Meet Delina Medhin | Beauty and Wellness Thought Leader + Host of It Takes A Village

At the start of my career, I didn’t really think about balance. I was constantly in hustle mode. I had to be. I lived in NYC and it was expensive. I was working long hours, saying yes to everything, and focused on building something meaningful. And I’m so proud of what I did. But unexpectedly, I hit a wall.

I experienced serious burnout, the kind that forces you to stop. I had to take months off just to recover. I was physically, emotionally, and creatively spent. I needed to sleep for weeks, and that alone was a wake-up call. When I finally woke up and had energy I discovered something I never knew about myself. I AM ADVENTUROUS. Like wow, I am adventurous. WHO knew?

Balance for me now is about alignment. Am I working in a way that honors my body, my values, and the life I want to live? If the answer is no, I pause and take a mandatory vacation.

Depending on where I am in life, that might mean a digital detox. I recently released a guide that I highly recommend. It’s a 48-hour reset you can do anywhere in the world. No phone, no computer, no social media. I do it every couple of months because it is a balance reset that I believe we all need.

I’ve also come to understand that I’m an empath. I feel deeply, so grounding myself is non-negotiable. Meditation helps, but truthfully, work feels infinite right now, and that’s the trap. We have to let go of perfection. It’s okay to take a vacation even when everything isn’t done. Because truthfully, it never will be.

I started as a makeup artist, and from day one, I understood that my job wasn’t just about what people looked like, the reality is, it was about how they felt. The conversations I had in makeup chairs shaped my path more than anything else. I learned to listen, hold space, and see people beyond the surface. That foundation gave me the tools to expand. Now, I connect through storytelling and conversation across platforms, blending gratitude, life lessons, business lessons and emotional intelligence in every space I step into.

One of the things I’m most proud of is my podcast It Takes a Village. Beyond the virality, it’s about creating something lasting, a space where honest, layered conversations unfold. We talk about inner and outer growth, creativity, entrepreneurship, softness, strength, and balance. These aren’t interviews. They’re real moments. A chance to hear yourself in someone else’s story. A moment that stays with you. Because when people feel safe enough to be real, something shifts, not just in them, but in the listener too.

None of this was handed to me. I moved to New York City knowing no one. I didn’t have a job or connections. One by one I met incredible human beings , my village, and they believed in me and shaped me into who I am today. My vision and my willingness to bet on myself multiplied with their belief in me.

I worked different makeup jobs during the day, assisted for free every chance I could get, studied my industry and built something from scratch one moment at a time. There were months I didn’t know how I was going to make rent. I’ve been stretched, tested, and molded into who I am more times than I can count. But I kept going because I knew I was building something real.

That’s what I want people to know. My journey hasn’t been linear, but it’s been intentional. Every pivot, risk, and leap taught me to trust my voice and stand in my purpose.

This isn’t just what I believe in. This is the work I do every single day.

When I first moved to New York, I didn’t know many people. I was in that uncertain space where you’ve made a big move, you feel the potential of what could be but you don’t yet have proof that it’s going to work out. Very soon after arriving, I reached out to Crystal and hired her. I was still working at my corporate job and snuck into a conference room to make the call. At the time, we didn’t know each other, but I had followed her work and admired the way she spoke directly, with clarity and purpose.

Crystal was a successful agency owner and after realizing how little artists knew about business, she made it her mission to teach artists like me how to turn our talents into a business. She understood the creative world, but she also understood structure, professionalism, and ownership I’ll never forget our first real conversation. I asked her, “Do you think I can quit my job in six months?” and without missing a beat, she said, “Yes.”

That “YES” hit me in a way I didn’t expect. It wasn’t just permission, it was power and I felt it. Her yes confirmed without a doubt that it was possible. And that moment cracked something open in me. I went from wondering to deciding. From hoping to planning. From dreaming to doing.

Crystal didn’t just give me advice, she helped me understand how to build. She walked me through what it meant to have a process, to set standards, to protect my time and energy. She taught me how to show up like a business owner. She also held me accountable in the most loving and direct way.

To this day, I carry her voice with me. Not just her words, but her energy. She’s a blueprint for what it looks like to lead with excellence, and to lift others as you rise.

Crystal, thank you for saying yes to me when I needed it most. You showed me what was possible, and I will always remember it.