Embracing the Messy, Real, and Beautiful Journey of Life and Business with Kristine Munro

Yay.

I was so excited.

Today we have a brand new episode on Amplified Impact, the podcast, and I have this beautiful human.

Christine, I should have asked you this before we got on because I'm so bad with last names.

How do you pronounce your last name?

Yeah, it's Monroe.

Monroe.

Okay, perfect.

I'm always like.

I try to pronounce it how I see it.

That never worked in Spanish.

It's like, right?

And people get.

I know the way it's spent spelled is not like Marilyn Monroe, but so I.

So thank you for asking.

Yeah.

Kristin Monroe, she is an intuitive energy healer, business mentor.

And what I love so much about our connection is that she's planted now in Colorado, but was once from Canada.

Right.

And so our journey into being in Colorado, or my journey was leaving Colorado and coming to Costa Rica.

And so we both expats, you know, from our countries, but also blending healing and spirituality with business and how to be an entrepreneur and a mother and not living in the country that we're from.

And so thank you so much for being here and.

Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

It's so crazy how our lives are parallel, but, like, indifferent.

So the same, but yet in, like, opposite ways, which is, like, so beautiful.

And I just knew when I.

We know a lot of the same people, but I just knew, like, when we connected, like, there's just something there that's just so aligned and that we were supposed to meet at this very moment in time to, like, get more acquainted and connected.

So thank you so much for having me on.

Yeah.

And I think it's exciting.

It was like, when we met each other, it's like, wait, I feel like I've known you forever.

And then, like, the dots started connecting as we started realizing we'd seen each other in other rooms and similar learner, you know, friends and peers.

And I'm excited to hear your story.

And I know the audience is too.

Like, who are you?

What do you do?

How did you get here?

I just seen in your Instagram bio you've been an entrepreneur for 16 years, and I'm like, oh, she's got a lot of growth.

Yeah.

It's funny that you ask, like, who are you?

Because.

So funny.

I only just recently, in the last six years since I moved here to Colorado, have really understood what that actually meant because for the last, like, 20 years of my career, both in corporate and as an entrepreneur, when I lived in Canada, I thought I knew who I was, but I.

I really was living realize now.

I lived for other people.

I lived for what my parents wanted for me.

And so my dad was an entrepreneur.

My dad was a businessman.

And, you know when you're young and you say things that you want.

Like, I remember telling, like, I want to be an actress.

I want to be, like, a model.

I always loved being in front of the camera.

And he was like, you need to be, like, a businesswoman and, like, go do accounting and all these things.

So that's what I did.

I started my life as an accountant in corporate, and then I started my own company in real estate, and I was building custom homes and had a business doing that for, like, 10 years.

And all the while wondering, like, I had all the things that people were telling me I was supposed to have.

Like, you're supposed to have this business, and you're supposed to have all these, like, degrees and all these things, and that's what success means.

But then I always felt like something was missing.

I wasn't happy, and I wasn't fulfilled, and I didn't know what was wrong with me because I'm like, I have all the things I'm supposed to have.

And then I just knew that I was meant for more.

I knew that there was something else out there for me.

I always used to say, like, I want to know what my passion is.

I don't even know what that is, and I want to find it, and I want to make money doing that.

I knew that, but I didn't know what it was.

And so hence why now?

Like, fast forward to now.

My podcast is called Pivot to Passion because it's just something that I always searched for.

And now that I went on this journey to find myself, it was under my nose the entire time.

And so it's just really.

I just try to help people come back home to themselves.

Also to really live a fulfilling life and do it in the work that you do.

Yeah.

And we have so many parallels.

It's crazy because I'm like.

When everyone asked me growing up, like, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I was like, I want to be an accountant.

And I was like, looking.

I was, like, looking at the numbers.

I'm like, what makes the most money?

And I was like, little.

I had no idea.

I am not a math person.

Like, I did good in school and math and stuff, but, like, that wasn't me.

But I also had been checking the boxes, and I was in college.

Just like, I want to be happy.

I'm doing what I was told to do, and I have all the box checked, but I don't feel happy.

And so, like, that was my quest of, like, how do I find happiness?

And it was like, I want to feel alive.

And then I found yoga.

And I was like, I've never been so happy before.

I need to give this to the world.

Because I had found my passion.

And so I know so many people listening are like, but how do you know what is your passion?

How do you know what lights you up?

And I know that you, too, are constantly, ever evolving.

Accountant to real estate to business, mentor to healer.

Like, how do you tap in to trust yourself when it's time to let an old chapter go?

Yeah, that.

And that's still something I feel like I do know.

But that was something where I had to incorporate different types of practices to understand who I was.

And so for me, it was meditating.

I honestly just incorporated a meditative practice every single day.

And things would come to me that didn't make sense.

Like, I mentioned, even I would go into breathwork.

And I remember, like, one of the first breathwork sessions I had.

It was like, you're meant to be a healer.

And at the time, I didn't even know what that meant.

I was like, what does that even mean?

This doesn't make sense to me.

And when I started meditating, I started seeing, like, building community of people just gathering together and me speaking on stage.

And I remember thinking at the time that didn't make sense to me either, because I don't like speaking on stage.

Like, I don't.

And it's crazy because I speak on stage all the time now, but it terrified me.

And so I just.

Because I had this practice every day, and I kept seeing it.

I was like, okay, well, I have to trust it.

Like, why do I keep seeing it even though it doesn't make sense?

And then just following the nudges and trying the things that I would see or find, following intuitively what I was called to, even though it didn't make sense.

And then eventually it would start to make sense.

And it's just sometimes when you.

It's hard to explain.

People ask me that all the time.

Like, how do you know when you live a life so long, like, where you're searching for happiness or you're searching for your passion, when you actually find it, it's such a different feeling from the search that you just know.

It's like a gut feeling of like, no, this feels different.

This is.

This is it.

And it's when your logical brain starts coming in, like, well, it doesn't make sense.

Well, that doesn't matter because if you have this practice of like maybe through yoga or through meditating where you can like really tap in, that's when you know when your logical brain is kind of shut off or quite more quiet.

It's so powerful to have the.

Whatever the practice is.

I talk about this often.

It's like white space.

Whether it's going for a walk or swimming in the ocean or something that you do every day, where you're connecting in and through the body, which is where you can really trust those feelings.

Because similar story happened to me last year where I was doing a soul flow embodiment practice, which I know you know, and I got the vision of being a speaker on stages.

And I was like, no, that's not me.

I am shy and introverted and I don't speak in public.

And then it was just like one thing after the next.

I kept doing the practice and I kept seeing the vision and it kept getting bigger and bigger.

And then it was like, no, you're supposed to put on this event, you're supposed to speak on these stages.

I spoke on six stages last year and it was a vision that I had in my embodiment practice.

And it's just like that's why these practices are so powerful.

And it doesn't have to be the same thing every day, but the more consistent that you are in the white noise and the spaces that you into your body, it's like trusting that vision that you see even.

Especially when it doesn't make sense.

Because like, that's where growth happens, right?

Like, and the uncomfortability.

And I also thought you posted recently this year that this was the first time that you spoke keynote at your live event in Colorado.

And how did you know that it was time for you to like lead your event instead of like bringing the magical women to the forefront that you normally do?

Because I thought that was cool.

That's a, that's a great question.

So yeah, for three, three years since I've been doing the.

The company that I have now, which is a community for women entrepreneurs.

We have events all the time and I have spoken at other people's events and when it comes to mine, I always bring in a speaker and then I always like, introduce.

But I've never done the keynote until this last past event.

And what had happened was: 2024

And I was debating whether to even do it again.

I was like, am I going to do this big event again?

Like events are hard.

Like I'm sure you do events, like they can be like big events and they take a lot of energy out of you.

And after a challenging year, I didn't know.

And when I sat in that white space to really ask myself, like, am I going to do this?

Everything conscious, like everything, like logically was saying no.

Like financially it didn't make sense.

My capacity of where I was at energetically didn't make sense to do it.

So I kept saying like, no, I'm not going to do it.

But every time I was in that white space, it was like, you're meant to do this and, and this is, this is how.

And it was different messages at different times.

But really it came down to that.

I felt like I was always high.

I was still hiding, hiding behind.

Like I would bring a speaker, I would, I would bring more.

And you know, when you try to always.

And if anyone's listening, where you feel like you're always over giving because it's just not enough value, you want to give more.

The message that I kept receiving was like, what you're doing is enough.

It's enough.

Just as you and you don't have to hide anymore.

So it was very scary for me to not have any other speakers at the event.

Usually I have two days full of speakers and this one was just me.

And I'm like, that is scary to launch something to be like, it's just me.

But it was almost like a test to me to say it.

It is just me and I have to trust that and whoever's meant to be there will be there.

And so it was scary.

Like, don't get me wrong, I was scared to do it because what you still have those feelings, like, what if it's not enough?

Like, what if I put it out there that it's just me and people are like, well no, like we need more speakers or whatever.

And I'm glad I did the test and the chat.

I challenged myself because it ended up being what it was supposed to be.

And I ended up pushing myself.

I always want to push my edge, right?

I ended up pushing myself to create, you know, if it was just going to be me, then I want to put a lot of focus and energy into what I was going to bring.

And I allowed myself to go there.

And honestly, I felt so good about the whole thing, as scary as it was.

And yeah, I think it's just another catalyst into what I'M supposed to be doing this year.

Yeah.

And I love that so much because it's such an example of, like, even leaders feel that lack of that not enoughness.

Like, how can I.

And it's being able to hold that duality while knowing it is.

It's being able to hold the duality of, like, having these thoughts and these feelings that aren't real and listening to the messages that come forward and through.

Because I don't think it ever goes away, because the human always exists.

It's just, what are you feeding?

Right.

So constantly pushing the edge is such a beautiful lesson.

And knowing that it was enough and it was probably, like, super magical for all of the people there and the transformation that you got to lead yourself through and to be that example, because events are a lot.

They take on a lot.

And then afterwards, it's like, wow, I.

I did that.

And I'm curious for you.

Like, as you were speaking, I was like, what is your, like, right now?

Magic and medicine that you bring to your collective and the women that you work with, like, what do you see yourself really doing to help and support your women right now?

t, like, coming with you into: 2025

Yeah, I honestly.

And from what people, like, give me feedback on, but also what I.

I feel is honestly.

And I know it sounds so cliche, but, like, when I say my authenticity, what I mean by that is that I share what I'm sharing with you.

I share when I'm scared.

I share that with my community.

I share what's going through my head, which is the normal things that every human goes through.

Where oftentimes people might have this perception, like you said, like, oh, well, the leader is already there and doesn't go through these things.

And therefore, that's where people start to feel like, oh, well, I'm not normal, or something must be wrong with me, because I'm not feeling those things.

But I think that when I can bring people along, that, hey, we don't put people on pedestals.

We're like, all human going through this thing.

No matter what evolution or growth stage you're at, no matter how much experience you have, I still go through these feelings, and I'm gonna take you with me.

And so I shared so much about my challenging year on my podcast.

I shared how I had an 80I one of my most popular, actually, episodes last year was.

I forgot the actual title, but it was basically like the behind the scenes of an $80,000 launch failure.

Because it's what set me back.

It's.

It's all.

But everybody wanted to know, like, yeah, I have setbacks and I have challenging years, and then how am I going to use that to propel myself forward?

And so it's just bringing people along that I'm human, I go through these things.

But we can all excel.

We can all evolve from that space.

And so had I not done the event again, done the keynote, and pushed myself out of a challenging year, instead of, like, hiding and quitting to say, like, I'm not going to do this because I had a hard year.

I'm going to do the hard thing.

I'm going to do something different that pushes my edge, and then I'm going to prove my.

This is how we build confidence.

I'm going to prove myself that I did it and I showed myself a new skill capacity thing that I wasn't even sure that I could do.

And when you prove yourself wrong, when you prove yourself and make yourself proud, that's where growth happens.

And so I just always want to be real with where I'm at and not hide from that and bring people along the way.

And so that's a lot of where I think, like, the community feels accepted, loved, seen, and can go from there to whatever they want to do.

Yeah, it's.

It's so relatable when you're able to be like, oh, she does and feels this way, too.

Because I remember in the first time I was ever, like, leading myself through one of my first programs online, and I shared with them how I had made a mistake and how I ditched my practice and how the full moon came and, like, swiped my feet out from underneath of me.

And they're like, wait, you skip your practice sometimes, too.

Wait, you lose your.

Your control of your emotions, too?

And it was just like, oh, the pedestal was gone.

So I think that's just, like, a key point for anyone listening.

It's like, take your community on the journey with you, real and authentic.

And, like, let them know that you're not perfect, even in your methods and in your processes, in the way in which you teach, in the way in which you coach.

It's like, I am doing my best and I make mistakes and I have big places to grow.

But I love that concept, too, that you shared around, like, proving to myself that I can and what happens if I do Have a really horrible year, and I still come out on top.

And I use that as the propel forward, because that really happened to me last year.

I was in my first trimester, dug through the second trimester.

Like, a lot of generational healing, letting go of my mom, like, all of these horrible things happened.

And I still let it be, like, a really great year.

But it's like, how do you lead yourself through the.

Both and conversation?

And I think, yeah, it's so relatable.

Yeah.

Thank you.

And I.

I think it's very important to mention that I think a lot of people.

And I sometimes feel this too.

Like, I hesitate sometimes, like, oh, should I share this?

Or will people lose respect?

Or maybe will I, you know, people won't view me as a leader if I share this vulnerable thing about what I'm going through.

Like, of course that comes through my mind, but sometimes it just comes out, or sometimes it's like I didn't do it on purpose.

And then I realize, and I'm shown that actually my vulnerability or whatever.

I shared that I was scared to really, in fact, helped somebody.

And that's just the permission slip that you need.

And, you know, I'm going to share this because I know that you know her, you're working with her, too.

But I just came from an event that Andy Love did here in Colorado, and something that I really admire her about is.

And for those of you who don't know, like, go follow her, because she's been in the industry doing this for decades also.

So she is a leader in my eyes, where she's very, very experienced with the nervous system and the body.

And so I look up to her for that.

But she had shared the minute she came on stage, she shared that she had just, like, the hardest first two weeks of January in her life.

And that even though this is her practice and she knows it so well, like, she is human and she's gonna be knocked off her feet sometimes.

And just because you're a professional and so experienced in the nervous system and everything, you have all the tools in your tool belt that you're perfect.

Like, that's just not realistic.

And it's like bringing people, even me, I'm like, oh, wow.

Like, Because I sometimes even think, like, she must be, like, 20 years in, you know, healing and nervous system work.

Like, she must be, like, so enlightened and, like, so healed and, like, doesn't ever have, like, emotional breakdowns, but it's just not true.

And it just makes everyone feel human and normal and That's.

I love her even more for that.

And would instead of me, like, oh, maybe I shouldn't, like, buy her program or come to her event or do that.

I'm more like, sign me up for whatever you have.

Yeah.

And I think it's sharing that thing that you think is going to take you below or make you look less than or the thing that you think is.

Isn't going to be valuable to everyone.

Because, like, I love that we can do this for decades and still at least we have the practices, you know, because what would happen if we didn't have those practices?

It's not like you ever master and don't have it unless you ascend from this body and the human experience.

And I actually remember the first time that I experienced this.

I went into a yoga ashram, and one of the yogis who had dedicated, he was like, not a nun, but he was, like, devoted to the ashram his whole life.

And he was dying of cancer, and it was just like, oh, because my dad died of cancer.

And I just thought if he would have.

If he could have, like, all these things, that would have been different.

And then I seen this man that devoted his entire life to prayer and to ritual and to health, and he was dying of cancer, and it was like, we don't leave this world alive no matter what we devote ourselves to.

And so for someone like Andy Love, go follow her.

She's my mentor.

I love her so much.

Like, you're never going to ascend from this human experience and the human conditions until you're not here.

It's like, but how can I acquire the toolbox to deal with those things?

And I think, Andy, you and I can all relate.

You think you've got it figured out, and then you have kids and you're like, where did that kid come from?

Where did those actions come.

Oh, me.

You know?

Yeah.

Like, it's like the reinitiation of all the things that motherhood takes you through and from.

And then when you have children, it's like, it gives me goosebumps now because I'm pregnant.

I'm just thinking about this.

But the generational patterns in our ancestral lineage, and it doesn't matter how much work we do, we came from someone.

We came from someone.

Someone, someone, Someone's.

And that can be a lot to carry.

And so it's just like, the more relatable that and real in our businesses that we can be.

It's not just like, everything's easy.

It's like, no, we have the tools to make what happens in life easier.

It doesn't ever eliminate those things.

Totally, totally.

You hit the nail on the head.

And I just have to say, like, more things as we talk that we have in common.

That my father passed away as well from cancer.

And I thought the same thing.

I he.

From the time he was diagnosed to the time he passed, it was six months.

But he.

The doctors had said when they found the cancer that it was already in him, probably for, they suspect for over a year, but it wasn't growing a lot.

And because his mindset around knowing then he had cancer, everything felt like it sped up.

And I used to think also, like, if only he had a practice.

If only he had faith in something because he was an atheist.

And I was like, if he had all this, he maybe could have lived longer or, you know, you start to think all these things, but like, you saying that, like, it's just simply, simply not true.

Yeah.

And so just another thing that we have in common.

Oh, my gosh.

And I just, like, I think about that too, because we can go deeper into this.

I have two things I want to say.

One, my dad had beat the cancer.

He was so happy.

And he went for his checkup and found out he had a year to live.

And it literally killed him just knowing.

Just him hearing that.

But before he went to the checkup, he was living his best life.

Like, he would go through his restaurant, like, singing and praying and, like, just so happy because he was cancer free.

And then hearing those words killed him.

Like, just hearing those words killed him.

And when I think about that, like, just how we have so many parallels and so many crossovers and, like, we've only met each other once in real life, and then we started following each other on Instagram.

But, like, the connections is, like, it just brings it full circle to.

I know that you do events and I know that you do retreats, and that's something that we talk about here on the podcast.

And how I really started my business was I sold everything I owned to move to Costa Rica to start my retreat business.

But it's the power of getting in rooms and meeting people that you love and that you get to collaborate and network and realize, like, oh, this is where we get to normalize.

Growing businesses, growing ourselves, and coming together and realizing, like, this life journey is so similar and it's so different.

And the more that we can get into the rooms, the more people we can relate to and just be like, oh, it doesn't have to be so lonely.

It doesn't have to be so hard.

It doesn't have to be so isolated.

And it's just, like, the power of, like, sharing that.

That one thing.

And this.

This past year, I shared this conversation on my Instagram of, like, I thought I was going to get a divorce.

I was going through my first trimester, and I was just like, my husband smells.

He touches me, and I feel rage.

Like, how am I going to have another baby with him?

What did I just do?

And I shared that because I think that happens, too, in our businesses.

It's like, I just launched that thing, and I actually don't want to do that thing anymore.

I just did this thing.

And then we feel resentment.

We don't talk about it.

But, like, that post blew up, and I had no idea it was.

And I never thought I would share it, but it was like, that relatability of, like.

Thank you for bringing to the conversation.

Women's hormones and women's health and what happens when a woman gets pregnant, let alone what happens after pregnancy.

And how, like, in the era of babies, your marriage isn't always number one.

And they say, oh, keep the marriage number one.

But, like, how can you, if your toddler can't live without you?

And how can you, if your baby can't live without you?

You have, you know, two, three, five, however many kids you have that literally can't live in the world without you.

And then they have their own, like, what do I want to say?

Their karmic path.

So they have their own, like, good qualities and their own bad qualities.

And, like, do you guys agree as a parenting couple on, like, how you discipline them and how you handle certain things?

And it's like, yeah.

Lot for the marriage to hold.

And Ira, actually.

Light bulb moment just went off.

This is what you shared at the live event that we went to, where it was like, my business was number one.

I turned around, and I made my marriage number one.

And now we're thriving.

And it's like, we go through seasons in our lives, right?

Yeah, totally.

And.

And that's still, like, a work in progress and something that we have.

Were conditioned to, like, always give.

We give.

We're nurturers, so we give to our children, and we're supposed to, like, like, give to our, you know, partner.

And.

Yeah, when there's so much being taken from me, especially in the new.

When you first, like, have your babies and they're young and they need you.

They.

They need you so much at that point, it's like, it takes away from, like, you giving to yourself, too.

But it's also what I had to learn is, like, when you feel depleted, when you're giving to your baby, and then you have to give to your partner, and, like, there's nothing left that you feel like you're not giving space to give to yourself because you give to your business, too.

It's.

It's all the things of, like, okay, can I.

Can I nurture myself so that I can, like, put other people.

So I can still hold space for other people, too?

Just, like, so important.

Still something that's, like, a lifelong journey and practice for me, because I am conditioned to just focus on, like, my business.

Like, that was the thing that was, like, that's the most important thing.

Right?

But.

And I do want my business to grow, and I do want all those things.

But if I only focus on that, and I've noticed now, and sometimes, like, conditionally, we don't.

Logically, it doesn't make sense because you're like, no, but if I take away from my business, like, if I move, if I start to spend more time with my family and.

And do these things that maybe don't seem productive in your business.

Because, like, for example, I don't watch a lot of TV anymore because it's like, I have a family, I have a business.

I don't really have time for TV anymore.

But I found now that we do movie nights now, and so I'm like, literally, will put my phone away, anything, and I'll watch, like, a movie, like a cartoon, Minions, whatever.

Like.

But to me, that is so, like, oh, my God, I'm so unproductive watching this movie right now.

But over.

Especially over the holidays, I'm like, no, I'm gonna watch this movie and be present with my family, present in the movie and actually watch the movie.

And I would find that things started to, like, happen in my business after.

I'm like.

So I started to correlate, like, if I was really having a really awesome day in business, and I'm like, oh, my God, this is amazing.

Like, all these things are happening.

And I was like, okay, what happened the day before?

What happened prior to this?

I was watching Minions.

So it's like, that really, like, nurturing other parts of your life that will then feed into everything else.

I just love this conversation so much.

My son wants and loves watching the Minions.

And, like, while we're watching the Minions, I'm like, I should be working right now.

Like, what am I watching?

You know?

And he's like, mommy, can we please just watch the minions again.

But it is, it's, it's.

It's disconnecting from other things.

Knowing that even though you disconnect from that one thing, this is giving to that as well, because it's giving to your vessel, which is also a direct connection to your husband and to your kiddos and to all of the other things.

And.

Right.

Like before we had families, the babies.

The baby was the business.

But it's like having those really good boundaries as we transition.

And I know we could talk here forever.

So we'll just call this part one.

Okay.

I love that.

For anyone listening, where can they run and find you, learn more about you, follow you, listen to your podcast, tell us all the things.

Yes, thank you.

Yes.

My podcast is called Pivot to Passion.

It can be listened to anywhere.

I also run a local community called a Loom Collective in Colorado.

But if you are not in Colorado, I am running a mastermind, which sometimes we do masterminds.

They're virtual, but sometimes I do retreats.

It just depends on what I'm feeling.

Something that's really important to say is that people are always like, well, so you do this like you're in a box.

So you do this.

You do retreats, you do masterminds, you do this like, I'll just join like you're going to do it again.

But I honestly just.

Year by year, it changes.

Last year, I didn't do any retreats.

The year before I did.

This year, I might do one.

So it's whatever I'm feeling in the moment, because whatever I'm feeling called to and what lights me up is what I'm doing.

And so currently, I do have an online mastermind just to support in business and energy work.

So for anyone who likes both that knows that they need both to get out of their own way to work on themselves and do the business strategies, that's where, like, my superpower lies in doing both.

And really, my favorite place to hang out is Instagram at Christine K.

Monroe.

Thank you so much.

And I will drop those links in the show notes so it's easy for you to find just a click away.

And I look forward to our next conversation.

You too.

Bye.