← Digital Social Hour
Digital Social Hour
Virtual Sales Mastery: Katelynn's 3-Year Millionaire Path | Katelynn Blackburn DSH #882
00:28:34
**🌟 Virtual Sales Mastery: Katelynn's 3-Year Millionaire Path 🚀** Tune in now to uncover the inspiring journey of Katelynn Blackburn, who transformed her life from a single mother struggling to make ends meet to a self-made millionaire within jus
Loading summary
Transcript251 lines
- [00:00]
A
Right.
- [00:01]
B
You know, when you get in that position where you put your. You put yourself up against the wall, you know, like I have at the time. Three year old daughter, single mom, barely making bills, and then I find an opportunity where the potential is there. But if you work, you can actually succeed. So that's what. That's what pushed me very, very hard. Adversity doesn't. Doesn't scare me.
- [00:26]
A
All right, guys, Caitlin Blackburn here today. Can't wait to get into your story. You're about to inspire a lot of people. Thanks for coming on.
- [00:32]
B
Thank you for having me, Sean.
- [00:33]
A
Absolutely. Going from single mother to self made millionaire, right? Yeah, In a matter of a couple years, three years. I'd love to talk about that journey and, you know, how you got there.
- [00:42]
B
Yeah, absolutely. Well, I am sorry. I grew up in California and in a pretty typical, you know, background, typical family life. I had always pictured my life being something where, you know, it was. It's completely different than what it is now. I've always pictured it as like, you know, being a wife, being, you know, a mom, being somebody that was going to have the white picket fence and all that. And what ended up happening is that I found myself as a single mother. And that was really the turning point for me to go into entrepreneurship because I knew that I believed in myself. I knew that my family deserved more than what we were getting from the corporate 9 to 5 ladder. So I had the open mind to take an opportunity to build something from scratch.
- [01:30]
A
Right, so your parents were both nine to five corporate workers?
- [01:33]
B
Yep.
- [01:33]
A
Yeah, that happened to me too. But my dad was an entrepreneur on the side.
- [01:37]
B
Oh, okay.
- [01:38]
A
So I got to work under him, and that really shaped me to become an entrepreneur. I think looking back at it now, I didn't know at the time, but, yeah, that 9 to 5 was not for me.
- [01:46]
B
No, me neither.
- [01:47]
A
Not at all. So did you have jobs before you were an entrepreneur?
- [01:50]
B
Yeah, so I went to school. I mean, I went to Chico State, graduated with a business degree, went into the nursing program, ended up, you know, departing from that during COVID and found this opportunity of being an entrepreneur in the financial services realm.
- [02:04]
A
Got it. So you wanted to become a nurse at first?
- [02:06]
B
I did.
- [02:07]
A
Or were you just following what your parents wanted you to do?
- [02:09]
B
Well, a little bit of both. I, like, I grew up in a pretty, like, standardized home where they, you know, go to school, get good grades, you know, go climb the corporate ladder. And I always knew that there was something more to me and there was a bigger purpose behind what I was going to be doing. And when I found the opportunity, I was like, well, I don't really have anything to lose at this point because I'm not happy with what I'm currently doing. So if I do give this a shot, you know, where can I take this? And you know, fast forward three years. We're one of the fastest growing insurance industry agencies in the industry.
- [02:43]
A
Incredible. And you're one of the few females in the space too, right?
- [02:46]
B
Yeah.
- [02:46]
A
So was that intimidating at first?
- [02:48]
B
At first, yeah, it can be. I've always tried to not compare myself to other people in the industry just because I feel like everybody's journey is their own. So, you know, when you see men come in and they have like, you know, they're all dressed up in their suit and tie and they're very successful in this space, it's like, I mean, women can do the same exact thing. It just comes down to the confidence and their perseverance to, to actually make something work.
- [03:15]
A
Right. So you're three years. In what month or year did you think this could potentially work out? Did you know right away or did it take some time?
- [03:22]
B
Well, I found the opportunity in March of 2021 and I got my license in April. And in that first month I had net over 30,000.
- [03:35]
A
Wow. In the first month?
- [03:37]
B
First month.
- [03:37]
A
And that's on, on the phone sales, right?
- [03:40]
B
Well, at the time, it was all in person, so I was calling clients, going to their house, showing them the policies and selling. So that was really when I knew it was possible. I was like, I've never made that kind of money before and I've never had the freedom that I, that I had, you know, that's incredible. Be able to create my own schedule.
- [03:59]
A
In the first month. So were you just naturally good at sales, talking to people, you think?
- [04:03]
B
I think sales is one of those things that it's a personality trait as well. It's not necessarily like, oh, like, you know, you can study your way into sales. Of course you can get better at sales. Of course you can, you know, go and watch different sales trainings and get better with it. But your personality and the way that you present yourself is also going to be huge when it comes to sales. So for me, like, the biggest thing was that I don't feel like I was really that good at sales when I first started. But I had an unmatched work ethic, so I was going to do whatever it took to make it work.
- [04:35]
A
Right.
- [04:36]
B
You know, when you get in that position where you put your, you put yourself up against the wall, you know, like I have at the time, three year old daughter, single mom, barely making bills. And then I find an opportunity where the potential is there. But if you work, you can actually succeed. So that's what, that's what pushed me very, very hard. Adversity doesn't, doesn't scare me.
- [04:59]
A
This episode is brought to you by betterhelp. Give online therapy a try@betterhelp.com dsh and get on your way bec best self. My fiance Ariel plays a big role in my mental health, helping me realize my true potential. Everyone's trying their best around you, so take time to appreciate someone close to you. I've tried therapy in the past and it helped me go through some tough times. When I was in college dealing with mental health, I was on prescription medication. I actually had agoraphobia when I was in college and therapy helped me figure out some answers to how to fix that problem. For two months I couldn't even leave my house or I would have a full on panic attack. So I love companies like BetterHelp that can get therapy in front of the masses. But therapy definitely helped me get better and I definitely appreciate companies like BetterHelp because it's completely online and it's conveniently suited to fit your schedule and accommodate life surprises. Fill out a brief questionnaire to match with a licensed therapist today with the freedom to switch therapists anytime for no additional charge. Visit betterhelp.comDSH to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E-L-P.comDSH check them out now. Yeah, I feel like similar with me when I was starting out work ethics, what got me like that first six figures. But then you've reached a certain point where you need some mentorship or some networking, you know.
- [06:17]
B
Exactly. You want to, you want to find other people that are similar to you and be able to connect with them and see like, hey, what have you done that has helped you get to this level? And like vice versa, like how can I help you get to the next level? Like, maybe I'm good at this, maybe you're good at that. Like let's, let's collaborate, right? You know.
- [06:34]
A
So how did you navigate that part? Did you have a mentor, someone guiding you through this process?
- [06:39]
B
Well, I mean Sean Mike is our mentor at the company, so he's been a great help when it comes to, you know, learning how to structure a business, learning how to build a business, and also learning how to develop other agents because that's really what it comes down to when it comes to this industry entrepreneurship. I feel like it's something that, you know, people can grow into if they're willing to put in the work. And also they have the burning, burning desire for more. You know, if you don't have that burning desire, then, you know, maybe you need to find something that you're more passionate about.
- [07:09]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to Sean Mike, share the same name. And I love how honest that dude is.
- [07:13]
B
Yes.
- [07:14]
A
I'll tell you straight up.
- [07:15]
B
Yeah, he is.
- [07:16]
A
Yeah. I remember the first time I had him on the show and he was just like so raw. It honestly shook me. Like, I was the first guest I had on that was that honest with stuff.
- [07:24]
B
You're like, wow.
- [07:25]
A
I mean, he told me his whole story. Overcoming adversity and things like that.
- [07:29]
B
Yeah. And I love that I get to follow someone like that because, like, we're very similar in a lot of ways when it comes to, you know, where I very like when I first started, like, you know, I'm a different person now. It's only been three years, but I'm a completely different person than I was when I first started this business. Like, I was insecure. I was unsure if this was going to work. I was doubting myself. A lot of people were hating on me. They were like, there's no way she's doing this. Like, there's no way she's going to succeed. And, you know, I had to overcome all of that along with all the things that happen in business. You know, there's ups and downs all the time that you can't control. And when you're new at business, you have to learn how to overcome that and know that, you know, if you continue to work and you don't quit, you can be very successful. But if you cannot get your mind to be mentally tough enough to get over that, then you're going to have a really, really hard journey in entrepreneurship.
- [08:22]
A
Right, Entrepreneurship, it's not easy. And speaking of business changes, your industry had some massive changes, right?
- [08:27]
B
Yeah.
- [08:28]
A
And reminds me of the solar space. A lot of people got wiped out in solar. So what happened with your space and how did you adapt to that change?
- [08:35]
B
Yeah, so, I mean, when I first started the business, I was doing all in home appointments, which just was calling the leads, you know, setting appointments to meet with them in home and, you know, sitting down at the table and doing more of a face to face interaction. Now, about two years ago, things are going more virtual. So virtual just means that everything we do is over the phone. So, you know, me giving you a call, like, hey, Sean, this is Caitlin giving you a call about the request you sent in. You know, it's completely different than setting an appointment and sitting with somebody face to face. So when I made that transition, it was definitely difficult for me because I was so used to having the credibility of sitting, like, across from somebody and going to. Building that credibility over the phone was. Was a hurdle. However, it's a lot more sustainable and it's also a lot more, you know, your time, your. It's a lot more time saving because when you're driving and traveling and going from door to door, it's. It. It takes up a lot of your time. So for me, the big moment was like, my team is growing very, very fast right now, and the only way that I can train them is if I can have them all in one spot and I can show them what to do, like on a zoom room or in an office where they can watch me do it. Because I can't bring more than one person in the house with me. Like, that's weird. Like, why do you have to six people with you? Yeah, you know, so I couldn't do that. So I was like, I have to make this work. And what, you know, what was the. That was the big determining factor. I was like, virtual is a new world. Let's figure out how we can make this work. I started writing a high level virtually, which allowed the team to do the same. And then I started bringing people into the business. And that was all we knew.
- [10:14]
A
Right.
- [10:15]
B
It was like, this is what we do. This is what we're training you on. This is how we're going to do it. Build the best credibility and trust you can with your clients over the phone.
- [10:23]
A
And I think that's why you're one of the fastest growing, because you were able to adapt quicker than a lot of people, right?
- [10:27]
B
Yeah. I mean, you have to adapt in business. I don't think that that's a unique thing to just this industry. I think it's every industry because there's always going to be change. You know, there's change throughout the years. If you can't adapt, it's going to be really hard. So for me, I was like, you know, you can't just sit back and be like, oh, I'm just going to keep going in home and not train my agents to work virtually.
- [10:47]
A
Right.
- [10:48]
B
That's what a lot of people want. And a lot of people are very good at it. Like, I have a lot of people that I work with that are extremely better at sales than I am, and they crush it on the phones. And I remember bringing them in and I taught them the forefront, but, you know, they're really crushing it in that space because that's all they ever did.
- [11:07]
A
Yeah, I love it. How big is your team now?
- [11:10]
B
Well, we have about 220 agents.
- [11:12]
A
Wow.
- [11:13]
B
Yeah.
- [11:13]
A
That's crazy.
- [11:14]
B
Yeah, we're pretty big.
- [11:14]
A
In three years, you're going to hit a thousand. In a couple years, probably we will.
- [11:18]
B
We're growing very fast right now. Yeah, we're generating, we do about 1.5 million a month commissions. We're growing.
- [11:26]
A
That's super amazing. I mean, just in three years to three years, did you think it would grow this quick?
- [11:30]
B
No.
- [11:31]
A
I love the honesty.
- [11:32]
B
I actually didn't even think I was going to grow a business. I didn't. I was like, I'm in this to, you know, see if sales is the right avenue for me because, like, the nursing field wasn't going to be it for me and my daughter. And like, you know, turns out it, it definitely is the right avenue. And, you know, there's a lot of sacrifices that you go that go along the way.
- [11:52]
A
Wow. I wonder what your ex thinks about this.
- [11:54]
B
I'm sure he hates it.
- [11:55]
A
Probably crazy to him, right?
- [11:57]
B
Yeah, I'm sure he hates it because.
- [11:58]
A
You were broke when you were dating him, right? Yes, I was college student.
- [12:01]
B
I mean, I didn't make any money.
- [12:02]
A
Damn.
- [12:02]
B
Yeah.
- [12:03]
A
How does he hit you up?
- [12:04]
B
Well, he has another kid and another family, so.
- [12:07]
A
Oh, wow.
- [12:07]
B
Yeah.
- [12:08]
A
That's a whole nother podcast. Sounds like. But family is important to you. That's one of your core value.
- [12:13]
B
Absolutely. My daughter's the most important thing to me.
- [12:15]
A
Nice.
- [12:16]
B
She was the reason that I made the, the decision to bet on myself. You know, I thought about her, thought about how I was working 12 hour shifts, spending all of my money on childcare, and knowing that this was going to be. This was going to be my life for a very, very long time if I didn't make a change. So, you know, obviously I get that question asked a lot like, oh, like, how did you do it at the very beginning with a three year old? Well, the honest truth is there's a lot of sacrifices that have to be made to be able to build a business while raising a child. But my daughter could not be more like, thankful for what I've done in, in the past three years because of the life that we do have. You know, she always says now that she's Six. She's like more aware. She's like, I'm just glad mommy you don't have to go to work.
- [13:05]
A
Yeah.
- [13:05]
B
Like you can be home with me. And now I have more time where I can pick and choose what I. What I want to do.
- [13:10]
A
That's where I'm at too. That's why I'm working so hard right now. Cuz I don't have kids yet, but I want to be there for them. Cuz I was an only child. My parents worked really hard and I. I remember I have a lot of memories of me alone in the house, honestly.
- [13:21]
B
Yeah, me too. I was an only child.
- [13:22]
A
Yeah, exactly. So that affects the kid without the parents even knowing.
- [13:25]
B
Oh, it does. Yeah, definitely. I mean my upbringing wasn't great. It wasn't like I was super well off. It wasn't like we were super broke either. But I didn't have a very good relationship. My mom was single mom, you know, same type of situation. However, she just wasn't able to provide me what I want to be able to provide my family and my future family.
- [13:46]
A
Right.
- [13:46]
B
You know?
- [13:46]
A
Yeah. Single mom here too.
- [13:48]
B
Y. Wow.
- [13:49]
A
We're both trauma bonding out here.
- [13:51]
B
Yeah, no, there's some drama trauma that comes from that for sure.
- [13:54]
A
Yeah. Yeah. The family unit's important though. To me it is like I really want to stress that with my family.
- [13:59]
B
Yeah. I think that when you come from something that, you know, you're like, I don't want to repeat that cycle. Going to do whatever it takes to not repeat that cycle. So it's like, I mean, look at the business that you've built. It's like you're doing that for a reason. You have a why behind it. Same. Same goes for me, you know, and we're strong enough to know that we can handle any adversity because we've already been through a lot.
- [14:19]
A
Yep. That why is important.
- [14:21]
B
Oh yeah.
- [14:21]
A
And a lot of people have the wrong why, I think when they get in the business.
- [14:24]
B
Oh, for sure.
- [14:24]
A
For money or for fame or whatever.
- [14:26]
B
Money will never be a why. It won't. It won't.
- [14:29]
A
It can't be the main.
- [14:29]
B
No, no, it can't. Because it won't last.
- [14:32]
A
No.
- [14:32]
B
Once you start making it, then you become complacent and you have to have a stronger purpose and, and passion for what you're doing, you know, like what? I'm obsessed with my business. Like I have no shame in saying that. Like I'm obsessed with it. I love getting up every day, getting to talk to my agents. Develop new people, talk to new people, and, you know, really be able to help these entrepreneurs become the best versions of themselves.
- [14:54]
A
Absolutely. When you made that first million, did you feel like a big shift or anything?
- [14:58]
B
No.
- [14:59]
A
Really?
- [14:59]
B
No. Honestly, I didn't. Yeah. I mean, it is. It's one of those things where I don't even look at my bank account, really. Like, I know it's there and I'm grateful for it, but I have a stronger. Stronger why? Behind what I'm doing, and that is to bring more people into this type of space and help them become successful if they're willing to put in the work. And I always say if they're willing, because there's a lot of people that are out there that want to do this. They want to build a business, they want to be an entrepreneur. They want to go into something where they're working for themselves and building their own empire. But you, you know as well as I do, if you're not somebody that's willing to actually put in the work and go through the adversity that does come, then you're not going to be very successful in this space.
- [15:45]
A
Yeah. And you're changing thousands alive now because 200 under you. They have families, you know, they have kids, so.
- [15:51]
B
And that means more than anything.
- [15:53]
A
Yeah. That's impactful because to get them out of that nine to five is not only helping them financially, but just mentally.
- [15:59]
B
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. We make our own schedule.
- [16:02]
A
Yeah. That's how it should be.
- [16:03]
B
Yeah.
- [16:04]
A
I hated going to school. Oh, my gosh. Waking up at 6.
- [16:07]
B
I know. I did it, too.
- [16:08]
A
Oh, I have trauma from that. Like, literally. I still have nightmares about, like. Like, tests and stuff.
- [16:13]
B
Yeah, no, I mean, like, you're probably similar to me where, like, I wanted to have the best grades and, like, I wanted to be really successful in it, and I. I mean, I did well, but I don't use my degree now.
- [16:23]
A
I don't know, you know. Did you graduate college?
- [16:25]
B
I did.
- [16:25]
A
Oh, wow. I did not make it that far.
- [16:29]
B
Well, I felt pressured, but I did it.
- [16:31]
A
Where'd you go?
- [16:32]
B
Chico State.
- [16:33]
A
Oh, yeah. You said that. What'd you major in?
- [16:35]
B
I majored in nursing originally, but I ended up going with business management.
- [16:39]
A
Wow. So you were minoring in that or.
- [16:41]
B
Well, I was initially going to nursing, but in that school, they don't give you a degree unless you finish the program, so I went with business.
- [16:49]
A
Nice. So did you learn any good business there?
- [16:52]
B
No, not really.
- [16:54]
A
Ironic, right?
- [16:55]
B
Yeah, ironic. Yeah. I learned everything from basically books and experience.
- [16:59]
A
Yeah. And that's what I'm telling kids now in, like, high school, they. They DM me and, you know, they ask if I should go to college. But for business and entrepreneurship, I mean.
- [17:07]
B
You don't need it.
- [17:07]
A
It's. I don't see the value other than networking.
- [17:10]
B
Yeah, networking. But if you. I mean, if you put yourself out there enough, you can network with a lot of successful entrepreneurs without having to go to college.
- [17:18]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [17:18]
B
Do all of that.
- [17:19]
A
Especially if you're in a major city. There's so many events.
- [17:21]
B
Yeah, there's events. You can go out there. You just have to be willing to put yourself out there and step out of your comfort zone. If you're willing to do that, then, I mean, you can be way more successful than these people that are at school, you know, graduate.
- [17:35]
A
Yeah, that's a big first step. Get willing to get out there, whether it's online or in person.
- [17:39]
B
Exactly.
- [17:39]
A
That took me years to overcome that fear.
- [17:41]
B
Yeah, me too. It took me a lot to overcome the fear of just, like, posting something on social media. I was like, I mean, it really doesn't matter. Like, I'm sharing what I do and I'm sharing my life because there's other people out there that we have something valuable to share, and that's what we have to remember. That's what I remember every time. It's like, I have something valuable to share, somebody wants to hear it. Some people don't. Maybe I'm annoying to some, but I am sharing this with the right people.
- [18:07]
A
You never know who you're going to help directly or indirectly. Like, I get all sorts of messages now or people coming up to me. It's crazy.
- [18:14]
B
Yeah.
- [18:14]
A
And it's just like, wow, if I just held that in, like I was for years, I couldn't have helped you.
- [18:20]
B
Absolutely.
- [18:21]
A
So I think podcasting is. Is changing the game.
- [18:23]
B
Yeah, definitely.
- [18:24]
A
People are just being authentic.
- [18:25]
B
I mean, people go through it, they watch it, they scroll through, and they're like, oh, this topic. And then they can hear people talking about their honest. Their honest truths. They're, you know, the honest things that they're actually thinking, which you can't see that. Like, when you read magazines and other things, it's like, podcasts are super real.
- [18:41]
A
Are you still learning through podcasts or books or anything? Actively.
- [18:44]
B
I do, yeah. I watch podcasts all the time. And honestly, like, if you're. If I wake up and I'm having, like, a rough day, like, I'll turn on a podcast, like, of literally anything. It could be Just of entrepreneurship. Or it could be of, you know, the business that I'm in, working out, anything like that. And it just immediately changed my mindset for the day because I'm like, okay, like, I just got yelled at on that podcast 100. Like, I need to get it together.
- [19:09]
A
Yeah. I love pods and. Yeah. Audiobooks, audible.
- [19:13]
B
Yeah.
- [19:13]
A
Yeah. You gotta constantly be learning no matter what level you're at, too.
- [19:16]
B
Oh, yeah. It never ends.
- [19:17]
A
Yeah. That's where people. Because they graduate college and then they just stop learning. They get a job and then.
- [19:22]
B
Yeah. And then, like, I mean, I feel like my brain would be, like, dead. Yeah. Like, I wouldn't be growing ever. And it's like, every day, I want to get better because every day there's a new challenge. You know, as you. As you know, in business, there's. There's always gonna be something new that you have to overcome, and that gives you the opportunity to be better every single time.
- [19:42]
A
Yep. Yeah. If I'm not growing, I get so anxious.
- [19:44]
B
If you're not growing, you're dying.
- [19:46]
A
You're. Yeah. You're going backwards. And then there's so many competitors in our space.
- [19:49]
B
Yeah, exactly.
- [19:50]
A
They're just gonna surpass you.
- [19:51]
B
It's like, you gotta. You gotta have that burning desire to continue to grow and continue to become a better individual that people want to network with you, and people want to share your story and people want to be in your space.
- [20:05]
A
Absolutely. What's next for you?
- [20:08]
B
You know, there's a lot of things in the future right now that I'm thinking about. I. I'm working on a coaching course right now, so. Coaching entrepreneurs of any type of business. So whether it be the insurance space where I specialize in or marketing where I specialize in, it could be anything, because I do believe that entrepreneurship is all about passion. So if you find your passion in a specific space, you should go after it. You know, go after it and become very, very good at it. And when you need somebody to mentor you through the. The ups and downs of it, that's who I want to be.
- [20:41]
A
Nice.
- [20:42]
B
Like, I want to be there to help you through the ups and downs. So I'm working on that right now, working on, obviously, establishing the brand a little bit better of exactly who I am and what I want to share and how I want to bring value to other people. And we have a couple other things in the works right now. Can't tell you, but they. They're coming next month or so. I'll tell you in a month.
- [21:02]
A
I love It, Yeah.
- [21:03]
B
You got all sorts of businesses just working on it. It's a new business for us. So I'm excited and we're going to continue to grow.
- [21:09]
A
Nice. You're grinding. How many hours a week are you working right now?
- [21:12]
B
Oh, that's a funny question for me. I probably. I mean, I feel like I'm working all the time, but I love what I do. So it's like I wake up and I'm working because I'm talking to my agents or I wake up or I go to bed and I'm working, you know, because I'm closing, you know, a client or something. You know, it's like I'm always working and it really just comes down to I feel like I've made it a part of my lifestyle, that it just like it feels like home, you know, my business feels like home. My. My family is a part of my business. Like, my daughter understands the business. She is equally connected to the business and the people in my business.
- [21:48]
A
Wow. And she's like, really cool. Six years old.
- [21:50]
B
Six years old.
- [21:51]
A
Wow.
- [21:51]
B
She comes to our lock in sometimes. Like we have things, events at home where she'll be there. You know, we've opened an office before and she was there. It was very, very cool to see her be a part of all of it. And that's why I do think that actually, I don't think I know that she is confident what mommy's doing because she's such a part of it. It's like if you're a parent and you're not sharing with your child what you're doing, that could be a little bit harder for you to be able to make those sacrifices because they don't understand. But Carmel understands. She gets it.
- [22:23]
A
I love it. She's going to be a bright, bright person.
- [22:25]
B
Yep. I hope she in my tracks.
- [22:27]
A
And I love how you went against the conventional advice of like not integrating family, personal lives with business lives.
- [22:33]
B
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, Family First Life is the company that I had originally joined. And that is what it comes down to. Family first, you know, So I always knew that, you know, the only way that I was going to make this work is to be able to incorporate my life into my business. Like, I don't think of my business as something where like I clock in and clock out of it. It's like I'm always running my business.
- [22:55]
A
Right.
- [22:55]
B
I'm always talking to people, whether that be brand new people, whether that be people like you, whether that be my current agents, whether that be my actual family. That is a part of my business. It's like I've made every single person and relationship that I have in my life a part. Part of my business.
- [23:10]
A
Wow.
- [23:10]
B
And that is special.
- [23:12]
A
That is. Cuz, you know, when we were growing up, we were taught to rule by fear.
- [23:15]
B
Yeah.
- [23:16]
A
Don't talk about personal lives at the workplace.
- [23:18]
B
Yeah.
- [23:18]
A
So you're basically throwing that out the window.
- [23:20]
B
No. Yeah, we don't do that.
- [23:22]
A
Which is cool though, because then you could just be yourself in the workplace rather than trying to hide stuff.
- [23:27]
B
Well, that's the coolest thing about building your own, you know, you build your own empire, so, you know, you are your own boss. And that is a very, very powerful, powerful spot to be.
- [23:37]
A
Absolutely. You got to hold yourself accountable.
- [23:39]
B
Yeah.
- [23:39]
A
You seem really mentally resilient. Like, I'm really impressed.
- [23:42]
B
I am mentally resilient. I've been through a lot.
- [23:45]
A
I could tell.
- [23:46]
B
Yeah.
- [23:46]
A
Yeah. You have to reach that point. Right?
- [23:48]
B
Yeah.
- [23:48]
A
So were there some challenges early on in the company?
- [23:52]
B
Not necessarily with a company. I would say more just like personal life, you know, like, we talked a little bit about my upbringing. Like. Yeah, you know, I don't have the greatest upbringing. Single mom. Like, I was a test tube baby, so.
- [24:02]
A
Oh, really?
- [24:03]
B
Yeah, I was like, you know, mom just wanted to have kids. So.
- [24:06]
A
Wait, so that's the thing actually, because.
- [24:07]
B
Yeah, it is.
- [24:08]
A
I always thought that was like a meme.
- [24:09]
B
No, that's real. I'm not. Yeah. So she went. She wanted to have a kid so badly, so she did. Got test tube. Wow. And you know, it was just a different childhood. You know, just only one parent. I have a very small family. We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things as I grew up. And it, it created a lot of that trauma that once you get older into, you know, like, my grandparents were my parents for a very long time. And then at age 13, you know, they. They both passed away. So it was like, that's a crucial age to like lose somebody like that.
- [24:44]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [24:44]
B
Which caused some trauma, which, you know, in time it started to reflect in relationships and jobs and things that I was doing. And I had to make that conscious decision of learning how to overcome it, you know, like, what am I doing? What can I do to be better? And the business really helped me do that because it was like, I've already felt rejection, I've already felt abandonment. I've already felt the fear that I'm going to lose everything. But with this business, like, for me, I was always thinking, like, I mean, If I just don't quit, like, I could really make something out of this. And that's what I tell myself every single day when it comes to struggles. In the very beginning of the business, I mean, yes, of course, there was, like, things here and there. There were adversity that I had. There are things that, you know, were hard on me, but I was so resilient to be able to overcome that. Just because I saw the vision of where it's going.
- [25:40]
A
I love it.
- [25:41]
B
And that's the same place that I feel today. It's like I see the vision of where we're going. Like, we're. We're a very, very great company. Like, I'm very happy and blessed to have the company that I do. But when it comes to where we're going, like, I'm so excited every single day.
- [25:56]
A
Can't wait to see your journey. Yeah. Similar with me, my mom and I, 80% of our conversations were arguments when I was growing up.
- [26:02]
B
Yeah.
- [26:02]
A
Like, it was so toxic. But the business actually healed our relationship.
- [26:06]
B
Yep.
- [26:07]
A
Because I got to find out more about myself, find out about more where she was coming from.
- [26:11]
B
Yeah.
- [26:11]
A
And now we're like, we barely argue now. Did you repair with your mother, too?
- [26:15]
B
We try. I mean, she's got her issues too, but we try. We're. We're. I will say, you know, we are a lot better than we were before I started the business. And I do believe that is because you become more self aware, you understand and you feel for other people. You know, you understand that they may be going through something. You know, this business taught me a lot about that.
- [26:35]
A
Yeah.
- [26:35]
B
When I was selling and growing, like, everybody has something going on in their life, whether they're vocal about it or not. Everybody has their, you know, their stuff. And that is where you have to be empathetic towards it. And as you grow as an individual, you can understand people and read them a lot better.
- [26:52]
A
Yeah. My biggest fight with my mom, probably yours too, was grades.
- [26:55]
B
Grades. Yeah. Well, they want us to be perfect. Right. Right.
- [26:58]
A
And that's how they made money. Because back then, school actually mattered. So you need to do grades.
- [27:03]
B
Yeah, exactly.
- [27:04]
A
So I get it from their point of view. Right.
- [27:06]
B
I guess I never thought about that. Yep.
- [27:08]
A
No, that changed it for me because she was so hard on grades. But, you know, that's how she came to America and made money. So I can't even.
- [27:16]
B
Absolute sense.
- [27:17]
A
Yeah. I can't even be mad about it. Looking back at it now, it's like.
- [27:19]
B
The better grades you have, the Better. The better career you're gonna have back.
- [27:23]
A
Then, but now it's irrelevant. It's like, unless you're a doctor or something. Yeah, but it's. It's too much pressure on these kids.
- [27:30]
B
Like, it is.
- [27:31]
A
Oh, my gosh, these sats and everything.
- [27:34]
B
So I say it's like, you gotta find your passion. When you find your passion, it's like, go all. Go all in with it. You can make money in anything in this. In this day and age, if you're passionate enough and you work really hard.
- [27:44]
A
I've seen every random niche industry.
- [27:46]
B
What kind of business is that? They're, like, super successful. It's like. Yeah, it's just because they're passionate about. They're obsessed with what they do, and they see a purpose behind it. Like, they want so much for themselves and the people that they work with, so they're going to make it work, you know?
- [28:01]
A
Yeah. You got to align everything. Can't just be one thing.
- [28:04]
B
Absolutely.
- [28:04]
A
Sure. Well, Caitlin, it's been cool. Where can people find you and potentially work with you or work for you?
- [28:09]
B
Absolutely. @ CaitLincarMella on Instagram. Best place to find me. You can DM me. You can also shoot me a text or call 530-570-5567.
- [28:20]
A
Wow. Putting your number out there.
- [28:22]
B
Y. I'll get back to you.
- [28:23]
A
About to get blown up. All right, thanks for coming on.
- [28:25]
B
Thanks, John.
- [28:26]
A
Yep. Thanks for watching, guys, as always. See you next time.