We recently connected with Kristina Adam and have shared our conversation below.

Kristina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

What a beautiful question to think about, one that inspires intention and a deeper purpose for the path ahead. While my journey has been incredibly non-linear and instead unfolded organically with a variety of twists and turns along the way, the legacy I am currently aspiring to build is centered on nurturing a softer, slower way of life, inspiring a deeper connection with the earth and the feminine essence.

My desire is to establish spaces in which women-identifying individuals are able to find solace and belonging, where they are embraced in their entirety; seen, and loved for who they are. I hope to be remembered for transformative experiences that awaken these women to their true essence, empowering them to embrace their feminine energy and reclaim their innate wisdom.

Furthermore, I have a dream to build an inclusive community and support network for women and mothers — a modern-day village in which women receive the care and nurture needed through pregnancy and postpartum. A vision that embodies a new level of maternal support for an empowering journey into and through motherhood.

Kristina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the founder of Aether, an LA-based wellbeing brand that is rooted in the ethos of feminine energy and a deep reverence for the healing power of nature. Following nearly a decade in the world of luxury design, my venture into the wellness industry began with a personal pursuit for inner peace and balance. Along my journey, I recognized the universal need for practices that invite a slower pace of life, a realization that inspired me to create experiences where women can receive profound nourishment and care.

We just opened up the second iteration of our wellbeing studio in the serene Pacific Palisades where we provide a curated selection of experiences designed to nurture and awaken the feminine self within. Through wellness treatments, gatherings, and immersive wellness retreats, we offer a sanctuary where women can return to their body’s wisdom and explore the essence of their being.

Witnessing the transformative impact our work has had on the lives of the women in our community fills me with deep gratitude. As we evolve and expand our offerings, my greatest wish is to continue nurturing this community, empowering women to feel nourished and deeply cared for in a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming. Aether really is an invitation to pause amidst life’s chaos and reconnect with the essence of the present moment.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I love a good ‘how I built this’ story. The path to Aether really began with a full circle moment in my living room in 2018.

Growing up as the daughter of a yoga teacher, every so often, my mother would clear out our living room to make space for her yoga classes, and I would encounter various of my teachers (who loved signing up for my mother’s classes) standing on a yoga mat in our home flowing through sun salutations to Deva Premal’s songs in the background. Over a decade later, after becoming a yoga teacher myself, I then had this full circle moment, when I started teaching yoga classes in my own living room to friends and co-workers. At the time, I was living in the US on a work visa that prohibited me from pursuing any other sources of income outside of my corporate job, so I taught classes from my home and later volunteered to teach classes at work. There are many other stories to share that led me from then to now, but I love looking back on these tender beginnings that shaped so much of Aether and the experiences I curate now.

There was no business plan, not even a list of goals or things to achieve, it was a pure calling to wholeheartedly share a practice that had healed and nurtured me through an incredibly challenging time of my life, with the hopes that it would provide the same for others. It fills me with gratitude that I was able to continue down that path to where I am now.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

While there have been many times when I had to pivot or shift both in my business and in my life, the most recent and impactful transition was my journey into motherhood. A transition that has been so beautifully and profoundly life-changing and has required me to pivot quite a bit, not just personally but especially in my work. Following a traumatic birth and postpartum experience, it took me longer than I had anticipated to step into my work again and when I did, I had to completely redefine what leading the business alongside caring for my daughter would look like.

From setting up essential support systems to more carefully prioritizing how I am spending my days, I’ve now been able to create a new balance and love organically shifting my time between my daughter and Aether. The experience of becoming a mother has definitely changed every aspect of my life and filled me with an even stronger desire to provide women, and especially mothers, with the care and nourishment they need and deserve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aetherhealing.com
• Instagram: @aetherhealing

Image Credits
Photographers: Jessica Alexander and Maike Grimm