Journey to Iconic Podcast

From Burnout to Balance: Intuition, Recovery & Redefining Success with Christine

• Kirsten Barfoot • Season 1 • Episode 14

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What happens when life suddenly pulls the rug from under your feet? For Christine Manko, a breast cancer diagnosis followed by her employer's bankruptcy became the unexpected catalyst for profound transformation.


Christine takes us through her journey from corporate burnout to authentic living, revealing how these simultaneous challenges forced her to pause and listen to her body's wisdom. Before her diagnosis, Christine was thriving in her role as a business psychologist, traveling internationally and managing client relationships. Yet beneath the surface, she was spreading herself too thin, ignoring crucial signals from her body.


The enforced stillness of her recovery became a gateway to self-discovery. Through meditation, yoga, and connecting with nature, Christine developed a deeper relationship with her intuition—recognizing how it showed up as physical sensations, spontaneous insights, and inner knowing. This awareness helped her realize that returning to her previous corporate environment no longer aligned with who she'd become.


Now certified as a life coach, Christine helps corporate professionals break free from cycles of busyness and overwhelm by honoring their unique rhythms. She shares practical wisdom about discovering when you're naturally most creative or analytical and structuring your day accordingly—even within corporate constraints. Her refreshing approach challenges the mainstream "hustle culture" by emphasizing that balance looks different for everyone.


Perhaps most powerful is Christine's observation that personal transformation creates ripple effects through all our relationships. When we align with our values and natural rhythms, those around us notice the positive changes, creating waves of impact in families, workplaces, and communities.


Ready to discover your own rhythm and path to fulfillment? Tune in for Christine's parting wisdom that might just change how you approach your life and work: "Don't take life too seriously... there is so much beauty in ease."


Christine Manko is a Business Psychologist and founder of a Coaching, Training & Consulting practice, helping individuals and organizations thrive through mindfulness-based strategies that support growth, resilience, and real human connection.

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Kirsten Barfoot:

Welcome to the Journey to Iconic podcast, where we unlock your highest potentials through transformation and intuition. I'm your host, kirsten Barfoot, ceo of Journey to Iconic. Each week, we dive into the realms of personal growth, intuition and authentic leadership, guiding you to become the best version of yourself. Whether you're looking to enhance your personal brand, align with your true direction or tap into your inner wisdom, you're in the right place. Let's embark on this journey together and start transforming your life today.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Hello, hello and welcome to this episode of Journey to Iconic, where I will be sharing with a very special guest. Her name is Christine Manko, and I have known Christine for a few years now. We have journeyed through life in many different ranges, supporting each other, you know, and it's just been an amazing journey. So why do we want to listen to Christine today? And that is because, over the years of knowing Christine, you will never meet a more genuine, caring, generous soul.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Her message stands out to me because it is about bringing this sense of fulfillment, this sense of balance, this sense of like resilience through life. You know, because we're all going to have these challenges. We're all going to have these things that don't work in life, but when we can come to that place of fulfillment and balance and resilience, and she's going to give a whole lot of other things joy then this is what we end up with a life that's worth living, and I can't wait to hear your wisdom. Welcome, Christine. How are you today? End up with a life that's worth living, and I can't wait to hear your wisdom. Welcome, christine. How are you today, hey?

Christine Manko:

Kristen, thanks for the nice intro. I'm so happy to be here.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Thank you so much Thank you for being here. So let's kick this off. Tell me what started you on this journey towards these. You know ideals. You know that can sometimes be seen as idealistic fulfillment, happiness, joy, balance. What brought you to this place that you find yourself in?

Christine Manko:

Yeah, I guess I have to start a couple years back, when I was still in corporate and I had a corporate career, traveled internationally a lot and, yeah, I really like my job. I like being with people. I'm a business psychologist and took care of client relationships, so I was always around people and clients and that was always the most fulfilling part for me just to connect. And then, yeah, 2020, I mean COVID hit, but that was not my biggest issue. I actually got a health challenge. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and that actually changed my whole world for me, not career where, which I enjoyed, but later realized that I was spreading myself too thin and not listening to things till, um, I got so stressed out and, um, had a lot of private projects going on too. Um, so I journey.

Christine Manko:

Um, a couple of weeks later, my employer got involved in a financial scandal and went bankrupt Um, yeah, within a couple of months. So all of that was gone too. So I was literally on pause with life and not just realizing that, yeah, I had a lot to work on, like internally, but there was also a lot to figure out externally, like where, where I want to go and what I want to do like where, where I want to go and what I want to do, and I was also in the process of moving to the United States from Germany. That was a process my husband now husband, back then, fiance and me we've started before all that happened, but which was paused during COVID, so it for some reason weirdly just worked out time wise, it just all fell into place. But I can say that now, back then it felt really strange and like a struggle.

Christine Manko:

But, yeah, so that was like the beginning of my journey, where I found myself faced with a lot of uncertainty and a lot of change in my life, which I have not planned for, which was a thing of mine that I always like to control my, my life, my next steps and all these things just happened for me to, yeah, sit with and that was literally what I had to do and that's where a lot of, yeah, a lot of my transformation came from, where I got my spiritual awakening and where I met incredible practitioners, healers, colleagues like you on that journey. And, yeah, that was the beginning of this journey.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Wow, what a journey. I wrote a number of things down because there's so many things that you mentioned there that we could go on so many different tangents. I think the critical thing I'd like to touch on because I think you know I could relate to your journey particularly about that chaos, about things all of a sudden disappearing and things like feeling like the rug's being pulled underneath you, and so there's that. There's that feeling of absolute chaos, wanting to control it, and I think a lot of people could relate to that, particularly after the events of COVID and you know that was one of those times that not one of us could have predicted that that would ever happen, you know, and and and the fact that the whole world shut down. It was a very poignant time in life. That was like we are so not in control.

Kirsten Barfoot:

And you know, these, these control freaks like myself, is like like we have to be able to go into that uncertainty, go into that unknown and that brings up a lot of trepidation and discomfort and all of the things that come with that, and we'll dive into that. But there was something that you said, because if anyone can relate to this, like this challenge of struggle and things not working out or feeling the rug pulled under, you did say something so amazing. You were like, strangely, almost something things just fell into place. Just fell into place and you know, like this is the thing that we don't necessarily talk about, but the, the chaos, is usually the precursor to shifting and changing and transformation, um, and, and potentially a new life that maybe, um, you can start to speak into that. It's like what, what then followed after that? How did pieces, uh, come together for you, um, after that kind of those moments of sheer chaos and then, yeah, falling into place yeah.

Christine Manko:

So I mean I went through the standard treatments and everything what comes with that. So that was a couple months of that, but also a couple months of being out of my job. And I mean in Germany there's like pretty good employee rights and labor laws. So while I was sick I did not lose my job. I was able to actually go back. But what meant to go back was that another company has bought the rest of what was left, after most of my customers have left, most of my colleagues have left and a new company took over.

Christine Manko:

So that was a place where where I was about to go back or I went back for a couple weeks and then I realized for myself that that was not the place.

Christine Manko:

First of all, it wasn't the place which I have left and, second of all, this is not how I want to spend my time with anymore more, because going through major changes in health and challenges like that was kind of like eye-opening for me that I really want to be able to live in a way where where I can be authentically and be myself Not that I wasn't, but not how I live now, which is I decided to leave corporate. I certified as a life coach, used my yoga certificate, which I actually have done next to my job. I just haven't really used it before, so I just bundled all of that together, excuse me. Moved to the United States, got finally my visa process going again, married my husband and over here I just started my own yoga and life coaching business where I now help corporate professionals to step out of the cycle of busyness and overwhelm and to them and to live their life in like connection with themselves and others and what truly matters.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Yeah, it's such a powerful message and you know this, this message comes up time and time again't it? Because? And and I see it in myself too, you know, I've just come out of, um, well, a natural disaster which is, is, is emotionally taxing, like you know, nobody's hurt, everyone's fine, but there's a busyness that happens with that. There's a frenetic energy. There's like people going you gotta. You know there's a busyness that happens with that. There's a frenetic energy. There's like people going, you've got to, you know, there's all sorts of things happening and in those moments, you know, we're not so open to the highest expression at times, because that survival energy and we're just looking at like, let's just get this thing done, let's get through it, all of the things, and and so when and I saw it when I think about when I was back in corporate that that sort of thing continues as well it's like you're so immersed in in that space of just do, do, do, do, do that it's hard to think in that creative space of like, what do I actually want? What am I really going towards? And is this, is this lifestyle supporting me? And are those people that I'm surrounded in supporting my energy?

Kirsten Barfoot:

And you, you touched on that when you were saying, you know, when you went back into the environment and there, there, the people had gone, and then you're surrounded in people who might not allow you to just be yourself, and these are big things in our lives that don't allow us to be that full, powerful self-expression of who we are. Um. So so tell us um about this connecting to the mind, body and soul, like if, if, if, you know, if you're in this corporate environment and you're thinking like I've just got to get this done and it's's, there's pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. How does connecting with your mind, body and soul help you in those in that direction?

Christine Manko:

That's a very good question, because I'm not saying that you can't do it in that environment, and that's why I love working with business professionals, because not everyone wants to leave their job and be a life coach or just find their purpose. So I just love finding out the balance for everyone, like what, what it means for every person in, yeah, for individually, you know so, um, yeah, what, what would it mean? Or what did it mean for me? I mean, um, it was not that, not just only that that place wasn't how I knew it, um, like as it was before, it was also that I wasn't the same person coming back to my job anymore. You know, like, after going through what I've been been through and after, also, um, pausing and breathing, like, just like stopping, stepping out of that rat race, um, I just, I don't know, I just I had the feeling like that I was like so much more in tune with myself.

Christine Manko:

You know and I mean again, it was COVID a lot of people had more time, a lot of people were at home. When I did my walks, um, which I've never really did before, um, I, yeah, I walked, like to work or to my car and to I don't know wherever, like, or to the next place I was heading to. But I never really took intentional walks just around my house and, yeah, a lot of people were doing it back then because everything was like slower. Everything was because everything was like slower, everything was on pause. So it was just a time of, like, deep reflection and connecting with nature, connecting with my own rhythm, and my own rhythm was actually that where I realized, okay, there is something like a bio clock, there is something like there is something like a bio clock.

Christine Manko:

There is something like, uh, health symptoms or signs which, um, you can easily ignore or neglect. You know, like, um, or whether it's just being like feeling stressed and, um, overwhelmed or worked out and you just need a break, like, how many people are really acknowledging the fact that they're just tired and need a break? No, you have to. You have your certain structure. You show up every day in a certain time frame. Maybe you have your setup meetings and I realized for myself that sometimes don't even work for me anymore. You know, like I, I have my own rhythm and I I work best or I'm more creative. For example, um, between 10 and 12 and after 12, after lunch, it's easier to get some admin stuff done, you know, um, and then there comes a phase where I felt like I was not productive at all.

Christine Manko:

I just used that time to talk to colleagues, get like stuff clarified and I feel like that's when you figure that out, that balance, how you roll, how your body works, to listen to the signs, to listen to your nervous system and able to adapt that in your day to day which is not possible for everyone, but just the fact that you become aware of certain stuff and are able just also to communicate that or to set your meetings around, that able just also to communicate that or to set your meetings around that, I feel like that is a big, big game changer for a lot of people when it comes to work-life balance and also to find more flow and ease in your day-to-day.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Oh gosh, that's, that is awesome. And I love that you said getting in touch with your own rhythm, because, oh my gosh, don't people love to tell you what the right and wrong way to do life is. You know, there's always people going you're doing it wrong, you're doing it wrong, but then it really is such an individualised you know really takes us being taking what you said. You know, taking those pause, stopping, reflecting, listening, like, um, what did you say? Getting in tune with yourself, you know, and then when we can tune into ourselves and that we get that, that instant feedback, yes, this is where my energy is, this is where my energy is not, and I think that we can be so much more productive when we.

Kirsten Barfoot:

You know, you said there are times that I'm not so productive and but knowing that is like how can I actually make the most most of that non-productive energy?

Kirsten Barfoot:

And it sounded like you still made it productive by chatting. You know, talking to colleagues or seeking advice on something, or, but utilizing that time in a space that's not really taking up that, that energy that is not conducive to what it is that you want to do, finding out where the energy takes you and when you put yourself into those tasks that your energy is aligned with the, the task becomes so much more in that ease and flow, as you were saying, you know. I also heard you say that sometimes that's not possible for people to adapt it to um, to, to their schedule, or sometimes it's not. My invitation is like what, if we? Is it possible that and I ask you this question based on you know either your own impact or feedback from other people is like is it possible that when we define this for ourselves, that that adaptation actually happens as a consequence of us realizing it for ourselves?

Christine Manko:

Yeah, I would say for sure it would be worth trying. But I also understand that, for example, I have a client. She has to start work before eight Just it's how the schedule is, and so in order to get there in time and have the time for herself in the morning, and she has to get up by five o'clock. So I understand that I can't just go in there and say as her life coach, like oh, maybe you should ask if you can start at nine so you can sleep in, like no, but that we work with that. You know and that was also what I shared before is how I figured it out for myself after corporate and how I'm applying it now, like after corporate. It's like interesting. When I say it like that, it sounds like there was time before and after Time, before time and after.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Well, it is kind of a timeline thing, isn't?

Christine Manko:

it, yeah, is kind of a timeline thing, isn't it? Yeah? And I feel like, but, as you said, like, instead of just saying like, oh no, it's not possible, what if it would be possible? And what if you? You will be the one who introduces that to to the organization. You know, um, as I said, I understand it can't be for every job and every organization, but, yeah, some of my clients are kind of like self-determined in how they structure their work and can maybe shift around their one-on-ones or their meetings a little bit so that it would work ones or their meetings a little bit so that it would work.

Christine Manko:

Um, and I also understand, if there's 10 meeting, 10 people in a meeting, that not everyone has their favorite time to be creative right now or whatever yeah yeah, some things are just kind of work within the parameters, but just the fact to be aware of it is already, um, a lot like for our nervous system is already, uh like, acknowledging us and our bodies that we are a system. In a system like that, we are our own internal like, um, that we have our own internal system, our internal wisdom in us. So, yeah, for sure it's something which I also see, that it's more and more happening, but still, the corporate world is very masculine energy, very driven by the masculine structure and also old paradigms, which take a little bit to grow into a more feminine energy flow. But I truly believe we'll get that one point.

Kirsten Barfoot:

I do, too. I do too, and it's about holding that vision, isn't it? It's about going to that highest and best outcome, and you know, I'm a firm believer that we work within the parameters that we have. Like, there are certain things that actually life requires from us. You know we, you know we have responsibilities and life is abouting our responsibilities at the same time.

Kirsten Barfoot:

So there's a commitment to work and, you know, I'd like to just highlight, like when you said your client had to wake up at five so that she could have time to herself, and things like that, it sounded to me like she'd actually factored in time to honour that space, to create that space. So I think that that is an excellent example of working within the confines of what we have to do in the timeframe that we have to, but also creating that space so that you, you consciously allowing that space to honor who you are, what you want, uh, how you want to, um, how you want to carry out the day, um, but there was something else, oh, carry on, yes, but also to allow it to be fluid.

Christine Manko:

So in case, like you know, like you set the things up as they are, but not every day is the same, or you know like, and that's, that's what, what defines it, where, where you are able to communicate it. You're aware of it, but you're also aware of the fact that it it's not set in stone.

Kirsten Barfoot:

It like it flows with what yeah, what the day brings, or what the week, the month brings love it, I love it and and being okay with that, to to go with that flow, the ebb and the flow. When I started my personal development journey, I sort of had this notion at one point that everything would just end up being rosy, that I would work into this and that I would end up having this romantic perfect existence. And it actually isn't like that at all and I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but I want to sort of add a little bit of this practicality to it is that, you know, struggle and challenge are part of the journey and it's like that acknowledgement that those things are going to be there. That time to pause, when we take that time to reflect, when we take that time to ourselves, we actually help ourselves to move through those challenges with greater ease and flow, and so it's like knowing that they will be there. But the fact that when we take care of ourselves, when we have that, we bring that balance into our life, it allows us to move through those challenges a little bit easier.

Kirsten Barfoot:

And because I wanted to bring it around to something that you said about, you know, tapping into your internal wisdom and that inner system you know within us and maybe can you talk about that, that connection, because we all have that inner wisdom but we're not always, always connected to it, and you know that's when that authentic expression or being ourselves can feel fractured or we're not connected to it. So can you speak into that a little bit, how you found it, how you connect to it, and then maybe, if you have an example of how somebody else has also done?

Christine Manko:

that, um, I mean, it was like on very many different ways that that I, I mean I was always like spiritual, curious before, or curious how how they say it now, um, so I always knew that there is something, but it was like I don't know. I've never, I've never really listened to my intuition before, or I've I've always like struggled also with the definition. I just wanted to define it like okay, is definition the same thing? Like gut feeling, or um, is it my heart? Like what is, what is it? You know?

Christine Manko:

And um, then I just realized, um, that not everything can be really understood, like by effect, because, or not not, um explained so, um, but my, on my journey, I just started meditating a lot. I, um, yoga was my, my thing, my only like workout um, I was able to do at at certain point, at a certain point. So, um, that was all, yeah, the way how I deeper connected with myself, with my body, and where I also realized that just coming into stillness, connecting with my body but also connecting to nature, is where the wisdom really, um, yeah, what lies like? I mean, it's like either I don't know, I just feel like it feeds each other, like either you're sitting at home on your meditation pillow in stillness, or you're just walking outside and you get those insights or these ideas. And I actually realized that I always had those, like I always have them in the mornings, in the shower or when I was brushing my teeth, like half sleeping. Still, that's where I have my greatest ideas.

Christine Manko:

But before I never really paid much attention to them till I realized, or till the more I learned about it and, like by a fact, I heard that that's a point where, where you get these ideas, I'm like, oh, I think that's what I had, or those are the downloads people are talking about. You know, I'm like, okay, I guess I had those, you know. And so, yeah, I started listening more and more on and acknowledging them more, or just being more aware and then also just use my body and due to the work of nervous system the nervous system work I've I've done afterwards as a training and stuff I really more and more deeply connected with myself and I'm like so much more aware of any sensation in my body. So I'm like way more able to react or listen to the reactions in my body.

Christine Manko:

I don't know that could be a person entering a room, that could be someone saying something or I'm seeing something and I'm having a reaction in my body to it. So that's where I know that's the internal guide, the internal wisdom. But it doesn't have to be that complicated. It could just be a headache or the stone in your stomach if someone you don't like shows up or like really like typical day-to-day things. It doesn't really have to do anything, spiritual it's. It could be like very simple physical signs you're realizing in your body, which are signs of your intuition, of your body talking to you.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Love it. I love it. I love how you said you know you wanted to understand it, because when I do my workshops, it's like people want to understand what intuition is. It's like they want a description, they want to understand, and I'm like you know what? I can't. I can't define it for you.

Kirsten Barfoot:

You know this really is a journey, that the intuition is something that's going to speak to you and it sounds like it spoke to you and showed you what it was for you too, um, and you know I was that person too. I was like also trying to define it, like always trying to understand it from other people's perspective, but intuition is your own journey, um, so tell me how, tapping into this inner wisdom and you know this authentic expression, and connecting to that wisdom and those downloads or insights, have you implemented in your business or in your messaging, and have you noticed any changes in terms of how that's picked up from other people or how that resonates with people, or how connected you feel to the message or anything that might be helpful to other people if they're looking at implementing their inner wisdom towards their messaging?

Christine Manko:

Yeah, I mean some things came up in our work together. I mean we worked on my business, on certain areas of my business, so for sure, I had a lot of insights during our work and also just like I feel like it's. It always sounds so easy, but it's really just like feeling if it's right or not, or if you're just trying, trying too hard, and if it feels not easy, then it most likely is again from a point of pushing, from a point of pushing. So, yeah, I've implemented that in my branding. Actually, due to our work, I changed my logo, like the first logo I had was one of my first, first ones.

Christine Manko:

So when we worked, I had the feeling that I had evolved and that I wanted to follow that intuition, to, yeah, display it also in my branding. So that was something I've changed and also, over time, I always adjusted a little bit in my um, on my website, on my taglines and brandings. The more and more I felt connected to um yeah, I don't know, I would say like certain practitioners or certain um areas I I've um, like listened about or read about more and more and I realized, okay, that resonates with me. So I included that more and more in my, my branding, and I guess that's how I actually did it. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I had a lot of trials where I thought, like this is it, and I realized, okay, now that is really out of my head, like done with, I need to get this task done. You know like pretty structured masculine energy, um. But then I also realized, um pretty quick, that it wasn't aligned for me, um, and uh, yeah, I guess that's.

Kirsten Barfoot:

I'm just very intuitive with with changing um stuff on my branding and in my business yeah it's, it's great and I think, you know, I think that the experimentation is actually a phase. You know, you've actually got to try some things and notice how they feel and you're like, yeah, okay, that didn't really give me that feeling that I needed to or what can I change, but I think each phase is necessary. You don't know until you try it, you know. So it's being okay with that experimentation and that evolution, because you know that's probably something that also that I've thought about too. It's like there's so many iterations and it's like how do you keep that branding so that it allows you to evolve, it allows you to keep moving forward? So I love that you added that part, because it's really powerful.

Kirsten Barfoot:

There's something else that I've noticed that. Tell me if I'm right or wrong, but I've noticed that you're a lot more visible on social media, like I think before there was a lot that you never really showed your face, and it seems like you're very. I see your face popping up and I'm like, oh, look at that. And so it seems like you're happy to be seen. Is that what changed there?

Christine Manko:

I wouldn't say I'm happy to be seen. Is that is what? What changed there? Um, I wouldn't say I'm happy to be seen. I'm still someone who is not a huge fan of social media. Um, I feel like it reflects a lot of our consumer world, which I have my things with, but, um, still it's. It's a place to connect and um, I mean, I'm all about connection. So, um, I realized that I um need but also wanted to go out more um just to share my uh, my offerings and my services, because I'm convinced they're needed. So, um, yeah, I just experimented a little bit Um, and I also tried different platforms.

Christine Manko:

I tried different um kinds of posting and um, also, that is a big process, like just to to grow into um, to learn all the tools and to see how the algorithms work, which is, yeah, as I said, still not my favorite place to be, but I appreciate all my followers. I love connecting with everyone in my DMs, so I definitely know it's a place where I, yeah, where I hang out and I'm visible or I'm available. But also there I realized that I was putting myself under a lot of pressure, first of all, of like doing it, and then I told myself. I have to do it in a certain way because this is how the algorithm works, or this is how the successful coaches tell you it has to to be done. So, um, I always find myself um trapping in into those. Um, yeah, how do you say it? Yeah, where this?

Kirsten Barfoot:

is the way it's got to be yeah.

Christine Manko:

And then I realized, okay, I tried it, it doesn't feel right or I can't stick to it because it doesn't come naturally and it feels exhausting. So that's where I also realized that I it becomes more consistent if I just go with the flow and see which insights are popping in, which insights want to be shared. And sometimes I also find myself spontaneously creating a post or a text on the fly, or I sit down and create a lovely post and a graphic to it. It's just as I I said, comes and goes and flows, and that's how I decided for myself how I want to handle that, because I also have to keep my integrity, to not overwhelm myself anymore or to not step back into that go, go, go and being pushy and productive phase. So, yeah, that's how I'm on social media too.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Yeah, I think it's so, so wonderful that you've shared that, because I also feel like, especially when you said that sometimes I get this feeling to do a post or this insight, and then I put an image and I wonder this is, you know, just asking you is is there a difference in how it's received when you have that energy to put it out there and the message is then energetically in alignment, and then it then energetically in alignment and then it's energetically in alignment with, um, you know, those who who want to see it? You know, and, and we get to acknowledge that there's a difference between our audience, who is, you know, active on it, versus the reach of the people who may see it, who will never actually know. So, um, what's your thoughts on on that?

Christine Manko:

yeah for sure, I feel like. I mean, social media is is a story for itself. Um, it's a love and hate people. Some people love it, some people hate it. So I was really in a place where I thought, like it's, it's not my jam and um, the both of us, we actually met in a coaching program where they promoted not like to get like your business steps done without social media. So I guess that was a place where, or a value we both connected over. Nevertheless, we always had it and we, we always did it.

Christine Manko:

But I felt really that it was not aligning with me and my values. And I am still not on there every day talking to like putting my face into the camera. Um, because that is part of my authenticity. Where I'm like, I'm not feeling it, so I'm not pushing myself to do it, even though others say that's the place to be, and I truly believe that people feel that if I would just pretend to be on there and love it because, yeah, it it's, I mean I get on when I feel it and I realized that's when I get great connections and great feedback on my stuff and when I post stuff, which I do because I had to or because I felt like it's this topic everyone is talking about, now I have to post something. Those are the posts where no one really cares about. So it's yeah, it's definitely an energetic, energetically thing and always worth listening to what your energy is saying about that.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Agreed, agreed, and I'm glad that you could bring that conversation here and really support us with that energetic side because, you know, sometimes I talk about it, sometimes I don't, but I know that having that conversation with you, obviously that opens up that channel for others to, you know, to seek you out, um, you know, because you know people don't necessarily talk about business and the energetic frequency, um, and certainly that's not going to be the message from the people who say there's a right and the wrong way to do stuff.

Kirsten Barfoot:

You know, like there are millions of right way to do it, there's millions of wrong ways to do it, but the only right way for you is actually the way that you you do it, uh and um, and being in alignment with you know, your business, your work, um, everything, um, just helps us really connect, connecting to that authentic expression, because if we're okay with the way that we do something, then we can be okay to do it the way that we feel it's the right way, and there's nothing more authentic than that. So thank you for bringing that, uh, that yeah, to us.

Christine Manko:

That is, that's the work you do and that's the work we did together, and I really love that part of it where you support uh, or where did you support others and you did support me, um, with my gene keys and my human design, or where we always double check, like when I, when I feel something is out of alignment or something it's hard for me, I I sent a message over asking if this is somehow reflecting in my chart and I feel like it's. It's so important with what you said before, like there are so many ways out there or so many claims how it's supposed to be, and, um, just finding your own authentic voice and your own message and your own journey is, I think, so important, because every everyone else is already out there. It's just you who's missing, right?

Kirsten Barfoot:

yeah, yeah. Or finding, we're finding deeper layers of ourselves that you know are just so, so incredibly like you know, bringing out this, bringing out this wisdom, bringing out this authenticity, bringing balance, bringing fulfillment. You know these, sometimes people dismiss them as important factors, but it's like what does bringing fulfillment and balance actually bring into people's lives and maybe you can speak into. That's like what when people have that balance and fulfillment, what, what then? What's like the, the, the ripple effect of those things um, yeah, I mean, it's always like what?

Christine Manko:

what does balance or fulfillment mean to you? Right, because those are two big words and they could mean a lot to different people. But, um, I've I feel like balance is to to live with your, in your own balance and with your own rhythm, and um like honoring your, your own um rhythm, your own system, your body. And the fulfillment part comes in when you live in balance, when you follow your inner guidance, when you follow your intuition. And fulfillment for me actually is like to be self-determined. I like my freedom, I like to be able to, yeah, decide my own time for certain things.

Christine Manko:

I feel fulfilled like being together with people. I love like talking with people. I love like talking, connecting with family, friends, loved ones, colleagues, so, even if they're far, far away. But, yeah, that is fulfillment for me, just to live like my own purpose, on my own terms. But that might look completely different for someone else. That's why I always love to work that part out with my clients to just define what is your fulfillment or what is your purpose and how would your balance look like? You know, other people's balance could look completely different than mine, but at the end, it's always the key to the fulfillment piece.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Yeah, I love it. I love it and you know, I think that sometimes you know that personal journey can be shunned and like called a waste of time. And I reflect on this a bit because you know it's taken me a long time to get to that place where I feel confident to talk about it without people going on kind of stuff. But you know, the more I immerse myself, the more I realize that that relationship that we have with ourself is the critical element. It's the key to having relationships and connections with other people, like you were talking about. Relationships and connections with other people like you were talking about, and you know, you know the relationship with yourself and your health, your relationship with yourself and money, your relationship and yourself with, with businesses and and all the things that we, we do, and if we can come to that place of balance and fulfillment, like just how much more opens up from that place.

Christine Manko:

And for sure it's just as soon as you are in that space where you feel content and fulfilled. And it's not always going to stay like that, but it's a place you know there is and you always can come back to when the storm has passed or whatever happened. But if you figured it out that there is a place where you feel completely fulfilled and content, then it's easier to come back to and also your surroundings will realize it Like that's the ripple effect you were talking about before. You know like you start becoming more aligned with yourself, with your values, um, with your intuition, your balance, your whole system and um. That will just like ripple out on and into all the relationships you have, your connections with, whatever it is, as you said, that could also be with businesses or however, whoever you're connected with and it'll it'll show in those connections. So for sure, that's always my my favorite thing when the families and loved ones of my clients start realizing the changes, that's when I know it's working, like people are finding their alignment and finding their inner balance.

Kirsten Barfoot:

I love it. I love it. This has been an amazing conversation. An amazing conversation. I would like to know. Is there anything like that you would love to leave our listeners with? Is like, what if there was a special something that you didn't want them to not hear, or anything today? Is there anything you'd like to share with us?

Christine Manko:

I always like to share that don't take life too serious, because I feel like a lot of people are pushing too hard, trying too hard, um, and yeah, there is, there is so much um, beauty in, in ease and um in. So, yeah, just step back and take, take that vacation, take the pause, take um whatever you thought you wanted, always wanted to do and um, yeah, live, live life to the fullest.

Kirsten Barfoot:

I love it. That's such a beautiful message to end on.

Kirsten Barfoot:

Thank you so much well thank you for being here today. It's been an amazing conversation and I look forward to a few more if you're open to it. And thank you for joining me on this episode of journey to iconic podcast. I hope you found inspiration and practical insights to help you unlock your highest potential. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, rate and leave a review to help others find us For more resources and to connect with our community. Follow Kirsten Barford on LinkedIn and other socials, or visit our website at wwwkirstenbarfordcom. Remember your journey to Icon iconic starts with embracing your unique self and stepping into your power. Until next time, keep moving forward, trust yourself and remember I've got you.

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