In this expansive, heart-led and deeply human episode of the Uplift Her Leadership Series, I sit down with the visionary Mara Cataldi cultural leader, community builder, and the force behind one of Canada’s most impactful multicultural festivals.

But before we step into her story… we begin as always… with a return.

A breath.

A pause.

A softening…

A quiet reconnection to your heart.

Because leadership doesn’t begin out there…

It begins within.

What unfolds is not a traditional success story…

It’s an evolution.

From growing up between cultures…

To building platforms that bring hundreds of thousands together…

To navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic…

Mara shares what it truly means to lead when there is no roadmap.

When everything says “stop”…but your vision says “move.”

From countless “no’s”…

To reimagining connection through innovation…

To choosing courage over comfort…

This is leadership in its most human form.

✨ In this honest and powerful conversation, we explored:

✅ Growing up between cultures and the power of storytelling to connect

✅ Reinventing leadership during uncertainty and navigating massive change

✅ Turning rejection into alignment through negotiation and vision

✅ Leadership as responsibility to people, not just outcomes

✅ Burnout, energy, and the importance of shared support

✅ The challenge of balance and learning as you go

✅ Self-care through rest, reflection, and perspective

✅ The power of stepping back to see the bigger picture

And perhaps most importantly…

You don’t need certainty to lead.

You don’t need permission to begin.

You need vision.

You need resilience.

You need connection.

Because when you lead with heart… you don’t just create success…

You create impact.

🎧 Listen to the Self-Care Goddess Podcast on my website, Apple, Spotify, @AmazonMusicUK or wherever you enjoy your podcasts

✨ Connect with Mara Cataldi: @cataldimara @icffcanada

With immense gratitude and thanks to our sponsor:

▸St. Lucian Sea Moss | www.stlucianseamoss.co | @stlucianseamoss

#heartcenteredleadership #womeninleadership #personalgrowth #resilience #selfleadership

In this gentle middle-of-the-night breathwork…

You are guided back to rest… not forced into sleep…

If you’ve woken up…

If your mind is already moving…

If your body feels alert…

You are not alone…

Nothing has gone wrong…

Your nervous system has simply come online…

And now…

We guide it back to rest…

There is nothing to fix…

Nothing to solve…

You don’t need to fall asleep right away…

Just rest here…

Feel the bed beneath you…

The quiet of the room…

The world is calm…

You are safe…

Take a slow breath in…

And gently exhale…

Again…

Inhaling…

Exhaling…

Silently repeat…

“I am safe… even now…”

Let your breath find a soft rhythm…

Inhale for 3…

Exhale for 5…

Slow…

Gentle…

Unforced…

With every inhale…

You return to your body…

With every exhale…

The alertness softens…

If your mind wanders…

That’s okay…

Come back to the breath…

3 in…

5 out…

Nothing to figure out…

Just this moment…

If it feels natural…

Let your breath return to its own rhythm…

Thoughts may feel louder at night…

More urgent…

But you don’t need to follow them…

Gently place them aside…

For tomorrow…

For now…

Your only role…

Is to rest…

Feel the weight of your body…

Your shoulders…

Your legs…

Let yourself sink…

You are supported…

Nothing needs your attention right now…

You are allowed…

To rest…

Even this moment…

Is restorative…

Take one last soft inhale…

And a long slow exhale…

“I am safe to rest…

I am allowed to let go…”

Now there is nothing left to do…

Just drift…

And rest… 🌙

Come back anytime your mind wakes you…

Pause…

Breathe…

Let go…

#sleepmeditation #fallasleepfast #calmanxiety #breathwork #deeprest

In this deeply expansive and consciousness-opening episode of the Self-Care Goddess Podcast, I had the honor of sitting down with Zappy Zapolin entrepreneur, filmmaker, and leading voice in the psychedelic renaissance to explore a topic that is reshaping mental health, healing, and human awareness:

The intersection of psychedelics, spirituality, and true healing.

Zappy’s journey is deeply personal. After achieving success wealth, family, and the “dream” — he found himself facing a deeper truth:

Something was still missing.

At a turning point, he asked a question many of us quietly carry:

Is this all there is… or is there something more?

And from that space, he chose to go inward. Through plant medicine, introspection, and profound experiences with consciousness, Zappy uncovered powerful truths about healing — not just physical, but emotional, energetic, and spiritual.

And he reminds us:

You are not broken.

You are not alone.

There is more available to you than you’ve been taught to believe.

We begin this episode with a gentle breathwork practice guiding you back into your body and heart before diving into a conversation that is both mind-expanding and deeply grounding.

✨ In this powerful conversation, we explored:

✅ Zappy’s spiritual crisis and awakening

✅ His experiences with ayahuasca, San Pedro, Ibogaine, and Ketamine

✅ A profound encounter with the divine and what it revealed about trust and control

✅ The science behind psychedelic therapy for trauma, depression, and addiction

✅ How psychedelics quiet the ego and reconnect you to your true self

✅ The role of breathwork in deepening and integrating these experiences

✅ Real-life transformation stories including Lamar Odom

✅ The importance of safe, ethical, and guided healing spaces

Zappy shares that this work is not about escaping life it’s about learning how to fully be in it.

Because when you release the need to control everything…you actually soften, trust and you begin to live with more freedom and clarity.

This episode is a reminder that: Healing isn’t always linear. Transformation isn’t always comfortable. But on the other side… is a deeper connection to yourself.

🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify, @AmazonMusicUK or your favorite platform

🙌🏽 Connect with Zappy Zapolin: @zappyzapolin

Learn more about Psychedelic Concierge @psychedelicconcierge

With gratitude to our sponsor:

▸St. Lucian Sea Moss | www.stlucianseamoss.co | @stlucianseamoss

#psychedelicsounds #mentalhealth #selfcare #healingjourney #consciousness #breathwork