring, girl boss. The inspiring Jessica Ainsworth, from Australia, bravely shares with us her extremely traumatic childhood and how she not only overcame her past, but grew from it and has now achieved success and impact at a level that most people only ever dream of.
Jessica is an established entrepreneur, who after selling her third business decided to pursue her passion and focus on healing full time. Her thriving business, Aaruka®, is now a registered healing modality creating massive impact and transforming lives. This powerhouse is inspiring af and I’m honored to share her story.
The Biz
Helloooo Jess!!!
Let’s dive right in – can you please share a bit about what you do and how it all began?
Jess: Hello! Yes of course:
In 2018 I set up a 1:1 healing practice. After I began to see clients and they got life changing results, word started to spread. Within a year I was fully booked and inundated with people who wanted to be helped. After my first 200 clients, I began to feel the pressure and never felt that I had enough time to fit everyone in. It was suggested to me that I begin to write down what I was doing so that I can teach others.
You see, what I was doing was not like anything I had been taught in other modalities I had studied.
I incorporated bits and pieces and then worked intuitively to come up with my own techniques.
Wow. So you basically invented your own form of therapy?
Essentially, yes! As I started to write out my processes and ways of doing things, I realized that I had created my own powerful modality. I then started to write it up into a course, registered Aaruka® as a healing modality in 2019, and the rest was history! I now have 50 students (growing every week) and I have personally worked with over 500 individuals.
That’s incredible!
Is healing something that you always wanted to do?
Healing was actually a hobby of mine. I have always loved business and had 3 businesses in my early 20s while I studied and read about healing on the side. I always had this belief that healing was my hobby and wasn’t something I could or would make money from. So I kept it separate and did it for friends and family to fill my cup. It wasn’t until I sold my wedding and event planning company to take some time off, that I realized that I wanted to start using all of my skills to help people. I set out to just see 2-3 clients per week to get my fix and to make some cash on the side…
I never dreamt that it would be what it is now!
The Journey to Girl Boss
That’s so interesting! I always love hearing how peoples hobbies end up being their a lucrative business venture! So many of us do not realize the power of pursuing our passions. And more often than not our hobbies are what we’re truly passionate about! I bet noone would guess that the girl boss who founded a healing modality originally believed that healing was just a hobby!
True! LOL
OK, Jess, most people I know who want to help people and who are particularly skilled at helping people, are people who’ve helped themselves.
I know your story is particularly potent.
Would you mind sharing your story with us?
(TRIGGER WARNING)
Yes, of course.
So…
From age 3-11 years, I was sexually abused and emotionally manipulated by my father. Early on, I developed what was diagnosed as Stockholm Syndrome. I essentially fell in love with and idolized my father in order to deal with his prolonged abuse.
He was cruel, torturous and extremely manipulative. I grew up confused, afraid and feeling worthless.
I partially repressed all of these memories until I turned 30 (for survival, as I was threatened with death if I was to tell anyone), finding ways to cope with and drown out the intrusive flashbacks.
I was ‘the weird kid’. I got bullied every single day in school, at home and often went through periods with no friends at all. By the time I hit my teens I had horrifyingly low self worth and chronic anxiety. I experienced strange health issues and always felt less-than-average in my health. I was on-and-off suicidal.
In my early 20’s I was over-worked and hit burn out. I felt worthless, panicked and exhausted (just existing) everyday. Then, in my late twenties I had a 13 week molar pregnancy and an abortion, due to being extremely ill with chronic Lyme disease.
I left my two kids and went overseas for urgent medical treatment, with no luck.
When I turned 30, I uncovered all of my traumatic memories and hit rock bottom. I thought about dying everyday. I eventually started to hear voices, thought that my dad was coming to kill me and I had a complete mental breakdown.
My healing began when I was just 20 years old, and thankfully, by the time my abuse memories returned at 30, I had the tools to come back from my black hole, reasonably quickly.
If you saw me as a child, teen and in my twenties, you would believe me when I say, I AM my biggest transformation.
I have come from traumatized, anxious, depressed, suicidal and lacking any shred of self worth… to calm, confident, powerful, abundant and truly happy!
I have transformed my childhood trauma into purpose and now teaching others that it is possible, is the biggest achievement of my life.
Damn right, it’s an achievement!
Jess, you are truly amazing.
Thank you!
If only, as a child going through all of that, you had a way to tell her that one day you’ll be where you are now – a badass girl boss changing lives!
By the way, what did you want to be as a child?
As a child I wanted to be in planning. I loved being organized and planning things, but I now realize that this was partly coming from CONTROL.
I need to be in control of everything, all of the time, in an attempt to feel some form of safety.
But I also always wanted to help people…
I often dreamt of being a social worker and planning life-changing youth events also! As above, I didn’t ever think that healing would be my full time career but boy am I happy it is!
So am I! And undoubtedly thousands of others whose lives you’ve impacted with your work!
The Mission
It is obvious that beyond a hobby or desire to help people, you had a spectacular drive and determination to heal. And to succeed.
What helped you believe in yourself?
I have always had this fire inside of me.
No matter how dark I got, I always pushed myself through, because I knew that I was born for greatness and for more than this suffering. There is very little fear left inside of me because I have faced all of my deepest darkest fears.
What’s your why? Your mission?
I honestly am here (on this earth) to help as many people as humanly possible, to end the suffering cycle and to help them experience a life of bliss and joy. When I am not doing this work, I start to lose my way, and this is how I KNOW that it is my path and my passion. This is why the Healers Academy is so important to me… it would be impossible for me to personally help everyone, so now I get to teach others how to do it too and the healing ripple that I started, has turned into a wave.
What’s your message for the woman reading this now?
You CAN heal.
No matter what happened to you, you can heal. And that you get to CHOOSE who you want to be, when you work with your subconscious.
SO many of us are victims to our past, so deeply, that we forget that we can actually change this and create the future we desire.
What’s your vision for the world in 2050?
In 2050 I would love to see a population that is connected to the earth. I would love to see us working in harmony with the planet, giving back to it and embracing its healing powers. I pray for raised vibration and consciousness and a connection between all people, animals and plants.
I don’t know that this is where we are headed, but god I hope it shifts this way!
Jess you are incredible. One hell of a girl boss and a true trailblazer. Thank you so so much for sharing and for your time!
My pleasure and thank you!
The Takeaways
To conclude, I have included a summary of a few of the key takeaways:
#1: Nurture your hobbies!
#2: Sometimes our past, however painful, can lead us to success!
#3: Tap into your innate knowing that you are meant for greatness!
I hope this has inspired some ideas and instilled the value of self-belief for you. Perhaps it has planted a seed and perhaps it’s exactly what you needed to hear to nudge you into inspired action! Who knows – perhaps you will be the next inspiring girl boss to take on a mission and create waves!
Please let us know in the comments below, what your biggest takeaway was!
If you enjoyed this article feel free to share it and you may also subscribe below to receive the next one straight to your inbox. I’ll be interviewing inspiring, purpose-driven entrepreneurs once a month to show how real people CAN make real impact, and how believing in your big idea, can truly make a difference in someone’s life. You can find last month’s article here.
You can visit the Aaruka site here, or connect with Jess on instagram .
I wish you a wonderful month and would love to get to know you and hear what you’re up to! So feel free to find me on my socials (below). If you’d like to learn more about me and my work then click here.
Hi, I’m Emily, founder of The Big Idea Consulting Company (and Blog). I believe we learn by example, so I’m searching for examples to learn from. I’m searching for people who can show us that if we believe in ourselves, our big ideas can genuinely make a difference. If you’re a girl boss, or a changemaker, and want to be interviewed, or nominate someone for interviewing, feel free to DM me!
