Mindful Millionaire with Leisa Peterson

Are you exhausted from trying to fit yourself into someone else's business blueprint? Do you feel like you're constantly chasing goals that leave you depleted rather than fulfilled?

In this deeply resonant conversation, I sit down with my longtime friend Sarah Santacroce—a conscious business coach, author, and self-described "hippie turned conscious business coach" who lives in Switzerland and has made it her life's work to revolutionize how we approach marketing, selling, and business ownership.

Sarah is the founder of Humane Marketing and author of three transformative books: "Marketing Like We're Human," "Selling Like We're Human," and her newest release, "Business Like We're Human." This latest book shifts the focus from making business humane for our clients to making it humane for ourselves as business owners.

WHAT WE EXPLORE IN THIS CONVERSATION:

• The lonely journey of being an early voice questioning traditional business models

• Why "sophisticated manipulation" became normalized in online business—even among communities claiming to be heart-centered

• The courage required to step away from established blueprints and create your own path

• How growing up with permission to question assumptions shapes entrepreneurial choices

• The deep conditioning around productivity and "not enough-ness" that drives burnout

• Why neurodivergent entrepreneurs particularly struggle with traditional business funnels and launches

• The concept of "degrowth" and what it means to intentionally scale back

• How to release ancestral baggage around work and productivity

• Practical first steps for recalibrating your business with humane principles

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM SARAH:

"Courage is probably the number one skill that we need to step into right now."

"The first two books were about making it more humane for the client. But Business Like We're Human is more humane for us—how can we create a business that is humane for ourselves?"

"I want to be a human first that just happens to run a business, but I want to do it in a humane way, and I want to create spaciousness to be human and have a business."

WHY THIS CONVERSATION MATTERS:

If you've ever felt like the online business world demands a version of success that doesn't align with your values... if you're tired of the emotional rollercoaster of launches and funnels... if you're ready to question the "customer is always king" mentality that leaves business owners perpetually depleted... this episode offers both validation and a roadmap forward.

Sarah brings years of experience and wisdom to the conversation, sharing not just theory but practical insights from working with clients who are rebuilding their businesses to honor their humanity.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Books by Sarah Santacroce:

• "Business Like We're Human" (2024) - www.humane.marketing/book3

• "Marketing Like We're Human"

• "Selling Like We're Human"

Get a FREE first chapter of "Business Like We're Human" (no email required):

humane.marketing/book3

Download the 7 P's of Humane Marketing:

humane.marketing/1page

Meditation on InsideTimer:

Sarah offers guided meditations including one on releasing ancestral work patterns

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CONNECT WITH SARAH:

What do you do when you've spent 20 years building a business only to find yourself completely burned out and financially trapped? If you're Luke Halford, you take a radical leap into cryptocurrency—and completely transform your life.

In 2015, while running two hairdressing salons in Leicester and working himself to exhaustion, Luke discovered crypto. Having missed the internet investment wave in his twenties, he immediately recognized blockchain technology as a second chance—a genuine innovation that could reshape wealth creation the way the internet reshaped everything else.

Against all conventional wisdom, he invested £5,000 in mentorship, dove deep into learning about crypto, and three years later had closed his brick-and-mortar business, moved to central London, and built a thriving international crypto coaching practice.

But this conversation goes far beyond "how to make money in crypto." Luke breaks down:

• What cryptocurrency actually is in the simplest possible terms (hint: think Excel spreadsheet, not magic internet money)
• The real difference between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and thousands of other tokens—and why it matters
• Why governments are terrified of crypto while simultaneously trying to create their own versions (CBDCs)
• The biggest risks in crypto including devastating scams, lost passwords to six-figure accounts, and fake luxury fund schemes
• His $30,000+ education in learning the hard way what works and what doesn't
• Why the "nothing backs it" argument misses the point about decentralization
• The parallel between crypto and gold as inflation hedges
• How to actually use crypto without getting scammed or losing everything
• Whether now is a good time to invest (his thoughts on altcoins might surprise you)

We also tackle the uncomfortable truths: Yes, crypto was used for illegal activities (though it's shifted to other currencies now). Yes, the user experience is still clunky. Yes, you could lose everything if you don't understand what you're doing.

But for those willing to educate themselves and take measured risks, Luke argues that crypto represents one of the most significant wealth-building opportunities of our generation—if you approach it with wisdom, not hype.

This is a candid, educational conversation that neither hypes nor dismisses cryptocurrency, but instead gives you the information to make your own informed decision.

Guest Bio:

Luke Halford is a crypto wealth coach and former business owner who spent 20 years in the hairdressing salon industry before discovering cryptocurrency in 2015. After recognizing blockchain technology as a transformational innovation similar to the early internet, he invested deeply in education and transformed his life—closing his traditional business, moving to central London, and building an international coaching practice. Now he travels the world helping clients navigate cryptocurrency investment while cultivating what he calls "wealth consciousness"—true abundance that goes beyond money. He offers both group education programs and personalized coaching for those looking to understand and invest in crypto wisely.

Key Topics:

• Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Technology
• Financial Freedom & Career Transitions
• Investment Strategy & Risk Management
• Inflation & Currency Manipulation
• Entrepreneurship & Reinvention
• Wealth Consciousness
• Digital Asset Security

Connect with Luke:

What happens when a rising corporate executive walks away from Amazon and The Honest Company to buy a pawn shop? You get one of the most fascinating entrepreneurial stories you'll hear this year.

Dustin Bunnell joins us to pull back the curtain on an industry most people misunderstand. Far from the stereotype, modern pawn shops serve as crucial financial lifelines—providing $300 bridge loans to families in emergency situations and $75,000 cash flow solutions to small business owners who can't wait for bank approvals.

In this eye-opening conversation, Dustin shares:

• Why 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck—regardless of income level
• How pawn shops actually work (spoiler: 90% of customers come back for their items)
• The truth about interest rates and why 4% per month isn't as crazy as it sounds
• Stories of retirees making thousands at thrift stores by finding hidden gold and jewelry
• His $30,000 education in counterfeit luxury goods (ouch!)
• How he's scaled from one store to four by becoming an expert in luxury watches, collectible art, and even cattle ranch loans
• The unexpected parallels between pawn shops and corporate factoring

Whether you're curious about alternative financial services, entrepreneurship, or just love hearing about people who bet on themselves and won, this conversation will change how you think about pawn shops—and maybe inspire you to take your own leap.

Guest Bio:

Dustin Bunnell is a corporate operations executive turned pawnbroker entrepreneur. After nearly a decade at Target, Amazon, and The Honest Company, he pursued business ownership by entering the pawn industry. Today, he owns and operates four Jum-Pawn-It locations across California and Arizona. A father of four and self-described lucky husband, Dustin brings candid insights about entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and building freedom through business ownership.

Key Topics:

• Entrepreneurship & Career Transitions
• Alternative Financial Services
• Small Business Lending
• Luxury Goods & Collectibles
• Financial Literacy
• Risk & Business Ownership

Connect with Dustin:

What would make someone walk away from the "perfect" corporate job—six figures, flexibility, great boss, seniority in a male-dominated industry? For Anisa Crespo, it took a cancer diagnosis and her toddler asking why mommy didn't love them anymore to realize that checking all the traditional success boxes wasn't filling her cup.

In this inspiring conversation, Anisa shares the remarkable journey of Million Dollar Mom Society, which went from a dead Facebook group with 200 friends and family members to a thriving community of 16,000 women generating six-figure weeks—all in just over a year.

But this isn't just another business success story. It's about the power of divine alignment, the courage to trust a stranger with your financial future, and how combining strategy with energetics can create exponential growth. Anisa reveals how she and her business partner Natasha went from meeting online to sharing bank accounts and LLCs after knowing each other for "five minutes," and how that leap of faith led to building a TV show, magazine, and movement that's projected to reach over a billion people.

From growing up with a single mom where "we can't afford this" was the constant refrain, to creating generational wealth for her twins, Anisa's story shows what's possible when you align your business with your deepest values and refuse to settle for a life that doesn't light you up.

What you'll discover:

• The moment Anisa's daughter asked "Why don't you love us anymore?" and how it led to walking away from a six-figure corporate career
• How a melanoma diagnosis became the wake-up call that put time and mortality into crystal-clear perspective
• The "insane divine alignment" that led two strangers to trust each other with bank accounts and build a million-dollar business in 12 months
• Why a Facebook group sat dead for 4 years with 200 people before exploding to 16,000 women in months
• The exact progression: 6 figures in 6 months, first 6-figure month 6 months later, 6-figure week just last week
• How growing up hearing "we can't afford this" shaped Anisa's relationship with money and worthiness
• Why combining business strategy with energetics was the secret sauce that made their business "blow up"
• The vision to help 1,000 moms become thriving entrepreneurs by 2030 and create generational wealth for their children

• Facebook Group: Million Dollar Mom Society
• Website: milliondollarmom.org
• TV Shows: "The Million Dollar Room" docuseries and "Legacy Makers"
• Event: The Million Dollar Room - Laguna Beach, November 2025
• Mission: Helping 1,000 moms become thriving entrepreneurs by 2030
• Role: President of Global Women of Impact

What if every fight you've had about money was actually about something else entirely? In this revealing conversation, financial psychotherapist Vicky Reynal exposes the hidden emotional drivers behind our most puzzling money behaviors—from the ultra-wealthy who can't stop accumulating despite having more than they could spend in lifetimes, to couples who argue endlessly about joint bank accounts when they're really fighting about trust and intimacy.

Reynal shares jaw-dropping client stories that reveal how money becomes a language for expressing everything from masculinity and power to love and self-worth. You'll discover why someone earning a seven-figure salary might still complain their partner doesn't make enough, how financial self-sabotage can actually be an unconscious strategy to feel loved, and the single question that can unlock the real reasons behind your money patterns.

Whether you're drowning in debt or swimming in wealth, this episode reveals why traditional financial advice often fails—and how understanding the psychology behind your money behaviors can finally set you free.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The hidden language of money and how couples argue about joint bank accounts when they're really fighting about intimacy and trust
• Why ultra-wealthy individuals can't stop accumulating money despite having more than they could ever spend
• How financial self-sabotage can be an unconscious strategy to feel rescued and loved by partners
• The childhood imprints that shape our adult money behaviors, from breadwinner shame to scarcity-driven hoarding
• The breakthrough moments that create lasting change—why intellectual understanding isn't enough
• One powerful question that can unlock the real reasons behind your spending, saving, and financial decisions
• How professional traders manage emotional responses to wins and losses, and how this applies to everyday finances
• Practical tools for developing "financial-emotional awareness" in yourself and your children