Embrace the Dark, with Camille Cortina
Is your business—and your mind—running too many apps at once? In this mind-expanding episode of The Fix, host Derek Maines sits down with systems thinker and integration specialist Camille Cortina. They dive deep into why modern businesses are broken and how systems thinking is the critical skill needed to fix them.
Camille shares her journey from fintech client retention to leadership, sales, and building entire business processes from the ground up. But the conversation doesn't stop there. We explore the frontiers of high performance, including the transformative power of darkness retreats as a tool for executive nervous system regulation and self-mastery.
This episode also tackles the controversial rise of executive psychedelics (microdosing, ayahuasca, DMT) on the West Coast. We ask the critical question: are these substances a shortcut to enlightenment, and what is the missing piece of integration? Discover how to achieve a "psychedelic" expansion of consciousness without drugs and why your personal baggage is directly linked to your business bottlenecks.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What "systems thinking" really means and why it's a superpower in the age of AI and remote work.How the concept of "defragging" your computer applies directly to your business and your mind.An inside look at darkness retreats: what happens when you sit in complete silence and darkness for days, and how it can reboot your nervous system.The truth about the psychedelics movement in executive circles (psilocybin, DMT, LSD) and the critical importance of post-experience integration.Why personal development and self-mastery are non-negotiable for effective leadership and building a successful business.How Source Code and other modalities can help you resolve subconscious patterns and self-sabotage.
If you're a leader, entrepreneur, or visionary feeling the friction of a misaligned business or a cluttered mind, this conversation is your first step toward clarity, expansion, and creating a better world.
Mentioned in this episode:
Camille's Company: Rooted Viz (https://www.rootedviz.com)Inner Bloom Dark Retreat: The only darkness retreat in Prescott, Arizona.
Connect with Us:
Subscribe to The Fix for more conversations on fixing broken systems.Leave a comment below! What are your thoughts on executive psychedelics or darkness retreats?
Chapters:
0:00 - Meet a Young Systems Thinker
1:29 - Camille's Career Journey
4:10 - Inboxes, Outboxes, & Managing by Wandering Around
6:28 - The Enlightenment: Quitting Your Job
9:26 - Self-Mastery as a System
11:04 - Source Code & The Subconscious
12:36 - Inside a Darkness Retreat
17:00 - Defragging Your Human Operating System
20:12 - Psychedelics in the Boardroom
25:09 - Redefining the "Psychedelic Experience"
30:59 - The Systemic Taboo of Consciousness
34:10 - How to Work with Camille
Keywords:
Systems Thinking, Business Systems, Process Mapping, The Fix Podcast, Derek Maines, Camille Cortina, Rooted Viz, Darkness Retreat, Sensory Deprivation, Nervous System Regulation, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Psychedelics, Microdosing, Ayahuasca, DMT, Psilocybin, Executive Psychedelics, Integration, Source Code, Subconscious Mind, Self-Mastery, Personal Development, High Performance, Business Bottlenecks, Remote Work, Defrag, Mental Clarity, Inner Work, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Training, Fintech, Sales Leadership.
South Africa