We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gina Casazza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gina below.
Gina, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Answer:
My resilience comes from my upbringing. I was fortunate to be raised by parents who weren’t afraid to push me out of my comfort zone. They enrolled me in every activity imaginable, from sports to camps and everything in between. The rule was simple – no quitting until the season was over. Even as a kid, I learned that while new challenges can be daunting at first, they become more manageable over time as I improve and adapt.
On top of this, I was a naturally shy child, and I often found comfort in the company of my brother who is just 13 months younger. He was the polar opposite of me – outgoing, fearless, and always ready to put himself out there. I admired his bravery and fearlessness, and although I was the older sibling, I saw him as a role model. Of course, we are very competitive so our sibling rivalry motivated me to step up and do better than him.
These early experiences helped shape my resilience and grit. The ability to push through discomfort and not give up when faced with new or challenging situations has been instrumental in my career and businesses. Overcoming these challenges has taught me that with determination and perseverance, I can adapt and succeed in any circumstance.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Omnia evolved from my previous venture, I M Bracelets, where I designed handmade, crystal, aromatherapy bracelets. The goal was to help people shift their emotions through sensory experiences – the sight, touch, and scent of the bracelets paired with affirmations aimed at enhancing one’s mindset.
However, my entrepreneurial journey took a significant turn when my brother, suggested a revolutionary idea. He asked, “Why not offer the exercises and tools to actually shift their mindset directly?” This concept of a ‘smart crystal bracelet’ that can connect users to a self-care web application was exciting but undeniably challenging, especially for someone like me who had no background in technology or business.
Despite initial setbacks and countless naysayers, I persevered with the help of my supportive family. After four months and ten attempts, we created the charm that can scan to your phone, marking the inception of our unique product. But the journey was far from over.
The next challenge was building the web application that the bracelet would lead to. This required learning coding, a language entirely foreign to me. Meanwhile, I also needed to create engaging and useful content for our users. I managed to hire a professional to create meditation music and took it upon myself to learn about breathing exercises, even creating a section dedicated to it in our application. I filmed motivational tips and exercise sections in my home studio, and edited them myself using Adobe Premiere and Adobe Audition.
However, the initial attempt at coding the application with a developer turned out to be a setback. After spending thousands with unsatisfactory results, I decided to dive in and learn coding myself. I juggled between being a children’s author, my speaking engagements, and coding for the application. It was an exhausting but rewarding journey that tested my resilience.
I took help from various online resources, including YouTube and ChatGPT, and even hired a coding tutor to assist me. After five challenging months, the application was finally ready for launch.
Today, Omnia is constantly evolving. We are enhancing the content of our application with animated breathing exercises, sleep stories, guided meditations, recipes, and workout videos. By the end of the year, we aim to host over 240+ videos on our platform.
What’s even more exciting is the future of Omnia. We’re launching an ‘Elevate Together’ club, exclusive to our bracelet owners. It’s a monthly meet-up featuring self-care experts, each session focusing on a different theme, with the aim of elevating the lives of our members.
I personally use my Omnia bracelet every day and am continually testing our products, looking for ways to enhance them. My hope is that through Omnia, people find a simple, fun, and effective way to elevate their lives because when you elevate yourself, you elevate those around you.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back on my journey, the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that had the most impact were my resilience in learning new things, emotional control, and patience.
1. Resilience in Learning: I am a firm believer that everything is teachable and we live in an era where acquiring knowledge is easier than ever. Don’t hesitate to dive into unfamiliar territories. I knew nothing about coding but was able to build a web application within five months, thanks to my resilience and the abundance of learning resources available today.
2. Emotional Control: Emotions can be a hindrance in business. Being an emotional person myself, I’ve had to learn to control my reactions and eliminate emotional responses in my business decisions. Keeping an observational journal has been incredibly helpful in this aspect, recording instances where I lost my cool and reflecting on how I could handle such situations differently in the future.
3. Patience: The importance of patience cannot be overstated. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Showing up for yourself every day, taking care of your health, and being consistent are key. I used to want instant results, but this journey has taught me that haste leads to costly mistakes.
To those who are at the beginning of their journey, here are my pieces of advice:
– Be ready for challenges. Everything in life can be hard, from marriage to running your own company. But it doesn’t get easier; you just get better. So pick your “hard” wisely and persistently pursue it.
– Start by focusing on one thing at a time. When you begin something new, it can be overwhelming. Train yourself to be present and concentrate on one task at a time to avoid being swamped.
– Finally, let go of expectations. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and expectations often lead to disappointment. Learn to remain neutral and take every situation as a learning opportunity. When you’re free from expectations, you’ll be able to see the lessons in every experience and use them to improve.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Randy Veitenheimer, an energy healer and host of the show “Quantum Effect” on Gaia, has been instrumental in helping me overcome challenges and develop the necessary skills, qualities, and knowledge for success.
Randy has not only helped me become more resilient and adaptable but also taught me how to manage my emotions effectively. He introduced me to various exercises and practices that have enabled me to control my emotions, stay neutral, and remain true to my own identity in every situation.
One of the essential lessons I learned from him was the importance of self-care. When I started working with him, I was not taking adequate care of myself – skipping meals, not exercising regularly, and generally neglecting my physical health. Randy helped me realize the impact of these habits on my personal and professional life, and guided me in adopting a healthier lifestyle.
In addition to the emotional and personal development, Randy also provided valuable business insights. As a successful entrepreneur himself, he shared his experiences and knowledge on forming an LLC, hiring the right people, choosing companies with integrity, and most importantly, shifting from a poverty mindset to a prosperity mindset.
Working with Randy has been transformative, and I am profoundly grateful for his guidance and support. I can confidently say that his influence has been a game changer in my journey to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DiscoverOmnia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omnia_Elevate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gna.casazza.1/
- Other: www.GinaCasazza.com