Lazara Canton is a Personal Growth & Leadership Development Expert.
She tells us that, “I have lived a remarkable life and I am only 45. I’ve been obsessed with my Personal Growth & Development for over 25 years. An obsession that has allowed e to have a successful international career. I published my Memoir last year, You Can Turn This Around: How I Learned To Become My Own Fairy Godmother. I believe that anything is possible for us in this lifetime if we are able to harness the power of human connection, harness the power of the mind & be prepared to exponentially grow into who we are here to become.”
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
I was born to a Spanish Father & Scottish mother. I lived across both countries and have always lived on the ‘outside looking in’ to cultural differences 7 customs. Which helped me later in life as I worked in Istanbul & Asia on Diversity & Inclusion initiatives. I experienced a lot of tragedy from a young age, having my father die in front of me on the beach when I was only 9 years old. Following this event, I was mainly supported by my elder sister as my mum became the sole breadwinner. Within 4 years of my fathers death, My sister was killed in a car accident. I went from being engaged & doing well at school to taking drugs and becoming lost for several years. However, I found motivation & power from within. I was inspired by my mum’s words on the day of my sister’s death, ‘We can turn this around, we have a choice to live a brilliant life or go down a rabbit hole of grief & pain. From nothing, I built a successful international career & have helped thousands of people over the years to grow and develop. This is my motivation. Seeing the transformation in myself & others, seeing a light being switched on within is what guides me to continue to learn & grow each and every day.
Was there any turning point in your life that changed your journey? If so, what was it? Please tell us the backstory behind it.
Continued from above at 22 I gave birth to my son Bailey & became determined to provide the best life for us both. Which resulted in him going to the best school and travelling round the world with some wonderful & unique experiences. At 42 I retired from my Client Director role in Hong Kong after giving birth to my second child & relocating back to Scotland. I went through 2 years of a ‘dark night of the soul’ Whilst I let go of my corporate identity as a successful business woman. Within this time I retrained with Marisa Peer on RTT & transformed a lot of my childhood trauma, I wrote my book & now do inspirational talks + Learning programmes on what I’ve learned in my 25 year career in Personal Growth & development .
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business /initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
The realisation that my unique life experiences, all the tragedy & miracles can be used to act as a guiding light for others. We all have suffering & pain – so how do we harness it to create a life that we love?
Everyone has their own set of challenges when starting an entrepreneurial journey. Still, the most essential part for others to learn is how you deal with those. Would you like to share with us your challenges and your coping mechanisms?
I’ve trained my mind to follow my heart and not the other way around. Is a quote I’ve used often to describe this. You see, by training your mind it can become the most powerful ally. It doesn’t get to be in the driving seat though. Your heart knows what the right steps forward are for you, learning to lean into this power within will provide you with the best guidance system when your outcomes don’t meet the expectations of your ego mind!
While the global pandemic of COVID-19 is associated primarily with adversity, it has also brought about a true boom in startups, with successful entrepreneurship in many countries. The pandemic has impacted all of us in one way or another. Would you like to share your experience on a personal and professional level?
Please see above re retiring from role, relocating, giving birth to second child and writing memoir & retraining in RTT – all through pandemic
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
Giving birth to 2 children both 20 years and lifetime apart Pulling myself up from being on my knees to building a life of my dreams. I currently live and have 2 houses in Scotland & Spain and regularly travel the world. My life is the ‘Proof of concept’ that anything is possible
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I would love my children to experience a world whereby we are truly connected to all beings. Regardless of background. A world whereby we each embody the truth of who are & we harness the power we have within us to create the life of our dreams. A world where we each carry the responsibility & take actions to help those around us who are at different levels of success & wealth. There is more than enough to go around & we ALL need to be part of this change!
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
Anything IS Possible. The magic I’ve created within my life is not unique to me. We all have the ability to train our minds to follow our hearts & when we do so, we will transform the world around us.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
I would love to see more women stepping into their personal power, particularly when it comes to financial compensation, charging for their work from a place of self worth & not fear. I meet so many women entrepreneurs whose fees are set way too low for the value that they offer in the world. Our beliefs need to change in order for us to be fairly & accurately compensated for the work that we do. I’m so passionate about this that I’ve opened a Money Mastermind & specialise in helping folks to heal their money wounds.
