Barbara: Welcome. Nice to see you. Thanks, Diazina. We’re just going to dive right in to the interview. In the beginning, we met in 2020 through the Year of Surrender at Love and Freedom Education. What was that season of your life like right before we met?

Diazina: Right before we met. So hi first. Hi Barbara. The season before we left, I had just been opened up to this idea that I could have what I desired. It literally had just happened. I had come back from Bali, and that trip, I remember when it was announced, “I’m going to be taking some people to Bali,” I was like, “Wow, somebody’s going to have a really great time.” And it never occurred to me that somebody could be me. And so when I met you, I was right off of this “Whoa. Things that I want, I can actually have?” So I was just wide open to the possibilities of what was possible, when you and I met.

Barbara: In that program. Yeah, I remember that trip and being invited and being not quite ready. I was still fairly fresh from my divorce, and my kids were still young enough that I didn’t want to… it was taking place over Thanksgiving, and I wasn’t yet ready to not be with them for holidays. Do you know what I mean? And so there were just all these things… not quite ready, but I remember everyone in the group that came back from that being kinda juicy and open.

Diazina: I know. I was so not ready. I was so not… ’cause I remember I’d forgotten that it was over a holiday. Leaving my mom and my son. And it was, “who travels over the holiday?” You don’t do that unless you’re going to family. And so yeah, there was a lot of opening up in that spot. By 2020, I was just kind of “Okay, what has happened? I’m doing something. I don’t know. But I’m going to do it.” “Hi, Barb my name is Diazina. I think that’s my name.”

Barbara: Yes. So we were in that year-long program in 2020, and the pandemic, which everyone remembers, and there was supposed to be a part two to Bali at the end of that year, and obviously that didn’t happen, and it eventually turned into Pacific Northwest in 2022, I think. What do you remember about finally getting to retreat together in person after all that time?

Diazina: I want… I think it was ’21, Barb.

Barbara: Was it ’21? Okay.

Diazina: I think it was ’21, because it was my 50th.

Barbara: Okay, that makes sense. I know my dates are fuzzy. I was like, it’s in there somewhere between the pandemic and Mexico, so it could be ’21 too. I’m fine to go with that.

Diazina: That’s the reason why I remember because it was my 50th and it was my birthday. And you were there. We were there together. What was the question?

Barbara: So what do you remember about finally getting together to retreat in person after that extra time, extra waiting?

Diazina: For me, I don’t recall it being extra waiting. Bali wasn’t happening; it was just disappointing but off the radar. And when we did get together, I was so in “oh my gosh I’m half a century.” And so when we got together, it was super, super special. I always remember that dancing fire.

Barbara: Yes, me too. That’s what I was going to point to. Yes. Amazing. Yes.

Diazina: And it was a special one, because you and I were obviously on our separate paths, but there was this place where we were touching. Touched those places. It felt super special. Like, how can there actually be a retreat that is so perfectly aligned with where we both are in different ways, but it was the same? I remember land exploration, having those kinds of conversations about land and dreaming into that and being on the water…

Barbara: Yeah, that sailing trip.

Diazina: Yeah. And then the power that we experienced around that fire…

Barbara: That was all you. That was all you. You’re the one making that fire dance… Yeah yeah, there is a magic number of three too, so you know.

Diazina: It was a very special… That will live with me forever. That retreat, and the chef, the private chef. There were absolutely the photo shoots. There were just a lot of really rich moments, and each was so deep. I remember drawing a picture over that time of the tree, like it was a tree mama, and her roots were so deep. It was that retreat experience that conjured that image up for me. So yeah, that was a beautiful experience. One of my favorites.

Barbara: I think about, for me, it’s how instantly we clicked. I think we found each other at the airport waiting for Kianga to come pick us up, right? And I don’t know, it was like I had known you my whole life already, there was just this immediate connection to you. And then I think about all the really intimate experiences that we had, and alignment on that trip. And one of my personal favorites, in addition to the fire, making the fire dance, was when we were out in that double kayak, with the harbor porpoises, and we’re just out there fighting for our lives against the current, right? But we were in the water, and it was so big, and it was just you and me, right? It was really cool. And then the sweet moment when we were done and we were in the back of the pickup truck like we were kids.  The whole thing for me was so joyous, and like you and I have that shared experience together that I feel like really tied us together in a good way.

Diazina: It’s so interesting because I have an interesting experience of time. And so It’s weird to think that that was the first time that we met face to face? That had to have been because…

Barbara: Yeah, ’cause it’d been the pandemic and nobody was going anywhere, right? And that was, I think, really the first time I went anywhere.

Diazina: That’s incredible to me, and I’m going to tell you why. Because the way I remember that experience and the way it lives in my body is that it was a culmination of our relationship to that point, so I felt like we already knew each other very well by the time we got to that. But we had only known each other for five months.

Barbara: No, because we would’ve been in the container in the year of surrender… 2020, and then whatever portion of ’21. I don’t know, did we go in the summer? I don’t even recall, because the weather was different. I remember the roses were in bloom while we were there, so it has to be some kind of warm-ish season there. But we had that year-plus long container where we’re doing that deep self-exploration and witnessing each other in that. I think it creates a depth of knowing. So clearly there’s some calendar schedule melting happening. But it was yeah, just like it’s a very large point on the map for me across that timeline.

So I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about Gifted Ones. For you, I know Gifted Ones is something that started to take shape quite some time ago, and I’d love to hear about was there a specific moment when you knew that this was something that had to exist and you were the one to create it? Or was it something that evolved over time?

Diazina: She’s been evolving over time. She’s definitely been evolving over time. This is actually year 20. It was in 2006 when she was conceived officially and marked in the books. And so there’s been a lot, and I was thinking this will flow into our work together around this, but it was just a long incubation time. It’s a long incubation time and there were things that had been happening over the years. There were logos that had happened, like from a clip art butterfly to a gifted logo to a logo that was hand-drawn by someone and never got completed because I was like, “Yeah, I’m not sure what I want,” so it just stalled out. It was always there but I needed to grow. I needed my jam so that it could become what she is today. I just… You were so instrumental in bringing her… what people see today is you. They experience me because I talk about Gifted Ones. I talk about her as being my baby, and I talk about the impact that she’s had and what she will have moving forward. But when they look at anything visually about Gifted Ones, it’s you. And it’s not just you having created a logo or created a branding kit. You created that from our relationship over years of listening to me talk about my baby, over years of witnessing me grow into my own power, into my own expression. And remember when we started talking about doing the branding kit, and you started talking about the colors and there were things that I didn’t even remember, and you said remember you talked about the fire and the colors of the fire and “remember we made the fire jump.” And you just pulled our relationship into the visual expression of Gifted Ones, and it just landed right now. It’s always been special, but just now that’s us. That’s us.

Barbara: Yeah. Yeah, you’ve anticipated some of my questions which are … I very much felt that as we were working on that logo that it was coming from a place of having experienced you directly for so long, and experienced the things that came up and moved through. And it’s interesting, at one point after that Pacific Northwest trip, I was doing a little watercolor painting of the fire dancing, and all those colors that I used ended up in your logo a couple years later. It’s just this felt visceral thing, and it’s, for me, one of the most meaningful things about the work that I get to do is being in a position to channel that thing for someone, right? I don’t know that I’m always in charge of what’s being created, if that makes sense at all. It’s not all intellectual. It’s not all coming from here [points to head]. It’s coming from my felt experience of that person. And how fortunate, how lovely that I got to know you so well that I could help create this thing that now represents this movement. Pretty amazing. So the question was, what was it like having someone close to you try and do something visual? I feel like we covered that. Okay. You got the four pillars and a soul, global community focus. And I know you’ve got lots of other people on a board involved in the shaping and direction of Gifted Ones now. But at the time that we were thinking about the brand and the visuals, did our work together in any way help you find the language, or was that something you were already pretty clear on? Did our work together help shape the language, or do you think it was the other way?

Diazina: It feels like this, I don’t know which came first. It’s just like a little spiral, it all fed into each other because when we think about the length of time that we were working together and even just thinking about, “Oh, maybe Barb can help me with that.” So it feels like it was happening before it actually… and I do remember actually that the campaign that we started on was the Go Love campaign, right? It wasn’t about creating a logo for the organization. So we had tons of things that came from that with the pillars, and the one that landed, the one that I was like, “That’s the one,” was the only one that you said, “I got an idea.” So it feels like the words… It’s like the words were in here, like the feeling was in here. The words weren’t in there. The feelings were in here. And then the images, each time you sent images, each time we were in that, it felt like it was expressing that, and then the words came after. So it does feel like the images came and then the words.

Barbara:  I also think it’s really interesting that in that design process together, we got to exercise some of the skills that we were learning inside the containers that we’ve been in, like learning to trust our feelings, learning to wait and let things come through, giving ourselves a chance to metabolize, listening to the yes. It’s interesting to me how that part of the process was really still in its infancy for me, and how it is the process now for all the work that I do, and it’s just fascinating that for me, our project in particular was the first time I really felt like I was flexing a muscle as opposed to training a muscle.

Diazina: Okay. you were flexing. You were definitely flexing.

Barbara: [laughs]Welcome to my gun show. Looking back at the brand and what work we’ve done together, I’m wondering if there’s still a piece that stands out

as your favorite thing that we did or that felt exactly right?

Diazina: First thought, best thought is when you presented the colors, I thought, “This is too big. This is too much. These are too deep. It’s too. It’s too.” And my whole body was like, “Yep, that’s it.” And so I felt like even though they were my colors, remember the first time seeing them it was the visual representation of what was actually… which was Gifted Ones was so much bigger than me, and through me. I didn’t have any visual to go along with what I was feeling in here, and that was it. So when I saw the palette, I knew those were the colors, and I felt like I was not big enough to fit into those colors just yet.

Barbara: So yes and terrifying.

Diazina: Yes. Thank you. That is the summary of my life. That will be my book title. Yeah. That’s what stands out for me is this is absolutely it and wow.

Barbara: I’m a yes and terrified, I’d say. Awesome. Thank you. Okay, so we’ve been Surrender Sisters since 2020. We’ve traveled together a bunch, so we’ve got that Pacific Northwest trip, Mexico both on the West Coast and in Mexico City. Still love that place. Colombia, and Egypt. We are those people that get to do that. What has it meant to you to have a friendship that’s also a working relationship?

Diazina: Yeah, I won’t do it any other way. I won’t. I didn’t know that it was possible to this depth, right? I’ve had friends and we’ve done things together. But the journey and the knowing one another in such an intimate way and the container, like you said, by the time we got to see each other face to face, we knew. And it has translated into what Gifted Ones is now. I am with some of my most favorite people on the planet, and if I’m not working with them yet, I will. So one of my mantras is that I’m grateful for the loved ones known to me and those yet to be revealed. And as soon as someone is revealed, I’m like, “Do you see yourself in Gifted Ones?” Because I get to say, “Hey, we need this thing, and maybe there’s a spot for you here.” And so obviously, there are places where I work where I’m not friends with the people who I’m interacting with as a counselor. But as we’re saying this, I have one contract where I wasn’t friends with the people beforehand, and I didn’t have a connection with them beforehand, and it is very different than anything that I’ve done with you or with Kianga or with anybody inside of Gifted Ones. And yeah I’m not about that life anymore. I’m only working with friends.

Barbara: Nice. I think there’s a different kind of trust that comes with it. You know that at least I feel like when I’m working with people who are also friends, there’s this mutual care. I want to do the best to support your success, and I know that you want me to be successful and well-rested and fed, right? And so despite a lot of advice that’s “Don’t do business with friends,” I think it depends on how you do it, and I think this is the way to do it.

Diazina: Yeah. It does take a lot of trust so that you can communicate. There’s that piece of I’m not worried about losing Barb as a friend, and we may not agree on a design, which we haven’t yet, but I can say, “Hey, here’s a thing that I’m noticing,” and I know that it’s going to be received.

Barbara: Yeah. Cool. So we’ve both watched each other grow a lot over these years, and I’m curious what changes you have noticed in how we both show up differently now compared to when we first met in 2020.

Diazina: I told you how I showed up in 2020. It was like mind blown and still like “Okay, maybe that was the only time that could have happened.” Maybe that was a fluke that I was able to get to go to Bali because I hadn’t traveled out of the country in 20 years at that point. So when I look at where I am now, having traveled all of those years to all of those places with a couple of side trips in there to Italy and Greece as well. It’s like I’m living in an answered prayer. Like I’m living in that dream. Like I desired, I had the desire and I learned the courage to lean into the desire through our relationship and through the work that we were doing. And so when I decided not to travel out of the country last year, it was a decision. It was based on a decision I made that was right for me and my life at the time. Before 2020, I didn’t think it was possible. There was always a reason why I couldn’t do it. And now I don’t think about what I can’t do. I just think about what I’m choosing to do, which is a whole different mindset. And you are just a badass. Like I don’t mean that ’cause we’re here and we’re recording. There’s a level of confidence that you have in your skill and in the work that you do and how you run your business and how you run your life, where you are erect. And before there was some like, “Okay, let me see. Maybe, I think.” Like it was always in there, but it was like you had to meet you. The years you have, like you just kept meeting you and kept meeting you. And I look at you now and I’m just like, “Yo.” Like you are owning all of your life in many different ways. And there are just many things over the years where I’ve just been like, “Yo, Barb, like you keep doing it. Keep doing it.” So I just see us both as people who have found our way back to ourselves.

Barbara: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for that reflection. I definitely think that in the same way that you had that moment where the colors felt bigger than you, there have definitely been times on my experiences working with someone where I’m like, “Am I big enough for this? Is the way that I do this okay?” “Is it even valid? Is it good enough?” kind of thing. And I’ve, over time, acquired an understanding that my process is my process, and it seems to work pretty well. And also have a language for what it is, and that there’s a distinctive way that I do things, and that’s for some people and it’s not for others, and that’s great.

Diazina: That’s beautiful. And when we get that as human beings, when we get that, that’s one of the premises of Gifted Ones is that if we can just hone in and realize what our gift is and then just put 100% into that gift, and trust that others are doing the same thing, right? I don’t have to be an expert. I’m telling you, I’d still be using that clip art butterfly because that’s all I got. So when we meet other Gifted Ones who have completely immersed themselves and just are doing their jam in their way, it makes it clear what I’m coming for. It makes it clear what is going to happen in that exchange. And so it’s just putting the puzzle together.

Barbara: Awesome. So one of the amazing things for me for having Gifted Ones as a client is not only that great piece of work that we’ve done together, but also I have a “I work with nonprofits” credential. And that’s not really in quotes, but it’s helped me get other nonprofit work. What does it mean to you to have that your work helped shape what I’m able to do in the world?

Diazina: Yeah. It’s on brand. It’s totally on brand. That’s what I do. That’s beautiful. Yeah. Good for them. ‘Cause there’s a whole thing around nonprofits. We deserve the best.

Barbara: Absolutely. And personally, I’m highly motivated to work with purpose-oriented organizations, people that make the world a better place, my change-makers, right? So the more of those people I get to touch and help, the better, happier, more fulfilled, more grounded I am, both in my life and in my work. So it’s really opened the door for me for a lot more of that kind of opportunity, which makes me super happy.

Diazina: That’s that. Good.

Barbara: But what else? So I want to talk some more about Gifted Ones. Where do you think Gifted Ones is headed next? What part of the vision is still unfolding?

Diazina: Oh my gosh. It’s so much. It really is so much. One of the things that I’m so excited about when we talk about the heart meeting the visual and giving rise to the words—the articulation of our vision and our mission. So first off is absolutely, I will be doing this for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine running out of Gifted Ones. “Oh, we’ve accomplished that. We’re done.” So we inspire a global movement of vibrant, interconnected communities that are well-resourced and rooted in a culture of wisdom. And we do this by equipping visionary leaders to transform their community through healing and innovation. We’ve got plenty to do and plenty to grow into. While we have this 20 years of things that we’ve been doing, it feels like we’re just at the tip of the tip of what we have in store. We have some amazing collaborations. We are constantly innovating inside of Gifted Ones in order to support people in their innovation. It’s a beautiful butterfly effect, this rippling effect that is in the world. And supporting leaders in building up the skills that they need to direct and own their own programs and projects and nonprofit organizations if they want to lead one. And the mentorship that comes in and our ability to take care of those who take care of other people through our initiative, really supporting mental health professionals and those coaches and people who have a heart to give to others and reminding them they deserve to be taken care of. That is some really important work that will literally always be there. It will always be there as a need. So yeah, there’s plenty that’s coming up.

Barbara: If you could tell people one true thing about what it means to be a Gifted One, what would it be?

Diazina: Just one word comes up, which is trust. To be a Gifted One means that we trust ourselves. We do the work that we need to do to get back to a place where we trust and know in our knower what is true and right for us, then build from that place, right? Build from the place of what we desire to see, building from the principles and the pillars that we have, which is love, peace and oneness, freedom. Building from that internal expression of those and letting that ripple out into the world. So the trust in ourselves so that we can trust in community and get that support. The trust that our gift is ours, right? It’s ours. So that’s the one thing that I know to be true is that when we trust, we change, the world changes, life changes.

Barbara: If someone, let’s say, wanted to get involved with Gifted Ones, or maybe they think they have a community program that they want to start and they want to apply for support, like how does someone get involved with Gifted Ones?

Diazina: They can go to… we have lots of places where they can go, but our beautiful website is a place that you can go, and it’s gogiftedones.org. And we have a list of what we do. We have ways to contact us. He***@**********es.org is an email that I check personally ’cause I want to touch everybody who comes into the organization. And we’re always open to chatting, talking. We have a big community event coming up in September. We have Voices of Vision, which is a virtual event that we do monthly to simply bring people into a space to just be in the vibe of creation and innovation. So lots of places to tap in.

Barbara: Awesome. Thank you. Thanks for being here today.

Diazina: You’re welcome. Thanks for having me, ma’am.

Barbara: Thank you.