[00:00:00] Welcome back. This is Christina Koki, and thank you for joining me on the Christina Koki Show. This is a place for high caliber women who refuse to hustle harder and are ready for strategy, sisterhood, and scale.
Women who want effortless income jumps. Inside the only ecosystem designed to build wealth and freedom without wasting time. And in today's conversation, we're going deeper. We're talking about ecosystem building and how to make money while you sleep without the funnels that drain you. Because yes, there is still a funnel, but not the kind you've been told you need.
There's a way to build systems and processes that multiply your money and free your life. So if you're ready to build wealth. Effortlessly, enjoy the income jumps you've been chasing and start actually living the life you've been building for. You're in the right place. Let's get into it.
Intro: I am Christina Koki, your host of the Christina Koki Show, born and raised in Silicon [00:01:00] Valley. Now, bringing the wisdom, wit, and well-oiled business strategies from my hometown of Brentwood, just outside of Asheville, where the pace is slower, but the revenue, it still runs high with over two decades of building businesses, some wildly successful others, gloriously messy.
Every step has been fueled by my love of real strategy, real results, and of course. Building an empire that feels effortless. This isn't about side gigs and is definitely not about hustle culture. This is about optimization, about building an empire selectively curated to make your life and your business feel effortless and truly enjoyable with almost a hundred million dollars in sales in just nine years while raising four little ones.
I've curated systems that scale and businesses that fund my lifestyle and not the other way around. From summers in Europe to road trips across the United States, being present with my family is the greatest win. I focus on health and community. From efficiency to effortless income jumps, I'm pulling back the curtain to [00:02:00] everything I'm doing in my life and business.
That has moved me into the top 3% of wealth in the United States. This show is for women who already have consistent sales. But are struggling to make more money with the same or less work who want to find happiness, healthy, and true enjoyment of life while their empires build in the background. Every episode brings sharp strategy, honest insights, and real world tools to help you grow your business and enjoy life in the process.
Join me as I navigate better health, growing my business while linking them all together to build an empire and learning to live the ultimate life of true enjoyment. Nothing is off limits. This is the Christina co show.
Let me take you back for a second. When I first started trying to grow online, I was told what everyone tells you, just build a funnel. It sounds so simple, right? Set it up once, rent some ads, and boom, money in your sleep. I thought, yes, finally, this is how I'll buy back my time.
This is how I will [00:03:00] get free. So I built it, and at first I believed it was working. The dashboards showed sales, the ads were running, people were buying. On paper it looked like success, but behind the scenes, okay, if you're nodding along, you gotta leave me a comment, my dms, or shoot me something on Instagram.
'cause I wanna hear your stories. It's a little nightmare, isn't it? I was up at midnight fixing broken links or trying to, or just trying to figure out what broke. I was constantly tweaking, copy, relaunching campaigns, refreshing my phone, like a slot machine, hoping the numbers would actually line up. I was pouring money into Facebook and Google ads like they were slot machines too, and somehow, well, they always won.
Have you been there that moment when you realize you're not building wealth, you are just babysitting a machine? That's exactly where I found myself exhausted and over it. And here's the kicker to try and make it work. I started adding more, more of me, more offers, more [00:04:00] little tweaks to the program. And what I ended up with was, well, let's call it the Frankenstein business, like one of those old 1970s cabins where people just kept adding rooms onto rooms.
You have like something like where you have to go through the basement. To get to the upstairs bathroom. Yeah, like that. It was messy, heavy. And if I'm honest, it looked a lot like what so many of you are doing right now. You've got consistent sales, but you're not moving up. So you just keep stacking more on top, more time, more tech, more offers until suddenly your business feels like that cabin.
And if that's how your offers your tech and your life feels right now. I know you're just as over it as I was because funnels gave me sales. Yes. I have to say they did, but they didn't gimme freedom. They didn't compound, they didn't multiply. That's when something shifted. I thought I didn't come here to build a funnel [00:05:00] factory, and honestly, I was literally sitting here before recording this podcast, brainstorming with my ads guy Alvero.
Um, you heard him on my podcast, on my YouTube. He's amazing. And I told him I don't want to do the normal thing. No funnels, no freebies. No $7 sales. I want to build a way to check if someone's the right fit for the house or Cortes before they even get to the open house. Because I think differently. I've been called the Efficiency Queen, and here's why.
Total side story, I promise it plays into everything, but I was just at my church over the weekend and Nashville, I was helping our, at our Greek food festival, the bakery line was jammed. The point of sale system wasn't working and people were stressed. I had just gotten there. I'm looking around going, what's going on?
So I jump in, I reorganize the lines. I set up different types of payments we can use at the moment, calm the guest, and boom flow again. My husband fixed the POS system the next day and it [00:06:00] ran smoothly, but by the third day, well guess what? This is a good thing. The bakery was 98% sold out. So on the second night, we knew we were gonna sell out really quick.
On the third day. We needed something to sell in that place because we weren't gonna have anything left. So I said, let's take the Lus, which are the Greek donuts. We had one size. We were kind of selling. They were small, and we just had 'em quietly in the back and nobody was kind of buying 'em. I kept upselling everybody.
That's the funny thing. I was upselling people at the register when I was checking them out. I'd ring up everything and I would say, um, would you like to add a coffee or Lu was your order every time I was doing it? And one out of five people would be like, yeah, add it in. Oh, what are those? Right. I was actually upselling.
So what we said the night before is, what if we don't just offer one size? Let's do a small and a sharing size, which would be our large. They told me it wouldn't work. They said there's no room. It's too messy. But we did it. [00:07:00] When I got back the next day, we had a crowd of people. They were not making them fast enough, didn't have the layout, none of that.
It was one person making a large bowl trying to do it. So I said, okay, I will figure this out. She was like, you can't do it. There's no room. We need more space. I said, no, I could figure it out. So I grabbed another bowl. I split the work. She was making the largest, I was making the small. And guess what? In four hours, the church sold 211 smalls and 197 larges revenue.
They would have never seen all from the same product they were already making. I didn't create something new. I just packaged what was already there and made it flow even better. And that's exactly how I see my empire. It's not about adding more rooms to the cabin. It's about efficiency. It's about refinement.
It's about making the same thing multiply, because I didn't come here to build a funnel factory. To be honest. I hate [00:08:00] building those funnels. I came here to build an empire. And, and empires. They aren't linear, they're alive, they're ecosystems. They give back more than they take. That was my awakening.
Funnels, drain ecosystems multiply. And from that moment, I knew I wasn't going to play the funnel game anymore. I was going to build something different, lighter, stronger, lasting. And that's exactly why I want to talk to you today about building an ecosystem, because if you've been feeling like your business is that messy 1970s cabin, if you're tired of adding more rooms, more tech, more offers just to keep things going, then you're going to love this conversation.
Because here's the great truth, when you build an ecosystem instead of a funnel. Everything changes, money starts flowing differently, your energy shifts, your business stops draining you and actually starts giving back. [00:09:00] So let's talk about the word ecosystem, because I know what you're probably thinking.
Okay, Christina, I get it. Funnels drain, but then what? What even is an ecosystem? I'm so glad you asked because this is where everything shifts. Here's how I see it. A funnel is a linear, it's one way in, one way out. Add to the top money hopefully at the bottom. And here's the part no one tells you. You have to keep finding new people.
The funnel never stops eating. It's like this hungry little machine that constantly needs to be fed. Now, yes, you can do what a lot of the big names are doing now, once you make it through their funnel, they'll drop you into a paid Facebook group or a membership that's. Them trying to patch the hole to keep you in their ecosystem and to keep making money off you.
But let's be real. I've been in those groups, maybe you have too. Some are like the [00:10:00] $1,000 for the year type group, and you get funneled into a community that basically runs itself. The coach really isn't there. Or maybe it's a $12,000 a year one, and you think you're signing up for hands-on coaching, but what you actually get is a, a one 60 minute call a month where the answer, one part of one person's question, well, everyone else listens in, and the rest you are left to fend for in a Facebook group.
But where's the transformation in that? Where's the fast growth? Where's the movement? And honestly, none of that is built for women like us. We don't wanna be squeezed in, spit out, or shoved into a stagnant Facebook group where nothing actually happens. We want momentum, we want refinement, we want belonging.
And so do a lot of other women out there. So then what is an ecosystem? Ah, great question. An ecosystem is alive. It's circular. It feeds itself. It's something you can [00:11:00] actually step away from one day and let a CEO or a coach run it for you. Yes. I did just say that you can step away completely and still have a $10 million business that keeps running without you.
Isn't it crazy? I'm helping people build them. Think about nature, rivers flowing into lakes, trees dropping seeds that grow into ma, into more trees, sun fueling it all. It's a cycle that sustains and multiplies without being micromanaged. That's what a true business ecosystem feels like. Let me give you a picture.
A funnel says, here's my freebie, here's my $7 trip wire. Here's my upsell. An ecosystem says you belong here. You don't just enter and exit. You stay because it fits who you are and where you're going. Here's a hub you can always return to. Here's the next step that unfolds naturally.
When you're ready. Here's a community [00:12:00] where you're not just learning from me. You're compounding growth alongside women who are moving just as fast as you are. That's the difference A funnel ends. An ecosystem expands. You'll never outgrow it because when you grow, it grows. It's not something you leave behind.
It's something you live inside of.
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And here's the crazy part. An ecosystem doesn't need to be massive. 1100 of the right women inside a curated ecosystem can generate $8 million a year. And that's not even counting coaching or live events or whatever else you layer on. But here is the key. It has to be curated.
We don't just keep adding more. The power of an ecosystem come from subtraction, from refinement, from belonging. Do you feel the difference? One drains the other multiplies, and that's exactly why I am not building freebies or trip wires [00:16:00] right now. That's why my ads aren't pointing people to another funnel.
They're pointing to conversations. They're pointing to a door with an ID check before you can get in because I want to know. Are you the right fit for the House of Cortes? A That's how ecosystems are built, not by shoving more people through a pipe, but by curating the right people into a living, breathing home where they belong.
And the best part, you don't have to keep stacking on more offers, more tech, or more overwhelm. You refine, you multiply what's already working do you remember the Luca mother story? I told you we didn't invest something new. We just repackaged what was already there and made it flow better. That's what an ecosystem does.
So if your business feels like that 1970s cabin with rooms tacked onto rooms, here's my invitation. Stop building cabins. Start building your empire. I want to pause here so I can make something really clear. [00:17:00] An empire isn't just one ecosystem. An empire is built when you weave several ecosystems together.
Think of it like this. One ecosystem might be your coaching container. Another might be your events. Another could be your affiliate partnerships or media platform. Or it could be like the House of Cortes A, where all of it can be found inside. Each one is alive on its own, but together. They create an empire.
And here's the difference. You can't build an empire just by stacking funnels on top of each other. Funnels, they don't connect, they don't expand. But ecosystems, they multiply, they link together. That's how you build something lasting. That's how you create an empire light enough to live in and strong enough to last.
So that's the shift, right? Funnels, drain, ecosystems multiply. Once I saw that, I couldn't unsee it. But here's the question. What kind of ecosystem do you actually build? [00:18:00] Because not all ecosystems look the same. Some are small and curated, others are big and hold everything inside them. And the truth is you need to know which one makes sense for you.
Right now, there are really two ways you can do this. The first one is a small curated ecosystem. This is where you design one container that's deeply refined and very intentional. It's lean and mean. It's not about scale. It's about the depth. Think of it like a private garden. Limit access, carefully tendered every plant chosen.
You don't need thousands of people to make it work. Just the right feel. The second way is a large ecosystem, one big house. That's what I'm building with the House of Corsa. Inside one ecosystem, you have different rooms, different experiences, a place women can enter and never have to leave because the house expands with them.
It's not just one garden, it's acres of land, orchards, vineyards, walking [00:19:00] past a world of its own. Now, which will make sense for you. This isn't about how long you've been in the business or what stage you're at, it's more about what speaks to you, what feels aligned with how you want to build. Some women love the idea of that small curated ecosystem, one container, deeply refined, very intentional, like a private garden where every person is chosen and the belonging runs deep. Other women know in their bones they don't wanna mess around. They're here to build something big. One ecosystem that holds it all.
The offer, the community, the events, the multipliers. A place women never outgrow because the house expands with them. Neither path is right or wrong. It's simply a matter of Do you want to tend to a beautiful garden or do you want to build a house that becomes the whole world women live inside of?
That's the real question. So I'm gonna go into the four pillars of an ecosystem. So let's break it [00:20:00] down. There's four pillars that hold up every ecosystem, whether you're tending a private garden or building a big house, these are non-negotiables without them. Either ecosystem or any kind of ecosystem you build will collapse.
So let's get into 'em. Pillar one, the value hub. This is the heartbeat in a garden. It's like the water source. The, well, everything grows from in a house. It's the front door, the place people always enter through. It could be your podcast, your YouTube, your newsletter, whatever you choose. It's the space people know they can always return to for value without a hub.
The ecosystem has no center of gravity. Second pillar aligned offers. This is where most women go sideways stacking on random offers until their business feels like that 1970s cabin with rooms tacked onto rooms, but aligned offers, they flow in a garden. It's like planting vegetables in [00:21:00] rows. Each bed makes sense next to the other.
It's easy to move from one to the next in a house. It's the rooms. Each one has a purpose, and you walk into it naturally when the time is right. That's the beauty of aligned offers. They're curated. Curated, not chaotic. They give women a path. Not a puzzle. Pillar three multipliers. These are your secret sauce.
The things that make your ecosystem compound without draining you in a garden. It's like planting companion crops. You grow basil next to the tomatoes and suddenly they both thrive more in a house. It's the wings you add on with partners, affiliates, collaborators, people and systems that feed. Every room inside without you doing all the work.
Multipliers, let your ecosystem grow behind you. The fourth pillar is your community, the container, and this one is my favorite because [00:22:00] this is where the belonging lives in a garden. It's the trellis that plants grow up on. They get stronger because they're climbing together in a house. It's the family room, the space where everyone gathers, connects, multiplies each other's growth.
This isn't a stagnant face group where people are left to fend for themselves. This is a living, breathing community where women stay not because they have to, but because they finally found a place where they belong. So these are the four pillars. The, well, the rooms, the companion crops, and the trellis, the things that make an IT ecosystem not just run but thrive.
And here's the best part. When these four pieces are in place, you stop babysitting funnels and start multiplying impact. You stop adding more just to keep th things moving, and instead you refine, you subtract. You build something light enough to live in, but strong enough to last. Now, [00:23:00] I want you to really picture this with me because I know sometimes it's easy to nod along and say, yes, this makes sense, but not really.
Imagine what it can look like in your life. So let's play this out. Imagine you build a small curated ecosystem. One program, one hub, one community, and let's say you have just 100 women in, not thousands, not tens of thousands. 100 because it's refined and it flows. These women stay, they grow. They bring their friends who are just like them, and instead of churning through strangers every month, you're multiplying inside of a home.
They never want to leave. That's six figures, maybe even seven for one. Well-designed ecosystem, and here's the coolest part, because it's curated. As the women grow and expand, your offers can grow and expand right alongside them. You're not , scrambling [00:24:00] to reinvent something brand new every time.
You're simply elevating with them. And even with the natural churn, that always happens. You're not hunting for money or panicking over sales. Why? Because you're building and you are. Nurturing your wait list, so there's always another woman excited and ready to step into the ecosystem.
When the timing is right, it's a steady flow, not a desperate chase. Now picture the bigger house, maybe that's what calls to you. You've got your value hub. Your podcast or your channel, you got multiple rooms, coaching, live events, partnerships, even affiliate streams. Women come in through the front door and realize they never have to leave.
There's always a next step, always a space where they belong. That's not just six figures or seven. That's eight. That's an empire built from ecosystems stacked together. And here's the beautiful truth of all of it. [00:25:00] You don't need to grind yourself into the ground to make it happen.
When the system works, it actually gets lighter. It frees you to live the life you started this business for in the first place. That's what I'm building with the House of Cortes. A not another mastermind, not another membership that runs itself. But a house, a full ecosystem where women can grow, move, expand, and belong.
And I know this isn't just for me. This is where businesses are headed. This is the new way. Funnels are dying. Ecosystems are the future. And if you're listening to this, it's probably because you're being called to build one too. So here's what I want you to sit with for a second. If funnels are draining you, maybe it's because you were never meant to build one in the first place.
That's how I felt. You were meant to build an ecosystem, and the question isn't whether you're ready or if you've been in business long enough or if you've checked off enough boxes. The real question is. Do you [00:26:00] feel it? Do you feel that pull to stop stacking on more and start creating something alive, something that multiplies instead of drains?
Because here's the thing, this is not theory. I'm living. It inside the house of Cortes A, it's the house I built because I didn't want another funnel or another stagnant membership group. I'm tired of all of them. I wanted a place where women never outgrew, a place where they belonged, A place that expands as they expand and it's curated so the right people are in the right house.
And if you've been listening to this and thinking, that's exactly what I want, a business that feels lighter, smarter, and more alive. Then this is your moment. The House of Cortes is, we're, we're building this together where you'll see how to create your own ecosystem, whether that's a private garden or a full house.
Where you'll refine, multiply, and finally stop hustling for the next sale. So if you're ready, get on the wait list. I'll put the link in the chin notes [00:27:00] below. That's the front door. That's how you step into the movement because this isn't just about making more money while you sleep. It's about building something that holds you and keeps holding you so you can finally live the life you started this whole business for.
Here's where I want you to remember. Funnels drain you. Ecosystems multiply you. You don't need another funnel to babysit. You don't need to bolt on more offers or patched together another cabin for full rooms. What you need is an ecosystem, a live, curated, and built for belonging, because when you build that, money flows differently.
Growth compounds, and instead of your business owning you. You finally own your business. This is the new way my friend, the lighter way, the way of people who are done hustling for scraps and ready to build empires that actually give them life. So stop building funnels, start building ecosystems. And if you're ready to step into the house where [00:28:00] this is already happening, the House of Cortes, the doors are open.
The wait list is ready. Welcome home.
