Manifesting Money, FIERCE Authenticity & Quantum Timelines w/ Jon Hillstead

What's up guys, welcome back to the podcast. Today I've got someone on the show that you are absolutely going to love if you are not already obsessed with his content on social media. Today we are joined by manifestation and visibility coach John Hillstead, who you might know from his iconic 'This is the universe, how can I help you?' videos.

John and I went so many directions in this conversation.

We talked about money, manifestation, healing from the inside out, the spiritual path, and more.

This episode is truly the pep talk that you didn't know that you needed.

I do want to issue a quick trigger warning before we begin, because in our conversation, John shares really candidly about his mental health journey and how he was able to pull himself out of a really dark time. But there is mention of suicidal thoughts, so if that feels like a sensitive subject for you right now, please use your own discretion before continuing to tune into this episode. We're going to go really deep in unpacking John's upbringing as a gay man in a religious family, why he rejected the idea of God and later came back to it after finding spiritual connection through nature and experiencing a divine intervention, plus a wildly transformative ayahuasca journey that he was not prepared for. I also pick his brain for you on all things manifesting, quantum timelines, abundance, his hacks for reprogramming money beliefs, how to break through the fear of judgment and be fiercely authentic online, the fastest and easiest tool for rapidly shifting your state and transforming your identity, and John's personal formula when it comes to content creation.

This episode is so good, you guys are gonna love it.

Okay, let's dive in. Welcome to the Makeshift Happen podcast. I'm your host, Samantha Daly, entrepreneur, life coach, and your no BS bestie, here to bring you all things mindset, manifestation, and personal development. This podcast is designed to help you expand your mind and uplevel your life. So turn the volume up and roll the windows down if you're coming along for the ride. Let's go make shit happen.

Welcome to the show, John. I'm so excited that you're here. I feel like this has been a long time coming, at least for me, because we've followed each other online for a while, but I've always just loved your content, and I'm so excited that you're finally here and we get to bring your, you know, creative genius, your confidence, your unapologetic energy to my listeners. I know that if they don't follow you, they're gonna be obsessed with you by the end of this conversation. So I'm really, really glad that you're here and that we finally are able to connect in this way.

Yes, likewise, Sam. I've been following you for a while as well, and I'm super excited to, to have a convo with you and dive in.

Yeah. Okay. So I wanna kind of get into a little bit of your background because I don't really know that much about, you know, your early life or how you came to be, you know, the, the Jon Hillstead that we know on Instagram. Like, I'd love to know what your upbringing was like, what your family life was like as a kid. Like, where did you grow up? How did that influence the trajectory of your life, for better or for worse? What was those kind of like early stages of life like for you?

Yeah, so I grew up in the Seattle area, up in the Northwest, and I always had this deep connection with nature. We grew up hiking, uh, you know, as a young adult, I would always be out in the mountains and hiking and camping and backpacking. And so that was my first real connection to spirit to— that was my spirituality, was being, being in nature. That's how I related to God or Source or the universe, because I grew up very religious and I also am a queer man. So those two worlds did not align many times. Um, so I didn't really feel connected to God through church just because I never felt like I, I was accepted for who I was. And so I kind of rejected the idea of God for many, many years, and I found spirit through nature. So that was my first, like, connection and introduction to the spiritual realm and to something greater beyond the physical three-dimensional world. Flash forward to 2019 when I had one of my spiritual awakenings. It all changed from there. It all expanded and grew from there. And, uh, I think a lot of people see me online, they see this version that's very joyful and excitable and playful, and I wasn't always like that. I was somebody who was really depressed for many years. I struggled with depression, I struggled with social anxiety, suicidal ideations, and this all stemmed from this place of feeling like I wasn't good enough. Who I was, my true authentic self, was not accepted in the world. And so it was me not accepting myself, actually, right? And so it was just me trying to be something I wasn't, trying to fit into these boxes that I thought society would accept, accept me as. And this whole time I was completely rejecting who I truly was. I was completely pushing that away. And all of that built up over time and created this sadness in my life, created this depression, created this feeling of hopelessness, like I couldn't go on any longer. And it got really dark. It got really dark. It got to this place where I was ready to end my life. I was ready to leave this 3-dimensional experience and like book a one-way ticket out of here. And I remember sitting in my studio apartment. It was a teeny tiny studio apartment, all I could afford at the time in Seattle. And I was sitting on the bathroom floor and I was ready to end it. And it was that exact moment that divine intervention or whatever you want to call it came through. And I had this awakening in that moment of, whoa, wait a second, I'm not these thoughts. I'm not these feelings. I'm not this identity. I'm observing all of this, right? I like connected with my spirit and saw myself as the observer of everything that I was going through. And that was the moment that I felt that I could change. There could be a different way. I could heal. Like, there's— there was a glimmer of hope there. And so that was the start of my healing journey. That was the start of my spiritual path and this healing path. And we can get into so many things that happened since then, but that was sort of where it all began, was that moment of like, it was, it felt like an instant awakening or an instant moment of awareness. So yeah, it's, um, it's evolved from there. I've, it's, it's, I've changed and evolved and done a lot of healing on myself and yeah, it's, it's been a wild journey to say the least.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. I think the, the wildest part of that for me is that you just had this kind of instantaneous knowing that you were the observer. I think a lot of people gradually kind of work up to that understanding that they're not their thoughts. We learn it through content or books. I remember reading The Power of Now, or, you know, some people have read The Untethered Soul, and, and those types of books really help people to conceptualize of this idea that we are not our thoughts and that we are just the observer of the thought. So it's crazy that that was just like a knowing that like came through for you in the moment. I think for sure divine intervention, you know, like, what can I send to John in this moment to help him make a different choice and see that there's something else available, that there's another path? But, um, yeah, have you had other experiences like that where you've just like received a download so clear and it's kind of like shifted your perspective on something in life like that?

Yeah, I mean, actually coming back to that divine intervention, I realized recently that it was future me supporting past me. So the divine intervention was a future version of me coming in to like support myself in that moment. And that hit me at this last retreat. I just was like overwhelmed with emotion. I was like, holy shit, it's me now sending that past me all the love and the hope and the possibility that life can different. Life can be— life can get better. And it was just this huge breakthrough of like, whoa, time isn't real. Like, all versions of me are existing on parallel dimensions, and I have access to heal my past self, and I have access to my future self. And it was mind-blowing. Yeah, it was like a real experience of like quantum healing.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I'm curious— okay, there's so many questions in my head right now, but I, I want to kind of like circle back to— you grew up really religious because I had some questions for you about spirituality and where that started for you. So obviously nature was your kind of connectedness to something that's larger than us, something, you know, in that sort of realm of divinity, because nature is so divine. And it's like when you look at the connections between nature and the human body, I'm sure you like have seen all those images, how it all like connects and overlaps, and it's like, oh my God, you're the universe and so am I, and we're all the universe in one. But, but I'm wondering if, you know, like what your relationship was or your understanding was of this idea of, of God or some sort of greater power, having grown up in a religious environment where you felt rejected or not accepted. At what point did you kind of shift into a different understanding of spirituality? Or perhaps at some point you circled back to an understanding of spirituality that does include God, but it's from a more empowered place now, or from a more loving, accepting place? I'm just curious about what that was like for you.

Yeah, so growing up in the church, I had this idea, and I think most people do who grow up religious, that there's this man in the sky who's saying this is right, this is wrong, right? This good, this is bad, this is evil. And that just didn't resonate with me, especially as someone who deep down knew my truth, my freedom, my authentic expression. I love men, right? I'm queer, I'm gay, and that wasn't accepted by the church. And so I was like, wait a second, something's not matching, something's not lining up here. Um, so I completely rejected that idea for many years and found that spirituality through nature. And then later, through my healing journey, through plant medicine journey, ayahuasca journey, I came back to understanding God from a different perspective, understanding God as I am God, you are God, we are all God, we are all spirit extensions of God, extensions of source, extensions of the universe, um, experiencing reality from our unique perspective. So I came back around, I came back to the— around to the idea of, of a source, but as, um, as an evolved self, as a— from a new perspective, and, um, finding my own connection to that source and not having somebody tell me what is.

Yeah, I love that, and I so resonate with that as well. So if we go to the moment which maybe, you know, some people might call it like the dark night of the soul, the rock bottom, whatever, that moment where you really felt like there was no hope, there was no future, there was no point, and then you receive this sort of divine intervention— your future self is, is coming in with this information to say, hang on, like, don't mess this up, there's another, you know, version of you that's on a parallel timeline that like has done all these other things, like there's another way— after that, what would— what were the steps steps that you took to really change from that, that point? Was there any tangible actions, or did you start consuming a certain type of content? Did you go into therapy? Did you start with coaching? Like, was there something specific that you did for your mindset? What did you actually do from that point forward to really like kind of evolve your self-concept and what you believe to be possible and available for you?

Yeah, so when I had that breakthrough moment, the divine intervention, I fully dove into personal development and healing. I was like so fired up and excited to make a big transformation because I was so tired of living the way I was living, right? It gets to a place where like you can no longer bear it. It's like that painful to stay stuck. It's more painful to stay stuck than it is to like do the things to like change your life. And so I was diving into— I was just absorbing like YouTube videos, how to heal depression, how to heal social anxiety, diving into all the spiritual materials and the books. The Power of Now was one of the first books I read, and just consuming and absorbing as much information as I could. This led me to feeling a call and a pull to work with plant medicine, to work with ayahuasca. And this was very early on in my journey. Like, at this point, I didn't even know what a crystal was, right? I didn't even know anything about angels or guides or any of this. I had very little information and little experience when it came to my spirituality and the spiritual realm. But I just had this, like, pull and this knowing and this call from Aya to work with her. And so I was driving DoorDash at the time while working my job to make ends meet to pay for this trip to the Amazon of Peru. Like, I was doing everything that I could to make this happen. And I packed up all my stuff, I booked my flight to Peru, flew into the Amazon, and did a 12-day plant medicine journey with, with ayahuasca. And my soul knew what it was getting into. My ego had no idea what, what was gonna happen. It was honestly like quite traumatic. It was— looking back, I'm like, wow, I was actually traumatized by this experience just because I didn't really have the tools available to me at that moment to move through this deep deep, deep personal work. And yet looking back, I'm like, I'm so glad that I did it, right? I have no regrets about the experience, but it was, it was hard. It was challenging because you're met with your darkness, you're met with your shadow. You have to face things that you've never faced before and in a very like visceral, visual way. So it was this huge quantum leap in my healing journey that was messy, it was ugly, it was scary, it was all the things, but it was also the most profound and most loving and beautiful experience I've ever had. And it sort of was like this expedited process to get me to where I needed to be so that I could show up in service for the collective. Because this all happened in September of 2019, right before 2020, right before the pandemic. And so I'd done this like expedited healing work that then allowed me to show up in 2020 in service for, for the world when people needed it the most. So it was like my soul was just like, okay dude, like, let's go. We gotta, we gotta get it together. We need like an expedited process. It's gonna be hard. It's gonna be scary. It's gonna be challenging. But that's kind of the type of person I am. It's like, I'm usually like the all in or nothing, right? Let me get both feet wet. Let me jump all the way into the deep end instead of just kind of putting my toe in.

Yeah. I was gonna say that is full on deep end dive. Like first has, has one, has one spiritual awakening and is like, I'm gonna do ayahuasca.

Okay, so I have something I think you're really gonna love, and your business is gonna love it even more. Do you want to steal the strategy I've been using to seduce premium buyers and sell out my offers on Instagram Stories? Chances are you're already posting, you're already making sales, but if your Instagram Stories aren't working as hard as you are, you're leaving money on the table. Sold Out Stories is going to teach you exactly how to change that so that you can sell out any offer at any price point. And even high-caliber coaches miss this because selling on stories isn't about how much you post or how frequently you show up face to camera. It's about psychological sequencing, and the way you're posting right now might be giving the premium buyers in your audience the ick. Documenting your day and hoping it builds trust, posting look at me content and calling it authority, sharing client wins as soon as they drop in instead of strategically weaving them into a story selling sequence designed to drive demand and convert sales. We both know that you're not here to learn how to show up more. You're here because you know your content could be converting faster and more effectively. Sold Out Stories is gonna give you 5 high-converting story selling frameworks built specifically for premium buyer psychology. Inside, you'll get over 6 hours of deep dive video trainings, real IG story breakdowns, and live walkthroughs that show you exactly how to elevate your slides from authority building all the way to offer flow in less than 10 slides. My clients have already been using these frameworks to pull 5-figure sales days while posting less. One client generated 14 premium leads from a single story sequence. Another sold out her event in under 6 hours with just 8 strategic story slides. No sales calls, no paid ads, just the right frameworks. You'll walk away knowing how to sequence for desire, transition into your offer seamlessly, and sell daily without ever feeling salesy. You already know your offer's incredible, so now it's just time for your stories to sell it like it is. Grab Sold Out Stories today and turn 10 slides or less into your highest converting content. Let's make your next event Next Story, your most profitable one yet. Click the link in the show notes below and I'll see you inside.

Wild. Like, really, dude? You couldn't like ease your way into it? You had to go all the way in?

Yeah. Wow. But obviously there was a purpose to that because then, you know, it changed a lot for you personally, professionally. I mean, 2020 was a huge time. I think at that same time, September of 2019, I I was starting my first ever, you know, beta round of like coaching, and I was starting to work with women for the first time ever. And then I got to the end of it and I was like, I was still working full-time as a teaching assistant in Spain, and I had these clients on top of it, and I was running to Starbucks in my lunch breaks and taking clients like on Zoom. And I— it was so scrappy, it was messy, and I was still learning. And by the end of it I was like, I'm exhausted and this is going to burn me out if I don't figure out how to scale. And so I had to hire someone. And but then it was like I was doing all of that, you know, kind of in this fast, expedited, messy way because 2020 came. And so many people needed me. So many people needed my support. They needed my guidance. They needed my wisdom. They needed my leadership. They just needed me to be there for them. And, you know, I'm sure you also were part of that huge, you know, rise in consciousness that happened during that time. And it's just so cool to like look back and thank our past selves for the work that we were doing and how we were being prepared in the lead-up to that so that we could be of service to ourselves and also to the world. Because that was such a huge shift for so many of us. I can't even believe that that was only 4 years ago, you know, I'm sure like you're probably mind-blown as well because you've grown so much, your business has evolved so much, you as a person are probably like night and day. And so that vortex that we all entered together in 2020 was like, okay, like here we go, like what's gonna happen here? And so we needed to, we needed to show up for that fully for ourselves before. So yeah, I think it's interesting to just kind of see those parallels and how there's so many of us that were called to kind of be lightworkers during that time.

Time. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, 2020, I look back, a lot of people, you know, see it as like the, the worst case scenario, the worst thing that ever happened to the world. And I'm— it's like my favorite year. It's like the year that I've grown the most. It's the year that I've expanded the most. It's been so transformational for me. And like, I'm so grateful for it too, as well, because it allowed me to fully step into this purpose of being a mentor, being a coach, being a healer, because I lost my job during the pandemic, my, my 9 to 5. Yeah. And so that was kind of like the push that I needed to fully dive in 100% to my, to my soul work.

Yeah. Oh my gosh, I remember I was, I was teaching at the time, so schools obviously all closed. I was an English teaching assistant in Spain. It was making shit money, but the schools closed and they told us like, 2 weeks, you gotta go home. And I was just so excited that I was gonna have 2 weeks to be like a pretend full-time entrepreneur. And then that 2 weeks turned into forever. Like, I literally never went back to work. So, and same, you know, for you, which is crazy. So I kind of want to talk about, you know, a lot of your people see you as, in your content, as this, you know, wildly confident, self-expressed, authentic, unapologetic person. And, you know, we know from what you've shared with us about your story that that hasn't always been the case. But I'm curious, you know, this is something that you've been able to help a lot of people with at this point in, in your work. So I'd love to know some of the tools or modalities that you've seen really help people step into more of this unapologetic confidence, self-worth, allowing themselves to really be seen, especially online, regardless of those, you know, fears of opinions, perceptions, projections that might come from other people. What helped you and helps your clients break through that and really just stop giving a fuck?

Yeah, I mean, thank you. Yeah, it's, um, it's been so fun to do this work and so fulfilling to see the results happening with my clients and the people in my world fully stepping into that, like, fierceness that fierce visibility and feeling that confidence to show up as their most authentic self. Because I think at the end of the day, that's, that's what we all want is that freedom to be ourself in the world. There's been a lot of tools. There's been a lot of modalities that I bring in to help support clients based on who they are and where they're at. A lot of it is very intuitive. And so I have my tool belt of tools that I have, and then I bring in what I think would work best for that specific person. A lot of what's helped me personally has been subconscious mind techniques. For reprogramming stories and limiting beliefs, uh, NLP, hypnotherapy. I do this technique called TIME, which is a timeline therapy that helps go to the root of the belief when you first made the decision that it was unsafe to be yourself and clearing it and releasing it from the root. Breathwork, movement, dance. It's really a combination of all of this mind, body, spirit, uh, that helps create these breakthroughs for people. And I think also it's encouraging people to start somewhere. For me, starting online was fucking terrifying. It was fucking terrifying, right? I like remember posting something and throwing my phone and not looking at my phone for like 2 days because I was so terrified of what people would think about me, right? So I would like hide from the criticism or from the opinions of others. It was what I needed though. I needed to get my feet wet. I needed to start somewhere. I needed to start taking that action, even if it was messy, even if I wasn't fully ready yet. There's something to be said about just starting, right? Starting that momentum. And then figuring out as you go. It helps to build that confidence. It helps to build the belief of what's possible. It helps to build that safety around being myself online. And so it's a little bit of like showing up while you're scared, realizing that it's not about being completely fearless. It's about just having the courage to start somewhere and then healing as you go, right? And letting the shit come up to the surface as you're sharing yourself online. Fine. The journey was the healing, the, the showing up consistently and moving through the fears that are coming up and the triggers. Like, that's a part of why I'm showing up, that's a part of why I'm doing this work. It's, it's for my own healing, it's for my own soul expansion. So I always let people know that, like, there's always another level of, of visibility and another level of healing to be done, uh, as you continue to, to show up in the world as your authentic up.

That was a bar. The journey was the healing. I feel that so much. It's like, there's no way to— I think people have this perception or this idea that they can heal it first and then do it. And it's like, no, the way that you heal it is by doing it. Like, you really just have to like step forward in, in everything, whether it's like business or showing up online or confidence or, you know, healing stuff in relationships. Like, you do it through practice. Nothing gets easier if you don't practice it. You can't build proficiency in anything without repetitive action of doing the thing. So I think that's a big permission slip to anyone listening that's like, I've really been wanting to do this thing, but I feel like I'm not ready yet. It's like, well, you're not ready yet because you haven't started yet. Once you start, you'll get ready.

You better let them know. You better let them know you're not ready because you haven't started yet. So start and then— Yeah.

Wow. Get fucking ready. Okay. You mentioned dance, which we have this in common. I think that I grew up as a competitive dancer for many years, but dance still remains just one of the these core parts of my personality, I believe. I don't know if dance was something that you always felt attracted to, or like you always danced even from when you were a young age, or if that's something that started happening for you as you became more confident and more self-expressed. But I'd love to hear your perspective on how dance is so healing and really is one of the best energetic practices to help you manifest, to help you shift your identity, to help you, you know, adopt a feeling of more confidence or bravery. Like, talk to me about what dance has done for you in your life.

I never grew up as like a dancer, or I never took dance classes or anything like that. I grew up when I was very young, before I had all the stories about what people think about me and, you know, all the fears about being judged. I was this very freely expressed individual who loved to be on stage. I love to perform. I was in Cats the play and Wizard of Oz and Oliver Twist, right? I did all these musical theater performances, and that just was like an extension of my expression. Um, so it's kind of core to who I am as a performer, as an artist, as someone who's very creative and expressed. And that got shut down for many years. And so through my healing, it's allowed me to reconnect to that childlike self. It's allowed me to reconnect to that inner child who was freely expressed and, and moved and flowed and sang and created in that way. And so through my healing, movement has become core to my practice just because it allows me to tap into the, the most, the highest, most expanded version of me without judgment, without limitation, without overthinking, without getting in my own way. It's just fully me being present in who I am and allowing my body to flow and move in the way that it feels intuitively guided to flow. And that is freedom for me. That is liberation. That is fully present to the moment. And I feel like when we're fully present, when we're fully connected to our highest, most authentic self, that's when we're most magnetic. That's when we are the most powerful because we're We're not getting in our own head, in our own way. We're not focused on, I need to do this and look like this way. And it's not all preconceived. It's just fully expressed and fully authentic. And so for me, every time I'm in a dark place or a hard— moving through a hard time or feeling overwhelmed or anxious about something, it's always been music and dance that has brought me back to the core of who I am, my true essence, back to this present moment. So it's huge. I do it every day. It's like my spiritual practice. Yeah, it also helps me like tap into the, like, the inner Beyoncé or the inner Britney Spears, right? Like, I do a catwalk, and the catwalk, I pretend like I'm on stage or I'm walking the Victoria's Secret runway, right? It's like, you can't stop me, I'm unstoppable, baby. Like, that's just where I feel the most powerful.

Yeah, the catwalk is iconic. Like, we, we all know it from your content. It's iconic. Your videos get me so fired up. I'm like, damn, I need to— I really need to have a dance party with myself because this is— John is like firing me up. Right now. So I always, I always recommend that to people. Like, I think that's one of the fastest ways to shift your state. Like, your energetic state completely changes when you put on a song that you love and you just allow yourself to like get into it and release like all the inhibitions and everything and just like let yourself be and feel the music. There's nothing more powerful and more easy, to be honest, to help you really elevate and raise your frequency and become like the magnet for all the things that you're desiring in life. Because like you said, you do tap into that unstoppable vulnerable, kind of like really confident version of yourself. And that's where the magnetism lies. So I love that so much. Okay, so speaking of like magnetism and attracting the things that you want in life, I want to talk about reprogramming beliefs around money because this is something that you share a lot about in your content. And you mentioned something in one of your posts about how like if you are getting on a plane and you walk by and you see the people flying in business class or in first class, like what you think about them is a reflection of sort of like your experience, your relationship with money and that you had an experience with that yourself that really encouraged you to shift the way that you thought about wealth and what you felt was possible for yourself. Can you talk about that kind of shift when it came to money and possibility and your own identity as someone who was able to become wealthy?

Thank you for bringing that up because I love talking about the shift that happens when you move into business class or first class because that's a big shift. Like, That moment is huge. And I wasn't always wealthy. I grew up very like lower middle class. You know, we weren't completely broke all the time, but we weren't like ballin', right? There was always stories in the house about, oh, we're on a budget. It's too expensive. You know, I wouldn't get like the Crayola crayons. I'd get like the Rose Art crayons, right? I still got crayons, but they weren't like the top of the line crayons. So I just grew up with these stories and these beliefs and, you know, generationally this generational belief around money, and it's the scarcity of it, and there's not enough to go around, and we have to hold on to it when we have it. And any potential or possibility to be wealthy just wasn't even available to me for the longest time. And yet there was this knowing since I was a kid that I was meant for more. There's just this, like, I think a lot of people experience this, maybe you have as well. There's just this, like, I'm meant to be successful. I'm meant to be famous, or I'm meant to be wealthy. Like, I'm meant for something greater than this. So there was always that, like, underlying drive and desire for more when my external—

which is the, the future self timeline kind of like coming in. It's so crazy. I remember as a kid being like, I'm gonna be a millionaire. I don't know why I would ever think that. Like, I did— I didn't know any millionaires. I didn't— like, my, my family wasn't like rolling in the dough. Like, I don't know, it's wild how you sometimes you just have that feeling of like, I'm meant for more.

Yeah, I had the same thing, and it was just like, I don't know how but I know that it's gonna happen at some point. And so it was like the external was showing me something different, telling me that money is scarce, telling me that it's not possible to— only certain people have that, attain that level of wealth. And yet there was this still, this inner fire that was like, wait a second, I'm, I'm ready for more, it's possible for me. So it was really a battle between those two versions of like, which one is real, which one's gonna win? And I've done a lot of work reprogramming my money mindset through a lot of these techniques that I— that we're talking about, through, you know, NLP, through hypnotherapy, through affirmations, through embodying my future self now and shifting the identity and getting into spaces that make me feel wealthy, getting into environments that help me to calibrate to that level energetically. And I feel like that's one of the tools that I love sharing, is like, go to places that make you feel abundant, go to places that make you feel wealthy, get into the room with people who are wealthy so that you can then calibrate energetically and rise to that level. And so first class, business class was one of those things that I was like, I need to be there. I need to be up there. Like, there's something that I, I just need to be up there. And so the very first time you ever book a business ticket or a first class ticket, it's fucking scary because you're like, holy shit, why I'm spending so much money on this thing. And it's a stretch out of your comfort zone. But then once you do it, you can't go back. There's no going back. You've already calibrated to this new level, this new identity. It's like, okay, now who do I need to become to sustain this or to continue to elevate and, and, and be somebody who flies first class, who flies business class. It's a game changer. It shifts everything around you too. It's like, you know, you just become a different person when you finally make that decision to say, fuck it, I'm no longer an economy person, I am somebody who flies first class.

I remember the first business class flight I ever booked, and it was— I was going on a retreat in Costa Rica, and it was like my birthday. Well, it was going to be my birthday while I was on the retreat, and I had been a little bit under the weather a couple days prior to going, so still feeling a little bit like groggy, tired, and, and I was flying from Spain, so it was going to be this like 11, 12-hour flight. And I was like, there is no fucking way I'm sitting in economy for this flight. It's my goddamn birthday. Like, I'm going on a retreat. I'm an abundant business owner. Like, fuck this. I'm, I'm flying business class, and I'm gonna lay down, and I'm gonna sleep on this flight, and I'm gonna enjoy— and I'm gonna enjoy it. But I remember I, I didn't know anything about flying business class, so I, I didn't know that you got special treatment outside of what happens on the plane. So I, um, luckily I found out that I could go to the lounge. So I did go to the lounge, but I waited in all of the regular lines to like check— to like check my bag. And like in the security, the guy was like, you know you have a business class ticket, right? Like you can go to like our separate like security area. And I was like, what? Just so dumb, had no idea. So it is scary. It's like you do— it's like it's a whole new process and like identity that you have to learn. But I think once you do something like that for yourself, you also realize and then you understand. Like I remember recently I was flying business class from Egypt, and because that was a really long flight too, and I just remember sitting there looking at this like beautiful menu of all these foods that they were gonna bring me, and like the dessert cart, and like unlimited this, unlimited that. Like, and I was like, this is actually worth the price. Like, like I actually am understanding the exchange of value that's happening here. And I think that happens for in a lot of things that when you, when you don't put yourself in those rooms or those spaces, you don't understand the value exchange. But once you experience it, you, you kind of just realize that money is not just, you know, dollars. It's this sort of like, uh, I, I call it like this, this holy resource and it's really just made so that we can have an exchange of value. And when you experience that exchange, you're like, yeah, I would pay for that again. That was amazing.

Yeah, I love that. I love that. And I think also, if you're listening, you have not yet flown business class or first class, what you said was huge about— it's not just about the seat and the flying, it's about everything that comes with that. Like, you get to go into the priority line, you get the priority ticket on your bag so their bags come out first.

Like, oh my God, I didn't even know that. I remember that blew my mind.

I was like, what? Yeah, when you check your bag, it like comes out first on the belt.

I was like, wow, this is, this is next level.

Yeah, it's like it helped me like step into this new space of like, wait, I value convenience, I value ease, I value like having an easier life. Like, I will pay for convenience, you know? And before, it would be like, oh, let me get the cheapest ticket just for the price, and let me— but that also comes with waiting in the longest line, that also comes with, you know, being in the smallest seat. And it's so— it's like you're not only paying for the seat, you're paying for the ease and the effortless convenience of the experience of travel.

Yeah, totally. And there's just so many, like, lovely perks when you even get, like, all the warm hand towels and, you know, the drink as soon as you sit down. They know your name, or at least your last name, you know, that, like, it's so helpful with things. Like, valuing your time, I think, is a huge part of it. And also, for me, it's, it's a lot about valuing my well-being. So depending on where I'm flying, I know, like, if I really need to be well-rested or I need to be well-fed, like, that's going to be an avenue for me to do that. And, you know, the more, the more that you value your time the more that those things sort of make sense. So I think, of course, everyone wants to manifest money, right? We're talking about reprogramming these beliefs, and that example of business class is just like one way that you can kind of start to change your mindset around what's actually happening there and what's available for you. But I know you've talked about your first manifestation was like a check for $5,000. Can you talk about like some of your top tips for manifesting money? Because I think a lot of people are really— they limit themselves a lot. They're really narrow in their thinking about what's possible when it comes to manifesting investing money.

Yeah, yeah. So that first money chunk of money, man, that manifested came in the most unexpected way. And so I think a lot of people are so focused on money coming in one way. Oh, it has to come through my business, or it has to come through my job, or it has to come in this one way that's super logical that I can conceive is possible for me. And I think what really is fun and fun to play with and, and powerful is to open up to the infinite possibilities, the infinite ways that the money could come in, right? Instead of being so narrow-minded focused, it has to come this way. It's like, no, wait, I'm open to it coming in any way, in any shape or form. So that's how I created that experience, and that's how I continue to manifest money. But I also would invite people to, instead of focusing on the money itself, focusing on manifesting ideas, manifesting brilliant ideas, because it's our ideas that lead to money. Think about all the ways in which you've earned money. It's probably in your business. It's come through an inspired idea. It's come through a divine download that you receive. You're like, oh wait, this program idea is amazing. I want I'm going to take action on it, and this is going to help support so many people. We're going to go on this retreat, right? It was that idea that you had that then led to the money. So I think if people are having resistance to the actual cash number or the idea of money, it's like, wait a second, let me just manifest a brilliant, beautifully inspired idea, and let me take action on that, and the money will come as a byproduct of, of that idea.

Such a good tip. Is there anything that you find to be really helpful for some of your clients that are in that space of wanting to manifest more abundance, whether it's, you know, personally, professionally, an entrepreneur, doesn't really matter. Is it like, obviously dance is a practice that we talked about that helps like elevate your frequency, so that's going to help you manifest literally anything. Is it affirmations? Is it EFT? Is there anything specific that you love or that you know that your clients really like vibe with and they find it to be really useful?

Yeah, I love like affirmation recordings. So I've created a few of them for my clients, and I also listen to them at night. Every single night when I go to sleep, I'll listen to those affirmation recordings on repeat. Even if I'm just sitting here working, right, just doing work, it's like going into my subconscious mind and continuing to reprogram program my mind, because I find that it's not like this thing that you're like, oh, it's one and done. It's like, no, it's a continual process of continuing to program my mind for these, for these wealthy beliefs, for these limitless beliefs. So I do a lot of affirmation recordings.

Hey, don't forget that every month we are picking a Listener of the Month to win $50 in cash just for showing love to the show. All you have to do is leave an epic review of the podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts, screenshot the review before you hit submit, and DM that screenshot to us on Instagram @makeshifthappenpodcast. And that's it. I want to thank you for being such a loyal listener and show my appreciation by putting a little extra cash in your pocket. I know it's super easy not to do it, but every single rating and review seriously helps the show rank higher and reach new people, so we appreciate them more than you know. We'll announce the next winner at the end of the month and slide into your DMs fits you. So keep an eye out and good luck. Love you guys and thanks for supporting Makeshift Happen.

Yeah, are they— do you like subliminals, like where they're underneath music, or do you like them where you can like actually hear the affirmations?

I like both. I tend to create the ones that I can hear myself speaking, and I recommend that for others as well. It's like, make your own recording with your affirmations, right? Don't rely on someone else to give them to you. Find the ones that you resonate with, that you align with that feel expansive and abundant for you and make your own recording. Like you literally take your iPhone. That's how I made my first one and I just used the voice note and put it over music and made my own affirmation recording. So I feel like, you know, hearing your own voice and, and choosing the specific affirmations that work for you is, is actually beneficial for each individual.

Yeah. It's kind of like an audio version of like a vision board. Like make your own.

Make your— yeah. Yes. I love that.

So good. Yeah, I kind of want to make like some more of those tracks because I've definitely made them before and I have them in like a meditation library and some of my programs and stuff, but I'm getting inspired because I want to update them and I want to make some new ones. So thanks for that tip. I love that.

I've made them for viral content. I've made them for like going to the gym. So you can do them for literally anything, not just money.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, hot tip. We love that. So good. So you did a post, uh, about manifesting sales and business success. And you shared this one affirmation— speaking of affirmations— um, like, my business is in high demand. And I remember I commented on it because I was like, slay, my business is in high demand! I love that affirmation. Um, yeah, is there anything else that's like supported you in being a match for continued business growth and success specifically?

Yeah, I think it's really— for me, I've gone down the path of doing what I think I should be doing business and like choosing to do things from my ego versus my soul. And so my invitation for business owners would be to really tune into what it is that you desire to create, what it is, the path that it feels most aligned for you, and not what the rest of the world is telling you you should do. Sometimes it requires that we put up the blinders and focus on what's coming through us, our channel, and blocking out the noise, because there's a lot of noise out there. There's a lot of noise in the world. There's a lot of, a lot of noise online, and some of that is valuable, right? Some of that helps us stretch, some of that helps give us permission, and at the same time, it can also be detrimental because it disconnects us from our unique path and our channel to source. And so whenever I'm feeling like I'm out of alignment, it's time to throw up the blinders, to stay in my lane, to really allow myself to move from my soul in my business. And always, that always creates success, that always creates money, that always creates fulfillment and satisfaction is when I'm listening to myself. And that doesn't mean don't get into the rooms and don't get a mentor or coach. That's so valuable. But it's at the end of the day, choosing to discern between what feels in alignment for you and what feels like a should. Am I doing this because I think I should do it? Or am I doing this because it satisfies me? I always say that my favorite strategy in business is satisfaction. Satisfaction. Like, what is satisfying you in your business? Like, that's why we start our businesses to begin with, is to be satisfied, right? Is to experience a life of pleasure and joy and satisfaction. So why would we do anything other than that within our businesses? And I think that the more that we tap into our unique satisfaction within our business, we're going to feel good, we're going to feel great, we're going to feel energetic and inspired. And that's going to come through on the other side to our audience, to our client. They're going to feel that, right? You've ever like done a program that wasn't fully aligned, but it was because you thought you should do it, and it just wasn't like landing for people. And yeah, it's like it doesn't work. You have to always trust yourself and trust your knowing and, and what's calling you and inspiring you. So it's like a reminder to just like take a moment to calibrate where you're at and figure out, okay, am I doing things in my business because I think I should do it because it's worked for other people, or is this ex— is— or is this satisfying me? Is this what I want to do? Is this what feels in alignment limit for me.

Yeah, I had a client ask me just recently, like, how do you decide what product or program you're going to create next? And I was like, well, I just wait for the idea. Like, I don't sit down and be like, okay, what should I create next? Like, what's the next product or program or course going to be? Like, no, I just— I, I live my life and I wait for that, like, divine inspiration, that download to just hit where it's undeniable. You are so excited about it, it's pouring through you, and you're just like ready to create. But I think that we only are available to receive that when we have spaciousness in our lives. And like you're talking about putting the blinders up, and so in one of my masterminds, I— we just started this yesterday— I bring them through this Creative Vortex Challenge because it's something that I did for myself, which is exactly similar to what you were talking about, of like sometimes you just have to like get in your zone, stay in your lane, like listen to yourself, block out the noise. So, you know, we mute, we unfollow like so many accounts, we do like no stimulation walks where we're going on walks with no music, no podcast, no audiobooks, no input. It's just the silence that be available to receive the ideas. There's a couple, couple other like elements to the challenge, but yeah, I think that's like such an important piece of advice for creative entrepreneurs especially, is, you know, creation is bringing something to existence out of nothing, so there has to be space for that nothingness. If you don't have the spaciousness, there will be no creativity. Um, and I'm obsessed with the business strategy of satisfaction. I've said this for years. I always say my main business strategy is self-trust, and, and yours is satisfaction. And it kind of like lines up how you were like, I just need to like be in alignment with what's going to make me feel good. And I'm like, I just need to be in alignment with knowing my truth and trusting myself. But it's that exact same sentiment. So I love that so much. Such good tips. Do you do like social media detoxes? Do you like try not to see what other people are doing in your niche as it pertains to like manifestation or retreats? Or like, is there anything that you do like tangibly that helps you have like the blinders up, per se?

Yeah, right now I'm actually doing an hour a day on Instagram. So I have my settings set for 1 hour maximum, which is not a lot of time to like, no, post something to like reply to a couple things to put your stories up. It's not a lot of time. So it doesn't allow space for me to then scroll or look at other, what other people are doing. I don't do that all the time, but I do it at times where I find myself comparing or I find myself scroll, scrolling a little bit too long. So I'll do that and I'll also do like actual complete detoxes as well. Like recently I was in on a retreat in Peru, another ayahuasca retreat, and I completely shut off my socials for the, for the 2 weeks. And it was hard. I, it was actually really hard. I noticed how the pattern of me always reaching for my phone to go on social and it not being there, it was like, wait a second. Okay. Wow. Um, it was actually really challenging for me to do that, but also created so much time for me to, to go within and to connect with myself. And to just be and yeah, reconnect back to, to, to myself and, and build more self-trust and receive new ideas. And, and, uh, yeah, I feel like it's necessary, especially for us business owners who use social media as one of our main platforms for marketing, to create a boundary with it and, you know, to really give yourself time away so that you can recalibrate and fine-tune and then come back even even more lit up and even more filled up than you were before.

Yeah, absolutely. Speaking of our relationship with social media, as like a digital entrepreneur, as a content creator, what is your formula, if you have one, for content creation? Like, what kind of content creator are you? Do you just like have an inspired idea and create it in the moment and then post it right away? Do you plan? Do you batch? Is it a whole mix of things? Like, how do you create your content?

I'm like a run-and-gun, on-the-fly type of person, to be honest. I wish I was somebody who could batch and schedule, I know that probably would be really valuable for me. And I'm moving into something similar where I do, you know, have like a, a bank of things that I can share. But typically, for the most part, if I'm being honest, it is very like in the moment. It's when I receive the idea or I have this breakthrough and I feel called to share it in that moment. And I also find the value in that is it's, it's real and it's now and it's present. It's coming through in that moment. So the energetics behind it are, are, I feel a more potent.

Alive. Yeah, yeah. I was literally just talking about this on a call with some of my mastermind clients the other day. Like, the energy of like a transmission or a share when it's coming through is potent, as you say. I, I say that it's alive. Like, it's like ideas— if you've ever read like Big Magic by Liz Gilbert, like this idea that like ideas are alive, they're these like energetic sort of like beings almost that, that come and they want to be born and they want to be pushed out into the world, they want to be made real. I really believe that when you have like an inspired idea idea, it's, it's really alive. It has the most vitality in the moment that it's like received and it's felt. If there's emotion attached to it, it's really alive. Which is why sometimes those posts where you're just like, oh my gosh, I'm really feeling this, and you pour your heart out and you write it and you're like, just post it right away, like they get such, uh, incredible reception because I believe there's an energetic transmission in it and that idea is really alive. And so other people can kind of feel that through the screen. I don't know if you feel, feel the same, but I think that's so real.

So real. So true. Yeah. I found that as well in my experience, the reception of the posts that you're not really like planning or structuring or overthinking. It's the ones that are organically coming through that you share.

Just super random. Yeah. It's like why people say like the most random post is the one that goes viral because you are probably just like, oh, like I'm kind of feeling this. Like I'm just gonna whatever. Like I'll just post it. And then that's the one, the one that you spend 3 hours on is like a flop.

Yeah. So true. And I feel like that's what I help a lot of my clients do, is like get out of their own way so that they can be in that flow state and organically share what is wanting to be birthed through them in that moment without getting into the analysis paralysis of like, is this the right thing? Is this not? Should I do it this way? Are people going to judge me? It's like, no, this message is coming through you as a channel to be shared. Like, can you get out of your own way for that to come through?

Yeah, yeah, so good. Just run and gun it like you said. I love it. Okay, last thing, last thing I want to close with, because I heard you recently that part of your vibe for July is this, like, is like quantum manifesting over linear manifesting. So describe the difference for us and how you are personally going about this.

Yes, I love this. So I have been really excited and playing with the idea of time lately, and, um, it's really put into perspective the way that most of society manifests. And the way that most of society manifests is very linearly. It's very like, here's my goal. My goal in December, by December, is to hit $1 million, right? So I'm going to take the necessary steps required over these next 6 months to get to that end goal that's in December, that's in the future, quote unquote, the future. And so most people are thinking very linearly, right? There's a future, there's a past, there's the present, when really there's only the now. The past and the future are just other versions of now. And so linear manifesting is putting it out into the future and working toward that future, quantum manifesting is recognizing that all potentials exist simultaneously right here in this now moment. And so whatever goal you have is available to you right now. Whatever dream you have is available to you right now. It's not something that's out in the future and at a distance. It's possible for you now. So then it's like, okay, well, that's great and all. How do I create that dream now? How do I close the gap faster, collapse the time faster? And it's just simply connecting with that version of you, connecting with that quote-unquote future version and asking yourself, what, what does that version think? What does that version believe? What types of actions does that version take? Who is it that I get to become to embody that version in this now moment? And so it's, it's just this new way of thinking of time and realizing it's an illusion. It's a construct. It's a, it's a, it's a, right? It, time isn't real. It's just our perception of it that's real. And anything is possible right now. All possibilities exist. Right now? And so just exploring that idea and being curious about it is the first step for people, because I know it can seem a little bit confusing because we've lived our lives so linearly, right? Every year I turn— I get a year older. We start in January, we end in December, right? It's this very linear way of thinking. So just being curious and being the playful energy of what if it were possible quicker? What if it were possible now? What if it were possible, you know, tomorrow or today?

Yeah, I think we throw a lot of people are— it's like, okay, I'm finally open to this idea of dreaming big, right? So I'm going to see myself as having the potential to be this bigger, more successful, more fulfilled, happier, joyful, abundant version of myself, whatever that looks like. But we, we cast that vision out so far into the future so that— I think in some ways it's like a protective mechanism so that we're not actually required to make really big changes now. It's like, oh, if I think that's going to happen in 10 years or in 20 years, then I don't actually— I'm not forced to change anything about my day-to-day or about my current existence or about the way that I'm operating or seeing myself or showing up now. And so I think what you're talking about of believing that all possibilities of your life and all the versions of you on those future timelines exist right now in the quantum reality— they're already real somewhere on a, on a parallel timeline somewhere. So if we can access that, if we can tap into the version of ourselves that is already there, then we can shorten that gap, collapse that timeline, and bring that closer. But what that's going to require is that you have the courage to actually show up as that, you know, bigger future version of yourself now. And I think that's what a lot of people are resistant to, because it's going to require you to do some brave shit, right? Because it doesn't happen without the action. And so I think that's why it's easier and more comfortable to believe in our big dreams, but to believe that they're 5, 10, 15 years out into the future, rather than, as you're saying, adopt this radical curiosity and idea of infinite possibility of what if it's possible in 5 months instead of 5 years? What would that mean that I have to do though? What would that require me to change? What— how, how do I need to show up more responsibly for my future self? Like, what is in my life right now that's not working, that doesn't align with that? I gotta let that go. Oh, that's scary. Oh, there might be some people that don't get to come along with me. Oh, like, right? And so we protect ourselves by believing that everything is so far away— protect ourselves in air quotes— but what if that's the biggest risk of all? You know, is betraying your true potential and just believing that the journey has to be so slow.

Oh, she's over here dropping mics! Betraying your true potential. Damn, I love it. Yeah, it's like, yeah, I gotta let some shit go in order to be that, and that's scary sometimes.

Yeah, yeah. What is— what is going to be required of me? What are the demands that I have to meet in order to make that future version real and, and to, you know, draw it towards me faster than what I think is maybe possible? Yeah, growth is, um, growth is an interesting one. It's, uh, it's not comfortable.

It's definitely not comfortable. It's like we didn't come here to be comfortable either, right? It's like, wait, that's what we came for. I always like reframe this, and I always think about my biggest dreams and the things that I desire. It's like not about— it's not about that. It's not about the end result. It's not about the destination. It's about who I get to become on the way to it. The manifestation, the dream, is just a byproduct of the soul expansion that we came for. It's like about the journey, it's about the process. The process is the prize.

Yes, the process is the prize, you guys. There's so many bars in this episode. Oh my God, make— you can make this your manifestation track. Oh my God, thank you so much, John, for coming on and sharing all of your wisdom and your stories. I'm so excited to share this episode with everyone. I know they're gonna love you. If you guys don't already, please go follow John. John, shout out like your main platforms where people can find you. You are such a, um, retreat king. You have so many retreats, I feel, happening all the time. So if you're looking for a really expansive, incredible retreat experience, I'm sure John can facilitate that for you in some amazing, jaw-dropping location. So check him out. Where can they find you?

You can find me on Instagram mostly, @johnhilsted, and then I'm also on TikTok, @johnhilsted. And would love to have you at a retreat. Retreats are lighting me up at this moment, and the next one is in Peru. So I'm super excited about that.

Yeah, and that land is super special for you. Obviously it's been such a big part of your journey.

Yeah, yeah, deep, deep connection to, to Peru. So I'm excited to, to share that with this group of people.

Yeah, amazing. Oh my gosh. All right, you guys, thank you so much for tuning in to this episode. If you enjoyed it, please copy the link, send it to a friend, someone that you know would love this conversation, a manifestation bestie, someone, an entrepreneur, someone in your life that you know benefit from this, send it to them. Let them know you were thinking of them. Uh, let John and I know what you loved about this conversation. If you guys love John, if this episode helped you discover him, please go over to his DMs, drop in there, say hi, let him know that you're coming from the podcast. We love to see how our worlds are colliding and connecting, so we really appreciate that. And, um, we'll leave everything in the show notes for you guys to connect with John, and we will talk to you guys next week. Love you, bye!