Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Italic.
Hi Kristina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m one of those who creates her own path!
I grew up in poverty in West Virginia where you quickly learn no one is coming to save you. Since I was five, I knew there was something more for me. I had big dreams and an ambitious soul determined to never let life, circumstances, or anyone else define who I am or what I’m capable of.
I was the first of my family to go to college getting a full academic scholarship where I received a BA in Human Performance, a BS in Human Physiology, and a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from West Virginia School of Medicine. I built a successful career in neuroscience as a highly sought-after Occupational Therapist specializing in trauma, nervous system dysregulation, emotional intelligence, and leadership performance for nearly twenty years.
After advising for several years, I wanted to branch out of the medical model and build my own thing. I built a coaching and consulting company working with high-level executives, artists, and companies across the corporate, clinical, entertainment, and entrepreneurial spaces helping leaders face their fears and move beyond their limitations.
I’ve worked with Fortune 500 executives from companies such as Facebook, iHeart Media, and Spotify where I found no matter how big or small the company or the position there was a disproportionate feeling of isolation and lack of support with female executives compared to male counterparts.
I believe now more than ever we need more women in decision-making positions and I want to be a part of the solution. I know when women come together, feel supported, and given the opportunity to lead it creates a powerful ripple through our families, our communities, and the world.
I have always loved bringing women together. So now, I get to lead women in meaningful ways where they can connect, be vulnerable, ask questions, and seek support. I feel this is an essential piece for women to fully thrive in their life, and for leadership sustainably.
It lights me up to see women flourishing and stepping into their true potential in all areas of their life. Creating community, spaces, and experiences that allow women to come together in this way has become an extremely important part of my work and is now the sole focus of my business.
I know this is the work I am here to do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been a lot of twists, turns, and come-to-Jesus moments mixed with a soul full of moxie.
I think life’s greatest stories come from the plot twists and potholes we never saw coming. And, I have had my share. Especially as an entrepreneur, you constantly have to navigate the unexpected. That being said, there are some things you simply can never be prepared for.
I was at the height of my career doing extremely well for myself, traveling the world living between Los Angeles and New York City when a real-life plot twist shook me.
I started experiencing severe health issues from extreme exhaustion, neurological systems, panic attacks, and heart arrhythmias which led me down a path I never saw coming. I prided myself on doing all the “right things.” I went to all the “right” doctors and healers, I did all the “right” treatments and protocols following everything exactly as given. I was eating all the “right’ foods, took all the “right” supplements, but it didn’t matter. Doing everything “right” left me me feeling hopeless. It led me to a breaking point where I became suicidal from utter exhaustion, lack of answers, relief and support. It took years of searching to only end with “autoimmune disorder” – which I’ve concluded is code for “I have no idea what’s wrong with you.”
Traditional routes were not helping so I stopped listening to what the experts deemed were the “right” things to do and started trusting myself. I began reconnecting with myself in deeper more meaningful ways. Instead of fighting what was happening or viewing it as something bad or as something I did wrong, or caused – I surrendered to what was happening. I began to radically accept it just was what it was.
I had rewritten my life story so many times before that I came to terms that this was no different. If I had any hope of getting through this and rewriting my story once again I was going to have to find my own way through. So, I did what I always did. I got curious. I challenged my thinking, my beliefs, my relationship to my body, and my internal stories about who I was, what was happening, and where I thought I should be in life.
I gave myself permission to slow down, get still, and listen to the whispers of what my body needed. I believe we all have wisdom that lives within us. It lives within our bodies, in our bones, and in our intuition that is all too often dismissed. We ignore how we feel, or our need to slow down, or rest. Not to mention we live in a society that is praised for productivity, constantly reinforcing “more is better” and busy is good.
I stopped being at war with myself and began cultivating a deep sense of self-trust extending compassion and grace to myself, especially on the really hard days. I started seeing my life through the lens of reverence, acknowledging how resilient and strong my body was even if I didn’t feel good, or if my body wasn’t responding the way I thought it should. I shifted the narrative that “my body was attacking itself,” which is what the doctors kept telling me, to viewing my body through the lens of wholeness and wisdom. I began telling myself that my body was working really hard to support me, to take care of me, and I was going to get better.
It was from this place I created a new body of work called EVOKEBODYⓒ – which is a practice and methodology that helps women reconnect back to themselves and find their truth. It teaches how to connect to their bodies and wisest parts of their being so they can remember their true essence and the incredible power that lives within each of us. It is a multidisciplinary approach that is a combination of self-discovery techniques, embodiment and movement practices, nervous system regulation, and self-expression.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I help women stop shrinking into a life three sizes too small and learn how to get comfortable asking for the whole damn cake.
We have an isolation and exhaustion epidemic in our culture right now, especially among women. I believe when women come together, are turned on, lit up, and connected to their true-self in a supportive community – we are the most powerful force on the planet.
So, I host live pop-up events, summits, retreats, and intimate experiences for women to come together in meaningful ways, remove their masks, and connect to their true essence so they can turn up the volume on their lives and create a life they crave. These opportunities are designed for women to fall head over heels in love with themselves, feel lit up like a spark plug, and provoked to be their bold AF self without hierarchy or guru complex.
I am also the Creator & Host of the BOLD BEYOND Podcast where unconventional conversations and perspectives act as a rally-cry for women to be bold beyond their edges and step into their true power.
New episodes are released weekly with either myself or guests where we lift the veil and tell all the secrets of how we got to where we are, along with simple practices to shift you out of perfectionism and into boldly living beyond your edges.
BOLD BEYOND is for BOLD AF women who are done closeting their big dreams, bending, shrinking, and toning themselves down to fit inside a life that just doesn’t fit.
Additionally, I speak to audiences worldwide emboldening them to break out of stale narratives so they can confidently bet on themselves and get what they want in life.
What are your plans for the future?
Hosting more curated experiences and opportunities for women to connect across the US and in beautiful destinations around the world as well as spending more time between Los Angeles and NYC.
The BOLD BEYOND podcast is growing! I can’t wait to share more stories and perspectives that provoke women to be bold AF and bet on themselves.
Something cool I started this year were these pop-up living room lounges where an intimate group gathered in a host’s living room. It’s a facilitated and co-created experience designed to cultivate curiosity, honest conversations, and deeper connections so that they can get into action where they have been holding back and toning down in life. They have been so much fun and inspiring! I’m really excited for these types of experiences to keep popping up.
I’m working on a book to be released in 2025, as well as, a children’s book series. And, I am excited to be speaking a lot more this year!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kristinaitalic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaitalic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kristina.Italic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinaitalic/
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bold-beyond/id1724088424
