What happens when life feels like a prison?

Ewa's story: From hiding her Polish identity to COVID breakdown to manifesting her way out of financial terror - and why she had to become "delusional" about money.

Listen if you:

• Feel trapped by your own life
• Struggle with money mindset and limiting beliefs
• Hide parts of yourself to fit in
• Wonder if there's more to life than what you're currently doing

48 minutes about identity, freedom, and refusing to stay small.

Key takeaways:

• Breakdown can lead to breakthrough - Ewa's pandemic crisis forced her to discover manifestation and rebuild her money mindset, proving that rock bottom can become your foundation.
• Manifestation is practical mindset work - Not magical thinking but "training your mind to work for you, not against you." She had to become "delusional" about her goals while taking real action.
• Freedom matters more than security - When micromanagement made her feel caged, Ewa chose uncertain self-employment over false security, even during a pandemic.
• Childhood money stories can be rewritten - Growing up with scarcity beliefs, she consciously shifted from limiting herself to being open to unexpected income sources.
• Authenticity requires refusing to stay small - After years of hiding her real self, Ewa now chooses to let her authentic self shine regardless of judgment.

"Maybe being myself isn't good. So that obviously took a lot of undoing further down the line." - Learning to hide her identity after racism at age 10

"I think manifestation is training your mind to work for you, not against you." - Her practical approach to manifestation

"I had to be delusional for a period of time. I had to embody the version of me that was already making the money." - The mindset shift that changed her reality

"Why so serious? We're here to have a good time." - Her current life philosophy

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction to Reflective Rebels Podcast
• 00:47 - Ewa's perfect June day and love of spontaneity
• 04:04 - Poland trip and the 24-hour campervan journey
• 06:47 - Moving from Poland at 10 with no English
• 08:32 - First experiences of racism and feeling different
• 11:45 - Family's brave decision to start over in the UK
• 13:48 - Childhood entrepreneur: from paper jewelry to treehouse shops
• 18:54 - Turning points: relationships, self-employment, and breakdowns
• 23:49 - The micromanagement panic and leap to self-employment
• 27:37 - Identity crisis: "I don't know who I am"
• 28:23 - Spiritual awakening through TikTok comment
• 32:49 - Discovering manifestation and changing money mindset
• 36:44 - Overcoming limiting beliefs about money and success
• 40:43 - Solo travel and finding authentic self
• 44:41 - Message from deceased grandfather about stress and health
• 47:52 - Thank you for listening

Mentioned in This Episode:

Moving from Poland to UK at age 10

Google Translate conversations about ice cream

Early business ventures (jewelry, treehouse shop, Mars bars)

COVID-19 pandemic and self-employment leap

"You Are a Badass" and "You Are a Badass at Making Money" books by Jen Sincerro

TikTok viral success and social media growth

Spiritual awakening and manifestation discovery

Solo travel experiences

Lake District hiking and spontaneous adventures

If This Resonates...

Ready to refuse to stay small in your own life?

Ewa's story reminds us that sometimes the biggest breakdowns lead to the greatest breakthroughs. And that choosing freedom over security might be the scariest and best decision you ever make.

Join our email community for more honest stories about entrepreneurship, authenticity, and the courage to bet on yourself.

And if you're ready to explore your own rebellion against staying small - whether it's starting a business, changing careers, or just being more authentically you - I'd love to explore how coaching can support your journey. Contact me here.

Book links in this episode are affiliate links through Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops