Castles, Debt, and Global Expansion: Simone Milasas on Building Business Through Intuition
Most business success stories follow a familiar arc: education, planning, execution, growth. Simone Milasas threw that script out the window—and built something extraordinary in the process.
The entrepreneur and best-selling author didn't climb out of $187,000 in debt by getting an MBA or hiring consultants. Instead, she asked a radically different question: "What if I'm actually brilliant with money and just haven't acknowledged it yet?" That shift in perspective became the foundation for everything that followed.
As Business Development Manager of Access Consciousness, Simone has overseen the organization's expansion from 6 countries to over 176—a 1,700% growth that happened not through traditional market research, but by following what felt "light and expansive." Her hiring philosophy rejects résumés in favor of "energy and awareness match." Her investment decisions prioritize joy over projected returns.
The approach sounds impractical until you see the results: multiple revenue streams spanning continents, from Italian castles to fitness franchises, all built on the principle that "money follows joy, not the other way around."
1. You've shared that you were $187,000 in debt before becoming a multi-millionaire businesswoman. Can you walk us through that pivotal moment when you realized you needed to make a big change, and what were the first three concrete steps you took that shifted everything? What would you tell someone who's in a similar financial position today?
When I was $187,000 in debt, the hardest part wasn’t the debt—it was the judgment. I kept telling myself I was terrible with money, which only made it worse. The moment I realized that I was the one creating my financial reality, I saw that I also had the power to change it. It wasn’t about fixing myself; it was about asking different questions.
The first three steps I took were:
- Stopped judging the debt. Your point of view creates your reality. If you think you’re terrible with money, you’ll prove yourself right. What if you’re brilliant with money, and you just haven’t acknowledged it yet?
- Looked at the numbers honestly. I wrote down every single dollar I owed and every dollar I had. Awareness creates choice; hiding from your money creates limitation.
- Asked, “What revenue streams can I create today?” Instead of shrinking, I expanded. I chose businesses that felt fun and joyful—because money follows joy, not the other way around. I embraced the adventure of living and business. Took more risks. You have to have an experience of living, not define it or limit it.
To anyone in debt now: Stop making yourself wrong. Ask, “What can I choose and create today that would out-create this?” and “What else is possible with money that I’ve never considered?” Your willingness to choose beyond fear changes everything.
Access Consciousness has expanded from 6 to 176 countries under your leadership as Business Development Manager. You mentioned that your approach 'cannot be found inside a textbook' and that you hire based on 'awareness and energy match' rather than education. Can you share a specific example of how this unconventional approach led to a breakthrough in entering a new market or overcoming a major business challenge?"
Access Consciousness grew from 6 countries to over 176 countries, Not because we followed a formula, but because we never tried to get it ‘right.’ I don’t hire people because of their degrees or their résumés; I look for their energy and their willingness to create beyond what’s predictable.
A great example of this was with one of my company’s Good Vibes for You. I didn’t start it with a business plan; I started with a question: “What can I create that would make people happier?” The business grew because I followed the energy of what felt light. When I hired people, I looked for those who could contribute their unique brilliance, not just fill a role.
When it’s time to hire someone for your business, don’t just ask for an employee to show up. Ask for someone who is going to contribute beyond your wildest dreams to expand your business.
You've built multiple revenue streams across diverse industries - from co-owning a castle in Italy to fitness franchises and antique stores. How do you practically use intuition to evaluate these vastly different business opportunities? Can you describe your decision-making process when something feels right energetically but might not make sense on paper to traditional business advisors?
For me, business isn’t about getting it ‘right.’ It’s about following the energy. I’ll ask, ‘Does this choice expand my life and the world, or does it contract it?’ If it expands, I go for it—whether it makes sense on paper or not.
When I invested in the castle in Italy, everyone said, “Don’t do it!” On paper, it was ridiculous. But the energy of the place was magical. I knew it would create more—not just for me, but for everyone who walked through those doors. And I was right. That choice has opened up opportunities I could never have planned or predicted.
My process is simple:
- Ask questions like, “What will this choice create in 5, 10, or 20 years?” or “What’s possible here that I haven’t considered?”
- Follow what feels light. Relax and ask questions that allow the information to show up. Stop trying to control what shows up. Choose and BE.
- Be willing to choose and adjust. Business isn’t about perfection. It’s about choice creating awareness. It’s not about being right. It’s about creating possibilities.
Also, a big aspect from my book, Joy of Business, that I share is: If it’s not joyful, why would you do it? Money follows joy. Joy doesn’t follow money.
About Simone Milasas:
Simone Milasas is a global entrepreneur, international speaker, and best-selling author of Joy of Business and Getting Out of Debt Joyfully. As the Business Development Manager of Access Consciousness, she has played a key role in its expansion to over 176 countries, driving extraordinary growth through intuitive, unconventional strategies.
Simone is also the host of the Choice, Change & Action podcast, where she shares empowering tools and conversations that inspire listeners to create business and life on their terms. Known for her dynamic approach and infectious energy, Simone empowers people to move beyond judgment, trust their awareness, and create from possibility.
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