“Nomadic Spirit: How Aisha “Turned Pain Into Global Purpose”

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/arts. Just go to indeed.com/arts right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Indeed is all you need.

Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show podcast, the podcast show where we unlock potential one dream at a time. Today we have another guest whose journey is truly worth hearing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the Moneyway experience.

What's up, my good people? Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show in association with Believe Network, the podcast that brings you stories Stories of resilience, creativity, and world-changing vision. I'm your host CJ Moneyway, and today we have a truly remarkable guest who embodies the spirit of reinvention and creative energy. Our guest today is Aisha, a global citizen with an incredible story. Born in Mongolia and orphaned at the age of 2, Aisha has since traveled to over 60 countries, built a thriving career in art and business, and authored the Joyful Living Guidebook. She's a world traveler, artist, entrepreneur, free spirit whose work has even been sent to space. Wow, with SpaceX. Go on, girl. Aisha, welcome to the CJ Muddy Way Show. It's a pleasure to have you on today.

Hi CJ, thank you for having me. By the way, I'm here in Lisbon, Portugal right now. You know, we have almost 7 PM here. Okay, so we're very happy. We're happy people. Ask me questions.

Someone that's been to over 60 countries, ain't no telling where you may be next week or the week after that, huh? World traveler. I like it, I like it. Plus, everybody, she's been to LA and been to a few Lakers games, and I'm a tad bit jealous because I've been a Laker fan for 46 years and I have never been to the Forum or the Staples Center, but I'm going to get there one day. So thank you for coming on to the show, Ayesha. So Ayesha, let's start with your inspiring journey. You was born in Mongolia and experienced a difficult beginning being orphaned at a young age. How did that early experience shape the person you are today?

Well, for me, you know, I understood what freedom is in very early age to be on my own, making my own decision. Understanding the reality of life in a little bit different way than probably most of the people are. So for me, my start of my life was a little bit rough and bumpy, and I managed to get through this with my positive attitude and with my gratitude, because I feel like I started to read very early when I was around 6, because I was a very curious child. Kind of understanding how I want to create the life I'm living today. And I remember when I started to read books, I started to read to everyone around me because I was so excited. So I was really— I loved, like, in the beginning to read the fairy tales. So I brought the fairy tales books from library and I was reading it to the other kids. And I just enjoy it very much. So I think like my passion towards travels come from the books because I, you know, I really nerd. I speak many languages. I love to read books in all languages actually. I love history. So like for me, that was probably one of the getaway, I would say, to the different reality from the reality that I was living in. So it was kind of escape, one of the escape places where I can dream and I can, you know, be a princess or, you know, Aladdin. I remember like I was watching Aladdin, I was reading about Aladdin. So he was one of my characters of like living a free-spirited life and being happy all the time, no matter what life throwing to him. So I was feeling like I was very curious as well. Like I love adventurous. And I love to adventure around and being very curious kid. Like I like outdoors activities and always run around and kind of like hyperactive, I would say. And when I was 9 or like I was 8 or 9 years old, I was in the library. Library was my, my, like a safe space where I could dream and I can, you know, kind of like imagine my life. What if? If I would be like a princess or like, you know, living in my own fairy tale or a queen. I was feeling like it's a different reality you started to create because the environment you're around is like tough and difficult to kind of to live every day. And like some kids maybe like have this imaginary, and I believe I had like imaginary friend for like a while. And I'm just feeling like my life is amazing. I just, you know, I haven't looked at myself as a victim because I always look for solutions and ways to kind of be curious and learn something different about life and about the people. And I was a very curious kid and adventurous. So when I was 8 and 9, I wrote to a school, English school, that I found in newspaper, or like it was a magazine. And I wrote them my story, and because I wanted to learn English on my own, nobody was speaking English and I didn't have any like, you know, language teachers around me. And I want to learn English on my own. And I remember I wrote them letter, I don't remember how many pages, and I started to receive books from them, books and, you know, cassette. It was a cassette at that time. And after I started to receive CD from them and I was learning English for by myself for years. Of course, I didn't have anyone to practice it with. I just, you know, doing it from the curiosity things. And I feel that was probably one of the things when I was doing something that outside of the box, you know, not so many kids actually curious to do something that's outside of the box. And I was one of them who's always like getting out of my comfort zone and always like thinking for myself and imagining. And I was like 9 to 10, I was like telling to my teachers, I'm going to travel around the world. I'm going to live in all the cities around the world. And, you know, the teacher was like, yeah, yeah, of course, like, hahaha. And I was like, and all those pictures in geography class, and I was like, I'm going there, and I'm going to be there, and I'm going to be there. And I am, you know, I was in all these places. The picture is that we had in the geography class, and I'm feeling like because of my attitude, you know, I always have this, like, I would not say like a fighter. I was kind of like a fighter, but it was not like a fighter. I was just like very pure and honest and direct about what I want. And I also made a decision towards that because I remembering when I started to travel, I love to travel. And when I was 15, 16, and I started to travel by like, uh, with a group of hitchhikers around Russia. And after that time, already like live in Russia and I started to travel around. And after we went to the Central Asia. And one day we were passing through Moscow, and I remember I was sitting and I was thinking, if I want to travel around the world, I get to move to the capital because it would be easy for me to travel around the world. And it was very scary because I was living in a very small village and about like less than 1,000 people. And after I moved to the, like, a little bit bigger city was about 700,000 people. And for me it was already big move, you know, for the university. And I remember to move to Moscow with like 10 million, I don't know, 15 million people. First time when I arrived there, I was like, oh my gosh, it overwhelmed me in such a level that I couldn't even like imagine that it would be so scary. I was very scared, you know, to make that action or like a decision. I was like, oh my gosh, it's just too much. So I come back to my little city and I remember I was doing it again, the trips. And I was like, okay, I got a good I would do it again. And eventually, I think after it was my third time, I decided to stay. Of course, it was many things happened in my life, like many different small decisions towards that when my university actually transferred me to Moscow because of my active attitude. I was doing a lot of active work in the university and politics. And I feel like it was bringing me subconsciously towards where I want to be. So when I moved to Moscow, of course I had better opportunities, you know, better kind of like a life and better friends. And, you know, like everything has changed in such an amazing way that eventually I moved to Norway and I just, you know, travel around the world. Of course I went to Egypt, you know, the small, like kind of trips, we call them hot trips because you can get like a cheap all included things in Russia from Moscow to Egypt, or I think it was Hurghada or something like that, Sharm el-Sheikh. And I was many, I was 18, you know, and I feeling like that time of my life, I already owned the house, you know, I bought the house in the city where I come from. I already, because my friends was telling me, oh, it takes all life to buy the house. And I bought the house outside 30 minutes from the city, like 1 million, about 1 million people. And I was thinking like, oh, I will have all my life to build this house because the house was like 3 floors house and was with a garden, you know, with apple trees and peaches. And my friends coming over and they say to me, oh, and the 3rd floor and 1st floor was not functional so well because I got to rebuild it. It's kind of like, you know, renovated. And I said to them, I'm just 17. I'm good. It's all my life in front of me. In 10 years, I'm going to get my driving license, you know, and I will like started to work towards driving between the city and this, it was like a little town outside, 30 minutes away. And my friends was like, "Oh my gosh, it's just disgusting to be here." And it was kind of like an old house. And I remember I was so proud of it because I bought it for my own money. I was working for that. And it was not expensive at all. It was like pennies. And my friends was like, "it takes 30 years to pay for that, like mortgage and stuff." And I'm like, "No, you just go." And I was thinking in my mind, I was like, "I finished my university, I don't want to live in the city. I want to live a little bit outside with a nice garden where I can have the apple trees and I can eat all of this during the summer. And I will just drive to the city when I need to." That was in my mind because I would be very rich and I will be like traveling anyway, so I don't need to live in the city. Like, why do I need to be in the city? So I couldn't understand that, you know. And so eventually I moved to Moscow and I left everything behind me. And after I sold the house and everything, when I moved to Norway, the point is, is like, I understood in life you just make these decisions and you don't listen to the people, all this noise outside, you know, who doesn't believe in themselves, who doesn't who creates the problems instead of creating the solutions and, you know, and look for the things that can work out instead of looking for the things that will not work out, you know. And by actually having the power of thinking for themselves and deciding what matters for me in the first place and think a little bit like long-term, you know, not like short-term. Because in my mind I was like, I will move to Moscow for like 5 years and, you know, I will like I'm getting very good job and I will eventually getting the business and I will have a business and I will come back and I will have stay in my little house and I will be super happy because family and kids was not ever in my mind. I didn't want to have that. And I'm just like, wanna live for myself. And remember I had a boyfriend and he was like, I wanna have kids and I wanna be a really good man. And I'm like, no, no, no, I get to travel.

I'm gonna walk first.

I get to first see the world until, you know, I said, no, no, no, I don't want a mirror. I don't want to have kids. I was very clear about that. And so when I moved to Moscow, he didn't move with me. And I said to him, let's move together. You know, we're going to be team. We get to kind of like working things out. And he decided to stay, you know, in the little town or like smaller town. And you know, life just happened. I applied for the study in Norway as exchange student and I got a place. I moved to Norway and all my friends was like, no, don't move. You're very happy here. You have a new career. Everything is fine. I was already working in real estate. I already was working in tourism, you know, and I was doing like a hustle kind of things. And I did very, very well, you know, very, very good. And I was like, I was already could afford myself like 2 trips a year to like this, like a hotspot, you know? I mean, all included for us. It was like, wow, you know, that time. And I was like, I'm already like, now I'm remembering it. I was really successful from the beginning because of my mindset. Because I didn't listen to outside noise. I just did what I feel is right for me in the first place. And when I moved to Norway, my friends was like, oh, don't— like, some of them was like, it was two camps. Like, one of them was like, yes, go, it's going to be fun. You will come back if you want to. And others was like, please don't go. You're very good here. Everything is fine here with you. You're like, your life and your career and everything moving like forward. And I said like, okay, I will just go for like a year, just one year. And you know, I just stayed. I got a job there as an engineer because I was studying engineering. And you know, life just happened because I was like, Norway is way better. I started to travel more, like already around Europe. And after I went to America, that was my first trip to New York. And I remember I was like 20 years old and I'm staying there in Times Square and watching this big screen, 59, 58, you know, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm on the I have this beautiful dress from whatever, like I bought this amazing, like a Dolce Gabbana, whatever, the first time in my life. I'm like sitting there, super rich, feeling myself so rich and so successful. And I was like, I'm a winner. And I'm staying there on the top of this restaurant that was for the New Year and outside of the balcony. And I'm like, I'm a winner, I'm a winner. I was just so happy in that moment of my life. And I'm just feeling like I'm on top of the mountain, you know, like I achieved all my dreams that I was imagining for myself. And I was thinking like, it's going to take me all my life to get there. And, you know, and I just like this decision that I choose to make and the opportunities that arrived and I just took this opportunities. And here I am traveling around the world, speaking many languages, did many careers, you know, and through, and all of that was successful. And I'm just sending my art to the space, you know, like publishing my book, doing many businesses, you know, like I'm just feeling life, it's a gift. And we get to look at the life as opportunity. And the thing is, is like when opportunities arriving, we get to take them because it's for us. Life is for us. We're the creators of everything that's happening for us. And we get to say yes. Because I look at my life as a winner and not as a victim. It's my choice because I feel like no matter what, I'm a winner because I'm here on this planet Earth already, you know, and I'm still alive. I'm still living my dreams and I have so many more dreams to live and I'm still very young, you know, and I already lived so much, you know, I've been to Lakers games in Miami, in Los Angeles, you know, like in New York. I'm just feeling like I've been in all this, maybe some people like, you know, when it was Brazilian soccer game, Brazil was playing and won. I remember I was in Brazil that year and it was like a party all night in the street. And I was in this football game, you know, and I was like, that's, you're living a life. And when I look around and I'm just thinking like, I'm living my dream and all my dreams is real. Whatever I imagine, whatever I decide, I just live it. For real, and nothing will stop me except myself. Never. Nobody will stop you except yourself.

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates. So you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/arts. Just go to indeed.com/arts right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

So just live it and enjoy it, because life is for us. Just so much magic in each day, and we're the creators of our life and of this magic that we're living now.

Yeah, I mean, I agree with you. Normally when somebody speak, I can remember a whole lot of things that they say and come back But man, you got so much, so many accomplishments. I totally agree with you on the part of you have to just go out and do things regardless of what the naysayers say and how people may feel. If that's what you feel like it's best for you and that's the direction you're being led to, then you do whatever you feel in your heart to do in spite of how other people feel, you know. And then one thing you said earlier that made me think I was curious too as a 6-year-old and a child and as a kid, but I didn't like books, and I think I was curious in the wrong way. I, I would throw books out the window. I wasn't sitting in the library reading books. I heard you say, you know, about your accomplishments, man. I'm just sitting here listening to you, self-made, learning English on your own. And then I think in the end, just not too long ago, you said something about being an engineer. I'm like Wow, I mean, like, so many hats, you know, so many hats.

I didn't do drugs, that's why, you know. I'm a workaholic.

I, I'm not mad at you.

I'm not mad at you.

I'm not mad at you. So let me ask you a question. You reinvented yourself multiple times because you didn't have— what they say, something about many hats. I can't think of how it go right now, but, uh, jack of all trades. So anyway, you reinvented yourself multiple times. Artist, entrepreneur, world traveler, these things that you already aforementioned. What motivates you to continually take risks and pursue new opportunities?

My dreams, because I have so many of them, and I'm just thinking like, I just have one life.

I can't believe all of them.

And, you know, I'm just feeling like Before, I was like rushing the things all the time. I was like, I get to do this and I get to do this and I get to do this. And I was doing all of it. The thing is, I just understood one day, I was like, oh my gosh, I get to choose what I really like. Because in my 20s, I always like doing, I was thinking what I like and I was doing so many activities, outdoors activities, you know, and I was like very I'm really outdoor person. I like adventure. I like outdoors things like kitesurfing. I like go hiking on the mountains, climbing. I love everything that outside. And every time when I was doing it in my 20s, I was also dancing salsa, bachata, kizomba, tango. I done all of this in my 20s. In my 30s, I decided like, okay, what I want to do because I just have 24 hours a day and I gotta decide what I really enjoy and where I can do it. That I don't need to spend hours to get to tango or to bachata because I'm living in this neighborhood. For example, Los Angeles was not easy. It's like hour to go there, hour to go here. You know, different direction, it's just such a long distance. So like you're getting tired, you know, and I mean, you're very active, but in the end, just feeling tired. So I feel where I am right now in Lisbon, Portugal, 10 minutes and I'm in the Acroyoga, 10 minutes, I'm in a Tango, you know, I'm like 10 minutes, everything is about 10 to 15 minutes to get anywhere I want, like kitesurf, just 15 minutes, you know, I can go and kitesurf, I can do so many things. I don't need to spend like an hour to get, so I can do more things during the day than I would do in a week somewhere in Los Angeles, you know? So I'm just feeling like I have just 24 hours and I have just one life. Where I want to have my base? I started to ask myself the question. Yes, I enjoy to be in America as well. I enjoy to be in Norway. I enjoy to be like in many other countries. I reinvent myself again, over again and over again. It doesn't matter where I'm in the world, I will be successful because I have successful mindset. So I just decided like I have one life, where I want to do it, where I want to live. And it's here where I am. Because when I was living in Lisbon before, I had my property management company and I was doing real estate, luxury real estate, and I was living amazing life. Like Lisbon Airport is just 20 minutes away. I can travel anywhere in the world very cheap. You know, compared to other places. And metro is going directly there as well. So you have this amazing spot, and Lisbon has such a rich history, you know. Portugal itself, it's so rich in so many amazing ways. And I'm just feeling the quality of life here is amazing. Quality of food here is amazing. So when I'm asking myself what I need more, you know, nothing. I'm just so happy to be where I am. It's sunny 300 days a year. It's warm. Today we had 18 degrees Celsius. So for me, it's amazing lifestyle that I have here. So I don't want to exchange with anything in the world. I do love to travel. I will continue to travel. And last month I was in Italy, in Rome for a week. And I'm just feeling like it's just 2 hours to go to Rome. 2 hours to go in Paris. And the tickets cost like €20. Where in the world you can find these prices? I'm just feeling like I'm living in heaven already and I'm living my dream life already. So the rest, it will come itself. The rest, the other my dreams, the opportunity will arrive in the right time. You know, and I will just take it because I know myself. I always take the opportunity that connected to my dream, and I will do absolutely anything, or my body will do all the work to make it real. That's how I operate, because we have one life. So it's no time to think, it's time for action.

Yeah, I totally agree. Hey man, And to my listeners, to the listeners that are listening to us today, please don't be jealous of Aisha like I am, who can— who only spends €20 to go to Paris, to go to Rome, and things of that nature. And her life is great. Hey, um, move to Lisbon.

I'm here, I can be your person. Invest with me.

All right, yeah, because we know that you got real estate. Maybe we may talk one day. Uh, Aisha, you've given us everything that— all the questions I probably had. I only have two questions and then we can wrap this up. One, your Joyful Living Guidebook offers simple strategies to stay centered and joyful in a fast-paced world. Some of the things you've been talking about, can you share some key takeaways from the book that our audience can apply to their own lives?

Always enjoy your struggles. When you remember, you're never alone. Have a meditation in the morning, spend time with yourself, you know, with your own thoughts, do your journaling, and always believe in yourself that you can do it. When you have the idea, know that you can make it real. Trust yourself.

I like that, trust yourself. Okay, one more. 'Cause this one was fascinating. I saw it earlier, but I didn't really pay attention until I was reading it introducing you. One of your standout accomplishments is having your art sent to space with SpaceX. How did that opportunity come about, and what did it mean for you as an artist?

Well, it was one of my dreams, and that point in my life, I lost absolutely everything. My life was kind of like, I get to again reinvent myself from zero because my documents were stolen, my van was broken in, and absolutely everything was stolen from me. And I was having nothing. I didn't have phones, I didn't have money, I didn't have nothing, absolutely nothing. And I was sitting there, and months after that, you know, the opportunity arrived. While I didn't have anything, you know, I just took that opportunity and I made it happen. And I believe like absolutely anything in life is possible. It doesn't matter how sad you are, how depressed you are. It doesn't matter if you don't have absolutely anything, no friends, no money, no parents. It's okay. The most important in life that you have yourself. And you can carry yourself to the end of this day, whatever, to the end of your life. You don't know when you, finish this life. Just enjoy it, appreciate each experience life gives to us, because life's happening for us. So enjoy each moment, and even if it's like, you know, something like completely surprising you, embrace it with gratitude and positive attitude, because after the painful experience, it's always coming something very magical and such amazing that you cannot even imagine that is there for you, because all your angels working for you to make your life more beautiful, more magical, and more incredible, because you deserve it. We all deserve to be in heaven and create your own heaven with your thoughts and with gratitude.

I like that. Live life to the fullest. So Ayesha, with so many accomplishments under your belt, what's next for you? And are there any new projects or collaborations you would like to talk about before we leave?

Right now I'm developing an online program that's called Joyful Living, and I'm finishing my second book that's called Dream Life in the Flow. I finish it, it's going to be also part of my Joyful Living program that's going to be online. And I also right now would like to be a speaker for more events and conferences and summits. So I would love to get more, you know, attention towards that, like that people can start to invite me to this, like a host or like a speaker. And one more thing, I started to sail. So I'm spending more time on the water on the sails. Because one of my other big dream is going around the world by sailing boat. And it's not like right now, it's like a long-term goal. And you get to build a confidence, you know, you get to build your, like a time for that and really like face it because it's not going to happen in one day. It's a process, you know, it's a work in progress. So, and another things, invest with me because I also have investment company that people can invest. I can be the trustee here in Portugal or like in Europe because of all my connection and network that I have here so I can help people. And I have my solo exhibition that's coming out in April here in Lisbon. More things is coming on my website, aisha.today. It's A-I-S-H-A dot today. So just follow me and enjoy your life.

I like it, man. I like it. You just gave us another point to be jealous about. She's going to sail across the world one day. One day. Oh man.

Because I'm living for myself.

I love the dreams. I love the dreams. Ayesha, thank you so much for sharing your incredible story and insights with us today. Your life is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of reinvention. Before we wrap up, where can people contact you to learn more about your projects and get a copy of your Joyful Living Guidebook?

Joyful Living Guidebook you can find on Amazon or just Google it, Joyful Living Guidebook by Aisha Makara. And you can also find me and my mentorship program. I do mentorship one by one. As well, it's on my website, aisha.today, it's A-I-S-H-A.today, and you can schedule a call with me, you can book me as a speaker, you can know everything about me on my website, what I'm doing, about my art, and about my next projects.

What about your social media links? Where can we find you at on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn?

Well, I have my Instagram, Joyful Living Guide, You could find me on Instagram. I don't use the other social media. I'm doing my best to be more like, I know, less, like, no less than social media.

I get you. I've scaled back the whole life myself as well.

The right people always coming, you know, that's what I believe in. The people who really coming into your life, they're not using social media. The level of people I'm inviting into my life is completely different. Level of consciousness, I would say, who operate in a completely different joyful way.

I get it. I get it. Trust me, I get what you said. Hey, so again, thank you, Alicia, for joining us on the CJ Moneyway Show. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in. If today's episode inspired you, please leave a review, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little extra push to live joyfully and creatively and travel the world Be yourself, and one day have your mindset to sell around the world. Until next time, stay brave, stay creative, keep carving your own path. This is your boy CJ Moneyway signing off. We outta here. Peace.

Enjoy for living.

Thank you for listening to the CJ Moneyway Show. Don't forget to share this episode with your friends. Leave a leave a comment, and drop a review. Be sure to tune in every Tuesday and Friday for more inspiring journeys. Who knows, your story might be next.

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy! Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates, so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com/arts. Just go to indeed.com/arts right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

Hey, true crime fans and hustlers alike, step out of the shadows and into the light with the CJ Moneyway Show, where real stories of resilience and legacy building take center stage. I'm CJ Moneyway, your host, guiding entrepreneurs and dreamers brick by brick through the grind to greatness. From faith-driven transformations to scaling your hustle, we've got the insights you need to win. Tune in to hear from reality stars, business moguls, and more at the CJ Moneyway Show. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join the GI Hustle movement today. That's the CJ Moneyway Show. Don't miss it.