September 25, 2024 • 27 mins
Do you listen to that feeling in your gut? The that tells you right from wrong and what you should do next? It’s what we call your “intuition,” and Bonnie Casamassima thinks it should help be your guiding light through life. Coming from a corporate background, Bonnie found herself at the intersection of stress and internal understanding. One day, she had a breakthrough while deep in meditation, revealing her true calling in life - Intuition By Nature. On this episode of We Built This Brand, Bonnie and Chris talk about her business and what it means to listen to yourself. If you’ve ever had a difficult time following through on your own intuition, Bonnie’s work and research will help you reach that understanding.
Show Highlights
- (0:00) Intro
- (1:38) How Chris and Bonnie connected
- (2:46) How Intuitive by Nature came to be
- (6:22) What's the goal of Intuitive by Nature?
- (8:51) Who does Intuition by Nature serve?
- (9:37) Reaching a better understanding of your own intuition
- (12:57) The purpose of the Intuitive by Nature Podcast
- (14:21) Highlights from Bonnie's research into intuition
- (16:44) How people interpret intuition
- (23:35) What's next for Intuitive by Nature
- (24:59) What brand does Bonnie admire the most?
- (26:21) Where you can find more from Bonnie and Intuitive by Nature
About Bonnie Casamassima
Bonnie is a researcher, educator and highly sensitive intuitive empath.
She’s dedicated to nurturing people’s joy-driven lives through fostering our innate intuitive connection.
Bonnie worked for the past decade+ in the corporate world, as an academic research professor and consultant to corporations.
Years ago Bonnie started receiving visual “pictures” during meditation, and now, each day she just keeps listening to what felt aligned deeply within her and followed her heart. So far, it’s led Bonnie to pursue trainings to hone her intuitive abilities and support others in tuning into theirs.
Links:
Intuitive By Nature’s website: https://www.intuitivebynature.com
Intuitive By Nature Podcast: https://www.intuitivebynature.com/podcast
Intuitive By Nature’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitive_by_nature/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
As we're tuning in more fully to our intuition or those gut
feelings or those inner knowings, often we have lived in a
society for so long that has placed the answer outside of us.
Welcome to We Built This Brand, the podcast where we talk to the
creators and collaborators that help build brands and provide you with
practical insight that you can use to help you grow your business.
(00:22):
Today I'm talking with Bonnie Casamassima, founder of Intuitive by Nature.
Also host of the podcast, Intuitive by Nature.
I met Bonnie last year, and we actually consulted with
her on her podcast and helped her get it launched.
And that's been a really fun experience helping see it
go from just a concept through to the actual execution.
Normally we work more on the editing production side.
(00:44):
So just being a part of the creative, being part of
the marketing and the strategy piece was a lot of fun.
And I really enjoyed this time with Bonnie.
In this episode, we're going to talk about her business.
We're going to talk about what Intuitive by Nature is, and
more importantly, we're going to talk about what intuition
is, how it works and how it affects business professionals.
Now, unfortunately, I will say we did have to stop this
(01:05):
episode a little short, and I wish we could have gone
longer with her, but it's a really good conversation.
A lot of depth, and I definitely want to have her back
on for future episodes so that we can continue to talk
about intuition and its impact on people and business.
So, if you're interested in that, please let us know in the comments, please let
us know anywhere online, we'd love to get feedback and hear from you on that.
(01:27):
But, honestly, without further ado, here's my
conversation with Bonnie of Intuitive by Nature.
Well, Bonnie, welcome to We Built This Brand.
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
It's great being here.
Yeah, we met, I guess, what, last year through some random connections.
(01:48):
I can't even remember the person who introduced us,
but yeah, it just kind of happened by happenstance.
Yeah.
I think my good friend, JD Sizemore, um, mentioned your name.
And then I think if I'm trying to remember correctly, we knew each other.
I spoke on a different topic when you were with the Marketing Association.
So like back during the pandemic.
(02:09):
So it was years ago.
Oh yes, you did.
I remember that now.
I know.
It's like a whole different world.
It almost feels like.
Yeah.
And a whole different time.
It's like, did that actually happen?
Or was that just a fever dream you went through?
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's so great being here.
Yeah.
Thanks so much for having me on.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely thrilled to have you with us today to talk about
Intuitive by Nature, your business, but also the podcast that you're doing too.
(02:31):
I'm going to dig into that a little bit today.
I want to talk about the business, how you got there.
This is a really unique business.
It's not something you see a lot of other people doing.
So I'm really curious to learn more about that and then
learn more about the podcast that you have now too, so...
With that said, let's, let's dive into it
and let's just start back at the beginning.
How did this business come about?
(02:52):
I think the, in a nutshell, I had spent the last decade in the
corporate world and in research within academia as a professor of
interior architecture, but focusing on the research side of things.
And along the journey, I started meditating for
(03:13):
stress reduction and was working 60, 70 hours a week.
And long story short, something about the meditation just
felt really right to me, and I kept showing up to it.
And the more that I deepened into a meditation practice where I was slowing
everything else down, um, I had my own intuitive awakening experience.
(03:36):
And being from the analytical realm of research and corporate
America before that, it was quite the conflict for me.
And it just, you know, trying to kind of understand what this was
and what is intuition, what's Are other people experiencing this?
Etc.
So that led me down my own personal journey of intuition and trying to
(04:00):
understand what this awakening was, and for me, I started receiving really
strong visuals in my mind's eye in a meditative state, um, which turns out a
lot of people experience, which is really exciting to be in that community.
But, all of this to say, I was at this crossroads in my life.
Am I a researcher and professor or am I a highly sensitive intuitive?
(04:23):
And a good friend of mine said, well, "Bonnie, why not both?"
[laughs] And I led a research project where I had the honor of
interviewing 50 highly sensitive intuitives, empaths, and mediums from
around the world on their journey, connecting with their intuition.
And the findings from that, which I know we'll get into a little bit,
(04:44):
were really, they were really life changing for me, and it created
a pretty big pivot for me and the work that I'm honored to do.
It's supporting people in connecting with
their own intuition for their everyday lives.
It's, had you asked me 10 years ago, this is where I'd be today.
I might not have believed you, but it's so
(05:06):
aligned, and it's incredible being here.
So that's why I'm honored to be here today with it.
And what's really neat about intuition is that, you know, we had, I had
people that were doctors and CPAs and nurses and therapists and psychiatrists
who all had a deep connection with their intuition throughout the research.
(05:28):
And I guess what the fire on my belly is today is how do we bring
this really, um, powerful inner knowing into our everyday experiences?
And our leadership and our parenting and our friendships, you name it.
So that's a little bit about the journey so far.
That's really fascinating.
One of the things that really interested me in what you're doing
(05:50):
is that fact that it's not just intuition that you're focused on.
You actually have data to back it up.
You have research, you have a bit of a background on it.
As someone who would consider themselves probably on that, I don't know
if there's a scale or whatever, but probably somewhere on that intuition
scale, like personally, I, I just, I'm fascinated by learning more about it.
(06:11):
You know, how could I use it better?
How could I leverage my own instincts?
If that's all it is, I'm sure it's more than that,
but all those things I want to learn more about.
So I'm excited that, that we get to have this conversation today.
So when you created Intuitive by Nature, like
what problem does the business exactly solve?
Like what, who are you helping through this company?
(06:31):
A wide range of people, often those that are starting to come
in a deeper way into their inner knowing or their intuition.
Maybe they're receiving visuals in their mind's eye or having
incredibly vivid dreams or have this deep, deep gut knowing that
can't explain why, it's often people that are wanting to understand
(06:51):
that more fully and how can they tune into that into their everyday.
I want to pause here.
I realize we're using a word that you and I talk about a
lot, but intuition might be a newer one for some people.
And a way I like to explain intuition is, you know, that, that gut
feeling that you feel when you meet somebody for the first time,
(07:12):
and you can't explain why, but you're just really drawn to them
and you just want to be around them and maybe you're supposed to
partner with them on a business or date them, whatever, right?
There's that feeling.
Like, have you ever felt that feeling before?
It was like, Yeah, you can't explain why, but you just know.
Or on the flip side of that, where you meet someone and
(07:32):
maybe they have all these, um, red flags that you feel, and
you're just like, "Oh, I just shouldn't be around them."
So maybe, I mean, I definitely have experienced this,
you go ahead and just date them for five years anyway.
I was about to say, most of those are ones
I look back on and I'm like, I knew it.
I felt it the whole time.
Why didn't I act on that?
(07:53):
Absolutely.
So that is such a beautiful example of our intuition.
We can look at it as our inner knowing, our internal
guidance system, a deeply sacred connection that there's
a lot of research around this within quantum physics.
We could dive into all that, but really, I think
many of us have probably felt these moments.
I can't explain why, but your intuition knew all along, right?
(08:16):
A lot of learnings in those multiple years of partnerships,
but maybe we'll trust that intuition so we can.
We can pivot a little bit more quickly.
So then your company is helping people hone
these skills and figure this stuff out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Helping to create a community around it and have conversations around it.
No, I'm honored to work with professionals from all walks of life.
(08:39):
So absolutely.
Supporting people through workshops.
through one-on-one mentoring and through sharing the research
through the podcast really to help to bring this out into the world.
Yeah.
So question for you, how does, how do you help?
Like, or do you help businesses directly or
is it mostly just individuals you work with?
Yeah, both.
(09:00):
For example, with businesses, most often we
would align through speaking engagements.
So for example, I shared a conversation with the Let Her Speak community.
It's a local phenomenal community by Catherine Porth
here in Knoxville, and went in and talked about how are
you tuning into intuition for your heart led leadership.
(09:22):
Another example is sharing a similar conversation with a large organization
for their, um, for their team building and community building activities.
So, um, so that would be an example.
We can go into many, but that's one of them.
I stumbled across an author a few years ago called Carol, named Carol Sanford.
I don't know if you've heard of her or not.
(09:43):
Yep.
And I was fascinated by the work that she had done
because the book I had read was No More Feedback.
And there, very briefly, I kind of went through this phase of
like, maybe I don't need to give feedback to my team anymore.
Maybe we can all just, you know, learn, learn these processes and improve as
a team and that'll actually make, you know, the team's mental health better.
And I, I think that, uh, I learned that's not the way to do it.
(10:05):
I had a lot of pushback from the team, and a lot of people got
frustrated because they were like, not giving me enough feedback.
And I was like, well, we're supposed to be trying this and they're like, no.
[laughs] I do think I took from that, you know, like the, and
she talks more about like the collective conscious and some other
stuff that, you know, that I, um, I understand, but it also takes
everybody being on board with that, which can be its own journey
(10:28):
to begin with, because you've got to find those people to do it.
But when I think about intuition, I guess that's what comes to mind
is that's kind of where my journey started with all this and how I
got curious about the work that you're doing and everything else.
So, so yeah, I just found that fascinating.
Didn't know if you'd heard it or not.
So
Yeah, super fascinating, yet familiar with
(10:48):
her work and it's beautiful, beautiful work.
One of the things that's really interesting, you know, when we're
starting to tune into our intuition and maybe deepen our connection
with our intuition, because again, what we found in the research,
um, and I want to have a huge shout out to Celeste Page Sample.
She is pivotal on helping with the data analysis and the co-host on the podcast.
(11:10):
So hello, Celeste.
So grateful for her, and as we're tuning in more fully to our
intuition or those gut feelings or those inner-knowings, right?
Often we have lived in a society for so long
that has placed the answer outside of us.
So maybe parent to child, teacher to students, boss to employee, right?
(11:32):
So there's a lot of social conditioning and a lot of kind
of often unpacking that we work through as we're tuning
in and trusting those knowings a little more fully.
You know, maybe when you're going and you're hiring
people, obviously we always want to check our biases.
We always want to tune into that, but really learning to trust.
(11:54):
That inner-decision making can be a little bit of a journey.
And often we see balancing it with more of a kind of gradual
approach versus, okay, all the feedback to no feedback.
Let's start with all the feedback.
Okay.
Now a little bit more self-trust and then kind of weaning
off of that tends to be a really successful model.
More successful than what I was doing.
(12:16):
But I think that's our opportunities.
We get to try it out.
You know, it feels aligned.
Let's do that.
Okay.
Let's learn from that.
Let's pivot a little bit and.
Keep growing.
Yeah.
It's definitely an interesting concept, and I'd love to continue to
explore it because I think even if you're not like full in on all of
what Sanford talks about or even the stuff about intuition, like there's
(12:37):
something to people being responsible for themselves and making decisions
for themselves and being able to understand and come to the conclusions
on their own that helps build a stronger business and stronger team.
So...
that's, that's what I found that was really powerful about it and why I was
hoping that I could do better with it, but you know, we all live and learn.
(12:57):
So you've mentioned the podcast, and I'm really curious to know
what, what is the purpose of your podcast, Intuitive by Nature?
Yeah.
Well Chris, I'm so glad you asked.
[laughs] The podcast, uh, we're so excited to share it with the
world, and it's a one season, it's six episodes, and it's all around
(13:20):
unpacking the findings from the research projects where I interviewed
50 highly sensitive intuitives and mediums from around the world.
So we're, we're breaking in bite-sized pieces, Celeste Page Sample
and I are talking through it, sharing some of our own personal
experiences, and really pulling out the patterns that we found.
One thing that's really, I think, helpful to note for the research
(13:44):
project is it followed what's called a "Review Board Approved
Protocol," and it used what's called Grounded Theory Research, which
is basically, it's a very rigorous approach, and we're looking at
people's lived experiences first by asking them open-ended questions.
And then from that, we look and see, you know, of these 50, 50 interviews,
(14:09):
lots and lots of pages, scripts, are there any patterns that are emerging?
Um, and obviously we're talking about the podcast, so plot twists,
patterns did emerge, but that's what the podcast is all about.
What might some of those patterns be?
I don't want to ruin the podcast.
You know, I want people to go listen to that, but like, what, what
are some highlights from that that you found really interesting?
(14:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
So these were open-ended questions.
And the first one that really stood out to us
was that, I'm going to say it was 96% of people,
so almost everybody, which is very rare in the research world,
shared that they felt strongly that we all are intuitive.
It comes in many different ways for people, but they felt very strongly that we
(14:52):
all have the opportunity to connect with this more fully should it feel aligned.
The second thing that was really powerful is how people
shared over and over and over again the more they
developed an intentional relationship with their intuition.
So these are people that are like, okay, I have these
intuitive abilities, I can tune into them more fully.
Let me build a relationship with them.
(15:14):
They shared over and over how it added immeasurably to their quality of life.
They shared how it reduced their stress.
It helped them to be stronger, more aligned parents.
It helped them to be more confident in their decision
making as leaders, just like over and over and over again.
That was something that, again, was one of those like life changes,
(15:35):
like, wow, we need to start talking about this more and more.
And then the third thing that came through that was really
powerful was how people shared that intuition comes in many forms.
And we talk about this a lot in the first episode.
So intuition can come through those gut feelings.
People described really vivid dreams.
(15:57):
People described having visuals either in meditation or with
their eyes open, maybe seeing ancestors that have passed away.
For example.
Um, people explained experiences where they would hear audible
information that wasn't quote unquote physically in the room.
So again, a wide range.
So this was just a sampling of them.
(16:18):
What was really important with that is that when people felt deeply connected
with that intuitive information or those downloads or that additional
insight, sensory information, They felt incredibly grounded in their body.
They felt incredibly present in their body.
We always want to hold so much space for mental well being.
(16:39):
So yeah, it was really, it was really powerful.
Those are some of the top ones.
That's, that's really cool.
You mentioned people finding out about
intuition in their own way, and I was curious.
Listening to the podcast and one of the things that struck me was talking
about like the religious aspect because I, I come from a Christian background.
I'm, I would consider myself still a Christian today.
And through that, a lot of people, like if you just talk about intuition,
(17:01):
they're going to go, "Oh, that's all the woo stuff," and everything.
But the minute you say, "Well, God's really
been speaking to me," they go, "Oh yeah.
Yeah, God's been speaking to me too."
And I'm not, I'm not trying to conflate the two for those listening [laughs]
per se, but there is something to like, listening to what you've been told.
Listening to what you're feeling.
Listening to those things that's really powerful, and it's just
interesting how people interpret it differently in their own lives.
(17:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
And, and that's another thing that came through, and I personally
really resonate with is, follow what feels aligned and true for you.
If it feels deeply grounded, if it feels very safe to you.
I don't have it in front of me, but there's a saying
that was going around, it was, um, "Intuition:
Those that follow a religion call it God.
(17:47):
Spiritualists, maybe call it the universe.
Scientists call it the placebo effects."
And it went down this whole list.
And then it says, "but everybody's talking about what the,
what the title is, but nobody's arguing its existence."
[unitelligble] And for me, I love that so much because it holds
so much space for, you know, whatever this, use the language that
(18:09):
resonates for you, and trust that deep knowing and inner wisdom.
It's powerfully within us and through us is what we found in the research.
So I love that you're bringing that up.
Yeah.
I just find that interesting.
And I know being in the South, we've got a lot of folks out there that
are church-goers and go, "Oh, what's the importance of this to me?"
And you know, all that.
(18:30):
So I think it's, it's interesting to see how speaking for my own
life, like there are times where I'm like, well, I should have.
Listen to God.
I should have followed these things, and I would have been on this better path.
Or you know, I heard these things, and I
acted on it, and things happened as a result.
And it's, it's a hard thing, and this is probably getting a little
bit off topic, but it's a hard thing like knowing what's really like
(18:53):
something say God is telling you to do versus something that your own
mind and your own brain is telling you to do, if that makes sense.
So I think there might be a difference
there, but that's a whole other conversation.
But, but there's, there's a lot Being able to find
and listen to that small, still voice, if you will.
Absolutely.
And Chris, you just hit the nail on the head.
(19:13):
What we found in the research is that's one of
the biggest questions is like, how do I decipher?
Is this my intuition speaking or my organization of religion and faith?
Or is it my ego talking, right?
And, or is it my stress or anxiety symptoms talking?
And one of the ways that came out of the research, and people
(19:34):
shared over and over again is, when it was an intuitive information,
intuitive insight, intuitive download, a clear knowing, it felt
very calm, very grounded, very serene, almost, in their bodies.
When it was maybe a more stress response or anxiety
symptom response, it felt very tight, very, very rapid.
(19:59):
It was repeating the message over and over and over again, which can
often happen in our beautiful analytical minds, but sometimes that
can take the lead when we put so much priority on it as a society.
So it's a way that we can start to really tune into the
stillness that you mentioned, that kind of that knowing.
And how does it feel in our body?
Um, we found in the research that people often
(20:21):
talked about using their body almost as that antenna.
Do I feel grounded?
Does my heart rate start to slow?
Does it start to feel much calmer with it?
It connects with our neurological pathways as well, which we can get
into, but the, I guess the synthesis of it is the more that we're able
to find those moments of stillness, maybe it comes in meditation or
(20:45):
gardening or creating art, the more we're really allowing ourselves, our
nervous systems to downregulate, to drop into those moments of presence.
And what's happening on a neurological level often is we're shifting out
of those beta brainwaves, which is what we're using when we're looking at
(21:05):
spreadsheets often, and shifting into our alpha or theta, uh, the deepest
level brainwaves, what we're seeing with other research, not the research
that we conducted, well, in addition to the research that we conducted, is
that when we're in those alpha and theta brainwaves, so we can think about it,
those moments where we feel really present, we feel really calm and grounded.
(21:29):
That's when our intuitive information can be understood much more clearly.
So, it's really exciting.
We can start to really kind of peel back and decipher, okay, what is this?
How do we tune into it?
And then how do we start to use it in our everyday lives?
It's, it's amazing.
I think it's amazing.
I, I think that's really cool and you know, I was a part of a ministry for
(21:52):
about three years where it was kind of like a three year journey that you
committed to, and it was the Christian version of what you're talking about.
It was learning to listen to God.
Get out in nature or do, do what, what you can to find space, to
find peace, to be able to listen and to find those quiet moments.
So that's, as you're saying that, I'm kind of like, I've done that.
Like, [laughs] that's, that's kind of cool.
(22:16):
Yeah, it is.
I think what's so exciting about the research
findings is how these were everyday experiences.
And most often, I mean, very profound experiences that people shared.
And most often I'm like, wait a second,
I- plot twist, I'm also intuitive, right?
Like, how could we tune it out more fully?
What a beautiful experience.
(22:37):
Thank you.
Yeah, it truly was on so many levels and I'd be remiss if I didn't
say HumblePod probably wouldn't exist if it wasn't for that.
So I'll, I'll leave it at that.
Can I speak to that?
And Chris, I think that, I think that in
here, I'm like getting so giddy about it.
I think that is the why of all this.
Whatever language resonates with you, use it.
(22:59):
If it's God, if it's universe, if it's intuition.
Use that.
And I feel like it's, it's our opportunity to tune into this
deep guidance that we have to follow our heart led purpose.
And I feel very strongly that we as humans are unlimited if we let ourselves be.
(23:21):
I get in my own way all the time.
And I feel like our intuition is such a powerful guide in
staying in that alignment or expanding into that alignment.
It's really energizing.
Yeah.
So thanks for
Your welcome.
Thank you.
Well, what, what is next?
So you've got six episodes, which by the way, if you
haven't already, you should go listen to the podcast.
(23:42):
I think you've got four or three, three live right now, plus the trailer.
So you, everybody should go listen to that.
Uh, by the time this is out, there's a good chance
that y'all will have, um, released everything.
But yeah, go listen, check it out.
We'll have links in the show notes to that.
But what's the future of Intuitive by Nature?
You said this is just one season for the podcast.
What about the business?
You've done the research.
(24:02):
Are you doing more research?
Are you expanding into other areas?
What's, what's next for you?
Um, now that we have the foundation with the research, we're
really excited to share this with the world, [laughs] right?
So we're looking at a second season for Intuitive by Nature.
And that's going to be, now that we have the research foundation laid,
(24:23):
um, the second season is going to focus more on conversations like this.
Like, how are people using this sometimes
ethereal concept in their everyday world, right?
Leadership, parenting, et cetera.
That's one piece.
And the other piece is really sharing this through, um, through workshops,
(24:43):
through speaking engagements, through immersive experiences to bring
this to people, um, wherever they are in their journey and to, to
create a really strong sense of community and conversation around it.
Just like this one right here.
Well, that's, that's great.
We always wrap up.
I mean, this is a marketing branding podcast.
We always wrap up with asking the question,
(25:04):
what brand do you admire the most right now?
So what does that for you?
Yeah, I love this question.
And to come to mind, I'm a huge fan of Brené Brown which I can, I can see her
as a brand, but she's a social scientist who's researched around vulnerability,
and her blend of bringing humanness to this rigor of research is phenomenal.
(25:30):
And then a second one is Dr.
Joe Dispenza, who talks a lot about what's happening on a
neurological level with meditative states and connecting
into our expanded consciousness, our expanded potential.
So those two, I think what I'm inspired by both of those
is their ability to take this Intense amount of data and
(25:51):
pull it into really accessible conversations with that.
So very inspired by that and ultimately to support people in their life
journey to be the most amazing version of themselves that they can be.
And it's already inside of them.
That's great.
Yeah.
Brené Brown.
We've- I've definitely heard her be an inspiration for folks,
(26:12):
um, throughout the years that we've been doing podcast production
work because she has a good podcast and obviously the content
she creates has inspired some of the shows that we've produced.
So, Bonnie, thank you so much for coming on.
I feel like we could keep talking for forever.
Um, unfortunately today, as you know, I have a hard stop, but, you know,
where can people connect with you and find out more about Intuitive by Nature?
(26:34):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, first of all, Chris, it's been so wonderful
being here with you and hello to all of your listeners.
It's been wonderful being together.
You can check out the podcast, it's intuitivebynature.com/podcast.
You can also find us on Instagram, but intuitivebynature.com
is gonna be where the main landing page of everything is.
(26:56):
Great.
Well, Bonnie, thank you so much for coming on today.
Of course.
Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks for checking out this episode of We Build This Brand.
Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe on your player of choice.
And also check out our website at webuildthisbrand.com.
If you liked this episode, please give it a five star review and be sure
to share it with your friends so that we can continue to build this brand.
As we're tuning in more fully to our intuition or those gut
feelings or those inner knowings, often we have lived in a
society for so long that has placed the answer outside of us.
Welcome to We Built This Brand, the podcast where we talk to the
creators and collaborators that help build brands and provide you with
practical insight that you can use to help you grow your business.
(00:22):
Today I'm talking with Bonnie Casamassima, founder of Intuitive by Nature.
Also host of the podcast, Intuitive by Nature.
I met Bonnie last year, and we actually consulted with
her on her podcast and helped her get it launched.
And that's been a really fun experience helping see it
go from just a concept through to the actual execution.
Normally we work more on the editing production side.
(00:44):
So just being a part of the creative, being part of
the marketing and the strategy piece was a lot of fun.
And I really enjoyed this time with Bonnie.
In this episode, we're going to talk about her business.
We're going to talk about what Intuitive by Nature is, and
more importantly, we're going to talk about what intuition
is, how it works and how it affects business professionals.
Now, unfortunately, I will say we did have to stop this
(01:05):
episode a little short, and I wish we could have gone
longer with her, but it's a really good conversation.
A lot of depth, and I definitely want to have her back
on for future episodes so that we can continue to talk
about intuition and its impact on people and business.
So, if you're interested in that, please let us know in the comments, please let
us know anywhere online, we'd love to get feedback and hear from you on that.
(01:27):
But, honestly, without further ado, here's my
conversation with Bonnie of Intuitive by Nature.
Well, Bonnie, welcome to We Built This Brand.
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
It's great being here.
Yeah, we met, I guess, what, last year through some random connections.
(01:48):
I can't even remember the person who introduced us,
but yeah, it just kind of happened by happenstance.
Yeah.
I think my good friend, JD Sizemore, um, mentioned your name.
And then I think if I'm trying to remember correctly, we knew each other.
I spoke on a different topic when you were with the Marketing Association.
So like back during the pandemic.
(02:09):
So it was years ago.
Oh yes, you did.
I remember that now.
I know.
It's like a whole different world.
It almost feels like.
Yeah.
And a whole different time.
It's like, did that actually happen?
Or was that just a fever dream you went through?
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's so great being here.
Yeah.
Thanks so much for having me on.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely thrilled to have you with us today to talk about
Intuitive by Nature, your business, but also the podcast that you're doing too.
(02:31):
I'm going to dig into that a little bit today.
I want to talk about the business, how you got there.
This is a really unique business.
It's not something you see a lot of other people doing.
So I'm really curious to learn more about that and then
learn more about the podcast that you have now too, so...
With that said, let's, let's dive into it
and let's just start back at the beginning.
How did this business come about?
(02:52):
I think the, in a nutshell, I had spent the last decade in the
corporate world and in research within academia as a professor of
interior architecture, but focusing on the research side of things.
And along the journey, I started meditating for
(03:13):
stress reduction and was working 60, 70 hours a week.
And long story short, something about the meditation just
felt really right to me, and I kept showing up to it.
And the more that I deepened into a meditation practice where I was slowing
everything else down, um, I had my own intuitive awakening experience.
(03:36):
And being from the analytical realm of research and corporate
America before that, it was quite the conflict for me.
And it just, you know, trying to kind of understand what this was
and what is intuition, what's Are other people experiencing this?
Etc.
So that led me down my own personal journey of intuition and trying to
(04:00):
understand what this awakening was, and for me, I started receiving really
strong visuals in my mind's eye in a meditative state, um, which turns out a
lot of people experience, which is really exciting to be in that community.
But, all of this to say, I was at this crossroads in my life.
Am I a researcher and professor or am I a highly sensitive intuitive?
(04:23):
And a good friend of mine said, well, "Bonnie, why not both?"
[laughs] And I led a research project where I had the honor of
interviewing 50 highly sensitive intuitives, empaths, and mediums from
around the world on their journey, connecting with their intuition.
And the findings from that, which I know we'll get into a little bit,
(04:44):
were really, they were really life changing for me, and it created
a pretty big pivot for me and the work that I'm honored to do.
It's supporting people in connecting with
their own intuition for their everyday lives.
It's, had you asked me 10 years ago, this is where I'd be today.
I might not have believed you, but it's so
(05:06):
aligned, and it's incredible being here.
So that's why I'm honored to be here today with it.
And what's really neat about intuition is that, you know, we had, I had
people that were doctors and CPAs and nurses and therapists and psychiatrists
who all had a deep connection with their intuition throughout the research.
(05:28):
And I guess what the fire on my belly is today is how do we bring
this really, um, powerful inner knowing into our everyday experiences?
And our leadership and our parenting and our friendships, you name it.
So that's a little bit about the journey so far.
That's really fascinating.
One of the things that really interested me in what you're doing
(05:50):
is that fact that it's not just intuition that you're focused on.
You actually have data to back it up.
You have research, you have a bit of a background on it.
As someone who would consider themselves probably on that, I don't know
if there's a scale or whatever, but probably somewhere on that intuition
scale, like personally, I, I just, I'm fascinated by learning more about it.
(06:11):
You know, how could I use it better?
How could I leverage my own instincts?
If that's all it is, I'm sure it's more than that,
but all those things I want to learn more about.
So I'm excited that, that we get to have this conversation today.
So when you created Intuitive by Nature, like
what problem does the business exactly solve?
Like what, who are you helping through this company?
(06:31):
A wide range of people, often those that are starting to come
in a deeper way into their inner knowing or their intuition.
Maybe they're receiving visuals in their mind's eye or having
incredibly vivid dreams or have this deep, deep gut knowing that
can't explain why, it's often people that are wanting to understand
(06:51):
that more fully and how can they tune into that into their everyday.
I want to pause here.
I realize we're using a word that you and I talk about a
lot, but intuition might be a newer one for some people.
And a way I like to explain intuition is, you know, that, that gut
feeling that you feel when you meet somebody for the first time,
(07:12):
and you can't explain why, but you're just really drawn to them
and you just want to be around them and maybe you're supposed to
partner with them on a business or date them, whatever, right?
There's that feeling.
Like, have you ever felt that feeling before?
It was like, Yeah, you can't explain why, but you just know.
Or on the flip side of that, where you meet someone and
(07:32):
maybe they have all these, um, red flags that you feel, and
you're just like, "Oh, I just shouldn't be around them."
So maybe, I mean, I definitely have experienced this,
you go ahead and just date them for five years anyway.
I was about to say, most of those are ones
I look back on and I'm like, I knew it.
I felt it the whole time.
Why didn't I act on that?
(07:53):
Absolutely.
So that is such a beautiful example of our intuition.
We can look at it as our inner knowing, our internal
guidance system, a deeply sacred connection that there's
a lot of research around this within quantum physics.
We could dive into all that, but really, I think
many of us have probably felt these moments.
I can't explain why, but your intuition knew all along, right?
(08:16):
A lot of learnings in those multiple years of partnerships,
but maybe we'll trust that intuition so we can.
We can pivot a little bit more quickly.
So then your company is helping people hone
these skills and figure this stuff out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Helping to create a community around it and have conversations around it.
No, I'm honored to work with professionals from all walks of life.
(08:39):
So absolutely.
Supporting people through workshops.
through one-on-one mentoring and through sharing the research
through the podcast really to help to bring this out into the world.
Yeah.
So question for you, how does, how do you help?
Like, or do you help businesses directly or
is it mostly just individuals you work with?
Yeah, both.
(09:00):
For example, with businesses, most often we
would align through speaking engagements.
So for example, I shared a conversation with the Let Her Speak community.
It's a local phenomenal community by Catherine Porth
here in Knoxville, and went in and talked about how are
you tuning into intuition for your heart led leadership.
(09:22):
Another example is sharing a similar conversation with a large organization
for their, um, for their team building and community building activities.
So, um, so that would be an example.
We can go into many, but that's one of them.
I stumbled across an author a few years ago called Carol, named Carol Sanford.
I don't know if you've heard of her or not.
(09:43):
Yep.
And I was fascinated by the work that she had done
because the book I had read was No More Feedback.
And there, very briefly, I kind of went through this phase of
like, maybe I don't need to give feedback to my team anymore.
Maybe we can all just, you know, learn, learn these processes and improve as
a team and that'll actually make, you know, the team's mental health better.
And I, I think that, uh, I learned that's not the way to do it.
(10:05):
I had a lot of pushback from the team, and a lot of people got
frustrated because they were like, not giving me enough feedback.
And I was like, well, we're supposed to be trying this and they're like, no.
[laughs] I do think I took from that, you know, like the, and
she talks more about like the collective conscious and some other
stuff that, you know, that I, um, I understand, but it also takes
everybody being on board with that, which can be its own journey
(10:28):
to begin with, because you've got to find those people to do it.
But when I think about intuition, I guess that's what comes to mind
is that's kind of where my journey started with all this and how I
got curious about the work that you're doing and everything else.
So, so yeah, I just found that fascinating.
Didn't know if you'd heard it or not.
So
Yeah, super fascinating, yet familiar with
(10:48):
her work and it's beautiful, beautiful work.
One of the things that's really interesting, you know, when we're
starting to tune into our intuition and maybe deepen our connection
with our intuition, because again, what we found in the research,
um, and I want to have a huge shout out to Celeste Page Sample.
She is pivotal on helping with the data analysis and the co-host on the podcast.
(11:10):
So hello, Celeste.
So grateful for her, and as we're tuning in more fully to our
intuition or those gut feelings or those inner-knowings, right?
Often we have lived in a society for so long
that has placed the answer outside of us.
So maybe parent to child, teacher to students, boss to employee, right?
(11:32):
So there's a lot of social conditioning and a lot of kind
of often unpacking that we work through as we're tuning
in and trusting those knowings a little more fully.
You know, maybe when you're going and you're hiring
people, obviously we always want to check our biases.
We always want to tune into that, but really learning to trust.
(11:54):
That inner-decision making can be a little bit of a journey.
And often we see balancing it with more of a kind of gradual
approach versus, okay, all the feedback to no feedback.
Let's start with all the feedback.
Okay.
Now a little bit more self-trust and then kind of weaning
off of that tends to be a really successful model.
More successful than what I was doing.
(12:16):
But I think that's our opportunities.
We get to try it out.
You know, it feels aligned.
Let's do that.
Okay.
Let's learn from that.
Let's pivot a little bit and.
Keep growing.
Yeah.
It's definitely an interesting concept, and I'd love to continue to
explore it because I think even if you're not like full in on all of
what Sanford talks about or even the stuff about intuition, like there's
(12:37):
something to people being responsible for themselves and making decisions
for themselves and being able to understand and come to the conclusions
on their own that helps build a stronger business and stronger team.
So...
that's, that's what I found that was really powerful about it and why I was
hoping that I could do better with it, but you know, we all live and learn.
(12:57):
So you've mentioned the podcast, and I'm really curious to know
what, what is the purpose of your podcast, Intuitive by Nature?
Yeah.
Well Chris, I'm so glad you asked.
[laughs] The podcast, uh, we're so excited to share it with the
world, and it's a one season, it's six episodes, and it's all around
(13:20):
unpacking the findings from the research projects where I interviewed
50 highly sensitive intuitives and mediums from around the world.
So we're, we're breaking in bite-sized pieces, Celeste Page Sample
and I are talking through it, sharing some of our own personal
experiences, and really pulling out the patterns that we found.
One thing that's really, I think, helpful to note for the research
(13:44):
project is it followed what's called a "Review Board Approved
Protocol," and it used what's called Grounded Theory Research, which
is basically, it's a very rigorous approach, and we're looking at
people's lived experiences first by asking them open-ended questions.
And then from that, we look and see, you know, of these 50, 50 interviews,
(14:09):
lots and lots of pages, scripts, are there any patterns that are emerging?
Um, and obviously we're talking about the podcast, so plot twists,
patterns did emerge, but that's what the podcast is all about.
What might some of those patterns be?
I don't want to ruin the podcast.
You know, I want people to go listen to that, but like, what, what
are some highlights from that that you found really interesting?
(14:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
So these were open-ended questions.
And the first one that really stood out to us
was that, I'm going to say it was 96% of people,
so almost everybody, which is very rare in the research world,
shared that they felt strongly that we all are intuitive.
It comes in many different ways for people, but they felt very strongly that we
(14:52):
all have the opportunity to connect with this more fully should it feel aligned.
The second thing that was really powerful is how people
shared over and over and over again the more they
developed an intentional relationship with their intuition.
So these are people that are like, okay, I have these
intuitive abilities, I can tune into them more fully.
Let me build a relationship with them.
(15:14):
They shared over and over how it added immeasurably to their quality of life.
They shared how it reduced their stress.
It helped them to be stronger, more aligned parents.
It helped them to be more confident in their decision
making as leaders, just like over and over and over again.
That was something that, again, was one of those like life changes,
(15:35):
like, wow, we need to start talking about this more and more.
And then the third thing that came through that was really
powerful was how people shared that intuition comes in many forms.
And we talk about this a lot in the first episode.
So intuition can come through those gut feelings.
People described really vivid dreams.
(15:57):
People described having visuals either in meditation or with
their eyes open, maybe seeing ancestors that have passed away.
For example.
Um, people explained experiences where they would hear audible
information that wasn't quote unquote physically in the room.
So again, a wide range.
So this was just a sampling of them.
(16:18):
What was really important with that is that when people felt deeply connected
with that intuitive information or those downloads or that additional
insight, sensory information, They felt incredibly grounded in their body.
They felt incredibly present in their body.
We always want to hold so much space for mental well being.
(16:39):
So yeah, it was really, it was really powerful.
Those are some of the top ones.
That's, that's really cool.
You mentioned people finding out about
intuition in their own way, and I was curious.
Listening to the podcast and one of the things that struck me was talking
about like the religious aspect because I, I come from a Christian background.
I'm, I would consider myself still a Christian today.
And through that, a lot of people, like if you just talk about intuition,
(17:01):
they're going to go, "Oh, that's all the woo stuff," and everything.
But the minute you say, "Well, God's really
been speaking to me," they go, "Oh yeah.
Yeah, God's been speaking to me too."
And I'm not, I'm not trying to conflate the two for those listening [laughs]
per se, but there is something to like, listening to what you've been told.
Listening to what you're feeling.
Listening to those things that's really powerful, and it's just
interesting how people interpret it differently in their own lives.
(17:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
And, and that's another thing that came through, and I personally
really resonate with is, follow what feels aligned and true for you.
If it feels deeply grounded, if it feels very safe to you.
I don't have it in front of me, but there's a saying
that was going around, it was, um, "Intuition:
Those that follow a religion call it God.
(17:47):
Spiritualists, maybe call it the universe.
Scientists call it the placebo effects."
And it went down this whole list.
And then it says, "but everybody's talking about what the,
what the title is, but nobody's arguing its existence."
[unitelligble] And for me, I love that so much because it holds
so much space for, you know, whatever this, use the language that
(18:09):
resonates for you, and trust that deep knowing and inner wisdom.
It's powerfully within us and through us is what we found in the research.
So I love that you're bringing that up.
Yeah.
I just find that interesting.
And I know being in the South, we've got a lot of folks out there that
are church-goers and go, "Oh, what's the importance of this to me?"
And you know, all that.
(18:30):
So I think it's, it's interesting to see how speaking for my own
life, like there are times where I'm like, well, I should have.
Listen to God.
I should have followed these things, and I would have been on this better path.
Or you know, I heard these things, and I
acted on it, and things happened as a result.
And it's, it's a hard thing, and this is probably getting a little
bit off topic, but it's a hard thing like knowing what's really like
(18:53):
something say God is telling you to do versus something that your own
mind and your own brain is telling you to do, if that makes sense.
So I think there might be a difference
there, but that's a whole other conversation.
But, but there's, there's a lot Being able to find
and listen to that small, still voice, if you will.
Absolutely.
And Chris, you just hit the nail on the head.
(19:13):
What we found in the research is that's one of
the biggest questions is like, how do I decipher?
Is this my intuition speaking or my organization of religion and faith?
Or is it my ego talking, right?
And, or is it my stress or anxiety symptoms talking?
And one of the ways that came out of the research, and people
(19:34):
shared over and over again is, when it was an intuitive information,
intuitive insight, intuitive download, a clear knowing, it felt
very calm, very grounded, very serene, almost, in their bodies.
When it was maybe a more stress response or anxiety
symptom response, it felt very tight, very, very rapid.
(19:59):
It was repeating the message over and over and over again, which can
often happen in our beautiful analytical minds, but sometimes that
can take the lead when we put so much priority on it as a society.
So it's a way that we can start to really tune into the
stillness that you mentioned, that kind of that knowing.
And how does it feel in our body?
Um, we found in the research that people often
(20:21):
talked about using their body almost as that antenna.
Do I feel grounded?
Does my heart rate start to slow?
Does it start to feel much calmer with it?
It connects with our neurological pathways as well, which we can get
into, but the, I guess the synthesis of it is the more that we're able
to find those moments of stillness, maybe it comes in meditation or
(20:45):
gardening or creating art, the more we're really allowing ourselves, our
nervous systems to downregulate, to drop into those moments of presence.
And what's happening on a neurological level often is we're shifting out
of those beta brainwaves, which is what we're using when we're looking at
(21:05):
spreadsheets often, and shifting into our alpha or theta, uh, the deepest
level brainwaves, what we're seeing with other research, not the research
that we conducted, well, in addition to the research that we conducted, is
that when we're in those alpha and theta brainwaves, so we can think about it,
those moments where we feel really present, we feel really calm and grounded.
(21:29):
That's when our intuitive information can be understood much more clearly.
So, it's really exciting.
We can start to really kind of peel back and decipher, okay, what is this?
How do we tune into it?
And then how do we start to use it in our everyday lives?
It's, it's amazing.
I think it's amazing.
I, I think that's really cool and you know, I was a part of a ministry for
(21:52):
about three years where it was kind of like a three year journey that you
committed to, and it was the Christian version of what you're talking about.
It was learning to listen to God.
Get out in nature or do, do what, what you can to find space, to
find peace, to be able to listen and to find those quiet moments.
So that's, as you're saying that, I'm kind of like, I've done that.
Like, [laughs] that's, that's kind of cool.
(22:16):
Yeah, it is.
I think what's so exciting about the research
findings is how these were everyday experiences.
And most often, I mean, very profound experiences that people shared.
And most often I'm like, wait a second,
I- plot twist, I'm also intuitive, right?
Like, how could we tune it out more fully?
What a beautiful experience.
(22:37):
Thank you.
Yeah, it truly was on so many levels and I'd be remiss if I didn't
say HumblePod probably wouldn't exist if it wasn't for that.
So I'll, I'll leave it at that.
Can I speak to that?
And Chris, I think that, I think that in
here, I'm like getting so giddy about it.
I think that is the why of all this.
Whatever language resonates with you, use it.
(22:59):
If it's God, if it's universe, if it's intuition.
Use that.
And I feel like it's, it's our opportunity to tune into this
deep guidance that we have to follow our heart led purpose.
And I feel very strongly that we as humans are unlimited if we let ourselves be.
(23:21):
I get in my own way all the time.
And I feel like our intuition is such a powerful guide in
staying in that alignment or expanding into that alignment.
It's really energizing.
Yeah.
So thanks for
Your welcome.
Thank you.
Well, what, what is next?
So you've got six episodes, which by the way, if you
haven't already, you should go listen to the podcast.
(23:42):
I think you've got four or three, three live right now, plus the trailer.
So you, everybody should go listen to that.
Uh, by the time this is out, there's a good chance
that y'all will have, um, released everything.
But yeah, go listen, check it out.
We'll have links in the show notes to that.
But what's the future of Intuitive by Nature?
You said this is just one season for the podcast.
What about the business?
You've done the research.
(24:02):
Are you doing more research?
Are you expanding into other areas?
What's, what's next for you?
Um, now that we have the foundation with the research, we're
really excited to share this with the world, [laughs] right?
So we're looking at a second season for Intuitive by Nature.
And that's going to be, now that we have the research foundation laid,
(24:23):
um, the second season is going to focus more on conversations like this.
Like, how are people using this sometimes
ethereal concept in their everyday world, right?
Leadership, parenting, et cetera.
That's one piece.
And the other piece is really sharing this through, um, through workshops,
(24:43):
through speaking engagements, through immersive experiences to bring
this to people, um, wherever they are in their journey and to, to
create a really strong sense of community and conversation around it.
Just like this one right here.
Well, that's, that's great.
We always wrap up.
I mean, this is a marketing branding podcast.
We always wrap up with asking the question,
(25:04):
what brand do you admire the most right now?
So what does that for you?
Yeah, I love this question.
And to come to mind, I'm a huge fan of Brené Brown which I can, I can see her
as a brand, but she's a social scientist who's researched around vulnerability,
and her blend of bringing humanness to this rigor of research is phenomenal.
(25:30):
And then a second one is Dr.
Joe Dispenza, who talks a lot about what's happening on a
neurological level with meditative states and connecting
into our expanded consciousness, our expanded potential.
So those two, I think what I'm inspired by both of those
is their ability to take this Intense amount of data and
(25:51):
pull it into really accessible conversations with that.
So very inspired by that and ultimately to support people in their life
journey to be the most amazing version of themselves that they can be.
And it's already inside of them.
That's great.
Yeah.
Brené Brown.
We've- I've definitely heard her be an inspiration for folks,
(26:12):
um, throughout the years that we've been doing podcast production
work because she has a good podcast and obviously the content
she creates has inspired some of the shows that we've produced.
So, Bonnie, thank you so much for coming on.
I feel like we could keep talking for forever.
Um, unfortunately today, as you know, I have a hard stop, but, you know,
where can people connect with you and find out more about Intuitive by Nature?
(26:34):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, first of all, Chris, it's been so wonderful
being here with you and hello to all of your listeners.
It's been wonderful being together.
You can check out the podcast, it's intuitivebynature.com/podcast.
You can also find us on Instagram, but intuitivebynature.com
is gonna be where the main landing page of everything is.
(26:56):
Great.
Well, Bonnie, thank you so much for coming on today.
Of course.
Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks for checking out this episode of We Build This Brand.
Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe on your player of choice.
And also check out our website at webuildthisbrand.com.
If you liked this episode, please give it a five star review and be sure
to share it with your friends so that we can continue to build this brand.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com