Claudia has lived countless lives and is only 31 years old. She is Italian but was born and raised in Switzerland. She studied psychology in Zurich, is a certified hypnotherapist and life coach, studied art history and archaeology in Rome, Munich, Berlin and Paris. She has worked for Art Basel and various Galleries in Europe. Then, she entered the corporate world as an event manager for a private Swiss bank; she speaks six languages, she teaches yoga, has a strong taste for design and aesthetics, is a generous soul amid a whirlwind of colours and emotions.

At the peak of the pandemic, she decided to change her life completely and threw all the cards of stability and safety up in the air, started travelling solo and landed in Bali. Why did she take this decision and what unfolded after? Find out more in our interview.

How did you decide to put your whole life behind you, your certainties, the place where you lived, friends, work? How did you emancipate yourself from what was certain for you in order to launch yourself into the unknown?

To quit my stable and secure job during a pandemic, one could say that was not the smartest decision… For a moment, I had that fear too. Taking a risk is like taking a pill of fear, but when I swallowed it and digested it, a whole new amazing universe started to unfold in my stomach.

Once we make one decision it is likely to have a domino effect; one decision leads to another and the next one and so on, whether you want it or not.

My relationship with my partner started to collapse and with it, the stability of my beloved home as we used to live together. All the plans we had made for the future were no longer existing.

This difficult moment in my life was where I truly asked myself, what do I really want? When I did that, I looked deep inside for my dreams, wishes and values. I realised that those important thresholds had not been met. Most of my life, I had made decisions based on what my parents, brother, partner, friends or boss would wish for me. Then, all the alarm bells started ringing. I knew that circumstances and people would not change if I hadn’t changed first. I am the writer of my own story and nobody else can do that for me. I must say, it was an incredibly powerful feeling and at the same time very scary too, when I took my own life into my own hands.

Since covid, you have embarked on a journey, alone, to discover your identity and your creative goals. You have discovered that work is also pleasure, desire and not just duty. Tell us about this inner journey.

This inner journey started as an external discovery. I love travelling. However, I had never travelled solo in my life. I had always thought I needed someone else to give me the feeling of security while travelling. Yet, I had this inner urge to just pack my things and go. Travelling during a pandemic wasn’t easy and when I started searching for a suitable destination there were not many options. To be clear, just four countries in the whole wide world would let me enter without going through quarantine. The options were Dubai, Tanzania, Mexico and Costa Rica.

I decided intuitively for the last option.

Travelling to a different country means entering a new world of senses: new tastes, views, smells, sounds and feelings. This external activation of my senses was very inspiring and led me to get to know myself better.

By merely being by myself, I came to a deeper connection with myself and my identity. I didn’t need to please anyone’s expectations and wishes. My own desires were, for the first time, truly being heard.

My love for yoga and spirituality became more present and I felt a calling to travel to Bali and do a yoga teacher training course there. Bali became a catalyst for my inner change and most of all it was where I discovered my creativity. Through movement, singing, drawing, learning how to do pottery; let’s say anything that involved creativity was on my list.

Then, I finally discovered my passion for designing jewellery, clothing and bags. A realisation soon strengthened in my mind, and it informed me that work doesn’t always need to feel like a duty, but it can also feel extremely rewarding and pleasurable. Being a hypnotherapist, the very foundation of this realisation had already been set; however, one part was still missing: the expression of my own creative mind. I decided to find balance in my work life and integrate more creativity. From there, the whole idea of my own brand was born. Born on the island of gods.

You are a wonderful example of women’s empowerment, but you have come to this independence over time. How have you related to men so far and how do you feel you have gained independence as a woman?

Since I was 21 years old, I had always been in a relationship, feeling that I needed a man by my side to feel supported and truly whole. I now have to say this is nonsense. However, till not long ago, this had been my self-limiting belief. Starting a business all by myself without a man by my side was unthinkable. Even more unimaginable, starting a business all by myself, in a foreign country, where I didn’t speak the language; I didn’t know their local laws and was far from my family and friends, on the other side of the world, and then without a man too… incredibly scary and unimaginable.

Some things need baby steps. So yes, at the beginning of my business idea there was a loving man involved, who supported me and cheered me along the way. Nevertheless, while stepping forward into my new life I was more and more in-tune with my feminine energy and my inner source of power.

I started to trust my inner instincts more and more instead of those of others; I started realising that there was some kind of law of attraction. And that when my own vibrational frequency was far-removed from fear and more in tune with love and joy of what I was doing, beautiful things started to unfold. A kind of synchronicity.

My focus started shifting towards possibilities and flows instead of problems and walls. The more I started believing in my own power, the less I needed a man telling me what I should do or not do… I decided to choose me and see what would happen.

Tell us about your mindset, how you approach everyday life, what you believe in.

To be honest, sometimes there are very difficult moments, when I would like to throw everything into the air and say, “what am I doing exactly?”. And there’s also the moment when I need to take a few deep breaths and visualise my ideas for my new brand and store. I calm down with meditation and breathing exercises.

I know that I can ask for help when I need to. I surround myself with supportive people who are already there at the place I want to be one day. I co-create and collaborate with like-minded people who believe in the same values. I trust the process that one good thing will attract another. I manoeuvre through the unknown without being led by fear, using this as my new inner wisdom.

But let’s come to Claudia Cherubini’s brand of jewellery. How did it come about and why are you opening your first store in Bali?

As Bali, and especially Ubud, was the birthplace where my creative soul started to unfold, it was clear to me that this is where I wanted to open my store. I am fascinated by Balinese culture and spirituality.

Serendipity found me a store exactly in front of a Balinese temple – I just couldn’t say no to that. The Balinese bring colourful offerings to the temple filled with flowers and fruits. The energy there is definitely special.

I started to work closely with local craftsmen, and I built close relationships with different manufacturers. I believe that everything made with love has more power and holds a higher vibrational frequency. Like the pasta made with love by my Mamma; it just tastes better.

This is also why the sourcing of materials is so important to me. I am working on finding the best ethically-sourced materials for the creation of our products. By bringing exclusive slow fashion products and accessories into women‘s everyday lives I believe that these can be used as talismans* to remind ourselves that we can be incredibly powerful and beautiful. This label should also serve to inspire women to be more confident and to listen to their own dreams and pursue them. This brand and store in Ubud are the manifestation of my own dreams and even if it’s just at the beginning – it’s an example of the opportunity we possess to make our vision come true.

*A talisman is any object ascribed with spiritual or magical powers intended to protect, heal or raise the vibrational frequency of individuals for whom they are made.

Do you think you have achieved your own balance or are you still searching?

I don’t think I have achieved it yet, although I now have a pretty good idea what it would look like. However, knowing the tools doesn’t exactly mean that you know how to apply them in your own life.

It’s a process, a constant reminder and tuning in with myself. It’s still a journey but it’s a beautiful journey, seeking out the right balance not just in my working life, but in every part of my life. Most of all, I have an amazing team that assists me, supportive friends and family who are cheering me on along the way, all sending me so much positive energy for which I am incredibly grateful, and this is also what is bringing me back to my inner balance.

Follow Claudia’s journey on Instagram @angioletti
and get to know all about her brand @claudiacherubini__