S1. Ep #36 The Tougher the Day, The Kinder You Have to Be To Yourself- w/ Author, Speaker, Comedian, and Mental Health Advocate Kristina Kuzmic

Today's guest is author, speaker, comedian, and mental health advocate Kristina Kuzmic. Kristina is a cheerleader for her fellow humans. After immigrating to America from Croatia during the war in her homeland and later facing more challenges (divorce, single parenting, poverty, mental health challenges), Kristina’s goal became clear: to be for others what she needed when she was at her lowest. Now, with well over one billion video views, Kristina is providing her audience with encouragement, hope, and humor in a role she never expected to fill.

 In 2011, Oprah crowned Kristina the winner of Mark Burnett’s reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star”. Since working with Oprah, Kristina has branched out on her own, creating videos about juggling life’s challenges, and encouraging her audience to prioritize their mental health. She quickly became a viral sensation with 2.9 million Facebook followers and over 800,000 Instagram followers.  

 Kristina is a sought-after international keynote speaker, delivering impactful talks at conferences on mental health, women's issues, parenting, business, and even for the FBI. Kristina has also completed two comedy tours, performing in over 60 cities across US and Canada. Her first book, Hold On But Don’t Hold Still, was released through Penguin Random House in February 2020, and has since been translated to eight languages. Kristina’s second book, I Can Fix This! (And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself while Parenting My Struggling Child), was released in May 2024, and was featured on Good Morning America, The New York Times and People magazine, among other media outlets.

  

Time Stamps:

00:00 A Night to Remember

00:37 Welcome to the Hollywood Second Act Club

01:22 Meet Christina: A Story of Resilience

01:37 The Birth of Wednesday Night Dinners

10:16 From Dinners to Dreams

12:28 Oprah's Competition: A Life-Changing Moment

15:33 Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity

17:32 Embracing Authenticity Over Perfection

18:49 The Illusion of Perfectionism

21:02 Creating Impactful Content

23:38 Supporting Mental Health

24:40 Mission Statement and Personal Growth

30:31 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Connect with Kristina:

Instagram - @kristinakuzmic

Website -www.kristinakuzmic.com

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