Life strategies for happiness, success & balance
Meet Kristi
With an extensive background in personal and professional development, communications, and business, Kristi Blicharski is a passionate, positive force for creating happiness, success, and empowerment. Her modern, fresh blend of inspiring ideas and practical tools mixed with new and proven concepts for creating greater happiness are quickly catching on in today’s high-speed environment, where so many are overwhelmed, over plugged in, and searching for something more.
A Journey
In early 2002, Kristi made some major personal, professional, and spiritual life changes after deciding to leave a demanding corporate marketing job that was draining her spirit and leaving her with little time or energy for actual living. Feeling completely depleted and knowing there had to be a way to find more balance, she soon immersed herself in studies of personal development, metaphysics, and wellness. She not only created radical improvement in her own life, she found a new passion!
Kristi became a committed student of some of today’s most influential personal development teachers and coaches. Positive change continued to happen quickly, and through dedicated work, incredible new lessons, and major shifts in her perception of life and the world, Kristi turned her life into a super happy, healthy place to be!
At the end of 2002, Kristi launched her own boutique public relations and business coaching firm, quickly finding success working on exciting, high-profile campaigns for some of the world’s most recognized entertainment and fashion brands. Her company continued to flourish, but in early 2008, Kristi’s busy life and career were turned upside down by a series of debilitating health challenges, including a severe case of a mysterious joint condition called adhesive capsulitis (commonly known as frozen shoulder), causing her to lose the use of her left arm and shoulder for nearly a year. After undergoing extensive surgery and months of physical therapy, she used her recovery time to go deeper into her transformative and holistic wellness studies, found new power and perspective while taking on her challenges, and decided it was time for even more big changes.
Creating Positive Change
Out of her journey back to wellness and spiritual fitness, Kristi re-launched her company, focusing on clients and projects with positive messaging. Over the next three years, the coaching side of her company evolved, and she found that clients were asking her to not only help them in business and marketing, but in many areas, including work-life balance and bringing more happiness into their lives. Passionate about sharing her own experiences and dedicated to helping people avoid burnout, find happiness, and create a foundation for their best life, Kristi launched Creating Your Bliss. Today, she writes, speaks, and works with individuals and groups sharing her ideas and lessons, inspiring others create more happiness, wellness, and success.
Kristi has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, Natural Awakenings, Shecky’s, It’s a Glam Thing, Holistic Life Magazine, New Earth Daily, Successful Living, and other media. She’s a regular blogger for The Huffington Post and AOL Healthy Living, and is working on her first book. In addition to coaching and speaking, she also continues as Creative Director and Brand Strategist for Bliss Media, the marketing and events division of her company.
Kristi regularly gives her energy and know-how to non-profit organizations. She is a Luminary Circle member of Step Up Women’s Network, and is a passionate advocate for marine conservation and wildlife causes, as well for raising awareness about shark protection. She is one of the co-creators of the ShopLACity campaign, which encourages L.A. residents to support local businesses. She loves water sports, Yoga, trail running, gardening, and adventure. A Southern California native, she lives it up in LA.
* Kristi is a member of the International Coach Federation Los Angeles Chapter and the Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber of Commerce
» Read what people are saying about Kristi
7 Questions With Kristi Blicharski
Jason Miller, founder of Peaceful Media and co-author of Project Everlasting, asks Kristi about what brings her happiness and inspiration.
JM) What makes you happy?
KB) So many things. Love. Nature. The ocean. Simplicity. If I had to pick one thing that I’d say absolutely always brings me joy, I would say being of service. There’s no better feeling all around. And, I have this little book I keep in my guest room called, 14,000 to be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer. It’s a sweet little book that really expresses how little things are so beautiful and happy. I could easily add to the 14,000!
JM) Okay, so what’s one “little thing” that makes you smile?
KB) When I see other people smile. And, the sound of a Champagne cork popping. It’s so festive! And when I hear the National Anthem. That’s three things, isn’t it?
JM) What’s your most important daily practice for creating inner peace?
KB) I would absolutely say starting my mornings off in a positive way. Everything from positive thinking in the morning, to allowing myself time to be still, to get ready at a reasonable pace, and eat something healthy. This always creates a path to a good day. I can remember a time when I was waking up and immediately thinking about stressful, negative things. When I changed that, it completely changed my life. So much so that I wrote a little book about it to help others make the same changes.
JM) What inspired you to launch Creating Your Bliss?
KB) I’ve worked through some pretty crazy, challenging experiences in my life, as many people have. Over the past decade, I’ve learned from some amazing coaches and teachers. Really, I started on this journey to create a better, healthier life for myself. Along the way, I discovered so many things that actually work! I mean, really work. Simple actions, thought patterns, and methods that have truly helped me to create a super happy, grounded life. And I’m still learning.
Even the tough times now are nowhere near as difficult as they used to be, because I have the knowledge and tools to work through them in healthy ways. I know these ideas can work for others too. When I started mentoring friends and clients a few years ago, it was something I did on the side simply because I was passionate about sharing what I’d learned. When I kept seeing positive results and realizing how others could be helped in major ways like I was, I knew it was time to do it on a larger scale.
JM) What are you listening to?
KB) Isn’t music awesome? It’s one of the biggest inspirations in my life and always has been. I listen to a huge range of music and appreciate it all. Some of my favorite artists are Peter Gabriel, Bob Marley, The Eagles, Diana Krall, The Rolling Stones, Louis Armstrong, Coldplay, The Cure, Justin Timberlake, George Michael, The Beatles. All over the place, I know! I’m also a little obsessed with 70’s rock and disco. I create playlists of songs that make me feel happy, and turn to them any time I need a boost. I highly recommend creating a “happy playlist”!
JM) If you were going to recommend one resource that can change someone’s life, what would it be?
KB) Okay, so the great news here is that we all have unlimited access to our very best resource for creating change – our thoughts. It sounds simple, but it’s true. Thoughts are really the key to creating change, happiness, success, and all good things. Care for your thoughts by focusing on the positive, what you do want instead of what you don’t want, and most of all, love. Focus on love. Love for yourself, for all others, and everything around you.
JM) What would you say is your life mission?
KB) Wow. I’m going to borrow from Jim Henson on this one and say, “My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” I would add to that, to create happiness.