Meet Marla Teyolia | Founder & CEO of Culture Shift Agency

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marla Teyolia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marla, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking has been a huge part of my life and career. As a first-gen Mexican woman who is the only one of my family born in the United States, my parents had traditional visions of what success looked like… cue doctor, lawyer. That’s about it. Soon after graduating with a master degree, I did a huge pivot and started my own management and consulting business. I was done with other people’s view of success. While it may feel like a a risk to get off of the socially accepted track that others have for you, I find that risk often leads us to more purpose and values-aligned work.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am an Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor, and Ancestral Medicine Practitioner reinventing how leaders Heal, Lead, + Rise. The majority of my work is centered around Black, Indigenous, People of Color who are C-Suite, senior level executives and public figures supporting them to do their deepest work of transforming and healing the root of maladaptive mindsets and behaviors to unleash their true leadership essence and impact.

What that looks like in a practical sense is that I curate immersive experiences that range from 1:1 coaching sessions, full-day in person VIP days, group coaching experiences and a week-long rejuvenation retreat in Mexico called Pause + Press Play. In these spaces I blend the modern with the ancient by combining Indigenous wisdom, actionable strategy, and somatic practices to liberate their authentic power.

Clients often come to me because they want guidance untangling career complexities and workplace challenges, however, what they quickly realize is that I don’t just guide them on a journey of professional development but rather one of personal growth and healing. Can you imagine what the world would be like if the folks who lead organzations, let alone countries (!), committed to their own healing by unpacking the emotional depths and maladaptive behaviors that drive them? I honestly feel that this is the work that we collectively need to focus on if we want to birth a new world that centers living in right relationship with each other and the Earth.

What sets me apart is the depth of embodiment and mastery I bring to my craft. I have trained for 25+ years in multiple modalities ranging from transformational leadership development to trauma-informed Indigenous wisdom. We live in a highly capitalistic system where we often extract teachings and wisdom from others in the hopes of monetizing that knowledge for ourselves. One of the things that I am most proud of is that I studied different wisdom traditions for myself, first and foremost. When I began my formal apprenticeship into curanderismo with Master Curandera Elena Avila over 20 years ago, it was because I was looking to reclaim parts of my identity that had been lost due to the colonization of my people. I needed to EMBODY the teachings before I could even begin to think about sharing it with others. And I have done that consistently throughout my career, from attending Columbia University for my masters program to my 25+ years of study in yoga, meditation, breathwork, somatic practices and trauma-informed healing, I bring all of these modalities to my work in a unique and authentic way.

And while I have achieved great levels of success in my career by being deeply authentic and committing to my own mastery, I had to work through my own limiting beliefs about how to bring the fullness of myself into my practice. It sounds silly now, but I had real fears of bringing energy maintenance practices into the executive coaching space as so many folks are deeply disconnected from their bodies. I thought they would look at it as too “woo-woo” or “out there”. However, the reality is that folks are in desperate need of tending to themselves and deeply crave that re-connection with their mind, body, and spirit. So what I once feared is now my secret sauce.

If I had any advice to give it would be to follow your passion, study the things that bring you joy, and focus on your own healing. Sometimes you can’t see the destination when you are focusing on the things directly in front of you. However, keep going. There comes a time in your life and in your career when it all comes together and things become clear.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is such a fun question. I would do a range of things. On the west side I would start with a day at Surya Spa and get a luxurious panchakarma treatment. We would stay at the Proper and relax for the evening. Next morning we would head down to Manhattan beach and chill out all day. We’d make our way to Venice in the late afternoon and rent bikes to ride along the walkway and watch the sunset in Malibu. We’d make our way east for the remainder of our time together and visit some of my favorite places such as:

– Anajak, a great thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks,
– Toluca bakery, a vegan panaderia in Toluca lake
– A nightime hike to Griffith Observatory
– Take in a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Then I’d make my way to the east side where I live and explore via:
– Saturday hike along Arroyo Seco
– Then head to El Sereno Green Grocer for one of their Saturday local coffeeshop pop ups
– And on Sunday (my favorite day of the week!) we’d head to the Alhambra Farmers Market and purchase fruits and veggies from our favorite vendors such as Chavez Farms
– And lastly we would have brunch at Yang’s Kitchen right around the corner from the farmers market.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and my ancestral medicine teachers Asunna Mekaru and Elena Ávila

Website: https://marlateyolia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlateyolia/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marla-rubio-teyolia-07b2028/

Other: Culture Shift Agency – https://cultureshift.agency/

Image Credits
Jamaica Gilmer