Business as Poetry

Hosted by Hristina Vaceva

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May 2026

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About the show

I'm Hristina Vaceva — and for three years, I've been listening. Interviewing women who refused to choose between corporate success and inner work, who built careers as acts of creative expression and who proved that there is a new way to define success - and embody it. Now, I'm teaching it. Each episode brings you conversations with women who've claimed their voice, plus my own revelations from doing this work — the honest truth about building businesses that feel like poetry, not performance. Whether you're still in corporate wondering if there's another way, building something new and need the language for it, or ready to stop hiding behind "not yet" — this show will move you from contemplation to claiming. Join the conversation here. Practice in the Substack Circle. Transform through the deeper 1:1 work. Business as Poetry. Energy as Strategy. Work as Art.

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43 recent

May 14, 202640 min

Tamsyn Signe on Why You're One Decision Away From a Completely Different Life

What if everything in your life right now — the career, the exhaustion, the feeling that something needs to change — is simply the result of choices you made? And what if that's actually the best news you've ever heard?In this episode I'm joined by Tamsyn Signe — former Chief Merchandise Officer at Walmart South Africa with a career in retails spanning over 20 years, wingsuit acrobatics world championship competitor, professional freediving safety diver, and now a certified Enneagram practitioner and peak performance coach based in Cape Town.Her story is not a straight line. It starts as a newly divorced single mother doing an MBL part-time while working two jobs, stumbling into retail by accident — and climbing to the very top of it. Then comes the moment that changed everything: a corporate coach looks her in the eye and tells her an unexpected truth. And that changed everything.In this episode we talk about:How a people skills assessment became the turning point of her entire careerHow she was competing at wingsuit acrobatics World Championships while running a C-suite retail role — and what living in "little boxes" was costing herThe Enneagram as a practical operating manual — not another personality test, but a map of why you do what you doThe psychology of risk and fear — and why failing at something makes the next attempt feel even scarierLife curation: why radical change starts with removing things, not adding moreWhy you are one decision away from a completely different life — and what's actually stopping you from making itWhether you're navigating a career crossroads, feeling stuck in a version of yourself that no longer fits, or simply ready to understand yourself at a deeper level — this episode will give you both the framework and the permission.🎧 Substack subscribers get the full Enneagram breakdown — Tamsyn walks through all nine types in depth, including which patterns show up most in corporate, and how to work with (not against) the people around you.Connect with Tamsyn:Email: info@tamsynsigne.comWebsite: performancealchemy.co.zaSocial Media: Instagram or LinkedInWork with Hristina:1-1 Sessions now Open! To find out more:Subscribe to the Business as Poetry Substack: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristina-vaceva-cfa-4245901a/(00:00) Intro to Tamsyn(01:27) A Multifaceted Career — For Real(07:13) The Corporate Pattern That Runs Your Life(09:37) On Jumping Out of Planes and Leadership(13:42) What Are You Hiding From Your Colleagues?(22:38) Your Life Is Already Designed — Just Maybe Not By You(24:17) Integrating Opposites for Transformation(29:10) The 9 Types of the Enneagram (Substack exclusive — link in bio)(30:56) Curating the Life You Want — a 3-Step Process(38:58) What's Next for Business as Poetry

April 16, 202644 min

She Couldn't Find an Office Job Anywhere — So She Built a Global Publishing Business Instead with Krystal Hille

What do you do when you can't go back to what you knew — and the traditional path won't take you either?In this episode I'm joined by Krystal Hille — theatre director turned life coach turned publisher — who during COVID lost her events business overnight and went through a divorce as a single mother of two. No corporate experience, no business qualifications - and no plan. What she had instead was a gut feeling and a publishing training that crossed her path at exactly the right moment.Today Krystal is the founder of Hille House Publishing, helping over 300 purpose-led entrepreneurs from 26 countries become published authors — and a free soul that is not afraid to experience three or four lifetimes in one.This isn't a story about finding your one true calling. It's about what happens when reinvention isn't a choice — it's your design.In this conversation we talk about:Why some people are built to reinvent themselves every 5-10 years — and why that's a strength, not a flawThe double blow of divorce and business collapse during COVID — and how she rebuilt from nothingThe four author archetypes based on the elements — and what your writing style reveals about how you thinkWhy most authors don't make money from their books — and what a book actually does for your businessHow to know if you're genuinely not ready to write your story — or just afraidThe one question to ask yourself every three months about what's quietly knocking on your doorWhether you're in the middle of a reinvention, sitting on a story you know needs to be told, or simply wondering if it's okay to start over again — this episode will give you the permission to experiment freely.Connect with Krystal:Website: https://hillehouse.orgThe Transformational Writing Cauldron: https://inspiredrelations.org/transformational-writing-cauldron🎁Special gift for all listeners: The Thought Leadership Quiz https://hillehouse.org/thought-leader-quizWork with Hristina:My monthly Substack Circle is now live! To find out more and sign up:Join the Business as Poetry Substack Circle: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristina-vaceva-cfa-4245901a/(00:00) Intro to Krystal Hille (00:36) A Career that Keeps Evolving (02:01) How Do You Find Your Calling? (05:50) The Search for Meaning (11:10) A COVID Plot Twist (15:01) The Hardest Thing As a Business Owner (19:13) Do Literary Archetypes Affect Your Writing? (23:40) How to Get a Book Published (28:43) Writing a Book — Is It For You? (32:21) What Do Spiritual Entrepreneurs Know that You Don't? (33:24) The Aligned Author: A Personal Story (37:32) How to Know It's Time to Start Fresh? (39:09) Krystal Hille's Take on the Energy in the World Today(42:59) Join the Business as Poetry Circle on Substack

February 26, 202641 min

Marijana Sommerfeld on Why Leaving Corporate Won't Fix It - and What Actually Does

Leaving corporate won't fix it — if you take the pattern with you. This is the conversation nobody has about career change and burnout recovery for women.In this episode I'm joined by Marijana Sommerfeld — former business analyst at Coca-Cola, corporate consultant at Lufthansa, and someone who spent years pushing through exhaustion, suppressing her emotions, and performing "fine" — until her body made her stop.In 2015, Marijana was diagnosed with breast cancer. What followed wasn't just a health crisis — it was the beginning of a complete identity transformation that eventually led her to write a book, found the Self-Healing Academy, and build a practice helping exhausted leaders find their way back to themselves.But this isn't a story about leaving corporate and living happily ever after. It's about what actually happens after you resign — and why the patterns tend to come with you if you haven't done the inner work.In this conversation we talk about:Why accomplished women stay in roles that don't fit them — and the real fears driving that (it's not what you think)How the body signals misalignment long before crisis hits — and how to start reading those signals practicallyThe difference between "I am fearful" and "I have a fear" — and why that one word changes everythingWhy leaving your job doesn't fix the problem, and what actually doesHow Marijana rode her bike to chemotherapy while refusing to identify as sick — and what that teaches us about identity and healingWhat acceptance really means as a strategy (and why it's the opposite of giving up)Whether you're navigating a health challenge, a career crossroads, or simply the quiet feeling that something needs to change — this episode will give you a new framework for listening to yourself.Connect with Marijana:Work with Marijana: reconnect2self.com Read Marijana's Book: Corporate to CallingMentioned in this episode:Marijana's book Reiseführer für eine ungeplante Reise (in German)🎟️ Upcoming Launches:My group mentorship "Spiritual Accelerator" is launching next month (in Bulgarian). To find out more and stay in touch:Join the Business as Poetry Substack Circle: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristina-vaceva-cfa-4245901a/(00:00) Episode Preview (00:21) Meet Marijana Sommerfeld (01:50) Why We Stick to Old Identity (04:30) From Corporate to Calling (06:52) When Will You Choose You? (12:35) The Signs Not to Ignore (12:59) Cancer Diagnosis — When the Body Speaks (14:46) The Turning Point (18:24) Where to Start: Listening to Your Intuition (23:23) How to Get Out of Your Own Way (25:02) Finding the Calling — Writing & Healing (28:28) I Am or I Have? (31:23) A Message on Self-Healing and Reconnecting (37:47) When to Leave Corporate

January 6, 202635 min

Mystery With Real Effects: How Family Constellations Shape Belonging, Abundance & Identity with Elitsa Velikova

In this brand new episode of Business as Poetry, I’m joined by psychologist, art therapist and family constellations facilitator Elitsa Velikova.Elitsa is the founder and director of the Art Therapy Institute in Bulgaria and has over two decades of experience working with family constellations, expressive arts therapy, and trauma-informed psychological methods across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.Together, we explore why family constellations are often described as “a mystery with real effects” — and why this work continues to gain global attention.In our conversation, we talk about:What family constellations really are (and what they are not)How ancestral patterns and hidden loyalties shape identity, belonging, and successThe difference between art as expression and art as therapyWhy abundance is not just about money, but about safety, trust, and inner flowHow inherited trauma can influence relationships, work, and self-worth across generationsThe systemic “orders” that support love, health, and prosperityWhy belonging to our roots can be the foundation for freedom, creativity, and growthWhat happens in a constellation — and why you don’t need to “believe” in it to experience its effectsWe also speak about migration, identity, and the experience of living away from one’s homeland — and why reconnecting with ancestry can be especially powerful in transitional moments of life.🎟️ Upcoming EventsElitsa will be in London this January facilitating two family constellation workshops:23rd of January - Roots & Wings — exploring ancestry, belonging, and inner freedom25th of January - Orders of Success — exploring abundance, receiving, and the systemic roots of prosperityFind out more about Elitsa at the Arts & Therapy Institute website.Join my community on Substack: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Watch this episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_f9gjXSKiB5D7cCy7LatQ

December 10, 202547 min

The Power of Reverse Mentoring: Reinventing Leadership with Patrice Gordon

In this final episode of 2025, I sit down with Patrice Gordon — executive coach, business author, and the world's leading expert in reverse mentoring — for a conversation about reinvention, purpose, and navigating the spaces we may not always be invited into.Patrice’s journey spans PwC, British Airways, Royal Mail, and Virgin Atlantic, but the real story begins when she stepped off the corporate ladder to build a mission-driven consultancy grounded in equity, leadership, and humanity.Her honesty about the highs, lows, and unexpected plot twists of entrepreneurship is a masterclass in courage. Together we explore:✨ What reverse mentoring really is — and why companies worldwide are adopting it✨ The emotional reality of leaving corporate to build something of your own✨ Why women leaders struggle to take up space (and how to change that)✨ The power of community, mentors, and trusted support networks✨ Stepping into your purpose even when the path ahead is unclear✨ How to build a business that feels aligned, human, and sustainableThis episode is joyful, grounded, vulnerable — and you can tell we had so much fun recording it! A powerful reminder that results come when you stop over-thinking… and start enjoying the craft.🎧 Listen to the full conversation and step into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose, confidence, and energy.Listen now and subscribe for more episodes on intuition, business, creativity & leadership - and it helps us immensely if you give us a 5 star review or recommend the podcast to a friend!Get a copy of Patrice's Book Reverse Mentoring: Removing Barriers and Building Belonging in the Workplace here. Find out more about Patrice on her website.Join my community, Space In:Between, on Substack: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Send me a message on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hristina-vaceva-cfa-4245901aFind me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_f9gjXSKiB5D7cCy7LatQ

November 27, 202528 min

My Story: How I Built a Multi-Layered Creative Business From the Inside Out

In this episode, I share something I’ve never shared publicly before — the full story of how I rebuilt my life, work, and identity from the inside out.For years, I was successful on paper but disconnected on the inside. It wasn’t one moment that changed everything, but a series of inner shifts — an awakening, a remembering, an alignment — that changed the entire direction of my life.In this deeply personal solo episode, I walk you through the five stages of transformation I lived through — the same stages I now teach in my work:The 5 Stages of Energetic Expansion1️⃣ Awakening — the moment life forces you to pause and look within 2️⃣ Allowing — letting yourself imagine a different path 3️⃣ Remembering — removing the noise to return to your essence 4️⃣ Alignment — collapsing timelines as things finally click 5️⃣ Completeness — integrating, grounding, and owning your identityThis story includes:Leaving old identities behindRebuilding my work around intuition, creativity, somatics, and energyWhy my podcast became the catalystHow mentors, retreats, and pure instinct shaped my pathThe moment I realised I wasn’t building a project — I was building an entire ecosystemHow Substack, community, writing, somatics, and leadership all convergedThis is not a magic formula, but a deep, lived-in experience — and I’m sharing it so you can recognise your own turning points too.If you’re in a transition, a reinvention, or an “in-between” chapter… let my story remind you that nothing is ever wasted and every chapter prepares you for what’s next.Listen now and subscribe for more episodes on intuition, business, creativity & leadership.Join my community, Space In:Between, on Substack: https://businessaspoetry.substack.com/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_as_poetry/Send me a message on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hristina-vaceva-cfa-4245901aFind me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_f9gjXSKiB5D7cCy7LatQ

October 16, 202540 min

Life Beyond the Masks: Lessons on Sovereignty & Leadership with Dion Johnson

In this powerful season opener, host Hristina Vaceva sits down with Dion Johnson — former midwife turned executive coach and founder of The Queen’s School — to explore what it really takes to lead as a woman in a system that wasn’t built for us.Dion’s story is one of radical self-inquiry and transformation: from hiding behind physical and emotional masks, to discovering her sovereign voice and teaching others to do the same. Her journey through the NHS, local government, and into entrepreneurship is not just inspiring — it’s deeply human.Together, we discuss:The emotional toll of being a Black woman in a white man’s worldWhat it means to experience a “sovereign inquiry” — and why leadership begins withinRewiring the “slave girl” mindset and embracing Queen mentality insteadRole models, spiritual awakenings, and redefining power from the inside outBalancing masculine and feminine energies in businessWhy corporate leadership without healing often leads to burnout — and how to change thatWhether you’re leading a team, launching a business, or standing at a career crossroads, this episode is a reminder: for every woman hiding in plain sight, there's one who dares to step out of the shadow. Which one do you choose to be?🔗 Listen now and share with someone who’s ready to change the way we lead.📍 Follow Dion to find out more about the Queen’s School & upcoming retreats:LinkedIn: Dion Johnson📍 Follow Hristina & her latest project Business as Poetry:Instagram: @business_as_poetryStay in touch or send me a message - I love reading all of them!LinkedIn: Sound of Breaking Glass

September 8, 202539 min

Know Your Hormones: Mayra Hurtado on Building a Fem Tech Start Up

In this episode of Sound of Breaking Glass, host Hristina Vaceva speaks with Mayra Hurtado – co-founder of Prelude Health – about the connection between our hormonal health, our identity, and the transitions that shape our lives.After spending nearly two decades in the world of commercial strategy and marketing, Mayra’s personal health struggles became the catalyst for something much deeper: a journey into hormonal wellbeing and women’s health that changed the course of her life and career.Together, we talk about the power of pausing, the hidden cost of pushing through, and what it really means to take your health into your own hands. Mayra brings warmth, wisdom, and genuine care to this conversation -and in a rare twist, turns the microphone around!Key Topics:Hormonal Health 101: What every woman deserves to know - but probably wasn’t taught.Listening to Your Body: How to spot the early signs of perimenopause - and why we need to talk about this.Career Change from the Inside Out: How looking for answers can spark a powerful professional change.FemTech from Lived Experience: The story of Prelude Health and how to build a business that serves real needsReturning to Yourself: How purpose and identity evolve when we stop overriding the signs.This is more than a conversation about careers or wellness - it’s about reclaiming agency over our health and choices. A fitting end to a season rooted in inner change, embodied wisdom, and the courage to do things differently.🎙️ Learn more about Hormony:https://findhormony.com/or follow Mayra on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mghurtado/🔗 Join Hristina’s community:Instagram: @lifewelllived.by.hvLinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/sound-of-breaking-glass

August 18, 202537 min

When the Doctor Needs Healing: Dr. Leah Murray on Career Change, Burnout, and Integrative Medicine

In this episode of Sound of Breaking Glass, host Hristina Vaceva speaks with Dr. Leah Murray - a former emergency physician turned integrative health practitioner - about what it means to stop overriding your body’s signals and begin a deeper journey back to balance.After facing a personal health crisis and burnout on the frontlines of traditional medicine, Leah began to question the systems she was taught to believe in. Her own healing journey became the foundation for a new way of working — one that blends scientific knowledge with deep inner awareness.Together, we explore how burnout can become a powerful invitation to change, why slowing down is sometimes the most radical act of leadership, and how listening to the body can lead us back to the life that truly fits.Key Topics:Listening to the Body’s Wisdom: How illness and fatigue can guide career and life decisions.Redefining Success: Letting go of the titles and expectations that no longer serve.Healing as Leadership: What it means to hold space for others after doing the work yourself.Integrative Medicine: How Leah blends clinical training with a deep commitment to integrative, trauma-informed care.Finding Purpose in Life and at Work: A raw, hopeful look at what’s possible when we honour our own wellbeing first.This conversation is for anyone standing at a career crossroad, wondering if there’s another way. Leah’s story is a beautiful reminder that the end one path can be the fresh new beginning you needed - just what the doctor ordered!🔗 Learn more about Leah’s work:https://drleahmurray.co.za/https://backtobalancehealth.co.uk/Instagram: @drleahmurray🔗 Join Hristina's community:Instagram: @lifewelllived.by.hvLinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/sound-of-breaking-glass

August 8, 20257 min

One Bite: Monthly Check In - Productivity Guilt

Welcome to One Bite — a short monthly voice note to help you slow down, reflect, and realign before your next big jump.Can doing work you love ever get too much?This month’s check-in is a gentle reflection on that exact lesson.I went for a break, thinking I’d rest and finish my Substack, record content, edit posts… but my body had other plans.Back pain. Fatigue. Resistance to even the things I love the most.So I paused. And what came through surprised me: Even the work we adore can sometimes keep us stuck in a cycle of output.True rest isn’t just time off — it’s time in. A moment to remember who we are underneath the doing.And sometimes, stepping back doesn’t mean you’re off-track. It means you’re finally in rhythm with yourself.This episode is for anyone who’s been feeling tired for no reason, questioning their pace, or needing permission to unplug — even from what brings them joy.And it pairs beautifully with my last month's conversation with Katie Mantwa George on career transitions and how to feel in your body if you're ready.Tune in to this 5-min voice note for a soft reset. And let me know…Have you been doing too much of what you love lately?You can find me on IG @lifewelllived.by.hv for more daily musings and insights!