Resonance – Episode 50
Verbatim Transcript
Speaker: Viktoria Levenberg
My partner would literally jokingly say that I'm like a robot. While other kids would be out there playing, I would literally be watching my parents build an empire from the ground up. Even though I was the most organised and efficient person anyone knew, on the inside I was brave. I realised that an elite plan is essential to elite success.
Alright, it is time for a little reintroduction. Maybe you're new here, or maybe you're one of my OG listeners who's been listening to Resonance since day one. Either way, a lot has changed. It's almost been a year since I brought this podcast out into the world. It's actually almost literally a year to the day when I recorded the very first episode, which is mind-blowing.
And this specific episode is a 50th episode special, so I thought I'd bring you something very unique and different. Specifically, in today's episode, you're gonna get a behind-the-scenes look at the hard lessons that I had to learn in my life so that you don't have to, and instead you can step into the best version of yourself starting today. Let's begin.
Welcome to Resonance, the podcast for high performers and entrepreneurs who want to do life, work, and success differently.
I am your host, Viktoria Levenberg, and I'm obsessed with efficiency, productivity, and planning in a way that harnesses your energy and your natural rhythms while keeping you in alignment and integrity. Because I have figured out that lasting success is not about the hustle. It is about being in Resonance. Let's begin.
Okey dokey, so as I alluded to, we're celebrating. It is a 50th episode special, which is quite a big milestone. To be honest, I'm actually really proud of myself for the consistency in bringing Resonance to you every single week. Um, and I say that because, you know, some of you who are not necessarily in the entrepreneurship space or podcasters yourself probably vastly underestimate the amount of workload that goes into producing a single podcast episode. Like, don't get me started on the prep that goes into it and all the, you know, set up and all the things. But then there's a lot of additional steps. Like, it takes maybe a whole day or two of work. Um, so I'm very proud of this, and I'm just giving myself a little pat on the back because I feel like we don't celebrate that enough.
It felt like the right time to reintroduce myself and share a little bit more about who I am, especially since I pivoted from being, you know, super driven in the health and wellness space to really focusing my message much more around productivity, efficiency, planning, performance, and all the things. Um, and speaking of productivity, I just wanted to celebrate that at the time of the release of this episode, I would have just completed my very first webinar today. It is the Peak Productivity Secrets Masterclass. It is such an incredible training. I've poured my heart and soul into this thing, and it felt quite edgy for me to bring it out into the world. So it's just, it's a week of celebration. Um, and if you haven't signed up for the masterclass yet or you haven't attended, make sure you do so. The link will be just in the show notes below. It is gonna blow your mind. It is completely free. It's only an hour. You know, there's gonna be replays available, so make sure that you grab it just below in the show notes. Also, you can head to viktorialevenberg.com, get all the details there. Um, but without further ado:
If you have ever felt like you are walking in someone else's shoes, maybe living someone else's life, or you've just had that moment of thinking, “Is this all there is?” then this episode is for you.
Okay, so who am I?
Such a big question, isn't it? Who are we anyway? I mean, like, I could get real woo woo with you right from the start and say we're technically all just awareness experiencing itself in a 3D manifest reality. But haha, in this 3D manifest reality, I will share with you a little bit about me and my story.
So if you don't know me in real life, maybe you've just come on to this podcast or into my world, or um, you're relatively new here, there's a little bit that you should know about me. Um, first and foremost, so let's address the elephant in the room, which is my accent.
This is the thing that confuses people the most, and understandably. There's like twangs of really random things, and I was teaching a yoga class once and I had a linguist in the class who basically specialises in accents and speech therapy, and even she couldn't pinpoint where I was from because I had such a mish mash of a whole bunch of different things.
So, um, I consider myself a third culture kid. I do identify as like a citizen of the world, and that is because I was born in Poland. My mom's Ukrainian and my dad is Russian, so that's interesting. Um, and then when I was 8 years old, we moved to Germany, which is where I spent most of my adult life. Uh, and then I studied in Switzerland. I lived in the UK for a little bit. I also then decided to move halfway across the world to New Zealand, Aotearoa, which I now call home.
So there's just a little bit in there. You know, I learned many languages along the way. There's kind of, they're roughly seven. They're not all fluent, but um, they're there or thereabouts, and that's my little party trick. So whenever, uh, you know, I play this game of three lies and one truth, that one always trips people up. So it's a really cool one to have up your sleeve.
But in case you're wondering, that's where the accent's from. If you're like, “But you sound like Canadian or American…” um, I grew up in an international school and I had a lot of English and American and Australian teachers, and I kind of just picked up all the different accents, you know, watching movies and listening to songs and having friends from different places. So, uh, in my community and those of you listening who kind of like are in the international world, you'll know this is just like the international accent. We're just like a little mix of everything. Um, and thank you for bearing with it because I know that it's a little bit weird and different than, um, what's often heard out there.
And so if I rub you the wrong way because it's really hard for you to put me in a box, that's probably because I am so fluid. I do not like to be put in any box whatsoever. Welcome to the podcast. Welcome to Resonance. We here are fluid, malleable, limitless potential.
So that's kind of the personal side of things. Um, as mentioned, I live in Aotearoa, New Zealand with my partner and Piper, and I specifically now in my business, focus on helping people with all things performance, productivity, planning, you know, strategy, systems, processes. It is, that is my jam. Um, now it wasn't always that way. I did definitely have to take a few off the beaten track trails to get there.
Um, but it was, it's really quite interesting because this has been in my bloodline. I mean, ever since I can remember, you know, my parents were both entrepreneurs. Um, my mom literally created the standard operating procedures for a major international airline. Um, I was managing a hotel in my teens. I was always the person, like, project managing and getting everyone together in school, in university, kind of keeping everyone on track. So project management, productivity, and planning were a skill that I had basically inherited ancestrally.
And, you know, business was always our family's love language.
While other kids would be out there playing, I would literally be watching my parents build an empire from the ground up. And it was challenging, um, if I'm really honest, because I feel like there is a specific time in my adult life that—or sorry, in my childhood—that I became a little adult. And so I was just like this little business person doing things. You know, by 16, as I mentioned, I wasn't just working a summer job, but I was literally managing bookings and FNB and operations for a hotel. And I was just the ultimate Type A poster child, thinking that productivity was the only way forward.
And, like, speaking of planning, I was literally so hung up on planning that I vividly remember being on holidays and, like, my signature question, my mantra, was just: “What's the plan? What's the plan? What's the plan?” Like, that's just how deeply ingrained it is.
And here's the thing though. Like, that's the thing that—it all sounds great, you know, on paper or like from an external perspective. But the thing that they don't really tell you in the productivity books or in the project management courses or in the efficiency management space is that the linear, masculine-dominated hustle productivity paradigm is designed to produce results by consuming you, your energy, your soul as fuel.
Now, quick disclaimer here. When I say male-dominated or masculine, I'm not saying like men and women in the gender sense of things. I'm talking about energy here. So we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. And so when I'm saying like masculine-dominated hustle productivity paradigm, I'm not saying that it's just men doing this. I'm saying this is us really being overindexed on the masculine energy that resides within all of us, whether we are female, male, non-binary, etcetera.
Um, and that's what I did. I did it all. I skipped the lunches. I worked the late nights. I pushed harder, faster. I outperformed everyone. You know, I was always the person that would reply to your email before you even sent it.
Um, just always anticipating like the next thing. And even though I was the most organised and efficient person anyone knew, on the inside I was breaking. Um, and that was a pretty tough time. Uh, it lasted for quite a long time, to be honest. It was this vicious cycle of push, push, push, grind, grind, grind, succeed, crash. Push, push, push, grind, grind, grind, succeed, crash. And at some point I was just running on empty. Like, I was so over-reliant on this male, masculine linear model of success that I stopped being human. Um, and I really, I became a machine.
I'm not joking when I say this. Like, my partner would literally jokingly say that I'm like a robot. And I used to be really proud of that, um, because I thought that was awesome. I was like as effective and as productive as I could be, when I didn't realise I had it wrong the whole way around. Um, and that realisation, even though there were little whispers and nudges, you know, from life, I think that we all have our own story, our own version of the story that I'm sharing with you here. They come, and we get to listen to them or not.
And I think those kinds of vicious cycles of push, crash, push, crash, push, crash were my little whispers. They were my little nudges, and I wasn't listening because I just kept doing the same thing. I didn't see the message that life was trying to send me. And so unfortunately for me, it took the bloody boulder to actually finally wake up because my life literally collapsed. Um, I, in a really rough, rough time. And I won't get into the details of it too much kind of today. If you want to dive into it, I'll link up my original kind of story episode that dives into those personal details. Um, but it was so bad that my skin flared up to the point of oozing pus out of my neck.
It was so painful that it felt like my face was on fire. I was trying to do everything. I was lathering myself in the thickest creams I could possibly find just to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort. And it hurt to smile. That's how painful it was. And that was just kind of the scratching of the surface. I then, you know, dove a little bit deeper and uncovered a whole bunch of other issues in my health that even though on the surface I seemed to be super healthy, like I was running marathons and stuff, because I had such terrible habits, my health was in the depths of despair.
And both physically and mentally, even though I had the support network, um, one of my biggest lows was when I was pushing myself so damn hard. And this was at the time when I was coming up against some things in my family as well. And it got so bad.
And like, what I'm about to say here feels really hard to say, um, because it's a bit vulnerable. Um, you know, it's not something that you would really want out there in the world, but it feels like it's the right time. It needs to be said. Um, I remember it was this—I was having this dinner, um, with certain people in my family who are unfortunately very narcissistic and, um, just live in a different reality. And it was the type of conversation that it's like you're talking to a wall, where you're just in such different paradigms, and I didn't feel heard at all. Um, they were trying to push their agenda onto me, kind of trying to control my life and force me to do things a specific way when, like as an example, just to give you a little bit more detail as to the depth of the conversations, like I had a partner at that point, you know, we were a couple years into our relationship. These people knew that, and they were like, “Oh, we can hook you up with this Maharajah, and then we'll get you married next year, and then you can do this. And oh, maybe I should get you married to this person because then it's gonna be a really great business deal.”
Like, it was ridiculous. And because of the challenging nuances of the dynamic with these people, I had to hold a lot of that inside. And I was already holding a lot inside, you know, from doing all the things and being the achiever. And can you imagine having people who you look up to, or you used to look up to as role models, be so against everything that you stand for in your values and still have to keep your ish together?
I remember clenching my fists so hard that my nails dug into my skin so much I almost cracked my skin open. And I remember walking down the beach and just looking at the ocean and thinking that maybe if I just walk in the ocean and just keep walking, it's gonna get easier. Like, then I don't have to deal with all this anymore.
Um, and at that point I knew enough to know that this was not good. Like, this was a big, big, big red flag. And even though I couldn't get rid of that inner critic voice in my head that kept telling me I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, I'm not doing enough, no one's taking me seriously, all the things that literally, like they make my head hurt even as I just say them out loud now, I knew that was the time to change.
And hmm, looking back on it now, it's funny how hindsight is such a powerful thing because I tried to fix it by running in the opposite direction. You know, again, typical Type A achiever. I was like, “I know, I'll just do the opposite and I'll heal myself.” And like, don't get me wrong, it was amazing. You know, I went deep, deeply into the feminine systems and tried all the healing modalities through subconscious healing and nervous system regulation and health coaching. And I also went back to university at the time to study human nutrition and really just kind of immersed myself in that world. And that is exactly what I needed to help counterbalance the over-indexing of the masculine domination in my life. Like, I think it was necessary to bring a lot of the feminine pieces in.
But something was still missing. And I realised that in the search for ease, in a different way forward, I had shunned the very thing that made me great, which was my love for systems and plans. You know, I knew I was amazing at it, but I had associated it, I confabulated it with all this overwork and burnout. And yet there was a different way. I knew that. I knew that I didn't need to necessarily work less, quote unquote, but I needed to work with my energy. And how was it that I could leverage these feminine aspects and marry them with the masculine aspects?
You know, it's sort of like this crystal that I have here in front of me, for those of you watching on the video, um, which I got sent from a friend who literally just got an intuitive nudge that I needed to get it. And her metaphor was the exact same. She said there was this sort of these two halves of this crystal that are these two different colours, and then there's this beautiful space in the middle where they meet and they dance. And it's kind of like this beautiful dance of the masculine and the feminine energy within us, the Shiva and the Shakti, and where they get to be in a sacred dance, they get to be in balance.
And that is when I discovered that when you balance elite-level systems with how the human body is naturally wired to operate, which I refer to as the cycles of success, you don't just get your health back, but you actually become more productive. And that's when I realised that the truth is the hustle paradigm is a lie. It is a construct that we have created here for humanity. But the thing is, like, winging it and just peace and love and yo, chill vibes isn't the answer either.
And that is the moment when I realised the truth. I realised that an elite plan is essential to elite success. But elite does not mean harder. It does not mean more. It simply means smarter and more aligned. And like everything started to flow in from that space. You know, as soon as I learned to balance the masculine and the feminine in my life, work, and business, my productivity absolutely skyrocketed. I got so much more done in less time than I could have ever fathomed, from accreditations to achievements to momentum in my business to things at work to things in my personal life and hobbies and all the things, by the way, while feeling better in my mind, body, and spirit than I ever have before.
When I honed this formula and figured it out for myself, when I, so to say, cracked the code, it was obvious that that’s what I’m here to do for others as well. That’s why you’re listening to this episode here today. Today, it is truly my passion, my purpose, to help high performers and entrepreneurs just like yourself who are done with the hustle paradigm, who know that there’s another way, to step out of that scattered overwhelm and chaos and ineffective hustle mode into a new way of working, into a new way of living where you get to hit your biggest goals while feeling better than you ever did before, without sacrificing your health, without sacrificing your life, without sacrificing your relationships.
Because that is what it’s all about. You don’t have to choose between success and your life. I will firmly stand on this point that the most rebellious thing you can do in 2026, in our modern world today, is be wildly successful without sacrificing yourself to get there. It’s going to piss a lot of people off because it goes against a lot of what we’ve been told, and yet it works. Yes, it is possible, and as I said, all you need is the elite plan.
It baffles me so much now, as I work with a lot of students, that I’ve got this really strong perspective that I view the world from. I see it all the time. I see it in my corporate job, where so many people are just going day by day by day with no plan whatsoever, just tackling whatever is most urgent and in their face. Similarly, I hang out with a lot of entrepreneurs, and they’re burning themselves out trying to chase the next goal, the next launch, the next milestone for a better life, when that better life is actually available to them right now. They’re just too far into the hamster wheel, as I was, to truly realise it.
And you know, a real breakthrough for me came on that point, by the way, when I was on a coaching call with my business coach and a couple of my peers. Someone was getting coached through their goal-setting process and all the things that they believed their goals would unlock for them. As she was sharing this, my coach said, “Do you realise that you can have all of these things now? What’s stopping you from doing that now?”
That was like a lightbulb moment switched on. I was like, “Oh, I can just live my best life now.” Because here’s the secret: there is no “there” there. There’s always going to be more to do. There’s always going to be the next mountain to climb, there’s always gonna be the next goal, the next milestone, the next meeting, the next conference, the next, the next, the next. Yet the magic is in knowing how to harness the now. It’s as simple as that, and even though it’s simple, it doesn’t mean that it’s easy.
That’s what birthed all of this here together. I’m sure you can see yourself in my story. Surely, if you’re listening to this podcast, you have had some whispers, if not from life, definitely from me. Something would have been a little bit rubbing you the wrong way or maybe been like, “Uh-oh, this is something I need to look at.” If not, maybe you’re about to get them. Maybe they’re about to become pebbles or boulders instead.
We get to choose our lessons. Life is a choice, and you can choose whether you’re going to listen to the lessons when they’re relatively easy to learn, or you can be stubborn like I was and push yourself to complete collapse and burnout, to almost being in a place where you might sacrifice everything in your life for someone else’s dream, which is basically what I was doing until I pivoted and changed direction.
That’s just a little bit of my story, a little reminder of why I’m here, why I do what I do, and what I bring to the table, especially if you’re new here or if it’s been a little while and you’re like, “Wait, what’s the purpose behind all this again?”
If any of what I just shared with you triggered some things, and maybe right now you’re thinking, “Yeah, I get it, Vik. Good for you, but I’m so stuck. You don’t understand. My specific situation is so unique, and there’s just no way that I can get out of this hustle paradigm,” my response to you is: you’re right. It seems that way now. I totally get it because I’ve been there. I also didn’t think there was a way out.
That is part of why you’re listening to this podcast right now. That is part of why I’m sharing my story, so that you can start to see, hear, and feel yourself in my story or in other people’s stories who have already overcome the thing that maybe you’re navigating right now.
It’s also exactly why I do what I do because it is my mission to help people become happier with what they do, to help them be healthier while they’re doing it so that they can still kick some patootie and hit their big goals and dreams. Of course we all deserve to have greatness. We are great. The ideas, the things that you’re doing, that you’re going after, they’re coming through for a reason. You’re going to change the world.
Yet you can’t change the world if you are burnt out yourself in the moment. That world could be millions of people. That world could be your family. Either way, all of those people deserve the best of you, not that burnt-out, miserable, unhappy version of you that wishes they were living someone else’s life because right now it feels like the shoes they’re in were not designed for them.
And so, there you have it. Thank you for listening to this episode. It was a short and sweet one just to share my story with you once again, either it sparked something new or helped to hear it from this perspective, from this angle.
I do believe that we all have a story to tell, yourself included. If you are someone who’s deep in the trenches right now, or maybe you’ve just recently overcome them, or maybe you can sense that they’re coming, there’s no specific criteria that you have to meet. It’s just really, we all have a story. We’ve all got a message to share.
If, as you were listening to this episode, you were like, “Oh, that’s right, I actually went through XYZ,” I just wanted to remind you that I bring everyday, normal humans onto this podcast as well so that a listener, someone just like yourself, could see themselves in your shoes perhaps.
If there’s anything that you’ve gone through in your life where you’re like, “You know what? If I told this story, someone else could be better off in their life because they could learn from my mistakes,” I would love to invite you to reach out. DM me. Let’s have a chat about coming onto the podcast. It is a super welcoming space. As you can see, here we are just having a little heart-to-heart, a little kōrero, which means “chat” in te reo Māori, the native language of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
With that in mind, thank you for listening to my story this week. I hope you have a fabulous rest of your week ahead. Make sure that you join the Peak Productivity Secrets Masterclass. It is going to be amazing. I’m really looking forward to bringing this work to more and more people.
Without further ado, have a beautiful rest of your week. Thank you so much for listening. Bye for now.
If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and finally see real, lasting results, I created something just for you. My free masterclass called Peak Productivity Secrets is designed to help you double your results, reclaim your time, and boost your energy so that you can finally get back to doing the things that you love.
I’ll be sharing the exact planning framework behind the whole shebang, usually content that is reserved specifically for my clients inside my paid programs. So, if you want to join this free masterclass, simply click the link just below this video or head to viktorialevenberg.com. It’s completely free, and I would love to have you in the room. See you soon.
The views and opinions expressed by guests on Resonance are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of me, Viktoria Levenberg, LVNHealth, or anyone working within the LVNHealth brand. This space welcomes a diversity of ideas, experiences, and stories, and part of Resonance is learning to take what aligns and gently leave the rest.
Also, while I am a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and deeply passionate about well-being, this podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only. Resonance does not substitute personalised medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Always seek guidance from qualified professionals for any physical, emotional, or mental health concerns.
