Welcome
Heart-Led Global Women & Cross-Cultural Leaders
Octopus and Stitch is a home for compassionate global women and cross-cultural leaders—many working with INGOs, social enterprises, and international systems—who carry care, responsibility, and vision across borders.
We serve those who see too much: women who hold multiple cultures, languages, timelines, and truths at once—and who are ready to work without burning out, flattening themselves, or betraying their values.
Why “Octopus and Stitch”
The octopus moves from a center that is whole. A center that is the master of its parts. From this coherence, its arms act independently yet intelligently—sensing, adapting, responding—without losing sovereignty of the whole.
Stitching is the act of integration. An awareness of interconnectedness without forcing one over the other.
Octopus and Stitch is the practice of leading from a whole center—where soul, system, culture, and Earth remain in partnership—weaving into living belonging, one decision and one rhythm at a time.
You Are Not Too Much. You Are Holding Too Much Alone.
If you have ever felt:
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stretched between cultures, systems, and expectations
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responsible for people, programs, and futures beyond yourself
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fluent in complexity but unsupported in your own belonging
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called to empower women globally while quietly questioning the systems you work within
You are not broken.
You are a bridge.
And bridges require different forms of care, rhythm, and leadership.
Who This Is For
Octopus and Stitch is for:
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Compassion-forward global career women—women holding cross-cultural wisdom, care, and perspective for the collective
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NGO leaders and practitioners working to empower women across cultures
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Cross-cultural empaths and bridge-builders navigating international, post-colonial, or in-between spaces
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Those who are done performing resilience and ready for true sustainability
You do not need to explain why you feel torn between the love for your work and exhaustion. We already know.
FREE GIFT
You're Not Stuck. You're Mispositioned.
The In-Between Brilliance Archetype Assessment
GET FREE GUIDEphoto credit: omokhun
What is the Belonging Code™?
Coming SoonAt the heart of our work is the Belonging Code.
The Belonging Code is a modern integrative framework blending the Medicine Wheel, the Wheel of the Year, and the East Asian 24 Solar Markers (Jeolgi).
It centers a decolonized, Earth-based perspective to restore balance, harmony, and interconnectedness in international communities and businesses.
Rather than pushing for productivity, visibility (marketing), or impact at all costs, the Belonging Code helps you:
orient & tune yourself to the natural cycles instead of linear timelines
lead from coherence between body, hearth, culture, and responsibility
honor both soul and system without collapsing into either
make decisions that are sustainable across generations
It is not a mindset tool. It is not a productivity framework.
It is a way of remembering your belonging while doing work that matters.
NICE TO MEET YOU
I'm San Shine
I’m the Founder & CEO of Octopus and Stitch — a former banker, aid worker, and risk consultant turned Earth-loving intuitive consultant. Born through 🇰🇷 parents, I grew up across Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 , Austria 🇦🇹, and the U.S. 🇺🇸, moving 32 times, learned 7 languages, worked in over 20 countries — and truly feels that Earth is home. From the outside, I looked adaptable, capable, and composed. On the inside, I was quietly exhausted.
I learned to code-switch early. So early that the fatigue felt normal. The constant mental tracking. The invisible rules of belonging here, adapting there. Code-switching is a brilliant survival strategy — especially for global souls who can see across cultures, systems, and identities. It protects us and conceals our genius. And over time, it quietly drains our life force.
Today, I help global souls stop shrinking to fit fragmented systems and start leading from their integrated brilliance. Not by performing harder or translating themselves endlessly — but by reclaiming their authority at the center. This is leadership rooted in belonging, wholeness, and power that doesn’t require leaving parts of the self behind.
READ MY STORY
"Working with San helped me see myself differently. I started feeling more confident and clear in the choices I make. Instead of trying to fit into one box, I learned to accept all the different parts of who I am. Our sessions left me with a real sense of ease and belonging. She held space for everything without judgment, and that made me feel safe and fully seen. I would recommend San to anyone who feels their story is too layered or complicated for traditional coaching or therapy. She has a way of making people feel whole, and that is rare."
-Hiba Shoujaa
"Working with San was a turning point in my leadership journey. Her approach blends emotional intelligence with practical, values-based frameworks that helped me reconnect with my core purpose and lead with greater clarity. Beyond personal growth, her tools and guidance equipped me to navigate complexity, build resilience, and make values-aligned decisions in high-stakes environments. San brings a rare ability to support both individual leaders and broader organizational transformation, making her an invaluable partner for anyone driving meaningful change."
- Crystal Cason
"I’ve had the privilege of working with San Shine. What sets her apart is the depth of perspective she brings from her multicultural background and lived experiences across diverse communities. Her insights into nomadic life bring a richness and nuance that many leaders can benefit from, such as navigating change, embracing diverse teams, and building strategies that resonate globally. If you’re seeking a coach who blends her expertise with a truly global and human lens, San Shine is the one to have by your side."
- Lyana Huynh
How We Work Together
Our offerings are intentionally slow, relational, and grounded.
Community
Gatherings and circles
Courses
Online courses & teachings
Reflections
grounded in natural rhythms & cycles
Frameworks
New language and frameworks that anchor decolonized Earth perspective
OCTOPUS & STITCH NEWSLETTER
You do not have to carry the world alone.
If you are ready to create, lead, and belong without abandoning yourself to compassion fatigue, you are welcome here. Belonging is not optional. The future is relational.
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