Influencer & Content Creator Fosca Farace Of Talk Fos Shares Her Top Selfcare, Wellness, and Beauty Tips
An Interview With Maria Angelova
One of my favorite self-care exercises is doing ‘public gratitudes’ on Instagram or with my team at work. Experiencing gratitude and being grateful are two psychology super-tools, and every day I write three things I am grateful for on my Instagram stories so that others might be inspired to do the same, and so that I can be accountable to them, and remember that I need to stop and smell the roses and find the positives in my day.
At times it feels like wellness or elevating one’s well being, is diametrically opposed to high achievement and high performance in one’s career. The stress, mental energy, long hours, lack of restful sleep and preoccupation that result from a high-achievement life seem to directly inhibit wellness. And yet, in order to sustain the creativity, flexibility, mental acuity and resilience that are necessary for high performance, wellness and wellbeing of the mind, body and soul are also mandatory. So how do we achieve both? This is the question I’m hoping to answer through conversations with high-achieving leaders and influencers who are practicing their own philosophies about how to maintain their wellbeing.
As a part of our series about “Social Media Influencers Share Their Top Self Care, Wellness, and Beauty Tips, I had the pleasure of interviewing Fosca Farace.
Fos is an NLP and mental wellness coach who specializes in Anxiety, Self-Esteem and Relationships. After her Master’s Degree in Communications, where she studied how the language used on dating sites affects how we see ourselves and present to others, she began studying for her NLP Master Qualification, and has since been a full-time coach with clients in half a dozen countries.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory of how you came upon this career path and to where you are today?
I have always been fascinated by language, and how it can become an asset or ammunition depending on how one uses it. I had tried traditional therapy for a good chunk of my life when I met my first NLP mentor James Hutchinson, who taught me all about ‘coaching’, how deeply language affects every part of our lives, and how we can harness it and teach others too. And I was hooked!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Other than James, I would probably say my mom. She is a clinical psychologist and has taught me fluid thinking, empathy towards myself and others, and to always back my opinions up with data and fact-checking.
Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?
My first videos were shockingly bad! Why had no one told me there are video editing softwares people use to make their content look professional? I cannot even begin counting the amount of hours I spent reshooting TikToks where I would mess a small part up before I told myself… surely there is a better way, what is everyone else doing?
As an influencer, you have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. In fact, perhaps most people who tried to follow a career path like yours did not succeed. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?
It’s a slow climb, and every ‘overnight’ success has been quietly studying the landscape, trying and failing, and becoming unapologetically themselves for years. My one piece of advice is to do something you’re obsessed with and you would do for free, because your passion and purpose will carry you through when you don’t get paid or see immediate results.
Can you share with our readers some of the strategies you’ve used to build an engaged, loyal, and large online community?
I read and respond to every comment, and ask how they want my content delivered, or what tip they need this week. On YouTube, people want relaxing videos that they can chill to for half an hour and feel empowered by. On IG it’s my 60-second mental health tips that do best. I try creating bespoke content for each platform, so that each audience may receive what they were looking for.
Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. In my work, I focus on how one can thrive and care for oneself in three areas: body, mind, and heart. You are a busy person with a demanding schedule, can you share with our readers two self-care routines, practices or treatments that help your body thrive? (Kindly share a story or an example for each.)
Definitely! My very first tip is about rethinking why we move our bodies: we all know how important exercise and physical activity is, but we so often do it to ‘get in shape’ or ‘change the way we look’ or ‘counter the effects of a big meal’. We seldom do it for fun. We don’t often just go for a walk for the joy of the walk itself, or dance around because dancing feels good. So we do something that’s meant to be good for us from a place of anger, hatred, envy or shame. And that’s not sustainable in the long run, and vastly less enjoyable.
Another thing I’m super passionate about is a reliable self-care routine — not just because my skin likes it, but because it’s a ritual I can count on happening every night before bed. There have been a few studies published by Harvard’s Francesca Gino and Michael Norton on the power of rituals, and for me they really underscore the fact that it’s finally ‘me time’, and that the day has ended and I can now shake it off and start something nice and relaxing. Not to mention, face yoga really is the beauty industry’s best kept secret, and I can’t speak highly enough of my newly shaped jawline!
Can you share with us two routines that you use to help your mind or heart to thrive?
One of my favorite self-care exercises is doing ‘public gratitudes’ on Instagram or with my team at work. Experiencing gratitude and being grateful are two psychology super-tools, and every day I write three things I am grateful for on my Instagram stories so that others might be inspired to do the same, and so that I can be accountable to them, and remember that I need to stop and smell the roses and find the positives in my day.
Another thing I try doing daily is applying ‘unconditional positive regard’ to every person or situation. I lead a very people-facing life, and I sometimes meet individuals I don’t understand or like. But I have two rules I live by: I believe everyone is doing the best they can with what they have and know how to do, and I believe everyone is more than their best and worst behaviors. This truly helps my mind keep calm and thrive, and live a happier, more fulfilled life.
Can you help articulate why self-care is so important for your mental wellness?
I hope this doesn’t sound macabre, but we are born and we die alone, so it is up to us to care for ourselves, to save ourselves, to get ourselves to where we want to get and to ensure we are the best version of ourselves. Self-care is not, and has never been, synonymous with selfishness or egotism. Quite the opposite. In fact, the better I take care of myself, the less I have to ask others to do it, and the more help I can offer whoever needs it. Self-care to me is adding a little penny in my penny jar every day, so that my pot may always be full, and my mind may be occupied with other, more fun things.
Can you share five ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?
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Is there a particular resource, a practitioner, expert, book, or podcast that made a significant impact on you and helped you to thrive? Can you share a story about that with us?
I love The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos, which is a podcast on science-backed tips and tricks for living a happier life. I am definitely someone who needs to see data and research behind common claims, and one day I was doing research on loneliness before a session with a client who claimed he was better off without any social interaction, and stumbled upon her podcast, which is full to the brim with studies that are actually accessible to everyone.
As an influencer, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Something I am proud to have started on my social channels is the divulgation, explanation and naming of human emotions, which is important for two main reasons. The first, so we may all know that what we feel is not exclusive to us, that we are not alone in our grief, shame or confusion, and that others understand the spectrum of emotions we experience. The second, so we may learn what the antidote for each challenging emotion is, and help ourselves in times of need. I simply wish everyone would learn to name what they are feeling, so that we may dwell less in negative emotions, feel less alone, and experience many more positive ones.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)
The list is endless… but if not Dr Laurie Santos (for all the above reasons!) then Brene’ Brown, who is my absolute inspiration when it comes to naming and decoding emotions, and has done so much powerful and important work to help explain the human condition.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
My IG channel (@TalkWithFos) is full of exercises and short videos on how to take care of your mental health, and I also have a Youtube channel (@TalkWithFosASMR) where I record long-form ASMR meditations and NLP sessions with positive affirmations and insight on our feelings and emotions.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher, and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness, and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
