From Growing Up in a Russian Orphanage to SpaceX Artist

Aisha Makara is a world traveler who’s explored over 60 countries and a Mongolian artist, engineer, entrepreneur, and author of the Joyful Living Guidebook. She spent her earliest years in a Soviet-era Russian orphanage before hitchhiking across Central Asia, earning an engineering degree in Norway, co-founding Lisbon White Rose property management in Portugal and launching a nonprofit to support orphanages. After a van break-in in Florida, she rebuilt her life and ultimately saw her art literally reach the stars on plaques sent to space by SpaceX. In this episode, Aisha recounts life without family, the moment she chose independence over scarce caretaker attention, her fight to reclaim a “sold” scholarship, building her first nonprofit during university, bouncing back from that Florida setback and why curiosity, resilience and gratitude fuel her joyful, purpose-driven journey. Connect with Aisha • Art Instagram: @aishamakaraart • Personal Instagram: @bigbossbaby7777 • Joyful Living Guidebook: Buy on Amazon - Follow along on other platforms: Instagram Tiktok Youtube