Meet Carla Vaughn

We recently connected with Carla Vaughn and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout

Burnout is common amongst entrepreneurs and especially women. Traditionally women are givers and put others before themselves which can lead to burnout.

You first have to recognize this happening. Are you suddenly reluctant to meet clients, attend meetings, perform your job duties, etc. If you know you’re not sick or have anything physically happening and the feeling has been going on for more than a week… You’re heading for burnout.

It’s key to take a step back. Time to take inventory on YOU! Often recharging can be simple. If you can take a vacation then go, if only for the weekend. Otherwise start focusing on those things that create a sense of joy and happiness. Go fish, swimming, take a few days off and be a coach potato! Whatever it is this is a time to be selfish and pamper yourself in all areas: mental, physical, spiritual and emotional.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I rebranded a few years ago under Speaking To Elevate. Under this branding comes my 3 businesses yet all are about financial wellness. When people ask me what I do I say “I motivate, educate and facilitate financial well-being.,” I do this through my accounting practice that specializes in bookkeeping, taxes and payroll, my nonprofit that teaches financial literacy and being a premier financial speaker.

What still gets me excited is to talk to new clients, new collaborators and speak at women’s conferences. I think part of my sweet spot with business is the newness of finding out what challenges people are facing. It gives me insight into what shapes and molds other’s attitudes and opinions about the world.

Moving forward my business is looking to expand my online business strategy classes under www. BossesElevate. Me which is geared to people having a less stressful entrepreneurial experience and scale their business. My goal may be to uplift others but I’m not focused on being a motivational speaker, I’m focused on offering the strategies for success. As I continue to secure more speaking engagements, especially for women’s conferences I can continue to offer realistic and practical financial advice.

My newest book, Entrepreneur Hell and Heaven will be out soon. This is where I relate my experiences as an entrepreneur and help those that going through the struggle identify with the journey and how it impacts them emotionally.

My journey in entrepreneurship is a long and rich one. I want others who are doubtful of their talents to understand how much they have to offer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

There are several qualities that make each entrepreneur special or excel. I believe what has kept me in business for more than 30 years is these 3 things:
-faith
-respect
-excellence

These aren’t so much about me as they are also about my clients. Faith first because there are lean times with money and clients. There are emotional times where you doubt your chances for success, competency, or longevity. If I need to lean into my faith it’s not just a spiritual endeavor but one of trusting that my clients will have faith in me and my ability to deliver what they need.

Respect is earned both ways for the client and myself. Respect means that we should be able to work through conflicts and any miscommunication with open and honest conversations. It also sometimes means that you have to let others make their own decisions even if you believe they are wrong. This will always allow others to grow and you too.

The last is excellence. When you are constantly working on improving your skill set you can offer more to your clients. Whether this is a degree, certificate or additional training it creates confidence in yourself and others.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

In my family you have to leave home at 18. This was an unwritten rule that they told me, my brother and my sister about when we each turned 14. This gave us 4 years to come up with a plan. Most people would think that was a long enough time, but as a teenager there are so many distractions!

The catch was that once you left you couldn’t go back home. What this time was for was to help us understand that we have to live with our decisions, whether good or bad. It taught me that I had to live with my consequences. I make my world what it is, every decision, every action, every mistake makes me who I am.

When a person becomes accountable to themselves it teaches them about being accountable to others. We were taught to finish what we start, treat others as we want to be treated, and make good decisions about money.

When you’re that young and just starting out you fall on your face, not once but many times. Each time life gets easier because you make better decisions each time. This is the sum on all life experiences, making decisions.

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://www. SpeakingToElevate.com

Image Credits

Pics:

all pictures were personally taken or have permission from the photographer