We met a year ago at KU. I was visiting and at one point filling in for Jae Chang's design studio, where students were designing a food hall for the future of KC. I sat down with each student individually and asked them to look at me. Not the computer to show me their design because I want to hear them, look into the person who was designing first, not the computer or their creations.

That conversation with Drew and his classmates stayed with him. He came back a year later to talk about why.

Because here's what he discovered: architecture is really embodied. It's building space. It's locations for our bodies to exist, move, see, hear, and taste. And once you see that—once you actually feel it—you can't design the same way again.

Drew quilts. He's been quilting since he was seven. His mom, grandma, and great aunt, all quilters. He didn't understand the labor until he made one himself. The hours. The care. The intention is embedded in every stitch. That's when it clicked: this is what embodied work looks like. And it changed how he thinks about architecture.

We talked about AI. What happens when the data shaping our design tools carries bias? What does that mean for the spaces we build? But more than that, we talked about whose stories buildings tell. Whose are erased. Because architecture isn't neutral. It's deeply tied to gender identity, to race. It really is a humanities field now.

I shared a story about visiting land in the DR. One development, completely leveled and bare, I got sunburnt in minutes. Less than a minute away, totally different. Cooler. Softer. You could hear nature again. It's not just about cutting trees. But native soil develops over centuries. It manages water, supports root systems, and regulates temperature. When you bring in fill from outside, it doesn't know how.

Drew understood right away. He said something I needed to hear: we don't know better. We know differently.

That's the shift. That's what changes how you design. Not having all the answers. But respecting the other. Asking who this is for and who it's built on top of. Designing with communities instead of for them. That's the shift. That's the work.

Referenced:

• Citizen Architects: Other Ways of Doing Architecture — on citizen experts vs. expert citizens
• Bell Hooks — Killing Rage: Ending Racism (on rupture and transformation)
• Glenn Murcutt — architect drawing from Aboriginal Australian principles
• Phenomenology & biopolitics — frameworks for understanding how spaces encode power

📞 Connect with Drew:

Drew Graff is an architecture and design student exploring subversive spatial practices, phenomenology, and biopolitics. Portfolio: https://indd.adobe.com/view/1258482a-c0f0-450b-9132-f5bd295bd83e

🔗 Work with Rhayni: bio.site/rhayni

"What is your vision with money?"

That question stopped me in my tracks.

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Alejandra Rojas—entrepreneur, Forbes contributor, and founder of Brown Way to Money—who helps women of color overcome financial trauma and build profitable businesses.

And here's what hit me: we talk about vision boards, manifestation, business goals... but how many of us have actually asked ourselves: What is my vision WITH MONEY?

Alejandra breaks down her BROWN Framework—a system that addresses what traditional financial education completely misses: the emotional baggage, the generational conditioning, the cultural beliefs that keep us small.

🎧 The Whispers We Shared:

• Why ambition is seen as a "bad thing" for women of color (and how that triggers everything)
• The carpenter and the hammer: why you can't use financial tools if you haven't healed your relationship with money first
• How "Calladita te ves más bonita" shapes our money stories (and keeps us quiet about wealth)
• The difference between a $47 offer and your BIG VISION
• Why underpricing is a financial trauma response, not a strategy
• How owning your voice = growing your income streams
• Building a business while being a mom: the real motivation behind showing up every day

🌬️ Soulful Tools Featured:

• The BROWN Framework (Big vision, Remove trauma, Own your voice, Will the right questions, Normalize success)
• Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT) for healing financial trauma
• Visualization exercises: 10x your vision until it feels uncomfortably BIG
• Writing your big vision everywhere (room, desk, LinkedIn posts)
• Neuroscience-based approaches to rewiring money beliefs

Alejandra's work isn't about budgets and spreadsheets. It's about healing the relationship between YOU and money—so you can finally build the wealth you deserve.

☎️ Connect with Alejandra:

Podcast: Brown Way to Money Podcast

Website: brownwaytomoney.com

LinkedIn: Alejandra Rojas

Newsletter: Subscribe for her upcoming book!

🔗 Create with R H A Y N I: rhayni.co

✨ Your space is speaking to you—are you listening?

Can you do a mini session with me?

That's what I asked Michaela during our recording.

And what she told me landed so deep—

My Leo moon needs light. Warmth. Creative space that feels alive. I've been designing this way for years without understanding why. It's just what my body & intuition knew.

My Virgo creativity wants perfection. Wants structure and rituals. Wants to control the whole process from start to finish.

But then she said this: "Creativity is divinity. You are a channel for God's divine creator energy. And while you're trying to control it, God is like, hello, let me in."

I felt that in my chest. In my throat. In the exact place where I've been holding everything so tight.

"Let yourself not finish something. Let yourself click publish without it being perfect."

My heart got lighter.

Like someone just opened a window in a room I didn't know was closed.

Sometimes you need someone to see the parts of you you're fighting, you know? To name what you've been gripping so hard your knuckles are white. To give you permission to open your hands and just create.

That's what Michaela does with her offerings. That's what I do with space.

We help you see what's already there. What's been waiting. What knows the way even when you don't.

She's saying: You can't force what wants to emerge. You can only create space for it. Trust the timing. Follow what wants to move through you. Have faith even when the path is invisible.

If you've been feeling stuck or scared or like you're waiting for permission—

This conversation will remind you that the void isn't empty.

It's where everything begins.

Connect with Michaela:

@michaelaburke_

More about R H A Y N I:

https://rhayni.co

"I have zero regret. Of no kind."

That's what Gerardo Pérez told me on the latest Space Whispering episode. And he didn't say it from ego. He said it from someone who almost died at 20 and decided time was the only currency that mattered.

At 25, Gerardo designed a 32-story tower in Piantini—the kind of project most architects dream about their whole career. And then he walked away. Sold his car. Gave away his clothes. Became a backpacker for a year and a half.

Why? Because he knew he didn't deserve that project ‘yet’. It was luck, not mastery. And he refused to let a stroke of luck define his life.

Gerardo lives like life is temporary. Because it is. And that doesn't scare him—it frees him.

🗞️Show Notes:

The Whispers We Shared:

• • Why legacy isn't about what you build—it's about what remains when you're gone
  • The difference between pride and peace with your past
  • How a near-death experience at 20 taught him that time is the only real currency
  • Why did he quit architecture after designing a 32-story tower at 25
  • The moment he realized being a "super architect" was a trap
  • Architecture as business, not art—and why romanticizing design keeps you broke
  • How Luxia Labs grew by forgetting to be an architecture firm
  • The ego trap: why architects think they're the center of the universe (and why that's dangerous)
  • Living temporarily—and why he's okay with everything ending
  • What keeps him grounded when labels don't stick

📞Connect with Gerardo:

Www.luxialabs.com

@cualquierperez

🔗 Create with R H A Y N I:

📅 Book a 1:1 Free Discovery Call:

bio.site/rhayni

Transform your Space & Self

✨Your space is speaking to you—are you listening? I help founders & creatives design spaces that bring clarity & flow.

About Guest:

Gerardo Pérez is an architect, entrepreneur, author, and professional adventurer. At 25, he closed his business, threw on a backpack, and traveled to over 20 countries—coming back with the certainty that he didn’t want a normal life. He wanted one designed by him.

Today, he’s the CEO of Luxia Labs, one of the Dominican Republic’s leading architecture firms, and a partner at Travieso Capital Partners, developing tourism and residential projects. He’s also a life coach, hosts two podcasts, and is about to publish his first novel—a raw exploration of psychology, drama, and human duality.

Gerardo lives with purpose, but never forgets the flow. He surfs, reads obsessively, loves philosophy, and says out loud what most people only dare to think in silence.

A short Musing:

Tengo muchas. Hmmm En Vietnam daba clases de inglés con un inglés nada correcto para dar clases 😅… en Venecia casi me da hipotermia… en Islandia una tormenta de nieve casí hace que perdamos el vehículo…. Así puedo seguir país por país 😂

"When people can really see you and know you, maybe they've experienced the same thing and they were hiding it too. But then when you open up about it, they're feeling safe to do so too." --Shannon Tomascak

What happens when the fear of success becomes more paralyzing than the fear of failure? When does your authentic voice feel too vulnerable to share with the world?

In this soul-stirring conversation, I connect with Shannon Tomascak, founder of Soul Flow with Shannon, a spiritual and somatic coach, workshop facilitator, and podcast host of Windows to the Soul. She blends science and spirituality to help others break free from fear, anxiety, and limiting beliefs.

The Whispers We Shared:

• How abandoning parts of ourselves keeps us stuck in old patterns
• Why combining the mystical with the practical creates lasting transformation
• The magic that happens when you meet people willing to share their authentic stories
• Why boundaries are actually personal policies that honor your values
• How traveling alone opens portals to deeper connections and self-discovery
• The entrepreneurial journey from safety to soul expression—and why we toggle between both
• How fear of success can be just as paralyzing as fear of failure
• The power of consistency in content creation to prove to yourself what's possible

Key Insight: "I see myself in every person that comes to me. I see either this was a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago—like I've felt that. So it's so beautiful to kind of just pay it forward."

Soulful Tools Featured: NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Somatic Therapy, Movement Practice, Guided Meditation, Hypnosis, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Personal Policy Setting, Content Creation Challenges

Connect with Shannon:

Website: https://soulflowwithshannon.systeme.io/

Instagram: @soulflowwithshannon

Podcast: Windows to the Soul

Your space is speaking to you—are you listening?

Connect with RHAYNI:

✨ Website: rhayni.co

📅 Book a Free Discovery Call: hello@rhayni.co

📸 Instagram: @rhayni_

You know that feeling when someone speaks and your whole body says, "YES"? That's what happened when I sat down with Samantha Bove. This isn't just another conversation about healing - this is about remembering that love isn't something we find, it's something we ARE.

But here's what hit me most: I've been in this beautiful expansion of love lately, and Samantha's words felt like permission slips I didn't know I needed. Permission to feel magical in a business meeting. Permission to let my body lead. Permission to trust that the love flowing through me isn't too much - it's exactly what the world needs.

🌸 In This Episode We Whispered:

• How names carry our spiritual purpose
• Reiki as remembrance of who you really are
• The power of women creating agenda-free sacred spaces
• Trusting intuition even when it means difficult endings
• Integrating both protective and receptive energies
• Being authentically yourself in every room you enter
• Why joy is our natural state, not an achievement

✨ Key Insights:

"Love is everywhere - in trees, flowers, the hands of friends, the smile you give a struggling mother at the airport."

"You're not a burden, you're a blessing. Go be."

Samantha's work spans three tracks: Love (manifesting romantic partnership), Light (Reiki healing and intuitive development), and Legacy (building soul-led businesses). She hosts transformative retreats worldwide and teaches the Japanese art of Reiki for deep healing and spiritual connection.

📍 For Single Queens Ready to Manifest Love:

• Program: Date Like a Queen
• Website: samanthabove.com/datelikeaqueen
• Discount Code: QUEEN (saves $100)

"Your single season can be one of the best seasons of your life. I'm passionate about helping you see dating as a spiritual practice of self-discovery and empowerment." —Samantha Bove

🍒Connect with Guest:

https://samanthabove.com/datelikeaqueen

https://www.instagram.com/samantha.bove/

https://samanthabove.com/retreats

🔗 Create with R H A Y N I:

✨Website: rhayni.co

📅 Book a 1:1 Free Discovery Call: bio.site/rhayni

🎙 Podcast: bio.site/spacewhispering

What happens when you've moved countries every few years since childhood, yet create the most grounding, intentional spaces? In this soul-stirring conversation, I sit down with France Brunel, a holistic interior designer who splits her time between Brooklyn and Paris, creating spaces that truly support our nervous systems and healing journeys.

🌬️The Whispers We Shared:

• How names carry deep meaning and shape identity (France = "free" and "noble" in Latin)

• Why home became "the only constant" for someone with an international upbringing

• The healing power of opposites: Ayurvedic principles applied to interior design

• Color as life force: "Color gives me life. Color is life energetically."

• Designing for your nervous system: grounding techniques for anxious personalities

• Practical habit design: centering furniture around views instead of screens

• Why mindset work comes before design work in entrepreneurship

• Building a business that supports your desired lifestyle across two continents

🗞️Key Insight: "We're not only designers of our living spaces, we're designers of our life."

Soulful Tools Featured: Color psychology for wellbeing, Ayurvedic design principles, Feng Shui energy flow, AI rendering for client trust, natural materials for grounding, layout design for behavior change.

📞Connect with Guest:

Website: weareyoom.com

Instagram: @iamfrancebrunel

🔗 Create with R H A Y N I:

📅 Book a 1:1 Free Discovery Call:

bio.site/rhayni

Follow The Whispers of your Heart

✨Your space is speaking to you—are you listening? Want to start shifting your space today? I help founders & creatives design spaces that bring clarity & flow.

Book your Free Discovery Call today → rhayni.co

What happens when you stop chasing external validation and start following the whispers of your soul? In this transformative conversation, I sit down with Hannah Summerhill—manifestation coach, writer for Vogue and Elle, and founder of the Magic Membership—to explore the sacred journey from corporate burnout to soul-aligned abundance.

Hannah's story is one of radical transformation: from climbing the magazine industry ladder in New York to discovering that her closest alignment with source energy makes her glow. We dive deep into the science of manifestation, the art of energetic rebirth, and the practical tools that can shift your reality from the inside out.

The Whispers We Shared:

• The mental detox required when leaving corporate life behind
• Why proximity to your soul's purpose makes you physically luminous

• The power of morning routines that align you with Source energy
• Building community for co-manifestation and quantum leaps

Key Insights:

• "The closer you get to Source, the more effortless it is for you to glow"
• "We live in the now and we're always manifesting—thinking a future now will feel better"
• "Your body will tell you when you're on your soul's path"
• "The universe doesn't speak English. It speaks energetics"

Soulful Tools Featured:

• Morning aura bubble meditation technique
• Evening cord-cutting practice for energetic hygiene
• Dream journaling and gratitude practices
• The Magic Membership manifestation community

This episode is for you if you're ready to stop living by society's linear rules and start co-creating with the quantum field of infinite possibility.

Connect with Hannah:

• Website: hannahsummerhill.com
• Instagram: @hannahsummerhill
• Elle article: elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/a60129270/gateway-process-monroe-institute/

Connect with RHAYNI:

rhayni.co

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