Carlease Austin is a Holistic Professional originally from Denver, Colorado, now residing in Dallas, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a certified Grief and Trauma Coach, Reiki Practitioner, Yoga Instructor, Birth Doula, and Shadow Work Guide.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
My initial years of growing up were chaotic. I came from a domestic violent environment, where alcoholism was prevalent. My surroundings were very humble economically; I didn’t realize what we didn’t have until I was around 7 years old. My mother worked all my life and provided for my brother, sister, and me to the best of her ability, with help from my dad. At 13 and 14 years old, I lost both my brother and sister, which made an interesting journey for my teenage years to come. Fast forward, I became pregnant with my beautiful son at 19 years old and my growth into adulthood began from there.
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!”
Since I was young, I have always been the mediator, supporter, listener, and encourager. After the loss of my siblings, I was quite lost and angry for a large portion of my life. I knew I was supposed to service people and help them along their journey, but I had to start my own healing first. As I made decisions to move out of what was familiar to me and go towards what was foreign yet peaceful, my purpose started to unveil itself in an obtainable way. Getting my BA in psychology was the piece to understanding the human psyche that I had to start with. As I was learning, I was beginning to understand myself more. Between my BA and my MS in Cognition and Neuroscience, that’s where the light bulb went off and my Yes to Grief and Trauma Coaching became loud!! This was the seed of which my business would start to flourish from.
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?
The change I would like to see is authenticity in everything we do and produce. In a makeshift world of everyone trying to follow one person and fad at any given time, organic women/people are becoming less and less. What is the world without YOU? If you were supposed to be and look like everyone else, why would our creator create you? I would like to see young women do “The Work” to un-condition themselves and come into their true authenticity sooner than mid-life or when tragedy hits. You will never know your true power until you know who you are.
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 leadership today?
Because I am not a leader that desires to climb the corporate ladder or obtain the top of any organization’s pyramid, I say break the glass ceiling of your own limited belief system of self. If a ceiling is presenting itself as too high for you or not complimenting your presence, skills, and gifts, maybe that is not the ceiling for you. Stop trying to prove yourself worthy of such atmospheres and either find the one that accepts you or create the one that belongs to you.
What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
My personal motto in life was taken from Nike, and I would always say, “Like Nike, Just Do It.” This means, no matter how hard it presents itself, no excuses, just make it happen. The most important thing I have learned in my personal life and professional journey is, life is unpredictable, and you must maintain enough capacity to accept, pivot, and readjust as needed.
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
There’s nothing you can’t do. As long as you are operating out of authenticity, purpose, pure motives, truth and kindness… It may take some time before you see the abundance of fruit and return but stay the course and don’t be afraid to adjust and pivot until it is exactly what you envisioned.
Your website link
apeaceofmine.org
