Business as Poetry

Hristina Vaceva
  • 0.0 (0)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • BIWEEKLY SERIES

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.

See All
  1. Life Beyond the Masks: Lessons on Sovereignty & Leadership with Dion Johnson

    EPISODE 1

    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 that Whether 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_poetry Stay in touch or send me a message - I love reading all of them! LinkedIn: Sound of Breaking Glass

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

    EPISODE 2

    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 identity This 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 converged This 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-4245901a Find me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_f9gjXSKiB5D7cCy7LatQ

    29 min
  3. The Power of Reverse Mentoring: Reinventing Leadership with Patrice Gordon

    EPISODE 3

    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 sustainable This 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-4245901a Find me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_f9gjXSKiB5D7cCy7LatQ

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

    EPISODE 4

    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 effects We 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 Events Elitsa 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 prosperity Find 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

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

    EPISODE 5

    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 Calling Mentioned 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

    42 min
See All Season 4 (5)

Trailer

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Hristina Vaceva
  • Episodes
    41
  • Seasons
    4
  • Rating
    Clean