Meet Carly Pepin | Mindset Consultant for Entrepreneurs & Executives

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carly Pepin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carly, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My family has been a big influence when it comes to business. Both my parents are Entrepreneurs, their parents were as well, and I got to see it with some of my cousins, aunts and uncles too. Over a long period of time, you really start to notice the differences between being an employee and a business owner. The challenges and responsibilities you face as an owner are different than that of an employee, but I saw that the rewards were greater. I knew if I wanted to build wealth to a large degree, it would be through the services I provided as a business, not an employee. I could see as an employee, I would eventually reach a stopping point, but as a business owner, if I reached that point, I had the choice to move beyond it and grow a business even more. Once the Why was built, it became about discovering the How. I chose to get into Consulting and Coaching because of my own personal experiences with it. It really hit me when I was sitting down one afternoon with my coach. I realized that every session she had with me, helped her to move through her own problems and work out her own personal stuff. As Zig Ziglar has said, help people get what they want and you get what you want. When I broke it down and saw how this worked, I realized, Consulting and Coaching was the perfect job for me. As I dove into it, I started to realize how much it brought me to life. I saw that I would tackle challenges I normally would be averse to, how it would energize me and bring me to life whenever I was teaching, that I was willing to do whatever it took to be the Coach and Consultant I would love to be. I learned about not only building a business, but how to build one that you would want to be a part of for the rest of your life. Why retire when you are inspired everyday to wake up and do your job? And why choose anything less than the opportunity to have a job that gives you that kind of life. The shift into Consulting for Entrepreneurs and Executives came naturally. Because of my background, experiences and education, I began attracting clients in this arena. All with a common theme. They have dreams, aspirations and goals they would love to achieve. Things that they have a hard time reaching because of some stress, overwhelm, experience or challenge they are facing today. And that’s what I focus on with my clients. Helping them to get from point A to point B, so that they can be who they would love to be and live the life they are inspired by. To the degree that a lot of this was planned, a good portion of it was following the open doors and even closed ones that life presented me. Business really is one of the greatest pathways to discovering who you are and what you are capable of.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I don’t know if I would say I’m proud or excited about my business, but I am inspired and dedicated to it and my future goals. It’s important to remember that the achievement of any goal, while it feels great to accomplish things, isn’t a simple task. The reality is that they will take time, effort, growth, education and energy to achieve. They come with a new set of challenges that you haven’t faced yet. Sometimes it can be nerve-racking. If you aren’t feeling a bit of that nervousness, you are ignoring the challenges that come with your potential success. You are ignoring the crap you are going to tackle along the way, which is unwise because you are ignoring your foresight. The wisest leaders don’t get excited by an outcome, but inspired at looking at all of the things that happen along the way, both bad and good. Then pre-planning for all that they can, so when the unknowns come into place, all of the other challenges that they predicted are out of sight and out of mind. Learning how to love that process has been integral in overcoming challenges. That way when one comes up, my brain doesn’t shut down or want to avoid it. It asks questions on how to overcome it and comes up with strategies and solutions for present and future. When I had unrealistic expectations on what it would feel like to be a success, these kinds of road blocks would paralyze me. When I realized that success was an illusion, these road blocks inspired me and I started to see how they were on they way to my long term future plans. Being humble and remembering the role I play has also given me the success I have today in my business. I know that I am only 50% of the equation, my clients are brilliant and they are the remaining 50%. Remembering that keeps you on your toes, ensures that you don’t just think you have “gotten” there, reminds you that you have work to do on yourself, that you don’t know it all and that your clients have the answers. You are there to guide them and your job is to help them uncover their genius within, not pretend you are the source of genius. The minute you think you have made it, that you have it together, that’s the second it all falls apart. I used to believe that when I hit a certain benchmark in my business that I would be successful. But I’m not. In fact, all it does is make you realize the next benchmark you want to hit. That’s when you know you found your mission. And when you are on a mission, you only celebrate the successes briefly. Because all of a sudden a new door opens and boy oh boy do you want to walk through it! It’s like, how did I not see that before? Oh yeah, I had to get here first. If you tackle your business as a mission, you realize you don’t need to take any credit for success, you don’t need to blame anyone for your problems, you just want to be on a never-ending journey of your life. To me, that isn’t exciting. It’s inspiring, it’s fulfilling and it brings me a tear of gratitude to know that I get to have all sorts of failures, challenges, successes and more lined up for my future. All in an area of life that I LOVE to expand in. I would say that is also what sets me apart from other Consultants. You don’t come to me to get rid of your problems. You come to me because you are fed up with the same problem, and there’s a part of you that knows that is the truth. That if you had no problems I would be bored as shit, so please help me move onto my next goal so I can be done with this one! It’s a fantasy to ever think we “make it.” So I help people to understand that and integrate it, so that their whole life becomes a journey with a never ending destination to unravel. Recently a client thanked me because she said, “I have more problems after working with you, but I’m actually enjoying them. I’m not overwhelmed anymore and I have a lot of energy again.” We had a good laugh and then started to dive into her next big goal so that she could feel the same new internal drive around her new and upcoming challenges.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am from Los Angeles so we really have a ton of things to see here! Usually I ask them what they love to do and tailor our trips around those kinds of sights. But, if they leave it 100% up to me (which they sometimes do), I’m very predictable. You will be going to my favorite yoga classes, rollerblading on the Santa Monica boardwalk, going to art museums, meeting my friends, visiting local restaurants, coworking at local coffee shops, exploring sights that involve photography opportunities and most likely doing some personal development. If someone doesn’t know what to do, I want to share with them the things and people that have the greatest impact on my life.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I talk to people about this all the time. Building a business takes a team. Sometimes you have a team of employees and sometimes it’s a team of connections. My greatest team has been my connections. I have so many people that have impacted me on my journey, I don’t think there is enough room for me to share them all! So I’ll give you some of the top ones today. My boyfriend Amar Virk has been integral to my life. He is also a Coach and Consultant and has helped me shift through some of my deepest fears and wounds. He sees in me all of the things I sometimes don’t see in myself, and challenges me to step into the very things I’m afraid of. My businesses wouldn’t be what it is today without both his support and challenge. He shows up as my best friend, my partner, my mentor and all things in between. He is really my rock. John Demartini and his daughter Alana Demartini have become an integral part of my growth thereafter and up until now. John has been an inspiring teacher and I utilize so much of what he has taught me. I’m also forever grateful for him showing me the value of research and education. There are things that I would never have studied without his inspiration and insights that have truly changed my life. Alana as well, she has been an impactful mentor on my journey. She has led by example, she has been a colleague, a teacher and a friend. A sometimes challenging balance of relationship dynamics that I love experiencing with her, thanks for being you Alana. And of course, my family. My sister who sticks by my side no matter what, reminding me of the power of what resolving your shit can do for your relationships, and also sees in me what I often don’t see in myself. Pushing me to take leaps I am afraid to take. My brother who reminds me to chill out every now and then, to enjoy the other things life has to offer and not take things so seriously. And my parents. Who show me what unconditional love is and teach me how to move through all of the ups and downs in life. Their insights paired with just living by example has been one of the greatest impacts on my life. They are not only my parents, but my teachers and friends.. I could write a book of thank you’s to people. To friends, exes, other family members, bosses, colleagues, clients, teachers, etc. One dedication couldn’t sum up the gratitude for the impact people have had in my life. So for all of those who didn’t get mentioned, you most likely know who you are. Thank you for being you, that’s the biggest impact of all.

Website: www.carlypepin.com
Instagram: instagram.com/carlympepin
Facebook: Facebook.com/carlympepin
Other: www.traitsofthegreat.com