Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carla Caswell, founder of Carla Caswell Coaching, located in Tonbridge, GB, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

People call me the sales therapist. I am passionate about helping business owners to get totally confident with selling themselves without the awkward sales scripts. My unique approach is that I coach my clients to use the attributes of emotional intelligence so that they can overcome their limiting beliefs around sales and elevate their relationships with their clients.

Tell us about yourself

I was in corporate advertising for over 17 years and ended up in hospital with a ruptured artery in my stomach due to extreme levels of prolonged stress. It was a huge wake-up call for me, and so I decided to pursue my own business finally. I started out offering marketing services to clients, but as they implemented their marketing strategies, I noticed that they were still struggling to convert clients. I then realized that they had an issue with selling. With my years of experience in media sales, I knew I could support them, and hence the sales coaching emerged. I used emotional intelligence throughout my sales career without even realizing it and constantly fought against the traditional sales techniques that just didn't align/work for me.

When I was nine, my mother was murdered, and I didn't have a lot of support emotionally from my family thereafter. I struggled to process emotions and became a massive perfectionist and over-achiever. However, through experiencing all of this and feeling quite alone in the world, I learned to really observe, process, and understand both my own emotions and those of others around me. I was entrenched in self-awareness, self-regulation and my social skills became heightened at the same time.

I know what it's like to work through really tough emotions that are rooted deep in our childhoods. Sales not only brings a lot of that up for us because it's a place of vulnerability, but it also forces us to be so much more in tune with the emotions of others.

I unpack your limiting beliefs and create a toolkit for you to be confident promoting yourself, eager to have sales conversations and to be super-competent in closing clients without being a shady car salesman.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is getting to transform people's lives every day. I not only transform how they sell their offers, but the skills they learn transform all their interpersonal relationships.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Self-belief for sure. The journey of the business owner is a rollercoaster, and so many unexpected things can get thrown at you on a daily basis. Having a steadfast belief in yourself, your abilities, and your vision is critical to your business and personal success. So many entrepreneurs give up on their businesses and their dreams because they don't fully trust and believe in what they are capable of. That self-belief drives you forward when everyone thinks you are mad. It drives you forward when you don't know how you're going to pay your bills and certainly drives you to innovate even when things are going well continually.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

As I mentioned, self-belief is a major factor in running your business because those closest to you are most likely not going to understand your vision and may not support you, so you need to just believe in what you've set out to do and know that you can do it no matter what the judgment is flying around you.

Second, I would say is consistency. You need to show up every day. You need to do the things that progress your business forward. You need to take care of yourself emotionally and physically consistently so you bring the best into your business. You need to keep going, even on bad days, even if you only do a little bit; staying consistent will reap the rewards.

Finally, flexibility. You never know what challenges or opportunities may come your way in the entrepreneurial journey, so don't be too rigid. Let yourself be flexible to take a different path, adjusting your program/service to suit the clients you have on it at the time, and flexible in your daily routine. A rigid mindset will keep you playing small and limit your opportunities for growth and success.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't be scared to take the leap, whether you've been in business a while or you are just starting out. One thing that is consistent in business is that your comfort zone will be challenged constantly, so don't be afraid to push beyond it. When you take the leap, that's when the magic happens.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://carlacaswellconsulting.mailerpage.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/carlacaswellcoaching/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlacaswell/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlacaswell/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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