Podcast Summary
Discovering and expressing one's unique purpose: Recognize your unique gifts, resist corporate life if it doesn't align, and utilize your medicine to heal and make a difference.
Discovering and expressing one's sole purpose is essential for personal growth and contributing to the world. Erica Carico, a life purpose and business coach, shares her journey of awakening her own divine gifts and helping others do the same. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing that each person comes with unique gifts, which, if not shared, are lost forever. Erica encourages listeners to tap into their medicine and utilize it to heal the world in their unique way. She also shares her own experience of resisting her soul's call to corporate life, only to find fulfillment in entrepreneurship and coaching others to do the same. Ultimately, Erica's message is one of self-discovery, awakening, and utilizing one's gifts to make a difference in the world.
Living by 'shoulds' leads to burnout and unhappiness: Avoid 'shoulds' and focus on what resonates for a fulfilling life, even if it means taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones.
Living a life based on "shoulds" can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression. The speaker's own experience of working as a corporate recruiter for six years and then in Australia, despite feeling unfulfilled and unhappy, is a testament to this. She shares how she hit rock bottom, realized the importance of listening to her intuition and following her soul calling, and eventually started her own business. However, she also admits to still holding back due to fear and self-doubt. The key takeaway is to avoid the "shoulds" and instead focus on what truly resonates with us, even if it means taking risks and stepping out of our comfort zones.
Feeling trapped in the wrong path can lead to serious health issues: Ignoring your soul's calling and holding in toxic emotions can lead to health issues like cancer, a reminder to follow your authentic path.
Ignoring your soul path and holding in toxic emotions can lead to serious health issues, including cancer. The speaker shares her personal experience of feeling trapped in a career that didn't fulfill her, despite having a master's degree and working in the not-for-profit industry. She felt like she was building someone else's dream and resisting her true calling. This resistance led to a buildup of toxicity in her body, which manifested as kidney cancer. Her diagnosis served as a massive wake-up call, leading her to remember her mission and start her own coaching business. The universe, she believes, uses various means to get our attention when we're not on the right path, and her cancer diagnosis was a reminder to follow her soul's calling and live a more authentic life.
Starting a business despite adversity: Believe in your passion, take risks, and trust divine guidance to shape your business. Evaluate beliefs, desires, and seek support from coaches to recreate your life and break free from old patterns.
Even in the face of adversity, following your passion and taking risks can lead to unexpected growth and a new direction in life. The speaker shares her experience of starting a coaching program just a week after surgery, despite physical limitations. She believes that this divine guidance helped shape her business and challenges us to question the beliefs and fears passed down through generations that hold us back from living our best lives. Money plays a crucial role in this journey, as financial security allows us to focus on personal growth and giving back to the world. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of evaluating our beliefs and desires, and the role of spiritual and business coaches in supporting us on this journey. Ultimately, it takes courage to recreate our lives and break free from old patterns, but the rewards can be immense.
Failures as opportunities for growth: Reframe failures as lessons for growth, learn continuously, and maintain balance between business and self.
Running a business can be an extension of who we are, making it challenging to separate our identity from it. Failures and setbacks are inevitable, but they are not definitions of failure unless we quit or don't learn from them. Instead, we should reframe failures as opportunities for growth and remember that success always comes after failure. A particularly traumatizing experience for the speaker was a masterclass she held, which was disrupted by technical difficulties and resulted in a financial loss. Despite the setback, she learned valuable lessons and kept going. Entrepreneurship involves continuous learning and finding a balance between our business and ourselves.
Embracing the Void: Trusting the Process of Transition: Trust the process of transition, practice daily self-care, and surrender to the uncertainty for spiritual growth and the emergence of new possibilities.
The void, or the in-between space of transition, can be a difficult and painful experience, but it's also a place of creation and spiritual transformation. It's important to trust the process and allow yourself to sit with the pain and uncertainty, knowing that the rise will come and bring about something beautiful. Daily practices such as meditation, prayer, or connecting with nature can help provide guidance and a sense of connection during this time. Surrendering and trusting the process can be challenging, but it's essential for allowing the new way of being or living to emerge. The void may feel like an abyss, but it's also a place of immense potential and growth.
From structured self-care to daily moments of connectedness: Post-diagnosis, focus on positive self-talk and self-love. Build a business with 80% external marketing and 20% internal social media presence.
Self-care practices have evolved from structured activities like guided meditations and affirmations to smaller, daily moments that foster a sense of connectedness. Pre-diagnosis, self-harming behaviors like obsessive working out and disordered eating were common practices. Post-diagnosis, committing to positive self-talk and self-love became essential. The hamster wheel of working for people who don't value you is not the purpose of life. Our inner guidance system is powerful, but often ignored. Social media can be a source of distraction and disconnection. When building a business, focus on external marketing (80%) to reach new leads and bring them into your community, and limit social media presence (20%) to internal marketing. This approach can help businesses take off.
Social Media vs. Workshops or Events for Business Growth: Social media can be unpredictable, consider taking breaks for personal growth and focus on building a unique business through targeted workshops or events instead.
While social media can be a valuable tool for reaching potential clients, it's an unpredictable strategy compared to holding targeted workshops or events. Comparisonitis and imposter syndrome can also negatively impact your business and hinder your ability to listen to your intuition and build a soulful business. Instead of scrolling through social media, consider taking breaks to connect with yourself and nature for personal growth. My 90-day Soul Business Accelerator program provides a solid foundation for building a 6-figure business. Remember, you're a sovereign being, and it's essential to pave your unique path rather than comparing yourself to others.
Differentiating Fear from Intuition: Fear and intuition can be distinguished by taking action and following through. Fear feels exciting and expansive, while intuition feels wrong and needs action to confirm. Trusting ourselves through this process allows us to tap into our unique gifts and build a business aligned with our purpose.
Fear is a natural part of life, but it doesn't have to hold us back. Our ego tries to keep us safe, but it can also prevent us from following our intuition and pursuing our calling. To differentiate between fear and intuition, the best approach is to take action and follow through on our fears. If it feels wrong, it's likely our intuition. But if it feels exciting and expansive, it's likely fear that we can overcome. This process of taking action and learning to trust ourselves is especially important for women starting service-based businesses, as they navigate the early stages of entrepreneurship and self-discovery. By working through fear and following our intuition, we can tap into our unique gifts and build a business that aligns with our purpose. This journey can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it – the opportunity to meet incredible people and live a fulfilling, meaningful life.
Personal growth and well-being during COVID-19: The pandemic has led to increased focus on personal growth and the personal development industry is expected to grow, making it a prime time for starting a business aligned with your gifts and purpose.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given people the time and motivation to focus on their personal growth and well-being. Many are recognizing the need for change and seeking support to heal and improve their lives. This trend is predicted to continue into 2021, making it an ideal time for those with the desire to start a business aligned with their gifts and be of service. The personal development industry is expected to see significant growth, and those who jump in now can make a huge impact in the coming years. Erica Carico, a coach and healer, shared her own experience of increased business during this time and encouraged listeners to take action and join the movement towards co-creation and collective responsibility. If you're feeling stuck or dissatisfied with your current situation, Erica's website, ericacarico.com, offers resources and programs to help you get started on your journey towards monetizing your purpose.
The Importance of Connection and Community in Personal and Business Growth: Engage with Jennifer and her guests through subscribing, leaving reviews, and sharing the podcast to foster a supportive community and facilitate co-creation. Jennifer's diverse background in coaching and education emphasizes her commitment to continuous learning and sharing her knowledge.
Learning from this episode of Illuminated is the importance of connection and community in personal and business growth. Jennifer emphasized the value of learning from remarkable women like Erica, and encouraged listeners to engage with her and her guests through subscribing, leaving reviews, and sharing the podcast. Jennifer's background in various forms of coaching and education, including studies with the Czech Institute, Z Health, and work with Cassie Underwood and Harriet Hale, underscores her commitment to continuous learning and sharing her knowledge with others. Ultimately, Illuminated aims to facilitate co-creation and foster a supportive community, and Jennifer expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to connect with listeners on this platform. To get involved and receive a discount on a private coaching session with Jennifer, be sure to mention the podcast when reaching out.
