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

Hi Carol, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
It’s tough to choose just one book that has positively impacted and guided me, but two books come to mind: The Four Agreements by Luis Ruiz and The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley. They both have had a powerful impact on me and continue to guide me today. The Four Agreements conveys a simple, but powerful, message to better your life by abiding by the following agreements (below). I try to apply these agreements in my everyday life as a wife, mother and through charity work with Tennis Serves Others, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Of course, sometimes I fail, but I try to go back to these simple truths in navigating my life. 1. Always Do Your Best – You always want to do your best, strive to push yourself, to work hard, close deals (in business), play hard (with sports), and to work respectfully with your colleagues. The key to “doing your best” is to always try, put in the effort, and with that, if you fall short then you shouldn’t have regrets. 2. Be Impeccable with Your Word – Being impeccable with your word doesn’t just mean always speaking the truth, but to also try to not use the word against another person or even to harm yourself. Your word and your actions are the fundamentals that create your reputation, both professionally and personally, and your reputation for honesty creates trust which will lead to success. 3. Don’t Make Assumptions – It’s always best to get to the “truth” from the source. Making assumptions can just lead you to make bad decisions. 4. Don’t Take It Personally – This is definitely the toughest agreement for me as I can be oversensitive. It’s easy to get caught up in a denial or a rejection and internalize it by thinking you did something wrong. However, if you “did your best”, you will minimize regrets and accept the situation for what it is. Not everyone will like you or respond to your products/services, and let’s face it, some people just aren’t very nice, so don’t take it personally. 😊 The second book, The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, is a complex book with multiple powerful messages. Here are a few that have guided me: All is Divine – We are all spiritual beings with divinity and this divinity is in every person and creature. Be kind and try to see the divinity in all. I certainly have a passion for helping animals, I see their souls and believe they equally have a right to life. Do your Duty – You have a role to fill, karmic obligations. Carry out your duty with commitment, and work to care for your family and for others, aka “do your best”. Non-Attachment – Do not be attached to the outcome. I need to constantly remind myself that “I” did not do but “God” did. Truth – A major theme in this book is of Arjuna, who is on the brink of war, and many on the other side are kin. He is reminded by Krishna to not be attached but to do his duty. He is fighting against injustice and I think that is very important. The Truth sometimes resonates in your soul, and it might be against the popular belief but that’s how big changes occur. Following your heart, what feels right, which then probably aligns with your higher self, particularly if you can let go of the outcome and the reward. Of course, I’m a constant work in progress but these words inspire and keep me motivated to continue to do my best, to be of service to others, and to speak out against injustices.

What should our readers know about your business?
Immediately from college, I went into medical sales, first human medicine with selling respiratory equipment and pharmaceutical sales then I switched to veterinary medicine. I worked my way up the ladder from a sales representative, sales specialist to regional sales manager and then to national director of marketing and training. I’ve always been driven, and once I had children, I used these work skills to dive into philanthropy. Today, I foster animals for a local rescue group and I run a non-profit, Tennis Serves Others. TSO is a member based organization that brings tennis ladies together to use our passion for tennis to serve others. With a dynamic Board and over 100 passionate members we have raised well over $150,000 in cash and goods that we donate to those less fortunate. We have a variety of programs such as Tennis Soles for Others – collecting gently used shoes and donating to the homeless. We adopt several families at the holidays – our TSO Serve-A-Family program. And we also provide necessity items to the homeless with our Tennis Supplies Others program. Once a year we hold a themed “Wimbledon” Gala & Tournament raising tens of thousands to donate to a local organization. In the past we have donated to ACEing Autism, Mary’s Kitchen, Wings for Crossover, Good Shepherd Shelter and Caterina’s Club. This year our goal is to help International Sanctuary. Our primary mission is to help those locally but we also have helped many international groups by providing basic necessities for orphans. Through our TSO GiveBack program, we also provide equipment and other necessities to support local youth tennis at parks and schools. To apply for a grant or to learn more about Tennis Serves Others, please visit our website at www.tennisservesothers.org. Starting any business, for profit or nonprofit, has it’s challenges. Going back to “the agreements” is helpful in persevering. Learning to have forgiveness and grace for others and for oneself is also necessary. We all make mistakes, trying to learn from them and grow is the key I think.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
YES! My husband, Jim Walsh, who is my #1 cheerleader for all I do. Also, Tennis Serves Others’ success is contributed to talented and passionate ladies and amazing Board members, past and present, who contribute, support, and advise. I’m grateful to all those who have served, transforming TSO into what is today — a successful non-profit making a difference in our communities. The ladies currently serving on our TSO Board are: Amy Berk, Rhonda Glasscock, Kathleen Gustafason, Barb Lanni, Kelley McBride, Felice McGrath, and Kim Parker. I must give a shoutout to Mark Spearman, CEO of Laguna Niguel Racquet Club, as his support for TSO has been instrumental in our success. Thank you all for being great Teammates!

Website: www.tennisservesothers.org
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