We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Phoenix a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Phoenix, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I didn’t find my purpose in a single moment — I found it over time, in pieces of myself I kept returning to.
As a kid, I was always the one who wanted to connect. I listened closely, tried to help, and wanted people to feel seen. I didn’t know it then, but that instinct to hold space for others would become the throughline in my life.
As I grew older, life gave me lessons that required both strength and softness. I had to learn how to face pain, process it, and still find beauty within it. I realized that storytelling was my healing language — a way to make sense of my own experiences and offer something meaningful back to others.
Over time, I started building systems that supported my growth — journaling, using a planner, and creating what I now call the Four-Quarter Method to help me see life in seasons. That structure gave me clarity, and that clarity gave me courage to share my process out loud.
That’s how AsToldByPhi was born — not just as a brand, but as a reflection of my journey. It’s my way of ensuring that no one has to walk their growing season alone.
And as a Black woman, I’ve learned that my presence is purpose, too. Showing up boldly, using my voice, and refusing to shrink are all part of how I live out what I was meant to do: turn my healing into help, and my story into something that reminds others they can rise, too.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m Phoenix Xiahna, MA Ed. — a Caribbean-American New York-native. An educator, a creator, and the founder of AsToldByPhi, a wellness and intentional living brand created to help people find growth and peace through structure, strategy, and self-reflection. My journey has always been about alignment — taking what I’ve lived and transforming it into tools that help others do the same.
In my 9-to-5 life, I serve as an Education Specialist for the New York Foundling, where I support students and families navigating the education system through advocacy, planning, and connection. Before that, I spent over three years working in Harlem with Harlem Children’s Zone, managing after-school programming, mentoring staff, and developing systems that supported both academic and personal growth for students.
Through AsToldByPhi, I create workshops, digital products, and guided experiences rooted in my Four-Quarter Method — a framework that helps people connect their goals, habits, and inner growth throughout the year. It’s part strategy, part soul work — designed for those ready to grow with intention.
This year has been a major season of expansion — launching live classes, 1-on-1 coaching, and my “Systems and Seasons” group intensives. I’m also growing the AsToldByPhi community through YouTube and my monthly newsletter, where I share reflections, frameworks, and tools to help others move through life with clarity and consistency.
At the heart of it all, my work — both in education and through AsToldByPhi — is about helping people, especially women of color, build systems that make peace sustainable and purpose practical.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I’d say the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been resilience, alignment, and authenticity.
Resilience was key — there were so many seasons where things didn’t look how I thought they would, but I learned that trusting the process matters more than controlling the outcome. Alignment has been my compass. I’ve learned that just because something looks good or comes quickly doesn’t mean it’s meant for you right now. The real growth happens when you slow down enough to ask, “Does this still align with who I’m becoming?”
And authenticity — that’s everything. My brand, AsToldByPhi, is rooted in growth, healing, and building sustainable habits. But to do that honestly, I had to live it. I actually took a two-year hiatus from creating content to refine myself and get grounded in the very lessons I wanted to teach. That break reminded me that rest and reflection are part of purpose too.
My advice for anyone early in their journey: don’t rush alignment. Don’t force what isn’t ready. It’s okay to step back, evolve, and come back stronger. The more you trust your own rhythm, the more your work and purpose will start to flow naturally.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes, I’m always open to collaborations that align with the heart of AsToldByPhi — structure, reflection, and soul. I’d love to partner with brands like Passion Planner or Clever Fox, whose tools help people organize their lives with intention, or storytellers like Alex Elle, whose work around healing and self-trust mirrors the essence of my mission. And I’m constantly looking to partner with other small-niche businesses and founders like myself.
My hope is for AsToldByPhi to continue expanding beyond my own platforms — into spaces where people can experience what it means to grow with both strategy and softness. One day, I’d love to host my own summit on growth and intentional living, but in the meantime, I’m excited to connect with conferences that center wellness and Black womanhood — from CultureCon to The Black Girl Social Club Summit and similar spaces that value authenticity and alignment.
Anyone interested in connecting or collaborating can reach me at through my website, www.astoldbyphi.com, email me at or @AsToldByPhi on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.astoldbyphi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astoldbyphi
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenixtotjohnson28/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@astoldbyphi
Image Credits
Keyarah Phelps (nooniee)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
