Client Spotlight: How 3 Mindset Shifts Changed My Life with Karen Cummings

Karen Cummings, the Founder of Radiant Marketing,  joins me today on the podcast to discuss her journey through coaching and the mindset shifts that have transformed the way she thinks about and approaches the opportunities and hurdles of everyday life.   Life is never free of challenges, but the way we move through the challenges and show up to the different seasons of our lives can make all the difference and Karen is going to take you inside of her life to show you how she is navigating these moments very differently today. 

This episode is full of insights and ideas on how a simple shift in your perspective can change everything in the most amazing way.

Grab a cozy seat and allow Karen’s journey to stir and inspire your own journey.

Learn more about Karen: www.radiantmarketingaz.com

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Learn more about Carla:  https:/www.carlareeves.com/
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Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Explore Coaching with Carla:  https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching

Learn more about Carla:
Website: https://www.differentlyco.com

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Book a Complimentary Strategy Call with Carla:  https://bookme.name/carlareeves/strategycall

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

I have a very special guest uh for you to meet today. And I am so excited for you to meet her. Karen Cummings is a mom, a wife, a CEO and founder. She's a client, she's a friend, she's a business colleague, and we've really become just confidants in each other's lives. And I so appreciate our relationship and the many dimensions that it has. Karen started her first digital marketing agency a year after graduating from ASU and has since grown to employ a small team, and they are so amazing and bring possibilities to life for both small and large health and wellness clients. She's the CEO and founder of Radiant Marketing. And Karen is someone who so beautifully demonstrates living on mission. Mission to be a wife, a mom, a sister, a founder, a leader, and to be the best version of that that she can be. Life is never free of challenges, but the way that we move through those challenges and show up to the different seasons of our lives can make all the difference. And Karen is navigating that very differently today. She's about to take you on that journey back to what it what life felt like before we worked together and how having tools for the journey can make a profound difference. She's in the midst of some very new, different, exciting adventures now, and she's going to tell you all about that too. Grab a cozy seat and allow Karen's journey to stir and inspire your own. I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently, a podcast where we explore the ins and outs of what becomes possible when we're willing to think, do, and show up differently to the moments of our everyday lives. Hey Karen, welcome to Differently. Hello. I'm so excited to be here. I'm so excited to have you here. It's um, I can't believe we haven't actually done this sooner, but I think the timing is perfect. And I'm really excited to share, for you to share your your journey because when I think of you and our work together, gosh, it's been, it's we met a lot of years ago now. And when I think of your journey, and I I think when people think of even think of coaching, it's like I don't know that they always think of it being something that's like ongoing in your life. And I think our journey together, like we work together and then we've not worked together, and I've been a client of yours, and you've been a client of mine, and we've been business colleagues, but I also feel like we have built a really beautiful friendship and it covers a lot, we've cover a lot of different um areas, I think, in each other's lives. And I have just I really appreciate that. And watching you, I feel like you've just embodied the work we've done together like throughout your life in all the different domains of your life. And it's been really a joy for me to watch you go through that. So I'm excited to dive into that today.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Yes, I mean I just to echo those sentiments. I feel like, first of all, what you said about coaching kind of being an ongoing, evergreen thing. It's not something that you're like, okay, I finished this and now I'm good to go. It's you know, every day is a new opportunity to reinforce the things that you're learning and practice what you're, you know, what you're trying to accomplish in your life and in your business. Um, but yes, to all of the other things too about our our amazing, incredible relationship. And I'm probably just gonna have this big goofy smile on my face the whole time we're chatting today.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

So good. So for people listening, give everyone a sense of kind of what stage of life you are in. What is that? Paint us a picture.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, so I feel like we is it at every stage of your life that you still feel like you're like a teenager in your 20s? Because I I feel like I'm so young and I'm you know so new to everything still. And then I kind of reflect on what I've accomplished over this last decade plus, and you're like, oh my gosh, I've actually grown so much and I've accomplished so much, and I'm in my 30s now and I'm getting old. No, but I feel like I'm at this really exciting place in my life where I have an incredible husband, two amazing, beautiful little um, you know, toddler and a 10-month-old and um a fairly mature business. Um and so I'm in a place where you know I've created some financial stability with my business. And my husband and I decided to um explore the world a bit more and take some, you know, take some adventures in our own personal life. Um so we've made some pivots and shifts this last year that have been very exciting for us too.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Yeah, so I I want you to share more about that, but maybe we'll circle back in a little bit because I think that's so exciting uh what you're doing, and um we'll circle back to that. So take us back to before you and I started working together, and you were so generous when we talked about doing the podcast and like really wanting to share your experience. And so take us back to before we were working together, like what take us into your head and mind and like what were the things that really got in your way or you were struggling with that kind of showed up again and again?

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Oh man, so many things, Carla. And all of it kind of ties back to those, you know, old way of thinking that you talk about in our in our coaching and you know, those fixed mindsets that we have around um just who we are as people, how we should operate as entrepreneurs. Um, and you know, so before we met, I was I was definitely a workaholic. Um I would probably say I was, you know, a fairly negative person, although people that met me would never describe me that way. Um and I was constantly overwhelmed and bitter and resentful of you know what was being expected of me. I there's there's so so many things that you know I I think um I had a very deep um desire to avoid ever disappointing other people. So that was a big part of where you know a lot of this came from, which again was a realization you helped me uncover in our coaching. Um but yeah, I was, I mean, generally I would say on the outside I looked successful and happy. And um on the inside, I was I was I was not very happy.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Yeah, I I love that you're so willing to be honest about that because um I think that that's so true. And and what I find when I'm for myself, like before I did this work in my life, very similar place where the outside looks good, like your life looks good on paper, and people probably have no idea. Like I know for myself, like I looked happy on the outside, and people thought everything was great, but inside there's like this inner angst, and we hide it, we hide it well until we get to a point where it's like it's not working, it's not okay anymore. And you, I don't know about for you, but for me, it was like I knew in my heart that there had to be a different way or a better way or a different approach. And so, what was that moment for you where you like knew you wanted something to shift?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Do you remember? You know, I think that it was just the realization that I was unhappy with how things were. Um, and honestly, I think that realization deepened when you and I initially connected and I learned a little bit more about like the mindset coaching and and the mindset piece, you know, and and it's hard to kind of pinpoint now because it's been so many years. Um, but I I think it was it was really just starting to understand that the way I'm perceiving things and the way, you know, the way I go into situations, whether it's with my, you know, in my family and personal life or in my business, and how you know the energy that I'm bringing to those situations is is really going to dictate the outcomes of, you know, of both both how I how I feel about everything, but also, you know, the actual outcomes of things, whether that's uh, you know, a deliverable to clients or you know, a a su a uh an experience that I'm creating with my family. Um, yeah. So I I mean I think it was really just the understanding that I have so much more control over how I feel and what I'm doing and how I'm making others feel and what I'm what I'm able to help them, you know, produce and do um by controlling what I'm what I'm thinking.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Yeah. Yeah. And so talk for a minute about, you know, the impact of staying in that place, right? Because I know for me, like being in that place of inner angst and kind of going through the motions and checking the boxes of what I thought I was supposed to be doing in life, but it's not all adding up. There's like a cost and an impact, right? Of like staying there. What was that to remember for you?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah, well, and and you bring up such a good point too, because I think for years, you know, I've owned my business, I've had two agencies. The first agency I started in 2011. Um, so I've been doing this for a decade. And for, I mean, I would say probably at least the first five to six years of that or more, I was in that space of of believing, you know the rules around success. You know, success looks like this. It's high growth, it's you know, sell your agency, it's million-dollar revenue. Um, it was all these metrics that I was driving towards and felt the the shoulds that you mentioned that like ultimately I realized were not aligned with my values. Success looks so much different for me. Um, and and understanding that and realizing that, and again, kind of reflecting on you know who I am as a person, what what my values are and what my mindset are it is around these things helped me to start to kind of chip away at that and and uncover what my you know what success for me looks like. And it doesn't look like growing my team to 100 people, hitting that million dollar revenue mark. It looks much different than that. Um and I think understanding and being okay with that has changed how I operate on a day-to-day basis, how I set goals for my team, for my business. Um, and yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Yeah. So, well, and it sounds like, and I I remember and watching you like, you know, redefine what success was, right? Like we're kind of given this idea of what success is, and then we go for it, and either it sort of matches or doesn't match. And I I remember spots working with you where there was like that out of alignment. You're like, you're you're going for something, but there's something misaligned with what you actually want. And I think a lot of our work together was kind of lining those things up so that what you were thinking and what you're doing and what you're you know striving towards are all in congruency. And that that alone can restore a lot of peace and harmony in your life, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Oh my gosh, yes, yes, for sure. And like you said, it's so important. I mean, because there's that whole busy aspect too, you know, like you feel like as a recovering workaholic, like you feel like you always have to be busy, you always have to be checking things off your list, and while at the same time your mind is thinking, like, you know, there's there's higher value things I could be doing, there's bigger, more important, more impactful things I could be doing, but you're not giving yourself the time and space to like to really kind of you know pause and dive into what that is. And when you do and you align those things, like you said, I mean, just incredible, incredible stuff happens. Like you get this chance to to breathe in a whole new way, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

So I know, I know our work together in the beginning was a lot about, and it is with with everybody that I start with is just kind of clearing a lot of the mental noise and kind of sorting through some of the old uh outdated um beliefs and uh ways of seeing yourself and the world around you and all of that. And I can see now, like you, you navigate life in a very different way. Um, and it's not to say that it's without struggle, right? Like before we hit record, we were both just talking about the seasons we're in right now and what we're doing as we navigate it. And so this work isn't really done. It's a it's a journey. And what I what my mission and passion is is to equip people with tools and mindsets so that you can reapply them over and over and over again as you're navigating new hurdles and challenges in your life because those don't go away. But how you show up to them is where you have control and influence always. So you too.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

And yes, as you said. Oh, sorry. Well, like you said, you know, I like we were chatting before, I'm in a bit of like growth mode with my with my business right now. And um, the difference from you know what that growth mode might have looked like three years ago uh is that I'm I'm managing that growth from a place of joy and ease. So yes, there are you know challenges that I'm facing and I'm very busy, but I'm doing it with it in just such a different state of mind. Um, and I think the things that you're saying, you know, the tools that you've provided are all kind of just tie back to how you're approaching life situations. And that one of the biggest ones that you and I have chatted about that you've helped me with is just kind of trusting, just trust in general, trusting that the universe is looking out for us and that things are happening to support your growth and development in life. And that trust opens me up to have a much more curious mindset. And instead of an accusatory or a defensive or you know, any of those other types of negative of um feelings, I'm I'm approaching life and these situations that are being presented to me in a much more um curious and playful way, which is just makes life so much lighter and easier to navigate and more fun to do, even the difficult times or the you know, the busy times, the gross times, um, the you know, the changing times. Um, but those have been huge things that you know, I think kind of the pre and and post-coaching has like big differences in how I operate my business and how I manage my my life.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Yeah, so let's take people like into that. So what is that, what is that maybe and and maybe it's a particular example in your life, whether it's work or inside your marriage or parenting, but like what where did that where was there uh like a lack of trust? And then let's talk about how we kind of opened up your thinking so that you could see and kind of walk through that in a different way.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Yeah, so I mean, you know, I think a really good example is you know from the business side of things as an entrepreneur with a small team. Um because you know, with with the lack of trust comes fear. And when when there's changes in your business, um, like for example, losing a key employee who's either, you know, I've had a variety of situations where they're leaving the state and they're gonna be looking for a job in the state that they live in, um or they've moved on to an incredible opportunity, um, that's that's scary, you know. And I think before I've I've made some of these changes, I I would be so angry, so scared, so sad about, you know, losing this important person in my life and my team, instead of how I handle it now, which is this is exciting. Like first, I'm happy for you. You know, you I I appreciate and am grateful for and truly care about the people on my team. And so to be able to come into these situations with with that those feelings of of you know happiness for them and excitement for me, because what I've learned over the years is as as great as that individual is, I can always find other great individuals. So again, it opens up the door to see what's next, you know. They have this exciting new opportunity, and now I have an exciting new opportunity. How can I take advantage of this to really, you know, be either level up my business, my team, fill fill gaps that I might have had with um, you know, with that individual that I could now kind of explore with someone new. So that's a big place, and just one example of um, you know, instead of of bumping up against those things and and pushing back and getting angry and um you know feeling scared, I enter these situations with just an open, curious, um, and excited mindset.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Yeah, so when like as you're talking, I'm thinking about how like as humans we can just get so attached to things being a certain way. And then when there's change, we take it personal, we make it mean something about us, or we've done something wrong, or that it's like it's we get fearful and we want to cling on tighter, and then we want to like control other things so that it doesn't happen again. And in entrepreneurship and and being a CEO and a founder, like that change in your you know, employees and in your business and in your clients, it's inevitable, right? Like if you've been doing it long enough now, like you know, like there's those changes are always occurring. And so, you know, our goal was how can we equip you to be able to kind of dance through those changes so that they're not so upsetting and disruptive and um wreak havoc for you. And I think that you know, helping you pull back and instead of it's not that we're trying to, you know, have you not have feelings of sadness or disappointment, right? Because those are normal and natural feelings, but it's how long you stay there and what you do with them, which is what I've seen you shift is like, let's stand back and just be curious. Like I'm always curious when you tell me something's changing in your business. I'm like, oh, let's pay attention. Like, let's see what's happening because I have this belief that like something good is happening, maybe for you, for them, for the whole picture, and that perhaps sometimes there's an expiration date, and somebody leaving for maternity leave or going on to a new endeavor. Like they have something else they're supposed to go do, and there's something new that and exciting that's happening in your business. And so I've seen you embody that like curiosity, and let's just like let's just look and see what's happening here and really trust that it's there's something like a greater good that's playing out, even though it is uncomfortable. And I think you've seen that so many times.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yes, I mean, time and time again, whether it's employees or clients, you know, and I think that again, kind of I I mean, I believe that, you know, what you put out into the universe comes back and and you can kind of manifest some of these situations. So again, if it's a client leaving, um, rather than staying in, and I appreciate your distinction there, like a chronic state of you know, these negative feelings, experiencing that, you know, that more acute um, I'm sad because this client's leaving or my employees leaving. Yeah. But now let's move into, you know, this other state of being and see what we can manifest, what we can create, and what what's coming next for us? It's just such so much more of a joy joyful place to operate from.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Yes. So, okay, so I know you talked about um a couple other places that I think were just really stood out for you and made a difference for you. Which why what do you want to talk about next? I can help you too, because you told me.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Yeah, well, I think you know, some of the the big things that um I'm experiencing now that I I may never have taken a chance to do before is, you know, my husband and I decided that he's taking a year off work for us to travel the country. So we purchased a travel trailer, um, he's planning our routes, and I'm trusting that this is what we should be doing in our lives right now. So, like you said, there's change and it's scary, and there's lots and lots of unknowns. Um but I think it's it's you know an incredible opportunity for me to to grow in different ways too and kind of let go of you know control of certain things. And it's been a it's been a very interesting experience, and we're already having a lot of fun. And I don't think that this ever would have happened. First of all, if I hadn't been able to make the changes we talked about and grow my business in this incredible way, um to afford to do this, um, but also just again, like the mindset around like taking these types of of chances and leaps and and you know. really moving into these new adventures.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Well, and I love that too, because so often we like wait to live our lives, right? And we put off our happiness until someday we're gonna like take those trips and we're gonna do those adventures and those things. And someday when your business isn't so busy or so full or or the kids are older or and what I love about what you guys are doing is you're creating it now. And I think like in our world and in our culture and with everything that's happening, there's our lives are becoming more and more blended you know more so than ever ever before. And so what I see you doing is like really creating your life innovating in the everyday and like figuring it out. Like how can how can you be team with your husband as you navigate some of these hard things? Where can you let go of control, right? Because you have a full plate you're running a business you have a team you are have a full load of clients right now. And you know how do you guys work together? Where do you where do you give where do you pull back?

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Where do you let go so that you both and you all can thrive more right yeah well and I think some of this too just speaks to the alignment element that you talked about before that I think you've helped me really recognize is you know trusting my gut trusting my instinct on things and when it came to you know my relationship with Travis and what what was going on within our family I I felt like something was was missing like something was off and ultimately that decision prompted us to to or that that that feeling you know prompted us to make the decision that we weren't spending enough quality time together. Travis owned his own business he was working very long split schedules our kids were in daycare um you know I was running my business and and the time that we had together was so rushed and errand focused and I think we like really realized as we leaned into that feeling of like why does there feel like there's all this friction like what is what is missing here is when we were like you know what it's like we just need to be together more. We need to to create more experiences together and have the meaningful quality time. And so that's really what prompted us to make that decision. And it was kind of crazy because we you know we were like what would it look like if we bought a travel trailer and just started you know traveling around and you quit your job and and I think it was a matter of I want to say only like three months that you know Travis pulled his truck got a truck to pull the trailer we bought the trailer he quit his job we took the kids out of Daycare and we are now like well into this you know a couple months into this new adventure and it's is um yeah so it's I mean it's super exciting.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

I just I just adore that you guys are doing that. Well and it's you know going back to like trusting your gut and trusting your instinct I can remember lots of times like in our conversations um and what I find when I'm coaching people is that there's so much more clarity inside than we usually realize that we have and there's just a lot of stuff in the way from either acting on that clarity or trusting that clarity. And I know many a times like you we would we would get on a conversation and you would feel like you're confused or you're overwhelmed or don't know what to do and like halfway into the conversation we'll realize like you actually are really really clear and for people listening like you're I believe this more and more and more that like God has given us abilities that we don't even know that we have but that you have a sense of knowing things before they actually happen and when you start to like really trust that um you know like a lot of times you would get on the call and just say like you know you feel some friction in this area or inside your business and we would you know in our minds we try to like deal with it or like dredge our way through it or suffer through it right. And sometimes there's just a different approach and when you start to lean into trusting your instincts and then getting more information about that or um you know giving it a little bit more time or sometimes it was making a choice sooner acting sooner than and faster versus waiting and stewing in something yeah well and I think I mean honestly Carla I think that's a testament to the work that you do with your clients too because it takes you know those calls sometimes for me you know we still I'll still send you an emergency email saying hey I need to schedule a session because I'm dealing with you know this particular situation and and it's just incredible to me how like you said I I can come into these these calls sometimes with just such a a flurry of thoughts and um you know a swirling mind of of of all the things that are going on and by the end of that call I just feel like I have so much clarity and and and to your point you know I think some of it is it is definitely coming from within me and those answers may might already live you know in my mind or my heart um but but you're able to you know help me identify them and extract them and put them into words and and create you know the next step actions for me which has just been so so helpful in my life and my business.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

So I just you know I feel so grateful for you and the the work that we've done together too because I don't think I would have been able to accomplish nearly as many things as I had over have over these last few years without having an ongoing coaching relationship with you.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

It's been it's been so rich for me. I just it's an honor to always it's to work with you and get on a call with you and because you're so willing to kind of dig in and explore and continue to apply it in your life and that's what it takes. That's really really what it takes. So one last thing that we have kind of touched on is just this idea of like creativity over reactivity and and I think that's what you're doing in your life now is like you're in the midst of a lot of things and I I think as as humans we have a choice like for me many many years of my life I felt like I was at the mercy of my circumstances and just kind of like blowing in the wind of whatever's happening around me. And I think you've you set such a beautiful example of of really leaning into the creativity instead of like at the mercy of just reacting to what life is happening. And so share with us a little bit you have shared a little bit about what you're doing now but what are you most excited about next and yeah what does that look like now in your life yeah well I feel like I mean there's you know the the personal side with the adventures that we are planning on taking I'm I'm super excited for that.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

And I'm also excited for Travis to be owning that whole that whole piece of our our lives right now and to basically kind of just be along for the ride with him and he's like hey I booked you know Sequoia we're going to Big Sur we're going to San Diego and it's so it's so exciting because you know adventure and outdoor time and just being in nature is a a big thing for all of us and you know even down to summer who's only 10 months old as soon as we step outside if she's being fussy she is more at peace. So we're I'm just I'm excited to be taking taking those trips creating those adventures before our kids are in school and I feel very blessed to be doing that because I know that's not something everyone gets to do. And then I mean I'm just literally always excited about my business and the opportunities that my business provides to my team you know I'm excited for our team and and their growth and and where they're going and um you know the clients that we're working with now. We just have so much fun stuff going on. And the work we do feels so impactful. I love that we're focused in health and wellness because the clients that we're working with make such a big important difference in people's lives and that just makes our work feel you know so much more meaningful too. So I'm I mean I feel like I'm just excited about everything.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

So good. And where where are like you growing where do you feel like you're growing next because we're always I honestly I I am I do feel like every day is like a learning opportunity for me.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

And I I I really feel like that's probably mostly being a mom. I think that I every day I'm given a chance to grow as you know a teacher as a patient person. I think patience has always been you know lower on my strengths list for sure and my kids give me a chance every day to to become a better version of myself. And so I'm constantly you know growing as a mom and and um you know lear learning and growing as a leader too. I think that you're always you know if you're leading a team it's so important to um be able to reflect on how you're how you're interacting with your team and the resources you're providing and the support you're giving and um making sure you have open lines of communication to improve what you're doing as well. And so I feel like I'm constantly learning and growing as a leader and as a wife you know I think there's areas that you and I have chatted about with um you know in my relationship too I'm I'm constantly growing as um you know and learning how to be the you know the the best partner I can be for my husband.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

I love that it's so inspiring to watch you move through life. I love our conversations I want people listening you have to check out Karen's business and what she's doing and Radiant Marketing and her team and all the incredible work that you're doing. So where can people find out more about you and what you're up to and your adventures.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Yeah well they could they can follow me on Instagram take me to Z. They can also you know find all of our our business information all of Radiance information at radiantmarketingAz.com so they can check out the website if they are in the health and wellness space and are looking for an agency um you know we do a complimentary discovery call where I can definitely connect and you know give some guidance if um if it makes sense for us to work together or if it makes sense for them to take some steps on their own first. But yeah so they can tune into our Instagram for our adventures and and radiance information for marketing um you know tips and strategies. But I have been yeah I've I feel so fortunate to be able to have this conversation with you Carla to have been introduced to you and have you in my life and I appreciate you having me on your podcast.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

I'm so glad you came on. I um look forward to watching your adventures and I know we'll be in each other's lives and I would love to have you come back and it would be fun just to talk about just the adventure part of it in this what I call lifepreneurship which is just building blending work and life in a way that matters and you're doing that and so it would be fun to just talk about that. So have a beautiful rest of your day thank you for your time thank you Carolina you too I'll talk to you soon. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Differently I hope it stirred your thinking and I invite you to take one inspired action from something that's good after so much