interview with Roxie Nafousi

The pleasure was all ours speaking to the empowering Roxie Nafousi for our latest issue of AMBITION. Dubbed ‘The Manifesting Queen’ by Forbes, Roxie Nafousi is a self-development coach, manifesting expert, author, and mental health ambassador who is committed to help transform peoples lives, just as she did her own. Roxie injected us with positivity and motivation as she shared the ins and outs of manifesting and how it’s helped play a major role in both her success and her purpose.

Where does your AMBITION come from?

I think it comes from a desire to feel a sense of purpose. I had no career for such a long time and I saw what that did for me mentally. Not having something to wake up for, not having a purpose and a drive. I remember at the time my mum would always say to me, “you just need a job, I promise you will feel better,” and I used to dismiss it, but now I have a job and I do something I love. I have purpose and that has changed my life in every way, and now I never want to give that up and I want to keep moving forward.

Your book, MANIFEST, was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Please tell us about the importance of manifestation on your journey.

I was really at rock bottom when I first discovered manifesting. I had no career, I was in the grip of addiction, I was single and I realised that manifesting was not about simply visualising the things that you want. It was all about your self-worth and it was a self development practice. I instinctively became really drawn to it and I realised well, of course I wasn’t manifesting into my life, because I had no self worth. It helped guide me on a self development journey. Manifesting really empowered every single area of my life and 100% drove me in my career, giving me the support system I needed. Manifesting is about stepping outside your comfort zone, taking risks, understanding how to deal with rejection, and being authentic to what you really want and who you are. Many of these things are so important and integral to career growth, so being a great manifester also allows you to be great in business.

How does manifesting coincide with ambition? Does one have to be ambitious to manifest? Can one be too ambitious?

You don’t have to be ambitious to manifest. It depends what you define as ambitious. You can manifest simplicity into your life, and contentment, or simply being the best version of yourself. I don’t ever want anyone to think that if they want to manifest, they have to manifest being the CEO or making a million dollars, because it isn’t about that. But, if you are someone that strives to be the best in what you do, and you seek ambition in that sense, then manifesting is of course integral. If you look at all great leaders, CEOs, people at the top of their game…they’re all manifesting, even if they don’t use that term, but they’re all using many of the same principles.

Many people practice self-development and personal growth. What made you decide to go a step further and commit to coaching others in their personal development as part of your career?

Basically, one of my very dark periods of time was actually when I was pregnant and I went through a very, very deep depression. I had started something called ‘Agony Aunt Sundays’ where every Sunday I would help give people advice on Instagram. It was just something I enjoyed doing. Strangely, a few months before this, I had gone on a yoga teacher training course and there was a monk there who read my palm. He said I have the fork of The Wise One and I am here to help, lead and advise. He said the great teachers had this fork on their palm, so maybe it was in my head from then. That, and I had an astrology reading from Princess Diana’s astrologer who told me I was here to empower women. So I think I have always felt my purpose here was to help others. But I started this Instagram advice thing and it really kind of started from there. It was this realisation that I found something I really enjoyed, something that I was good at and came naturally to me, that ability to understand how others were feeling and helping them through that, and I thought, fuck it! This is what I’m going to do! I think in many ways, that’s why I’ve been successful, because it comes from an authentic place.

You are clearly a person who inspires many. Who has been the biggest inspiration to you?

I love Tony Robins, I really do. He has definitely inspired my workshops. I love the way that he can just motivate and give this incredible energy that you get after you leave a concert, that same euphoric high, but you get it within yourself from learning about yourself. I felt that he was able to create this magic and I wanted to do my own version of that. I love his energy, so he has definitely inspired me. When I first discovered him, I realised that he started when he was quite young and he had been doing it for years. He had found something he was good at, he stuck at it and it wasn’t overnight success. It was a really helpful thing to see someone in your field doing well but understanding that it took time.

How have you been able to garner such a loyal and engaged community, both online and offline?

I love, love, love my community. I really care about them, genuinely, and I spend a lot of time messaging them back. So when I did a workshop in London, there were 360 people there and I recognised almost all the faces from Instagram. I knew details of their lives, I was able to give everyone my undivided attention for those moments, and I was able to sit with them or hug them. What’s really incredible is that so many of them have become friends with each other and formed this online network, and so I see them following each other and supporting each other. And I follow loads of them, especially if they’ve been supportive for ages. I am very grateful for them. In times where I have shared my struggle, they have been there for me and it’s definitely a two way street. Through my recent success, they are my cheerleaders and they seem to be sharing my joy with me, too. I honestly feel like I have thousands of friends, because that’s what friends do! They support you when you’re down and celebrate your highs.

With such a diverse, multi-faceted career, it seems as though you’ve truly found your purpose in life after a journey of self-healing. What is your advice to those who are still seeking their purpose?

Opening yourself up to the idea that you want to do something different is a really good step. That openness will help you take the time to acknowledge when you feel best about yourself and when you feel like you are giving back to the world, no matter what you’re doing. Thinking about what we’re giving back is such an empowering exercise that makes us feel so much more valued in what we are already doing.

You’re spinning a lot of plates, balancing motherhood, podcasting, coaching, writing and more! How do you effectively balance all this without feeling the weight of the world? As a mental health ambassador, do you have tips for avoiding those overwhelming feelings?

I think in terms of balancing it all…I’m still not 100% doing it. There is a lot on all the time, and there are for sure days where I’m just like, ‘woah!’. But I do really love what I do, and that helps. I think it’s important to understand what your priorities are at any one time. When I was writing my book, I knew I had to give up weekends with my son. I couldn’t do both at that point, because split focus is so stressful. Compartmentalising your time is key. Not everything can be your top priority, all the time. Take it week by week, and be honest with yourself on what you can let go of. Maybe there’s a client that you’ve had for ages, but they pay you the least and take up most of your time, so it’s being able to let that go. In terms of what I do when I do get burnt out? I go back to basics. I rest, I go to sleep early and am not ashamed of going to bed at 9pm. I can’t work at my capacity if I’m not rested. I go for walks, exercise, cancel meetings if I have to and put my mental health first.

If you had a microphone and the whole world was listening, what would you say?

You are enough.

Where will Roxie Nafousi’s AMBITION take her next?

I’m hoping TV is the next step. I’m thinking a spiritual makeover show or talk show. Who knows! One of those.

A huge thank you to Roxie for sharing her words of wisdom with us. Be sure to follower her journey on Instagram.