Healing, Communication & Thinking Outside the Box: A Journey to Authentic Success

Success isn’t just about hitting milestones – it’s about resilience, emotional awareness, and the courage to think differently. For Kristina Lucia, these qualities became the foundation of her journey, transforming personal challenges into a thriving business built on creativity and connection.

In this episode of the Women and Leadership podcast, Kristina shares how communication and self-awareness have shaped both her personal and professional growth. From recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence to navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, she offers powerful insights into the art of turning adversity into opportunity.

Beyond her inspiring story, Kristina brings fresh ideas on creative marketing, meaningful networking, and the value of authenticity in business. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, an artist seeking direction, or simply someone looking for a new perspective on success, her journey is a reminder that healing and ambition can go hand in hand.

Here are the key takeaways:

Emotional Awareness & Communication Are Essential for Growth – Understanding your own emotions and setting boundaries can lead to stronger relationships and personal transformation. Kristina emphasizes that healing starts with self-awareness and taking responsibility for how we communicate.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities Fuels Success – Kristina journey proves that adversity doesn’t have to hold you back. By shifting her mindset, she turned personal struggles into a creative business that inspires and connects with others.
Creative Thinking in Business Opens New Doors – Success isn’t just about following traditional paths. Kristina shares how thinking outside the box – such as using custom coloring pages for restaurants – can create unexpected business opportunities and meaningful connections.

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Jump straight to these golden nuggets:

07:00 Family Dynamics and Healing Journey

09:51 Managing Emotions in Relationships

11:45 Balancing Effort and Personal Needs

17:34 Beyond Sensitivity: Seeking Common Ground

21:37 Faith and Career Transition

35:24 Creative Marketing Through Restaurants & Instagram

36:29 Branding Through Low-Stimulation Activities

42:36 Book Promotion and Copyright Strategy

44:53 Evolving Partnerships with Restaurants

48:58 Networking Strategy for Children's Pajama Brand

54:45 Embracing Collaborations for Women Entrepreneurs

57:27 Collaborative Growth Through Mutual Respect

KEY TOPICS:

Topic: Communication and Emotional Awareness

Importance of communication beyond verbal interaction.
The role of emotional awareness in growing relationships.
Kristina's personal healing journey and emotional choices.
Serenity Prayer's relevance to personal choice and responsibility.

Topic: Awareness and Personal Growth

Kristina's experience with family dynamics and personal change.
Handling familial relationships with newfound awareness.
Balancing personal needs with social expectations.
The impact of being seen as overly sensitive or emotional.

Topic: Transformation from Trauma to Professional Growth

The pivotal moment of change in Kristina's life.
Importance of therapy and self-reflection in her journey.
The transition from traditional jobs to entrepreneurship.
Declarations and realizations leading to becoming an entrepreneur.

Topic: Building a Business and Brand

Combining art, storytelling, and business.
Development of a series featuring a main character.
Challenges and lessons learned as an entrepreneur.
Establishing boundaries and aligning with personal values.

Topic: Creative Marketing Strategies

Overcoming industry congestion through creative approaches.
Custom coloring designs as a unique marketing angle.
Daily interactions and market research on social media.
Identifying market trends and customer behaviors.

Topic: Collaborative Relationships and Licensing

Collaborations with restaurants and other businesses.
Licensing art and collaborations in sensory and clothing products.
The importance of building long-term partnerships.
Strategic planning and networking for business growth.

HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES:

“We have a choice to feel the way we feel, but we also have a responsibility to carry through those choices and take ownership for those feelings.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:03:46 → 00:03:55]

“There is a saying that most people who have been in therapy or on a healing journey have heard it a dozen times where they were someone says to you, your parents are doing the best of what they have. And it did trigger me for a very long time. It upset me for a very long time.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:07:22 → 00:07:40]

“So, I chose to stay away from people. And it's funny because when I told keep my friends this, a couple of them said to me, oh, but you should come around. I said, this is exactly why I wasn't around because I knew people would tell me, oh, get over it or they give me opinions, and I know they meant it from the best place possible.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:10:36 → 00:10:54]

You realize, you actually both want the same thing, and we may have different steps and different ways of getting to that. And you know what? It's okay.”

— Kristina Lucia [00:18:19→ 00:18:28]

“You need to be your true self. You're writing about yourself and mom, like you're, this is a second chance for mom to be the, everything she was and more to you.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:31:29 → 00:31:41]

“I would love to create a custom coloring printable for you or a placemat. So, there are restaurants I work with that, and I'm working on expanding that, because not a lot of artists and authors necessarily approaching them.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:35:24 → 00:36:29]

“I've learned to focus on people that create low stimulation activities because that's a big part of my message and my brand. Brands. That's what I look for. And then from there, I look at, okay, what are they doing for low stimulation activities?”
— Kristina Lucia [00:36:58 → 00:37:09]

“Like, one of my buddies teased me because he knows I love to cook Italian because I'm from an Italian family, and he joked and said, what if you got into Olive Garden? Because he knows I would never eat at a chain Italian restaurant.”
— Kristina Lucia [00:45:10 → 00:45:20]

“I promise you, I am trying to figure out, like, a solid strategy of how to do what I'm doing. Because some of this I'm doing, it just comes to me innately.”

— Kristina Lucia [00:49:32 → 00:49:41]

“If we all walk in the zone of what I call our gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed us with and we just do well in those and then collaborate with others who are also talented and gifted in other areas, we can work so much better than on our own because we can't possibly do everything.”

— Annemarie Cross [00:55:19→ 00:55:36]

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To staying ambitious,

Annemarie