Best-selling author, speaker, and mental health advocate Kristina Kuzmic has made herself a household name, speaking to mothers from the trenches of parenthood and women who struggle to be authentic via her viral videos and refreshingly honest books. In the Spiraling Higher Studio, she shares her inspiring journey from poverty and divorce to becoming a successful content creator and author with her message of self-acceptance, resilience, and imperfection. Listen to this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/C2yJQDMdxoc Kristina's life story is truly the stuff of great books - no wonder she is a writer! In this conversation, she shares how she went from broke and defeated to unshakeably grounded and grateful, eventually winning the reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” despite having just become a suddenly single mother to two kids and eventually learning her oldest son was struggling with serious mental illness. Since working with Oprah, Kristina has branched out on her own, creating videos about juggling all of life’s challenges, and encouraging her audience to prioritize their mental health. She has quickly become a viral sensation with 3 million Facebook followers and over 750,000 Instagram followers. Today, she uses her platform to to encourage people to be REAL. Kristina is the absolute embodiment of AUTHENTIC and is a no BS, honest storyteller who embraces her imperfections and listens to the voice within rather than the noise from the naysayers. We were in absolute awe of her story and feel that this episode truly embodied every single one of our values here at Spiraling Higher, especially curiosity and connection. After listening to this episode, you will feel empowered and more courageous to embody the truth of who you are and live boldly as your soul desires! Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:02 From Poverty to Success 06:27 Embracing Authenticity 11:37 The Importance of Being Authentic 19:03 Overcoming the Fear of Being Authentic 24:48 Self-Security and Abundance 26:32 From Assumption to Curiosity 29:01 Detaching Value From Child's Experience + Illness 30:52 Being a Steady Support System For Yourself 37:43 Saying 'No, Thank You' to Negative Thoughts 50:27 Embracing Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion 54:16 Letting Go of Control and Embracing the Messy Journey -- https://shorturl.at/xx1gb Follow Kristina: https://www.instagram.com/kristinakuzmic/?hl=en Get her newest book "I Can Fix This (And Other Lies I Told Myself While Parenting My Struggling Child): https://amzn.to/3SM9gsW Her other book "Hold On, But Don't Hold Still: Hope and Humor from My Seriously Flawed Life": https://amzn.to/46X4Khb Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands