Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathrin Zenkina.
Kathrin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was 16 years old, a friend handed me a book. The book was called, “The Secret” and it was the first time the word “manifestation” ever entered into my vocabulary. As you may have guessed, this book marked the start of my life’s work and obsession. For the first time, I understood that I was 100% in control of my internal AND external reality.
Shortly after I was born, the Ukrainian mafia chased my family out of our home in Ukraine. A couple of my family members had already immigrated to the United States years before, and with their help, we embarked on a challenging journey. My family fled the country, under the cover of night, vanishing across the border to safety. Tantalized by the prospect of opportunity, we left our Russian home — for Los Angeles, California. In 1993, my family of five started a brand new life in a brand new country with less than $900 USD. We were in survival mode.
Growing up, I spent most of my childhood living in my own imagination. Teachers would constantly mark me down on my report card for staring out the window and daydreaming. This was the only way I could cope with all of the bullying, name-calling, and alienation that I went through from elementary school to high school. For most of my childhood, I always thought that I was a victim of circumstances and that life was happening to me.
My family had no money, my parents fought all the time (and eventually divorced when I was 8 when my mom had enough of my abusive father). I had no friends at school, and I was more than 30 lbs overweight due to the suffocating stress I could not find shelter from. I often dreamt of my family winning the lottery, the popular boy at school finally liking me and making me popular too, and for a magic fairy to poof my overweight body back into shape so kids could stop spreading rumors that I was pregnant. My life became a game of brainstorming all the ways that I could please others kids so that they would like me.
After discovering The Secret and learning about how to manifest for the first time, I realized that I didn’t have to do anything to fit in. I could be myself and change my reality just by changing my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. For the first time in my life, I stopped allowing my past to determine my future. With these new insights, I began making improvements in my life. As a result, I started to attract more positive experiences, which grew as I kept reading, learning, studying, applying and practicing.
Things were pretty dandy in life until one day, at the age of 22, I had an awakening at a Tony Robbins personal growth seminar. In the midst of applying to medical school, I decided to finally break free from my box. I heard a voice ask me a question. The question was “who are you living for, Kathrin?” It started as a whisper until it became a deafening roar. I couldn’t shake this voice from continuously asking me this question. Finally, the answer came to me– “everyone but myself.”
For so many years of my youth, my family pushed me into the sciences. Anytime someone would ask my mom what I wanted to be when I grew up, she’d immediately answer “doctor.” So, medical school naturally became that path for me. It was a path that represented the American Dream to my family. The path of certainty, success, and most importantly–job security.
In 2015, I decided that I no longer wanted to do what everyone else wanted me to do. I no longer wanted to settle for a life that looked good in the eyes of society. I was tired of my predetermined destiny and wanted to pursue what I wanted to do.
That weekend after the seminar, I broke up with my boyfriend of six years, swiped my credit card for $15,000 to attend another personal growth seminar, and decided to move back to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Washington.
Realizing I had no money, no job, a failing online business I had started my junior year of college, and no way of affording LA rent, I ended up living on my grandma’s couch. This was the beginning of my bold attempt to chase my out-of-the-box dreams.
One night on my grandma’s couch, I had a conversation with myself. In this conversation, I realized that The Universe gave me the best opportunity to test all that I knew. If I could manifest my way off this couch–then I can help others accomplish ANYTHING. I decided that I would have the BEST comeback and success story of anyone else that I knew. It was the ultimate test I needed to prove to myself once and for all, that manifestation was absolutely real.
That night I decided to play a game for the next 12 months. The game worked like this: I would live every single day as if my success was inevitable. I would go for my biggest goals and dreams as if I absolutely could not fail. I would develop the ultimate success mindset and ignore the fact that I had no money in my bank account and slept on someone else’s couch. If by the end of the year I succeeded, then I would continue the game for the rest of my life. If I had failed, well, I was already at my lowest point. I would stop playing the game and stay on this couch forever.
That week, I started an Instagram account and named it @manifestationbabe. It was a place for me to hold myself accountable to this new game. As I started to re-learn what I learned at the age of 16, I needed a place to capture my thoughts, my insights, my breakthroughs and my aha moments. As I started to manifest more of the things that I desired into my life, people started asking me how I was doing it so that they could learn too.
So, I began to teach them my most powerful mindset and manifestation tricks. I shared with them everything that I was learning and watched their lives transform as well. Within two years, I built Manifestation Babe to a multi-million dollar personal development company. I got off the couch, moved into my own apartment, fell in love, traveled the world with my fiance, and manifested every single thing that I have ever wanted in my life. Now, I get to wake up every morning and ask myself the question, “What else is out there for me?” Even with all of my successes, I know just how truly limitless our lives are. The answer is “so much more.”
Now, my purpose has grown way beyond just changing my life. I believe I was put here on this planet to make a massive difference and remind others of their infinite potential. Today, Manifestation Babe has helped over 100,000 women across the globe see massive success in their lives too. It’s a blessing to get to wake up each day and witness the lives of others radically transform just by applying the spiritual principles that I teach in my courses, masterclasses, and books.
Do you have any advice for any women, in general? What has worked well for you?:
My biggest advice for other women who are just starting their journey is to NOT listen to anyone else’s opinions about your new venture. At the beginning of my journey, not a single person I knew understood what I was doing. They were afraid I had completely lost my mind when I gave up going to medical school to pursue an online business.
Most well-meaning people just simply don’t see your vision. They don’t understand your dreams and that’s ok. They’re not the ones with the desire— YOU ARE.
It’s important to be your own biggest supporter, biggest cheerleader, and to NEVER give up on yourself.
Even when it gets challenging, remember that you are always only 5 minutes away from your next miracle. Stay the course.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Manifestation Babe – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am the founder of Manifestation Babe, the personal development, mindset coaching, and success strategy brand for women who are hungry for more in life. Manifestation Babe was created for people who are obsessed with taking their life to the next level, unleashing their inner magic, breaking through their limitations, and “manifesting a reality, wilder than their wildest dreams.” We have online programs, in-person retreats, books, a podcast, and social media content.
I am most proud of being a brand that is community-driven and inclusive. Women really feel like they are a part of our mission. Also, we are not an inspiration business, we are a transformation business. I am so proud of the daily messages we receive about how much our programs have changed people’s lives.
Our full transparency, authenticity, and commitment to customer service are what sets us apart from others. People feel like we really care.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I believe it’s so important to look for someone who you resonate with that has already been through the ups and downs of the journey that you’re just starting on. A good mentor is one that embodies and lives the results that you are looking to create as well, not just someone who has “good advice” but clearly isn’t applying it themselves.
With the world of social media, it’s never been easier to find a mentor or network with like-minded people. At the beginning of my journey, I hung out in a lot of Facebook groups with other spiritual-based personal development business owners. Just by being in proximity to them, I found the person who inspired me most at the time and she became my “virtual mentor.” I also made a ton of friendships and connections simply by engaging with the other members on their posts.
Over time, I had the opportunity to attend live events and join masterminds that have been crucial to my success in my business, but if you don’t have access to these kinds of things yet, that’s ok. Start with what you DO have—social media.
Pricing:
- Goal Smashing Like a BossBabe $7 – https://manifestationbabe.lpages.co/goal-smashing-like-a-bossbabe/
- Unleash Your Inner Money Babe $22 – https://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Your-Inner-Money-Babe/dp/1545516545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547251477&sr=8-1&keywords=unleash+your+inner+money+babe+workbook
Contact Info:
- Website: www.manifestationbabe.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestationbabe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestationbabe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathrinzenkina?lang=en
Image Credit:
Carolyn Devine Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
