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About this episode

What happens when a multi-million-dollar business collapses overnight? For Christel Caputo, it was the beginning of a powerful transformation. In this soul-stirring episode of 9×90™, Adi Soozin sits down with the co-founder and Executive Director of Evolution One—a nonprofit on a mission to awaken transformational leadership across the globe.

Christel shares how a sudden change in state law wiped out her thriving reinvention coaching company and how she used that moment to realign her purpose. Drawing from her deep training in yoga, meditation, and mentorship, she went on to co-found Evolution One (formerly Ascension One Collective), a spiritual organization that has raised over $3 million in philanthropic funding to empower thousands through courses, immersive expeditions, and energy-based leadership training.

This episode dives deep into:

• 💥 The real story behind the collapse of her coaching empire—and how she found the courage to rebuild
• 🧘‍♀️ How SPA (Silence, Presence, Alignment) became the foundation for navigating massive life transitions
• 🔋 The science and spirituality of being an energetic anchor in a chaotic world
• 💸 How Evolution One organically built a global donor base through transformation-driven engagement
• 🧠 Neuroscience meets metaphysics: why your emotions, environment, and energy actually matter
• 🌍 The “Pillars of Light” and “Earth Keepers” programs—training the next generation of grounded helpers and global leaders
• 🧰 Conscious team-building: meditation-led meetings, energy check-ins, and why every project begins with alignment
• 🚀 Why Evolution One focuses on long-term program engagement instead of relying solely on donations

Whether you’re leading a team, navigating loss, or craving a deeper sense of purpose, Christel’s story and strategies are a masterclass in conscious leadership.

🎧 Listen now to learn how to stay grounded, lead with integrity, and use transformation as a tool for global good.

About this guest

For those of you who do not know Christel, she …

1. Christel Caputo is the co-founder and Executive Director of Evolution One (formerly Ascension One Collective), a spiritual nonprofit launched in 2019 that offers signature programs like Pillars of Light, Earth Keepers, and global Sacred Earth Expeditions—guiding individuals and communities in transformational leadership.
2. She built a multi‑million‑dollar reinvention coaching business in her 30s, only to lose it overnight due to a state law change—and then pivoted to co-found Evolution One to help others navigate transformation with purpose.
3. Christel has raised over $3 million in philanthropic funding to support Evolution One’s global initiatives, empowering thousands through courses, trainings, and immersive expeditions

Contact this guest

1. LinkedIn: Christel Caputo
2. Instagram: @WeAreEvolutionOne

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Show Notes Generated by Gemini

These show notes were generated by AI

• Sudden Business Loss Christel Caputo described how her multi-million dollar reinvention coaching business for injured workers abruptly ended due to a new state law in April 2017 (00:01:16). She had to inform her clients that her business was no longer viable.
• Finding Courage to Rebuild Following the loss of her business, Christel Caputo relied on her yoga and meditation training and the support of her mentor, Rani Arbin. She used the analogy of an usher guiding someone to a new opportunity when their current path ends to illustrate her experience (00:03:41).
• Inspiration for Evolution One Christel Caputo co-founded Evolution One with Asil, who felt their combined energies could serve humanity (00:05:46). Their first program was Pillars of Light, which evolved from global in-person energy and meditation sessions to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic (00:06:57).
• Pillars of Light Program The Pillars of Light program aims to develop “helpers” who can remain grounded during chaotic times. The program expanded from initial live streams to a comprehensive training after significant interest (00:08:00).
• Navigating the Modern Information Landscape Adi Soozin and Christel Caputo discussed the overwhelming nature of current news and social media, and the potential for negativity (00:09:14). They both shared strategies for curating their social media feeds to be more positive and motivational (00:11:08). Christel Caputo emphasized the importance of understanding one’s own reactions to negativity as an opportunity for inner growth (00:11:54).
• Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofits Christel Caputo explained that Evolution One’s donors have primarily been program participants who experienced transformation firsthand (00:13:01). She emphasized the importance of inner work around worthiness and receiving when asking for funds for a mission. The organization also obsessively measures impact through surveys and qualitative stories to build trust with donors (00:14:14).
• Becoming an Energetic Anchor Christel Caputo described an energetic anchor as being a “lighthouse in the storm,” training people to lead from inner stillness and alignment (00:17:40). Through the Earth Keepers and Sacred Earth Expeditions programs, they intentionally bring high-frequency energy to sites of global trauma (00:18:47).
• The Science Behind Energetic Anchoring Adi Soozin offered a perspective on how the neurochemicals released by individuals in a specific area can impact the environment, including plants, contributing to a perceived difference in energy (00:19:56). Christel Caputo likened the energetic anchor to the presence and adaptability of big wave surfers in unpredictable conditions (00:22:00).
• Practical Steps for Navigating Uncertainty Christel Caputo shared the foundation of their work: SPA (Silence, Presence, Alignment) as key concepts for navigating life transitions (00:25:28). Practical techniques include movement, tracking breath, and grounding exercises like feeling one’s heartbeat and connection to the earth (00:26:47).
• Addressing Lack of Sense of Self Christel Caputo discussed their Discovery Series, “Aligning Self and Earth,” which helps individuals understand themselves as energy bodies with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components (00:29:40). The program encourages alignment of these bodies and connection to life force energy to gain perspective and recognize individuality within a family system (00:30:52).
• Time and Team Management Strategies Christel Caputo outlined their use of standard business tools like monday.com, Slack, and HubSpot, as well as incorporating AI for administrative tasks. Their unique approach includes starting weekly team calls with meditation and pausing projects to recalibrate if the energy feels misaligned (00:32:08). They emphasize personal energy management as a key aspect of productivity and encourage team members to tend to their inner well-being (00:33:18).
• Leadership Style and Team Development Adi Soozin described their leadership style as more of a coach, addressing insecurity directly and emphasizing learning from failures (00:34:40). They prioritize developing trusted team members for the long term due to the investment involved in finding reliable individuals (00:36:30).
• Long-Term Vision and Engagement Christel Caputo clarified that while donations are appreciated, their primary goal is to have people experience their programs and remain connected to their ecosystem. They aim to build a sustainable nonprofit structure to focus on their mission of impacting mental health and changing the world (00:37:24).
• Connecting with Christel Caputo and Evolution One Christel Caputo provided ways to connect with her and Evolution One, including her LinkedIn profile and their social media handles on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Links to their programs and contact information will be included in the show notes (00:38:33).

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Transcript

This transcription was generated by Gemini & edited by ChatGPT

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Adi Soozin: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of 9×90. Today we have a very special guest—Christel Caputo. She’s joining us from Miami. Not only did she build a multi-million dollar reinvention coaching practice in her 30s, but after losing it overnight due to a sudden state law change, she co-founded Evolution One, a global nonprofit. As Executive Director, she has raised over $3 million to fund transformative programs that empower individuals worldwide to become conscious leaders during times of disruption. The three programs are Pillars of Light, Earth Keepers, and Sacred Earth Expeditions. We’ll dive into all three in today’s episode.

Christel Caputo: Thank you, Adi. Thank you for inviting me to this beautiful conversation we’re about to have. I’m really inspired by you, by your book, and by the way you carry yourself. In the times we’ve had the opportunity to meet and socialize, I’ve really appreciated your presence. I’m looking forward to whatever unfolds over the next few minutes.

Adi Soozin: You built a multi-million dollar coaching business early in your career, and then lost it due to a law change. What was the law change?

Christel Caputo: We had a business focused on reinventing injured workers. When the New York State budget passed in April of 2017, a significant change was made—injured workers were no longer required to look for work. I was at a wine bar in Long Island City when I got a text from a colleague asking, “Are you okay?” He’d been following the state budget for his clients. I replied, “Yeah, why?” I was holding a glass of wine, thinking all was fine. Then he texted, “Injured workers no longer need to look for work.” And I remember thinking, “That just sunk my battleship,” like that old board game ad.

Christel Caputo: Essentially, business and labor made a deal to pass that part of the budget, which eliminated the need for our entire service. Our business collapsed overnight. My clients didn’t know right away—it took time for the change to ripple through. I had to be the one to tell them I was out of business.

Adi Soozin: That’s intense. How did you find the courage to rebuild in a new direction after that? What was that inner conversation like?

Christel Caputo: It was a unique moment. We were profitable, we had a full-time team, office space—everything. Within weeks, we had to let everyone go and shut everything down. I found myself sitting in silence, in the unknown. But I was also in the middle of a yoga and meditation training with an incredible teacher named Rani Arbin. She was in her 80s, and she became my lighthouse. She held space for me to unravel and rebuild.

Christel Caputo: I often use this analogy when helping others: imagine you’re in a movie theater watching the story of your life. You’re comfortable, popcorn in hand. But an usher comes in and says, “You need to be in the theater next door.” And you respond, “No, I’m good.” But the usher insists—and eventually burns down the theater so you have no choice but to leave. That’s how it felt. I was forced to transition, ready or not.

Adi Soozin: Wow. So you used visualization and meditation to move forward?

Christel Caputo: Yes, and trust. I had to surrender to a divine timing I didn’t understand as the human version of Christel. There were already signs that I wasn’t fully aligned. We were making great money, yes, but many of the people we served weren’t truly motivated to reinvent themselves. I had some beautiful stories—people telling me I gave them their self-esteem back—but also some tough experiences, like testifying about people who sabotaged opportunities we created for them.

Christel Caputo: It was good work on paper, and we helped a lot of people, but it wasn’t fully in alignment with my heart and soul. That was hard to admit, but necessary.

Adi Soozin: Five years ago you launched Evolution One. What inspired the creation of your three signature programs? Did you start with one or all three?

Christel Caputo: We started with one. My co-founder, Asil, was going through an awakening of his own at the time my world was falling apart. He told me, “What’s flowing through me and starting to flow through you can serve humanity and the earth.” I said, “Okay. Let’s honor that and see where it leads.”

Christel Caputo: Our first program was Pillars of Light. In the beginning, we were like a traveling rock band, going around the world hosting powerful energy and meditation sessions. Then COVID hit, and we thought, “The world needs this now more than ever. Can we take it online?” We tried—and people responded. We started hosting sessions twice a week. People showed up in droves, searching for higher perspective, calm, and peace.

Adi Soozin: That’s incredible.

Christel Caputo: A few months into it, I showed up at Asil’s house to lead a session and he said, “Don’t be mad, but I did something.” He had posted on our website asking if people would be interested in a full training—not just livestreams. Ninety-four people responded within 24 hours. So, within a few weeks, we created a program. People paid $555 to join, and we had no idea what was going to come through. That first round was called Basecamp—a four-week course. Then we realized there was more to offer. Two additional courses evolved out of that. And that’s how Pillars of Light was born.

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Christel Caputo: …always find people who are helpers.

Adi Soozin: No, that’s—

Christel Caputo: Yeah.

Adi Soozin: That’s so cute though.

Christel Caputo: It’s so sweet. And that’s the essence of Pillars of Light—we’re developing the helpers. The people who, in the middle of chaos, are the ones holding it down.

Adi Soozin: Wow, yeah.

Christel Caputo: Because when you think about it, Adi, like we were just saying, the world is getting crazier.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. Although sometimes I wonder—is it actually getting crazier? Or is it just the social media algorithms pushing more chaos to the top, so that’s all we see?

Christel Caputo: Yeah, that’s very possible. But then, that’s still a reflection of crazy—and that becomes people’s reality.

Adi Soozin: I know.

Christel Caputo: That’s all they see.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. So we’re in a negative control loop.

Christel Caputo: Yeah. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve done a lot to remove that noise. I’m choosing to dial into a frequency and a reality that doesn’t include the news, the sound bites… and now, with AI, you can’t even tell what’s real anymore. I listened to something about a trial the other day—someone was supposedly testifying—and then I fact-checked it, and it never happened.

Adi Soozin: Oh my god. Yeah, I’ve had that happen too. I’ve seen things on social media, then double-checked and found out it was completely made up—just created for views or longer watch time. It’s insane.

Christel Caputo: Right.

Adi Soozin: You’ve got to be joking.

Christel Caputo: I know.

Adi Soozin: So I re-engineered my social media. I trained it to become my pep-talk cheerleader. I started liking a bunch of positive quotes, leaving them open longer, so the algorithm learned to feed me that content. Now people say, “Your Instagram stories are always so motivational,” and it’s because I taught Instagram that’s what it needs to give me if it wants me to stay.

Christel Caputo: Yep.

Adi Soozin: And every once in a while the algorithm tests me—it’ll throw me something scary. And I immediately close the app because I don’t want it trained to think it can keep me with fear-based content.

Christel Caputo: I’m doing the exact same thing. I just started a few months ago.

Adi Soozin: You have to. Otherwise…

Christel Caputo: Yeah.

Adi Soozin: …it’s just so dark.

Christel Caputo: Exactly. I’m like, who’s in charge here?

Adi Soozin: Yeah! At one point I wasn’t paying attention, and suddenly every time I opened Instagram it was telling me how another basic food in my pantry was going to kill me. I was like, “This is nuts. I can’t live like this.” So I retrained the algorithm from scratch.

Christel Caputo: Right. And also—it’s how we respond. In our training, we focus a lot on looking at the inner response. Like, “What’s in this for me? Why am I attracted to that trainwreck? Why am I drawn to that drama?” There’s something inside me that’s hooked into that.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: So we use that. We say, “Thank you for showing me this. That’s something in me that wants to be realized and released.”

Christel Caputo: Clearing our social media is a perfect metaphor for that.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. That’s true. So—raising over $3 million in philanthropic impact is no small feat. Can you share a key lesson or strategy you used to inspire donors to support your mission and vision?

Christel Caputo: Absolutely. It’s interesting—because up until now, all of our donors have been participants in our programs.

Adi Soozin: That makes sense.

Christel Caputo: Right? They experienced the transformation firsthand. So our strategy has been very simple: hold a high-integrity, sacred container. Do our absolute best to let people sink into the experience and transform—then let that transformation ripple out as the invitation to support. But for me personally, I had to do a lot of inner work around fundraising.

Christel Caputo: I don’t know if you’ve felt this, but I was used to trading time for money, right?

Adi Soozin: Okay.

Christel Caputo: As a businesswoman, asking for funds to support a mission or vision required me to heal some things around worthiness and receiving. I had to understand that supporting collective evolution or contributing to mental health is more valuable than just completing a task.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: So my strategy began with doing that internal work.

Adi Soozin: That makes a lot of sense.

Christel Caputo: On a practical level, we measure impact obsessively. We survey every participant, collect qualitative stories, and use transparency to build trust with donors. That has been key. And we’ve had some very serious, ultra-high-net-worth individuals come through our programs.

Christel Caputo: They take their donations seriously. Some run them through algorithms or review them with their teams. And they’ve been impressed with the level of impact we’ve demonstrated. I didn’t grow up in the nonprofit space, so I didn’t know how rare that is—but they’ve told me we’re doing something right.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. Most of the trophies behind me are from nonprofit work. If it’s a brown plaque, it’s from something nonprofit. If it’s gold, it’s from sailing.

Christel Caputo: Amazing.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: Do you have any strategies for me?

Adi Soozin: Honestly? Impact is the biggest one. What you described—people having a transformational experience and then donating so others can too—that’s usually how it goes.

Christel Caputo: Makes sense.

Adi Soozin: Let’s see… that one there, the black one—

Christel Caputo: Uh-huh?

Adi Soozin: It’s really heavy. My grandfather received that one. He was an International Director with Rotary decades ago. He got that after he convinced all the major international nonprofits to work together to eradicate polio.

Christel Caputo: Wow.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: That’s incredible.

Adi Soozin: That was a wild one. The rest of the trophies are for more local or regional things. But eradicating polio? That was the only one with truly global impact.

Christel Caputo: Oh, wow.

Adi Soozin: So, in your training work—what does it mean to become an energetic anchor and conscious leader during global disruption?

Christel Caputo: Great question. The simplest way to explain it is: be a lighthouse in the storm. We train people to find their inner still point and lead from alignment rather than reaction. Make decisions based on resonance. Because let’s be real—disruption is the new normal, right?

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: But we also have more tools than ever. There’s chaos, yes—but there’s also access to more wisdom, insight, and support than ever before. Like we said earlier, once you’ve trained your social media algorithm, you’re pulling in motivation and truth from all corners of the world—things we never could’ve accessed before.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: So…

Adi Soozin: I love that phrase—“energetic anchor.” That’s one of yours, right?

Christel Caputo: Yeah, it’s like we’re holding it down. On the earth side of things, we have the Earth Keepers program and Sacred Earth Expeditions. That’s about going into places—sometimes places of trauma—and bringing light.

Christel Caputo: For example, we did a month-long trip through the Balkans. We visited mass graves, former concentration camps—and we held that energetic anchor there. We brought high-frequency energy into those spaces.

Adi Soozin: Wow.

Christel Caputo: Those are the major lighthouse moments—being a calm, grounded, healing presence in the middle of global storms. And you can feel it. You talk to people who visit those sites right after we’ve been there, and they’ll tell you—the energy is different.

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Adi Soozin: Got it.

Christel Caputo: The energy—it’s flowing again, right?

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: It’s like this energetic acupuncture… like we’re acting as earth acupuncturists, going around to different places in the world and allowing high-frequency light to move into areas where energy had been stuck or stagnant.

Adi Soozin: I think it’s really interesting—botanically and physiologically—how the neurochemicals we release in certain places affect the plants in that environment.

Christel Caputo: Yes.

Adi Soozin: So when you go into a space and intentionally shift your state to release specific neurochemicals, they’re literally coming out through your pores. The plants react to that. And then later, someone walks through that area—without knowing any biology—and just says, “It feels different here.” But it’s cellular biology 101.

Christel Caputo: Yes.

Adi Soozin: That’s wild. You’ve turned manipulation of cellular organic chemistry into something universally accessible, regardless of scientific background.

Christel Caputo: Yeah.

Adi Soozin: Okay—now I get it. It just clicked. I wasn’t fully getting it before.

Christel Caputo: Good! Yeah. It’s something we apply both to people and places. And one more thing I’ll say about being an energetic anchor—I’m obsessed with big wave surfers.

Adi Soozin: I surf.

Christel Caputo: You do?

Adi Soozin: Yeah—but just small waves. I’m not out there doing anything big.

Christel Caputo: Have you watched The 100-Foot Wave?

Adi Soozin: I saw a few of those big wave documentaries when I was a kid, but now that I’ve had a few broken bones… they stress me out. So if it came out in the last five or ten years—probably not.

Christel Caputo: Got it. But as a surfer, you know every wave is unpredictable, right?

Adi Soozin: Where I go surfing, we look for patterns and sets.

Christel Caputo: Sure—you plan for them. But even with the best forecasting, you can’t guarantee how a wave breaks. A dolphin, another surfer…

Adi Soozin: …or a shark.

Christel Caputo: Exactly. Or a shark.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. I went surfing in Australia and had dolphins and sharks in the same session.

Christel Caputo: Right. So you have to be present—fully in the moment.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: That’s the essence of being an energetic anchor. Holding it down while everything changes around you. Because in that present moment, past and future don’t exist—everything is available in the now. You can pivot at any moment. Big wave surfers call it “the zone.” It’s beyond adrenaline—it’s pure presence.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. I didn’t even think about it like that. So… did you grow up surfing too?

Christel Caputo: Not exactly. I grew up on the beach in Long Island, but I didn’t surf much. I’ve played around a bit in Sayulita and some smaller wave spots—but that’s probably why I’m even more obsessed with the big wave surfers. I’m like, How is that even possible?

Adi Soozin: Yeah… I’ve had some close calls. A few times surfing where I almost drowned. One time I even blacked out and woke up on the beach. So yeah, I’m longboard, small waves only now. I have two kids—I can’t afford injuries. My days of challenging Mother Nature are long gone.

Christel Caputo: That’s fair. Will you let your kids surf?

Adi Soozin: Oh, yeah. Actually, we have two boards in the garage right now. I just remembered—I need to pack them for our trip to New England. What we do is, once the kids are around seven or eight, we start them on shortboards that they’ll grow into. So by the time they’re 11 or 12, they don’t even realize they’re shortboard surfers—they just grew into it. And then we keep the longboards for people like me.

Christel Caputo: Love that. And do you go out and surf with them?

Adi Soozin: They’re still young—three and eight. So when they surf, I’m in the water right next to them.

Christel Caputo: Makes sense.

Adi Soozin: Yeah. I’ll swim with them or take them paddleboarding—but only in the bay for now. They’re not strong swimmers yet.

Christel Caputo: Yeah, definitely don’t want them becoming shark food.

Adi Soozin: That would ruin the summer.

Christel Caputo: And all their limbs!

Adi Soozin: I’m emotionally attached to the little creatures I birthed. I like them whole—just the way they came out. Took a lot of work to give them four limbs!

Christel Caputo: [Laughs]

Adi Soozin: Okay. Just a few more questions before we wrap. For individuals facing major life transitions—even loss—what practical steps or mindset shifts from your courses can someone apply right now to navigate uncertainty with purpose and resilience? Also, we should link one of your intro courses in the show notes.

Christel Caputo: Definitely. So, the foundation of our work starts with what we call “SPA”: Silence, Presence, and Alignment. They sound simple—but you could spend a lifetime deepening into just those three.

Christel Caputo: We help people cultivate SPA in very practical ways. One is movement. When I’m overwhelmed, I take a walk, put on a song and dance, or sing—anything to get the energy moving and shift out of stuckness.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: The second tool is tracking your breath. Not just breathing—but actually following the air as it enters through the nostrils, into the lungs, circulating through the body, and out again. That gives your mind something to focus on other than looping thoughts.

Adi Soozin: Okay.

Christel Caputo: And the last one I use often—and we teach this too—is grounding. Placing your hand on your chest, feeling the rise and fall of your breath, your heartbeat. Then bringing your awareness to your body. Where do I end and the chair I’m sitting on begin? How does gravity feel, pulling me into the earth?

Christel Caputo: These are simple, yes, but once embodied, they allow you to stay grounded in any situation. You could be in the middle of a fight, place your hand on your heart, and feel your own presence anchoring you. It brings you back to yourself.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: And that’s what we focus on: embodied spirituality. We’re not here to spiritually bypass or float away into the ethers. Our work is about personal energy management. Being aware of what’s moving through us, creating space between our emotions and our identity—and recognizing, “This is what I’m feeling, but it’s not who I am.”

Christel Caputo: These tools build real resilience. They reconnect people to themselves, to the Earth, and to each other.

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Adi Soozin: Do you find that—and we touched on this earlier—in the family office bubble, many of us are raised by industry titans who expect to command their kids the same way they run their businesses. So, a lot of the people we grew up with lack a strong sense of self because they weren’t allowed to develop one at home. Have you found that you offer any specific programs for this demographic—programs that help them realize it’s okay to communicate their needs and boundaries before they reach a breaking point?

Christel Caputo: Yeah. We actually have a program called The Discovery Series: Aligning Self and Earth. It teaches that we are not just a physical body—we also have a mental body, an emotional body, and an energetic/spiritual container that holds it all.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: And within that container, a lot is going on. So we teach people to request alignment across all those layers. It’s not instant, but when you begin to align with high-frequency life force energy—call it chi, reiki, or prana—it gives you a new perspective. It helps you create space between yourself and the family system you were born into. You’re born into a family, yes, but you are not that family. You’re a soul playing a role within that structure. And once you realize that, how you participate can shift.

Adi Soozin: Interesting.

Christel Caputo: Yeah.

Adi Soozin: Okay, next question—a fan favorite. What are some tools or tactics you use to manage your time and your team effectively?

Christel Caputo: So, we’re entrepreneurs and efficiency nerds—we use all the tools. We’re on Monday.com, Slack, HubSpot. We’ve incorporated AI to streamline admin. We use OKRs. We have daily standups.

Adi Soozin: Okay.

Christel Caputo: But our secret sauce is actually energetic. Every Monday, we start our team meeting with a short meditation. Each team member takes turns leading it. If a project’s energy feels off, we pause and recalibrate. We ask, “What is the energy that wants to emerge from this project? Are we aligned with that?”

Because sometimes, we’re operating from ego—trying to force what we think we want. But the organization itself is an energetic entity. We’re just the stewards of an idea coming through us. So if we’re misaligned, we stop and realign.

Christel Caputo: Also, every team member is expected to tend to their personal energetic field—because personal energy is productivity. They have access to all our programs, we speak a shared language, and we create space when someone’s going through something. If someone’s overwhelmed or processing something, they can step back, read the AI transcript later, and contribute asynchronously—or share what’s happening so we can release it and move forward together.

Christel Caputo: Do you have any energetic tools you use with your team?

Adi Soozin: Not so much energetic—but I do get strategic. If someone on my team sounds insecure on a call, I stop them immediately. I’ll say, “You don’t have the luxury to be insecure. You need to move forward confidently. So let’s talk this through.”

Christel Caputo: Mhm.

Adi Soozin: If they fail, I’ll help them fix it. We’ll learn and move on. If they succeed, even better. But I take more of a coach-and-athlete approach. I listen closely when they explain what they’re working on.

Christel Caputo: Okay.

Adi Soozin: And hesitation or insecurity—those are red flags to me.

Christel Caputo: Yeah.

Adi Soozin: So I stop and ask: “What are you afraid of going wrong?”

Christel Caputo: Beautiful. And you’re also giving them a safe space. You’re letting them know it’s not the end of the road if they mess up.

Adi Soozin: Oh yeah.

Christel Caputo: As leaders, we carry people in our care. They’re entrusting their livelihoods and their professional growth to us. We have to be good stewards of that responsibility.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: I love that you let your team know, “If you screw up, we’ll learn from it.” That kind of support is powerful.

Adi Soozin: It takes me a long time to find someone I genuinely like and trust. So I don’t want to just replace people—I invest in developing them. At big companies, they can afford to hire and fire quickly. But I have higher quality control standards. When I find someone who’s the right fit, I invest in keeping them for the long term.

Christel Caputo: Why?

Adi Soozin: Because I don’t want to waste time rebuilding trust and chemistry. I’d rather nurture what’s working.

Adi Soozin: Alright—last question. You mentioned earlier that people experience your program and then become donors. So zooming out, it sounds like you don’t want just donors—you want people to come into your ecosystem and stay long term.

Christel Caputo: Yes. And we’d love donors who feel inspired to give this work to others. We’re building a structure that can sustain our nonprofit’s mission without constantly draining energy to chase funding. We want to spend our time innovating and delivering.

Adi Soozin: Yeah.

Christel Caputo: So while we would love donors to experience the programs personally, we know it’s not always feasible. But by donating, they’re helping us bring tens of thousands of people through these programs. That’s where we move the needle on mental health—and change the world.

Adi Soozin: Okay. Very cool. We’ll include links to your documents, your courses—anything people need to register.

Christel Caputo: Yes, absolutely. In the meantime, people can reach me directly on LinkedIn—Christel Caputo, spelled C-H-R-I-S-T-E-L. And I think you’ll include the links?

Adi Soozin: It’ll all be in the show notes—under her guest bio and episode details, you’ll see links to everything.

Christel Caputo: And Evolution One has a LinkedIn page as well.

Adi Soozin: Yep.

Christel Caputo: And if you’re more into social media, we’re @evolutionone on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Adi Soozin: Very cool. Well, thank you so much for your time. I hope people learned a lot from this. It’s actually our first spiritual-focused podcast episode, but I think it was fun—and really timely, especially with everything going on right now on the East Coast.

Christel Caputo: Yeah. Thank you so much. I appreciate it—and sending good energy for your move and your upcoming surf adventures with your kids!

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