Meet Mashi Cohen | Liber8 Founder, Psychotherapist in training, Wellness and Community Enthusiast

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

Hi Mashi, what do you attribute your success to?
Definitely being able to see beyond my current circumstances and believing in that vision is what has gotten to where I am today and will continue to guide me. It’s so important to not let our current circumstances define us or get us down, but to be able to see beyond it. There were many times in my life where I was so far from where I wanted to be and I wasn’t sure how I would get there. The thing is we don’t need to know how. We just need to know what we want and believe that we can. That faith leads to aligned action and creates new pathways that we couldn’t have anticipated.

What should our readers know about your business?
There are many projects and endeavors I could talk about, but Liber8 is my favorite one because it’s so dear to my heart. The ethos of the Liber8 brand is about finding true freedom from what is holding us back from living our best and most authentic life. To me, Liber8 represents overcoming personal struggles in body, mind, and spirit, and becoming best friends with these parts of us instead.

I started Liber8 right as the pandemic was ending, and it began as live yoga and wellness events that I hosted weekly for about two years. It was a blast and a huge treat to gather in community and have healthy fun. Our signature events featured yoga taught in a hip-hop style with a live DJ, ecstatic dance, a soundbath, and a closing ceremony. What set us apart from other events and brands was the purity and the wholesomeness – we truly left feeling liberated and high on life!

More recently, we’ve pivoted toward creating an online platform and digital experiences, which I’m excited to launch in a few months hopefully!! We will still continue to have live events, albeit less often.

Entrepreneurship isn’t an easy journey, but it’s such a rewarding one. I’ve had to make some hard decisions, like pausing the weekly events to make Liber8 sustainable in the long run, for example. But I’m so proud of the two years that Liber8 hosted weekly events, barely skipping a single week.

One big lesson I learned is how to delegate to others, as well as how to work with, and lead, a team. It’s so amazing what we can do when we put our heads together, and it was a great learning experience for me to let go of the reigns and allow others to step in and help.

Another lesson I learned is to have a structure and business plan, but then to go with the flow and allow things to be easy. Instead of pushing my agenda in a very masculine action-oriented way, I’ve learned to soften into what naturally has the most traction and lean toward that, allowing things to blossom, evolve, and be created in what feels like a more balanced and fluid way. This fosters a relaxed atmosphere and a gentler approach that allows for space for unexpected magic to happen.

I also learned that it’s okay not to have it all figured out today and to enjoy every step of the process.

What differentiates Liber8 is that it’s more than just a brand – it’s a lifestyle of living where we all become the people we have dreamed of becoming. The more we Liber8 ourselves, we inevitably Liber8 others, and I’m so excited for what is to come this year and beyond.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I honestly love LA so much for this reason – there are so many epic and diverse places to go in this city. One of my favorite things to do is drive down the PCH when there’s no traffic, enjoy the stellar ocean view, and explore the shops in Malibu. My favorite Greek restaurant in Malibu is Taverna Tony’s, so we;d definitely go there. Depending on the weather we might even go surfing or on a baot ride – water activities for life. Back on land, some other restaurants I love are Bavel (mediterranean) and The Little Door (modern European). I’m a foodie so we might do a lot of eating. I also love SoHo house in WeHo for the view of the city, and let’s not forget how many amazing hikes there are !! We’d also spend the night at a Korean spa, and if we had time, maybe take a trip to Joshua Tree, one of my favorite places ever. Most of all though, I think it’s the people that make a place a home, so I’d make sure to throw a house party with all my friends to give my visitor the full LA experience. I could keep going here lol…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes! I’m so grateful for all the support that I’ve received along my journey so far. I couldn’t have made it here without my friends and community. I’d like to give a shoutout to Magic Mike and the FlowTribe community he has started. He supported me right when I first starting hosting yoga and wellness events. I’d also like to shout out my friend X.Ari, a musician and founder of Wisdomania Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting mental health and wellness. Lastly, my current housemates Emmie Chang and Rick Gibson are creating community in the tech space with their organization called FoundrHaus. These are just some of the many amazing humans in my life that I am so grateful to know and support.

Website: www.theliber8xperience.com

Instagram: @mashicohen, @theliber8xperiencela

Facebook: Mashi Cohen