Hungry2Live
Hungry2Live
Ep.20 H2L - Turning Trauma into an Alternative Mental Health Business with Nastasya Rose
On today’s episode, Rachel talks with Nastasya Rose. A child of sexual and emotional abuse, Nastasya has turned her trauma into a thriving six figure alternative mental health business. A vision she had at 14, has now surpassed any dream she imagined. She helps creatives and entrepreneurs become their best selves. Nastasya’s Vive programs help people not just survive, but thrive.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nastasyarose
@whyvive
No, they say I came here to stay
Speaker 2:Through the days. The most years wasn't lazy kid. He never gave up cuz I got God, God, the darkness, turn the lights.
Speaker 3:Hi and welcome to another episode of hungry to live. I'm Rachel. And today I am joined with Nastasia. Nastasia is a woman wonder I have known her since we were. I want to say 11. I'm not sure we can get into that later, but Nastasia has an incredible story of triumph, resilience, entrepreneurship. And I have to say, I think this is the first conversation, like real conversation I've had with you Nastasia. So hi and welcome to the show.
Speaker 4:Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here.
Speaker 3:So I I'm just like blown away by how far you have come since we last saw each other in 12th grade, um, you were the new student in a seventh grade, I think. Yep. Seventh grade at Jordan middle school, which is now not even called Jordan middle school. And um, I always remembered that you were a phenomenal singer. Other than that, I didn't really know much about you. And then I started doing some research and I found out some, some pretty dark things. And from those dark things, a huge bright light has been shining upon you and your family and all of the endeavors that you are into. So please tell the listener your story.<laugh>
Speaker 4:Thank you. And I appreciate you doing your research cuz I think that's probably the perfect description of my story, how it went from so dark to so light. So maybe in the after show, you could tell me what you found because it was so perfectly described, but it it's definitely true. Um, you know, when I first connected with you in seventh grade, I was actually leaving from my mom who was diagnosed bipolar by the time I reached 14 and I was going through a lot of abuse with her. It was very intense since very young and I had already survived sexual assault from my step grandfather. By the time I was at Jordan middle school. So, you know, I was already trying to understand all of that and try to make new friends. But shockingly California was really where I felt home to the point where I'm working on moving back actually. And I I'm giving myself a three year deadline. Now that I'm finally finishing my, um, bachelor's in addiction counseling. So, you know, I'm gonna give myself up to three years, scale my practice to the seven figure mark and move back home. But the dark things that I had witnessed had a lot to deal with the abuse with my mother, the trauma in my family and the sexual assault that I had survived from my step grandfather. And then when I was trying to go back and forth between middle school and high school, because my mom would always have these great ways of giving me a phone call saying, Hey, I can't live without you. I'm getting really sad. And I would know what that felt like because I was going through a depression from what I was facing with my mother. So of course, like my naive self, I would come back home and try to make things work. And then the abuse would kick in within the first month of being back sometimes even within the first few days and even after the nasty custody battle that my mom and my dad had to where my dad got custody of me, I still was trying to go back. And even during my freshman year going back, I got raped that year. And that was probably the most intense year cuz I got raped. And then my mom got diagnosed bipolar all at the age of 14. So you would think that I was like really stressed out, but honestly I felt relief because it all made sense. It all, all of a sudden it made sense why I was facing all of these crazy things because I was literally attracting it energetically at home. So that was actually when the vision of vibe, my alternative mental health practice that I run now for creators entrepreneurs and celebrities. That was when the vision first came was at 14. And I literally did my research for years. Started it in my early twenties while at corporate working at Fox television stations in New York and founded at 2010 and 11 years later here we are, obviously there's so much in between, but<laugh>, that's, you know, the gist of it in, in a nutshell. So yeah, the way you described it, like you were very good at research<laugh> you're a good teacher. Yeah.<laugh>
Speaker 3:Well, thank you for sharing all of that. I know it, it can't be easy telling your story over and over again. I know it's always hard cuz part of letting go is letting go and not wanting to tell it over and over again, but as creators as both of us are who also want to help other people, that is part of who we are, is to tell our stories. And it's something I struggle with, especially doing this show. Like how much of me do I have to relive in order to a feel like I am over all of this? B am I internalizing it still? And am I, am I actually over it? Like I know it's part of the recovery process of all the trauma and C it's like, how do I, I keep attracting these stories of resilience. And so as you, as I sit here, listening to your story, knowing that I didn't know any of this growing up, um, how do you put yourself or where do you put yourself in this realm of, um, making your story part of your practice with also the idea of letting your story go and like not having any attachment to it?
Speaker 4:Yeah. I love that. Well, I went through shame for a while. That's for sure. Cuz it's a shameful thing. Not being able to feel normal next to everybody because of surviving things like this. Right. And being naive for being attracted to the guys that, you know, just wanna use me for one thing rather than a guy that is actually going to be with me and love me as me. So, you know, all of these things, like you said, the things that we attract, this was a consistent pattern. So I think what really helped me was to get over the shame and to realize that this isn't something to be ashamed of. This is something to be triumphant from to the point where we can, you know, let the cliches come in of letting our mess be our message and you know, all of this to be our blessing. I I've had to really sit with that and figure that out. And I feel like the pandemic helped the most because I put in the only work, you know, people were either plummeting or pivoting. It was either or when it came to entrepreneurship and I chose to pivot. So I pivoted my practice to a multi-six figure practice and I pivoted my inner growth to, um, you know, really sitting and accepting and understanding all these things that were happening to me. And I still make mistakes. I'm I'm literally coming out of the only lessons in team development right now because I've been running a team of 20 plus for years. But it's, it's a matter of really coming to that truth of those lessons and what that means. So, you know, I think really sitting through it and saying, Hey, this isn't something to be ashamed of because I have clients coming in all the time that have also gone through things like this and why if I'm telling them not to be ashamed, why should I be so, and really understanding where I'm also taking responsibility, right? So for example, how I'm consistently attracting people who don't value me, why am I permitting that? Why am I staying naive to that? Just like when I would keep going back home because my mom would call me, right? It's it's also, it's, it's a mix of our actions and what is happening in the environment that we're stepping into and allowing that to all blend in beautifully. So where we say, you know what, this is our story. We're not here to, you know, be in, comparisonitis looking at someone else's life saying, why didn't we live that? No, there's a reason why I'm living this. And clearly I'm meant to be a big message, a big testimonial to somebody and live working off of that. And I feel once we step into that power, into that beauty, it becomes something amazing. Hence you know what we're creating today and vibe.
Speaker 3:That's amazing. So I heard you say the word practice multiple times and I know that your company's called vibe. So when you say that you are an alternative mental health practice, what does that mean?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so we did so much research on this. Like we had multiple meetings with the American psychological association and the international coaching Federation to finalize this. So once we figured what to call ourselves, it was a very proud moment. It's, you know, legally, you can't say mental healthcare. If you're not a licensed psychologist, if you're not a licensed therapist or things like that, I have my credentials, I have up to 20 certifications and now I have a bachelor of science and um, addiction counseling. So to answer your question, we're an alternative mental health practice because we mix energetic psychology and vision strategy so that our clients can succeed in their vision while keeping their energy and mental health. First, I wanted to create a successful practice where entrepreneurs, creators and celebrities weren't so stressed out in how they were perfecting their craft and how they were making a difference in the world while also making an impact for themselves, whether it be financially or just making a difference altogether. And I started with celebrities who were struggling with addiction, with sex, drugs, and alcohol. And I started working with them in my first years. And that was what started to open the doors. And then I was able to continue on where even though people were knowing me for things like wellness and fitness, that was really my niche was, was really working with people in the mental health sector and mixing that with business strategies so that they could also make money. So, and, you know, really be proud of their craft and how it was hitting home for people. So we mix those things so that they can actually succeed in making an impact without having to deal with all the pressure that can come with it. And they can just be in flow every day. And that's what we do with our clients and our practice. And I still, I still love music, you know, I'm eventually gonna do that, but I did promise to myself the second that I second, my dad told me that Gloria, Stefan didn't get in the studio until she got her bachelors. I said, okay, I'm doing the same. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make sure that, because that degree has taking me forever and then I'm gonna get back in the studio. So that's still very much in the works. Um, I'm very much AIST at heart, but you know, it's, uh, it's, it's still happening. It's still happening.
Speaker 3:That's amazing. Okay. So there's two things I wanna touch upon first. Um, I just wanna say congratulations on your graduation. I know you just recently graduated. I saw the pictures and it has to be hard running the company that you have overseeing a huge team. You just onboarded a few people and you have a son and<laugh> and you got your bachelor's all while doing that. And like that's, that's incredible cause to be in your mid thirties and go back to school while you're running a massive company that is helping so many people, I, I could can't even imagine, like I got my master's, but I think that first push to like do your bachelor's after all of those things are set in place. Like it takes a really strong person. And I know that you were also going through all of your recovery and your therapies and finding like literally finding that voice that you were talking about when it comes to singing. And so that brings me to the second thing I wanna say or ask you. Um, it's something that I've always wondered since we were in middle school when we, and so let me back up, it's something I've always wondered since middle school, but now knowing about you, I'm curious when you sang in the talent show reflection, what<laugh> was there a deeper meaning than just that it was a Christina Aguilar song? Like was there something going on in you that made you really, that made you choose that song as opposed to any other song in a middle school, talent show? Oh, heck yes.
Speaker 4:<laugh> of course I'm getting chill. Just answer the question. It was, um, you know, that song, it made me cry every time I heard it. I'm literally holding back tears now what a memory, Jesus, Rachel<laugh> it's um, you know what it's I love you, you know what it's it's that it's it's the, when I had sang that song, it was really the reflection of looking in and working past that shame. Right. Because when I was in middle school, it's so hilarious looking back at these photos because I look at these photos and I'm like, this isn't how I felt at all. I felt like the only outcast, I didn't feel like I had ever fit in and, you know, singing that song reflection just kind of helped me get over that where I could do my own self therapy in a way, but I didn't really have to tell anyone, like, I didn't really have to go to the counselor's office to talk about it. Like music was my therapy. So yes, absolutely reflection was all about not feeling like I fit in because everything that I had experienced in my personal life that nobody really knew about had me feeling like the only outcast and there wasn't really any space to go to help for it because I wasn't in like just one crew in middle school, there was like multiple crews, like of people just having me chill there. And I never understood why and when I would hang out with them, it was a matter of them coming to me about stuff, not really me opening up. And I didn't really feel to open up anyway because how the hell were they gonna understand the things I was facing? So I didn't even understand it. So, you know yeah. That song reflection was all about looking at all of that and trying to do the work within myself to get over that shame and feeling like the only outcast because of everything that I was facing that nobody knew. And just saying that it's it's okay. You know, well, one day figure it out. Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's funny you say that going back and looking at pictures and saying, oh wow. That's like what I looked like, because we were so disassociated from our bodies and our minds. Like we, we grew up, I don't wanna say in like an affluent neighborhood, but we grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and there were a lot of child actors and a lot of child's models. And not unless if you were like specifically like in the smart group, no one was in one crew, just like you said, like, I remember I would travel around to different groups and we actually, I like to say that our middle school had the original burn book that was in mean girls that went around in eighth grade. Do you remember this?<laugh> I was the one who turned it in and it was like, I was like, people are gonna hate me. And I don't care. I'm student council, president, I need to do this. And then mean, girls came out and they had a burn book and I was like, this is a thing like, this is real, like this happens in other schools. And it clearly does because when you get a bunch of girls together who are all jealous of each other for one reason or another, because we're all going through similar things that are relative to our perspective. Like if we all just sat in one room together and had that intervention where they all have like the trust, uh, when they all like dive into each other's arms, like we were all messed up. Like I go back now and I think about middle school and middle, I spent more time in the counseling office and I did in class in seventh and eighth grade. And then going back to this idea of pictures. So Nastasia sent me a picture, the only picture we have together and there's, I believe four girls in it. And I had looked at that picture and I was like, wow, why did I start drinking slim fast in, in middle school? Like, that was my thought. I was like, why didn't I see this? And I never saw what I looked like until recently when I was looking back at pictures. And I think that it's, it's amazing. Like my memory of you was singing reflection for so long. Like that's when I thought of you. I thought of that. And we also grew up in this area and in a community of very talented people where our, we were in show choir. And for anyone who isn't aware of what show choir is just think of, um, the TV show glee glee was actually filmed and a pilot was filmed at our high school. And it was loosely based off of the, um, show choir that Nastasia was in. She was in the, the mix, uh, boy and girl show choir and Nastasia had many, many, many, um, solos. I, on the other hand had zero solos because I was so in, in my head that I was so afraid of messing up that I never even auditioned for solo. And now I'm like, why I could have sang on key. I was just always told Rachel you're like, I always was feeling like I was gonna fail. So it's just so interesting. Like if we all had a conversation, when we were 11 through 16, we all would've found some sort of addiction that we were all dealing with, something that was very traumatic from our families. And it's just, it's amazing to have these conversations and let people know, like it's okay to reach back out to people that you haven't spoken with for a very long time or, or even just reaching out to somebody like completely outta the blue. That's almost a stranger, but you have some connection with, cause that's, that's what brought me in Nastasia together. So I highly recommend people doing that.<laugh> Um, so you, you're talking about, um, becoming BI coastal in the next three years. Mm-hmm<affirmative> and why I know you want to come back to California, but would you, by being BI, coastal, would you have someone running your office in New York? Do you even know how that looks?
Speaker 4:Yes, it looks, yeah. So I have an executive assistant who's in training right now. So I'm gonna be training him to be pretty much my right hand in the practice. And then he'll be running things in New Jersey for me so that I could be able to keep the practice here, keep the business address here, all this stuff. Cuz I hear too many nasty stories about taxes in California. I'm not dealing with that. So I'll just keep everything in Jersey and be safe. But um, yeah, he's basically gonna be in training cuz we may even have a location here eventually before I move back. Um, we're partnering with a company where we could have offices in both, um, posts. So, you know, if that works out, then that's how it'll look. I've had a brick and mortar before, so it wouldn't be the first time. And um, I had it before the pandemic hit and then the pandemic hit and I closed it. So right now it's just all virtual. But when we reopen, if we do, um, he'll be running that alongside. Um, one of my coaches, who's also in Jersey, who's trying to move closer to the area and then I'll just be in LA working more with the higher end V I P celebrity clientele. And um, yeah, that's pretty much how I have a feeling it's gonna look and it's just, I don't know. It was after I graduated. Um, I went over there for like two, three days and I think we were even messaging each other when I was actually at, um, one of the botanical gardens at, uh, by Huntington beach. That was where I was when I was texting you. And I don't know, just the peace there and being at Castaway finally after staring at everybody else who was able to go to Castaway and I couldn't cuz my dad was so strict. So, you know, I just made it over obviously with now knowing what I went through now, it makes sense. It's a why, but you know, I finally went there with a close friend of mine. Um, who's also in the industry in California and I just was able to be at peace and it just felt like so much peace for me that I was like, you know what, it's it's time to come back home. So I'll, I'll figure it out. And you know, honestly it's just my, my son's schooling. We'll we'll see where exactly he wants to be. If it's Jersey or California, basically I'm letting him see both schools and I'm letting him make the decision. Cause that was the one thing that I wasn't, I, I didn't have the power to, to do at his age. And, and I wish that my mother let me make that choice and I would've just always been with my dad, you know? So that's um, that's, that's how we're gonna figure it out. And then the middle logistics of it, it'll, it'll all fall into place. The most important thing is that I know I wanna go back home. Yeah,
Speaker 3:That's great. And yes you are, right. Everything falls into place. The way it's supposed to. Sometimes it takes a little longer than we anticipate. Sometimes it happens quicker than we anticipate or, or then we're ready for, I should say. Um, I've learned that through my journey and I think it's, it's really amazing to hear your story, hear how far you've come and take those as learning situations. And now have your son have a say in all of it because you know how it felt to not have your voice heard. And it's, it's just incredible to hear like how full circle all of this has come for you. I'm sorry. All of it had to happen to you in this way, but as you said, things have to happen the way that they do in order for you to become who you are. I wanted to ask you why sounds funny? Cause I know that this is your, um, one of your handles, but why vibe? What does vibe mean?
Speaker 4:So vibe stands for a vision to inspire the best version of energy. It's a acronym. So we're really big on inspiring the best version of energy for our space, for anyone that we work with, for anyone who chooses to live an abundant life, they can be able to do so with having the best energy in themselves and in their space so that they really can ignite their vision while keeping their mental health first. So that's the acronym.
Speaker 3:Amazing. I know you have multiple ways of, um, getting coached in your program. Like you have, you have different programs within your practice. Can you describe them?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So our most exciting one right now is the rock, the breakthrough membership. So that one is a membership for any entrepreneur who wants to get in the door and really learn what it takes to scale to a six figure, multiple six figure, practice or brand or business or passion project without making all the expensive mistakes. I have made so many expensive mistakes, especially within these first six months of this year. And I just said, you know what? All of this is happening for a reason I have to teach it. So we really relaunched the membership and we have our founding members already in the door. We're enrolling our next 50 members now this month. And um, we never take more than a certain amount per year because we like giving the attention as best as possible along with the coaches that I'm onboarding now. But, um, the members who get in basically get a year's support with me. And as they come in this month, they also get a couple months extra where we really show them what it takes and we show them how to develop their, their brand and really scale and succeed where they never have to worry about money. Again, they don't have to keep making the expensive mistakes to where all of their hard work goes to. They can feel at peace and excitement every day with the practice, they can learn how to develop a team if they wanna create a nonprofit, if they wanna get into e-commerce, if they wanna close contracts of up to six figures, they'll learn how to do that inside of the membership. So it's a really good premium membership for people. Um, the award-winning program that we have, um, heard here first, it's been called rock the energy detox, and now it's gonna be called rock the launch where we teach creators how to go ahead and succeed at creating up to six figure launches in their brands so that they can be able to do that as much as they need to within the year. Obviously we recommend no more than once or twice a year. Cause those launches could be very, um, strenuous and tedious, but we teach creators how to do that. And then hopefully next year or the year after rock the vision, our mastermind's gonna launch where we teach creators how to get to seven figures and beyond again, while keeping their energy and mental health first. But I'm a woman of my word. I'm not launching that until we hit the seven figure mark. So that's why that hasn't launched yet.
Speaker 3:Wow. I mean, I'm just like, I've got the chills listening to you just because I, I don't even know. I don't even know how to put into words that the excitement and happiness I feel for you and all of these things. Um, I wanted to ask you as, you know, my show is called hungry to live. What keeps you hungry to live?
Speaker 4:Hmm. Uh, believing that we could still survive past our circumstances, you know, really coming to the conclusion that everything I went through with my mom is in, in vain, you know, that we can really be able to make a good example of it, to the point where we can be great, you know, um, mental health, mental health, and seeing it strive in a way where we take it to next level on how we care for it. You know, we state that we're mental health advocates, but how are we really proving our advocacy? That's, that's something that really matters to me. You know, it's, it's one thing to say that we're that, but what really happens behind closed doors. And I feel like I'm really noticing this a lot, um, with my team right now, really seeing where we all are. It's still a very crazy world. There's still a lot of really crazy things going on and it's affecting the team development, you know, to the point where I'm praying for them every day. And you know, I'm making sure that we all keep remembering our unison as we get ready to do our next team debrief. And you know, it, it really matters how we get through the times in the world that exists right now. So I think what gets me through is just knowing that what I stand for really can exist. And every time that I get discouraged about it, I get to see another brand that's, you know, doing the thing or, you know, really witnessing someone else that's thriving in. And I'm like, you know, yeah, I could, I could still, I could still do this. It's okay. It's fine. You know, that's what, that's what keeps it going. The, the motivation to really see everything come into fruition from mental health to music so that my son can see what's possible. And he doesn't settle either.
Speaker 3:Yeah. That's amazing. And I can tell you have not settled and you will never settle. So where can the listener find you?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So you guys can find me at Nastasia rose. Um, that's my personal, and then why vibe is the practice for vibe? And if any of you wanna enroll in any of our services, you could go to Y i.com and either enroll in the membership or apply for the program or, or the mastermind. Yeah. Or one-on-one work too.
Speaker 3:Amazing. Thank you so much. So at the end of every episode, I read a poem about the guest. So here's your poem, a vision of thought at age 14, grown larger than what had been foresee, childhood trauma, mental illness and sexual assault never made Nastasia want to revolt. Instead she channeled the energy and began attracting greatness. Once she realized the negativity, wasn't baseless a strong connection to what she attracted quickly, led her to share her story and not redact it, helping creators be in their best energy, living a life of freedom and being undefined, building a company to help others thrive was the reason she created vibe. So thank you so much Nastasia and thank you for being on hungry to live. If anybody wants to find me, you can subscribe to my blog. You can subscribe to my podcast at Hungary. The number two live.com or on instagram@hungarydotthenumbertwo.live. Thank you so much for listening
Speaker 5:In the right place, in the wrong way. Down on my luck there with dog days had to switch it up, make it okay. So I gave up on the right race, learned from a pastor. My days still got town ever too late. No boy.
Speaker 1:They say
Speaker 5:I came
Speaker 1:Here to stay
Speaker 5:Through the
Speaker 2:Days the most years. It wasn't L again, he never gave up KA God God
Speaker 1:Have
Speaker 2:Through the darkness, through the tears, turn the lights off face. My fear never gave up. KA.
Speaker 1:I got.
