171: The Unconventional Way to Skyrocket Business Success

BOTAO Ep 171

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[: 00:00:00

All right, guys. Welcome back to another burnout to all out podcast episode. I am so excited to bring my friend Francesca here to the podcast today. Um, Francesca, welcome. We're streaming live over on LinkedIn. Thank you. I'm excited to be here with you. Yes. Oh my gosh. So I was saying before we jumped in, um, kind of in our pre discussion that we were just gonna, let's get right into this.

r career at such a young age.[: 00:01:00

And you were just like, peace. I'm out. I'm going to go tour Bali and Peru and India and go on this massive spiritual journey, which is a brave adventure in itself, um, given where you were from the outside, perceivably having everything and having it all. Um, and from there. Becoming a multifaceted entrepreneur that's doing so much.

I mean, in this short time, and we're going to dive into all of this, you guys, but I just wanted to jump in with this because you've created a totally new modality, hypnobreathwork, which we're going to talk about. What's it's changed my life. Um, it's been rocket fuel in my business. So we'll talk about that.

You've been successful at raising capital in the tech space and launched an app. Um, you run high end transformational retreats. I know you're working directly with corporate with some really big names in the leadership coaching space. Um, you know, you're, I know you're on the precipice of publishing a book.

l while traveling the world, [: 00:02:00

Yeah, I think I think it's important to give some context to how big of a deal that career was for me, because I think it'll be relatable to a lot of people that we chase after this perception that we have, or what we think is going to make us happy. And I was. So desperate to work in advertising in Manhattan and have this glamorous life.

I always really wanted this significant career and to help build brands. And I remember being 22 years old, I was working in nightlife. So I was working until like four in the morning that I was getting my MBA online because I wanted to differentiate myself from the competition. And then I was interning at a production company because I couldn't, I didn't have any contacts in advertising.

And I ended up stealing [: 00:03:00

And I worked my way all the way up to Anomaly where I was an account director on Google. Like I made it like, this is what I came here for, you know? And there was just a moment where I'm like running these multi million dollar campaigns and I'm like, I'm living in the West village, I'm dating really attractive New York guys, like I'm going to the parties.

Why do I feel so empty? And I think that that's, you know, the moment of reflection for most people is when you have the thing that you thought you wanted. There's been, there were several moments that I can really hone in on of being on the flight to Buenos Aires, being in business class, eating my steak and my red wine and being like, this is what you were so excited for.

Why are, [: 00:04:00

It's my values. It's, you know, something internally is broken here and I need to kind of go on a journey of self discovery, self exploration. And the only thing that felt good in my body, the only thing that felt right was. Bali. And so it was, it was just that, honestly, it was, I felt like I needed to book a one way ticket to Bali.

that my whole life changed. [: 00:05:00

Like, how did you just, how did you land on Bali? Yeah, I was actually reading this book called Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain. I've told you about this book. And she says in the book, you know, we operate way too much from our logical mind. Everything is analytical. Everything is weighing its pros and cons, and we need to operate more from our body.

And she takes you through this, like, very simple meditation where you just tune into your body. You look at your options. You think about the things in front of you and what feels good. And I remember doing this like a type A would, you know, like I had my list of different things. I was going to reveal into each one of them.

felt vibrations, you know, I [: 00:06:00

So I just followed that feeling. I love that. So that was maybe your first kind of dive into discovering your intuition. That was, yeah. Yes. Okay. The whole work we do now is all about intuitive action. Yes. But before I didn't really think I had a strong sense of intuition. I think a lot of us think, you know, how do I know if that's my inner knowing or if that's my fear.

And in the beginning it's, it's really about getting out of your head and feeling more into your body. And then obviously when you discover tools like breathwork, we have a straight line in we have direct access. Yes. Yes. And I know we're going to get into that. Um, so you went to Bali and I know it was like a year of intense, um, experimentation and study and practice, um, to kind of.

Lead the way [: 00:07:00

And he found that if we did this one, inhale one, exhale, and this circular motion to more shamanic music, we could access childhood memories and release store traumas. So they told me this and I was like, okay, I was highly skeptical. I'm like, I don't know what's going to come up. But I had been in therapy, so I thought that I was highly self aware.

t had been so far repressed, [: 00:08:00

Defense mechanisms. I mean, all of this stuff came out and after seven days, I was, I felt brand new. I just had so much, it was so cathartic. The breath released emotion. I cried my eyes out. I journaled a ton. I sent letters that were so healing for me. And I mean, I, I think I physically and emotionally lost like 10 pounds after that week, and then I was just, I mean, it was just enthralling.

I needed to know more. I needed to understand. So I needed to understand the mechanism behind it. I needed to understand the science behind it. And that's when I really started going to every workshop, every certification, every training, and then I also self experimented with a lot of other modalities. So I could cross reference is this as impactful.

e had these big releases and [: 00:09:00

To the experience. So I saw this huge gap. I saw this huge opportunity where we could really help people rewire and reprogram psychological patterns. And the other modality that I was very fascinated by was hypnotherapy because it was allowing you to get to the roots, get to the root of these emotions, the core memories, and then invite new thoughts, new suggestions so that you can truly do subconscious reprogramming.

So I thought. I wonder if we can combine these two things. And what I discovered is, you know, the holotropic breath work I did was 90 minutes to two and a half hours. The hypnotherapy I did was two and a half hours. I knew that there was nobody in my network when I came back to the States that was going to have two and a half hours for personal development.

And I started playing with [: 00:10:00

I love this and I think that this must be one of the reasons I just like fell in love with you and everything that you've brought to this planet. When I met you, just, I don't know if you know this, but I'll share this on the podcast. Um, my first experience with breath work was about two and a half to three years before I met you.

. And to your point, like I, [: 00:11:00

Like literally for three days, my eyes were like puffy from like all the emotion that like came out of me. But what was interesting is when I left that retreat, I hadn't slept that good in like a decade. Like for three months. I was sleeping so much better. I felt so much lighter and all I remembered was Whatever that guy did to me Like I would pay to come home come there quarterly just to like almost like an exorcism of sorts Whatever it is, right?

you too. But then I met you [: 00:12:00

And in 21 minutes, instead of two and a half hours of this and an hour and a half of that, like. Boom, right? And then rapid action, which I know we'll get into. But, um, so brilliant that you've come up with this. And I know you are changing people's lives across the planet. Um, One person at a time, coaches at a time that you're, you're certifying, let's get into, can we talk a little bit about the difference between breathwork and meditation?

I know you hit on it a little bit, but just like, um, how breathwork is different, um, and how putting them together is such rocket fuel. Yeah, I mean, the first thing is, you know, breathwork is very active and meditation is a much more passive practice. So in meditation, you're really letting your thoughts kind of fall out.

ind tremendous value in both [: 00:13:00

You'll feel it in your face. And a lot of times those physical sensations have deeper emotional meanings behind them. So if you observe where you're feeling it, you'll get some cues and some clues into what's going on in your emotional body as well. The other thing is. You know, we're very intentional about our sessions.

It's extremely, extremely carefully crafted. So, the music that we choose, the vocal cues, the intention setting. And then most importantly, the last question in every single Hypnobreathwork session is, What is your next intuitive action step? Because I think it's so important that people don't just get lost in an experience.

lly change your life and for [: 00:14:00

You will be living the future that you want, and you will be radically doing it at a pace that you can't even believe the synchronicities and the magic that's coming for you. Oh, I've chosen to. Yes. Oh my gosh. Like let, I want to dive into this piece around. Intuition and intuitive action, because it's definitely something that's like something I really, really speak to a lot with our community, because I feel like, and maybe you agree or disagree, a lot of entrepreneurs don't need another business strategy.

ave a practice to go within. [: 00:15:00

I love, I also kind of tangent to that. What I love about your hypnobreath work sessions is that you can come to them with, like you said, very specific goals. Right. So like. whatever is in front of you that day. It could be a creativity, uh, flow state that you want to get into, or it could be something that you're really blocked with.

Right. And I know for me, um, last year, probably February was one of the hardest months of my life having to manage firing someone in my company. And I was extremely anxious about it. And I could feel at this point, I was wearing my whoop strap, which I forgot to put it on today. I knew my nervous system was out of whack, right?

like everything was burning [: 00:16:00

And I went into it really tense, really stressed. And because it was a pointed guided session with cues, your facilitator helped me guide, which was a very stressful situation with my own intuition navigate in my subconscious, actually like a positive output by the time I was done with those 21 minutes.

e what you do is like rocket [: 00:17:00

Can you talk a little bit about how breathwork can help you if you're in a blocked state, whether it's, um, let's just speak about unblocking. Can you talk a little bit about how your process helps folks unblock where they are if they're in kind of a stuckness? Yeah, so the interesting thing is physiologically, you're changing balances of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

And so what that does is it starts to stimulate different regions of the brain. And oftentimes when we're looking at a problem, we're looking at it only from our conscious mind, and we're looking at it based on past information or things we've already seen and things we already know. So when we expand, and when we stimulate different regions of the brain, we get new perspective.

reath and you might see, ah, [: 00:18:00

Boom. There it is. Now you release the emotion. Of the past and you can get present with your situation and move forward. You no longer feel like you're swimming against the current. A lot of times people might be blocked by, you know, perfectionism. And then it's the judgments that they had in high school.

If they didn't do it, it was hypercritical unless they did it this certain way. So boom, you breathe that out. So you're not projecting past events onto your current situation. Because most of these blockages are coming from the past. So the breath allows you to get to that moment. And then it allows you to actually dissipate the emotion, the fear, the doubt, the anxiousness, the frustration, whatever it is that's living in your body.

n stage. And all of a sudden [: 00:19:00

Yes. So good. So good. And I remember when I was in Bali with you, which we'll talk about your Bali retreat in a couple of minutes. Um, Francesca has an amazing retreat to Bali, um, that I was on. And I know you did a workshop around, um, you had a facilitator come in. who did a workshop around self love, I believe it was.

And then I believe you took us through a session that was really around, um, I don't even remember the actual topic, but what I came through with it was like forgiveness, um, forgiveness for self. What I have learned from your facilitator was like, there's different levels of love, self love, right? And although I felt like I had done a lot of growth this past year, Um, what I was realizing was that highest level of self love is really like the forgiveness.

Um, and for, you [: 00:20:00

And, and I know we'll talk about this in a second, but the thing that you do, that your process works really well with is like, you always land on action. Like when you're done with the session, it's not just like, okay, we just cracked you open now go like, you know, deal with it. It's what intuitively do I need to take action on today?

s. Like, why are you holding [: 00:21:00

There's humility in being an adult too and that we do make mistakes and like be an example for your children and how healing is it for everyone, right? But it was your prompt of what action are you going to take, um, that then took me all the way from Bali back to North Carolina to then have those conversations and have further healing and forgiveness.

Yeah, for myself, right? Can you, can you speak a little bit more to kind of the action taking when it comes to the breathwork? Well, the action just really cements the experience that you had internally. It takes it to your external reality and it creates a ripple of consciousness with the people around you and yours.

aving that conversation with [: 00:22:00

Like they don't want to go into the past, but the truth is, you know, the body keeps score, the body remembers, and it will come out in ways in your personality and your decisions and the relationships that you choose. If you don't heal some of those things that have impacted you and affected you. And the beautiful thing is when you take action on what comes up in your session.

You show up more authentically, you deepen your relationships and your connections. Who knows the effects of that conversation on your kids? Like, wow, mom is human. Like, wow. Mom realizes that she did this. Wow. Mom really loves me to be sharing this with me. Mom's speaking to me. Like I'm a mature person who can communicate and understand this.

on I did on my mom during my [: 00:23:00

I had this unconscious guilt of how I had treated her like when I was a teenager and it made me. Sort of resistant to being close to her because I had so much internal shame. And when I finally released it, it was painful as hell. I'm not going to lie. That session was brutal for me, but I communicated it to her and we are closer than ever.

My mom does breathwork with me. We meditate together. We go on walks together. We do yoga. I mean, she's like my favorite, but it was, it was hard. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say that every journey is easy, but the depth. And the healing it created for her to, to finally be seen for her sacrifice. I mean, this work is just so healing on both sides, right?

little children. I was more [: 00:24:00

Perspective, and this is where I'm going to go with it being healing. My daughter in the middle was just like, mommy, you were really stressed out. You were running, you worked full time and you're running a business on the side. Like she was very compassionate and like really loving about it. But my oldest, who probably remembers it most, um, was like, yeah, like you were mean, like he, he, it was a moment for him to be heard.

at we were able to have that [: 00:25:00

25, you know, and you don't know the ripple that it creates in that in the other person, you know, when you speak your authentic truth, when you make amends, when you say the healing thing for you and potentially for them, and it's never about the outcome and it's not about how it's received, but I have seen.

You know, more times than not, when we say what we need to say to the other person, it creates an intrigue in them. It creates awareness. It creates, you know, curiosity for them to maybe explore some of their things for them to try a breathwork session. And the more, that's what we need. We need more people doing breathwork, more people becoming more aware, more people becoming compassionate.

w for me this past year, um, [: 00:26:00

Um, impactful things I've done in my 43 years of life. Um, I don't feel as lost anymore. Um, defining purpose and feeling like there's divine connection to has been huge for me. Like purpose and impact with like my skills that were gifted to me and creating this ripple effect in the planet in a way that feels very purposeful.

Right? Um, can you speak a little bit too? Getting in alignment, especially I feel like as entrepreneurs, we can get lost in like why we ever got started in the first place and kind of get lost in alignment and reminded of like the impact we're making or who like I sometimes we can get cost caught kind of chasing the bottom line or the sales versus the bigger picture and the impact.

n impact. Thank you so much. [: 00:27:00

And then I was able to sort of bottle it into my course. And then also that's what my book is about. It's unblocking your purpose. So I think it's, it's first about healing the past. It's getting back in touch with what lit you up when you were a child, because that's when you were at your purest, most innocent form.

really nice place to start. [: 00:28:00

And then it made us really lose our creativity. So those need to be healed a little bit. And then once you've kind of let go of that emotion, what happens is you start to get clear when you're not harboring and suppressing all of this other emotion. Your channels are clear. You're more intuitive. Your creativity is louder.

All of a sudden you're lighter and you just feel re energized and invigorated. And so what that allows you to do is get into a more of a flow state, a flow state where things are a bit more effortless. They're connecting a new creative ways. And that's where we start to look at what are your innate skills.

en attracted to. What career [: 00:29:00

Nothing is wasted. You got some kind of expertise from that industry, you grew a network from that, like you have, you have knowledge that you don't even realize just from the repetition of what you did on a day to day basis. So we want to collect those things and we want to see, we want to find intersections.

We want to find intersections of clues of, of what you're most passionate about and how we can look at what you did in childhood, what you were attracted to throughout your journey, and then start to apply it to what you're curious about in the world, like what you feel called to. And a lot of times.

It's the obstacle that you've overcome. A lot of times people's purpose ends up being, you know, I got my, I got through high school bullying and now I want to empower young women to feel confident in their bodies, you know, or. I heal toxic relationships of the past. And now I want to be like a relationship dating coach.

So a [: 00:30:00

Yeah. Yeah. Self paced. Okay. Okay, perfect. So you guys will have to check that out. I went through it live with her. Um, and it really helped me get clear on my first book, uh, living all out and the whole like purpose of it and the impact of it. Um, it was beautiful. As a matter of fact, I think I'll have to go back through and do that again for vision for the next book.

cover your purpose, like you [: 00:31:00

And it's the same for me. It's because when you realize it's not just about you, and you can take this gift and you can turn it outward and you can be of service to others, that's a different level of fulfillment. And that's truly why I have this belief that knowing your purpose can heal the mental health crisis.

Like, right now we're trying to heal the mental health crisis with Xanax and Ambien and even psychedelics, but I think if everyone knew their purpose, and they were being of service, and they were contributing to something greater than themselves. They would have joy, their life would have meaning and it would just be a much better world.

ut entrepreneurship and your [: 00:32:00

Like, how long have you been an entrepreneur? When did you break out of corporate about four years? Okay, so it's been four years and, you know, you've got these certification programs, you've got these experiential retreats, you're working with corporate, you've got the app out, you've got a book coming out, like you've got so much and I know there's more to come in the future and we'll talk about that.

Um, but there's ups and downs to entrepreneurship, right? Um, what do you, over the last four years, because you and I are kind of on the same pace, because I think my business will Is five, five years old this year. So what is like, what have you learned the most about yourself in the last five years? And if that's something you could sum up, like, what have you learned the most about yourself and entrepreneurship?

five years of this journey. [: 00:33:00

And I will say this to everybody. Beginning into alignment isn't a one time job. It isn't that you feel it and now you're on this trajectory and the journey is linear. That's just not how it works. I go back and do unblock your purpose all the time. I do have no breath work every single morning. I unblock myself more times than I want to in a week.

se drive to be seen. And I'm [: 00:34:00

Is this my conditioning to just reach out to 500, you know, different companies and, and get mastery to be a unicorn startup? Or am I truly being of service and not in my ego? And trying to contribute to something greater. So it's still a dance for me. And I'm so grateful to have this tool because I can catch myself now and I feel it, you know, like now I think Melissa, you have the same thing.

Like when we're not in the alignment, the universe kind of kicks our ass. It's like, Oh, it's not happening. They're not getting it. Yeah. You better go do breath and meditate for a week. Um, yeah. And get yourself back into that clarity. So I've had, I've had a lot of success when I'm in flow. You know, I've had a lot of success when I'm just listening to my intuition and to your point before.

or some people. They do need [: 00:35:00

It's this path. Nope. It's this email. Nope. Just send it to this person. And I don't think that your intuition wants you to burn out or work yourself into the ground. So it's a lot of having to go out of that autopilot of being that like super type a, you know, producer. And just being like, Oh, so I don't need to email 200 people.

I just need to work on this one relationship. And then I need to surrender and not be attached to the outcome. And that is brand new for most of us. And it's, you know, so that's sort of the dance that I'm still in. And I noticed, and I see it in myself all the time with the book. I was going to self publish, but the literary agent just kind of fell into my orbit.

t to be, that was obviously, [: 00:36:00

My gosh, so true. And I mean, and I think it is a cycle, I think, and you and I have talked about this, I was, I'm very type A, I'm an Enneagram 8, you and I are very similar. And. I left corporate and started my business and within a year and a half, I was burnt out again. Like the whole reason I left corporate was to do my own thing, but then it was.

overperforming that weren't [: 00:37:00

Right. And like this past year, I worked less than ever and focused more inward. Not that I didn't spend a lot of time previous working on business strategy, but like way more grounded this year. Um, I still occasionally have my head spin off like Medusa and my kids will say, you're that your mom from five years ago, mom, they'll check you and scream in a because we digress.

e gritty as an entrepreneur. [: 00:38:00

Um, and where do you define what's healthy and what's not, right? So it's such a good conversation. Um, it really is. It's, it's really an ongoing dance. You know, I, I believe that we spiral upwards. I believe that we spiral upwards in this journey and we have moments when we go back to default condition behaviors, because that's a 30 year pattern.

And I think that we should give ourselves grace. I think we should give ourself grace in those moments and just know that now we have the information, the wisdom and the tools to get ourselves back and to just, you know, be patient in that process because things when you're in alignment, the way that things will flow for you, the synchronicities, you'll get what you want.

hat's the only way to get it [: 00:39:00

And so it's new. It's a new way of living. It's a new way of being that you and I are proof to everyone, you know, that you can surrender and still achieve. Big things. Totally. It's that, it's, uh, that feminine and masculine piece, right? Like I also think coming from corporate in a very male driven industry, I'm not sure how yours was, but I was like the only female on the leadership team.

And I was like half the age of everyone else. And it was, You know, being in that in order to succeed and survive like I operated from such a place of masculine. Um, and so it was a hard, it was a hard journey for the reprogramming that I'm still in that to your point, we can get a lot done. By being in ebb and flow, right?

into entrepreneurship for a [: 00:40:00

were roadmap, like, you know,: 2024

I mean, the whole thing came together when you were in, in your super feminine. So that's the creative energy. That's the creative energy. That's where we want to build from have ideas from, you know, plant seeds, have them come to fruition. And then when you have that, it's like, okay, cool. Now it's time to shift gears and to execute on this.

have to be able to mix both. [: 00:41:00

I really appreciate it. Well, um, let's talk about the future. Like I know they're like, you've got your eyes on some big things, which I love. So let's talk about visions for Francesca when we look to the future, like what's, what's down the pipeline for you. I mean, the one that's coming through right now, it's probably the biggest is a big vision or download.

ers and use AI to take their [: 00:42:00

And I want to do the same thing with music and revolutionize the way artists really give concerts so we can feel their lyrics and their storytelling on a much deeper level. Um, and then also bringing it to athletes so that they can increase their performance and use mental rehearsal and have that teamwork and that camaraderie and the victory.

So, I have, you know, big visions of world takeover with mastery, and I'm also trying to pace myself because there is a lot going on right now. But like I said, something's just kind of have a life of its own. Like if the creative idea is meant to be birthed through you, then you're going to get momentum and you're going to meet the right people along the journey.

on a lot of the coaches that [: 00:43:00

Yeah. So what, can we talk a little bit more about mastery and just the whole umbrella of it? Because I know you have the app, but you also, I've gone through and been certified in your program. Um, you've got courses that people can sign up for. Can you talk a little bit about like the whole umbrella and the different things that are going on within mastery right now?

Yeah, so mastery is really a wellness experience that uses hypno breathwork and we bring that with either virtual weekly coaches to corporate teams or to sports teams for season packages, or we have the app obviously for consumers to use daily. We're also going to be launching 1 on 1 coaches soon. So you can book private breathwork sessions if the custom sessions are more of what you desire.

obviously have unblock your [: 00:44:00

If this is a tool you want to bring into your practice for your own mastery or for your clients, the next one's going to be May 2nd to the fifth. And then the annual Bali retreat will be on August 1st to the 7th this year. Yes, and I can say Personally, I guess I've experienced almost all of them. I have experienced all of them.

So I'm a huge advocate. I have the app is phenomenal. So two things, especially if you're a business coach, cause I know I have a lot of coaches in my community. Um, If going and getting certified and doing this work yourself seems like too much, I get it. Download the app, the Mastery app, um, and get familiar with it.

n in their life. I'm like, I [: 00:45:00

Just download the app and here's what you need to use. So that's number one, but for those of you who I've got, I know I've got a number of you who are more in the holistic space. I have a number of women in STEM that are coaches in STEM that are in the spiritual energetic arena. Um, I highly suggest you guys come check out her certification, uh, as another tool belt, um, and modality to, to really work with your clients.

wrote my own for, for like my: 2024

hey do it for their own self [: 00:46:00

That's like how to respectfully communicate, like to make a job, you know, there's sessions for parenting, there's sessions for healing heartbreak, there's sessions for corporate. So it, it really was designed to give everybody whatever it is that they need to unblock and become their highest self that day.

And for all the launchers, because I know I have a lot of people who launch like I do, the game day one is really good too. I know that game day is like, maybe technically for sports, but it like works when you're getting ready for a launch. Well, um, Lastly, just to re just like maybe tie a bow on Bali is like, what can folks experience or expect if they come spend these days with you on Bali?

I mean, [: 00:47:00

And, you know, I love luxury as well, so it's really premium. It's very high end. It's very clean. Um, the food is amazing. The people that come always connect in unbelievable ways. I think, I feel like almost everyone that was at the Bali retreat came to your Nashville event, which is so crazy. So reunion.

or where do you hang out on [: 00:48:00

Like what's the best way to get in contact? So you can find out about all of my programs and offers on francescasitma. com or you can follow me on Instagram at Francesca Sitma and I'm always announcing new events and workshops and such. Okay, awesome. We'll put that in the show notes. And you're in San Diego, correct?

So like, you do live stuff there sometimes too? We do sometimes. Um, we are planning a bit of a tour in the next year. So there will be a couple cities that are announced and we'll do that um, through my Instagram and through Mastery. It's at Mastery Experience Instagram channel as well. Exciting. If you come to the Charlotte area, I will help you recruit.

and finding your purpose and [: 00:49:00

Really want to go after their dreams and live that all out lifestyle that we talk about with our podcasts, but also just the impact and the purpose of what you're doing. Um, and the way that you're creating this ripple effect through certifying and training other people that can create this, like expansion of what you started to really just collectively impact humanity is just huge.

And, um, know that you've, you've positively affected me, um, tremendously, and I'm forever grateful for it and our friendship. I'm going to throw that right back at you because I feel like you've been the most influential advocate that we have. I know you just brought me in to do a session for 200 people at your event, which was just incredible.

And just your leadership has been also really expansive for me. So I'm so grateful to have you in my life. Oh, same here, my friend. Well, awesome. Well, we'll see you soon. Okay.