Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Merlo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My current life started at the age of 33 when I left my husband and moved into a woman’s shelter with my 1 1/2-year-old son. I didn’t have any money or job skills. Prior to this I had been a singer and took numerous odd job to get by. So, I had to figure out how to support myself and my baby. The jobs I was qualified for wouldn’t keep me in diapers and childcare, so I took out an ad to do housecleaning, got a Pell Grant and student loans, and went to college.
Six years later I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in educational psychology. I had always had a passion to be a motivational speaker and trainer so got a job as a trainer for a telemarking company. During that time, I met a terrific and bright man named Bill, who introduced me to Network Marketing. He told me if we worked together, we could be successful enough for me to gain an audience… so I was all in.
The company we joined was a dietary supplement company with a unique health product that was new in the marketplace, so, because I learned how to do research in graduate school, I put together information and started leading workshops to introduce people to these products.
Within a few years, we were generating more money than I had ever seen! I continued to develop my presentation and training skills, speaking throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. As time went on, the internet became the main mechanism for doing presentations, so I continued to reach people with an email newsletter and burgeoning webinars.
Eventually, we retired and so I put myself to work writing books and speaking. I have written many books on nutritional topics, but my real passion was about how people grow into their greater selves, especially as sole proprietors. So, in recent years I have focused on what I call Enlightened Entrepreneurship: How to Build a Successful Solopreneurship from the Ground Up. My main offering is to teach people The Mindset of the Enlightened Entrepreneur.
What I have learned over the years is that beliefs about oneself determine successful outcomes–and there are specific methods for changing how people think about themselves so that they can live lives of Purpose and Passion.
I recently completed a book on this topic that is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Enlightened-Entrepreneurship-Successful-Solopreneurship-Ground-ebook/dp/B09LSNSZMY/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2O2RSZ6JW3CS8&keywords=enlightened+entrepreneurship&qid=1643319363&sprefix=enlightened+entrepreneurship%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-2. I also have two e-courses that I will be launching in February.
In addition to this, I am a life coach and help people transform old, disempowering thinking patterns into beliefs that allow them to have happier and more fulfilled lives.
You can learn more about me at www.CarolMerlo.com
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest obstacles for me were internal. Because I had had a background in domestic abuse, I started out basically hating myself. I had very poor people skills and suffered from PTSD, so it took a number of years to recognize my gifts and talents and to be able to be around people without feeling uncomfortable.
I am an introvert, so I had to learn how to act like an extravert to be heard and seen, especially in a field full of extraverts. It took a lot of courage to expand my comfort zone so that I could live my purpose of teaching and coaching people to transform those same issues that I had had. I have had a lot of experience with trying and failing over and over until I finally succeeded in knowing that I am good enough and even excellent at what I do, so am worth receiving money in exchange for giving my gifts and skills.
The other big issue for me was changing technology. I have had to learn how to build websites, create and edit videos, edit audio files, publish books, and work with social media without becoming overwhelmed. At this point I am able to teach people easier ways to get all that done because I went through the trials and errors — and expense of learning the hard way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
This is an excellent question!
What I do is break down complex material into simple, practical information so that a wide audience can learn what had previously been overwhelming. I am also down to earth so that people don’t feel that I am talking down to them. This makes me relatable. I like to facilitate communication rather than lecture in my coaching and classes.
As I said earlier, my focus is on Enlightenment, which actually means understanding. So, I have learned about how people can change their thinking and behavior so that it enables them to live in a way that is purposeful and empowering. I do not focus on digging up the past and what caused the current beliefs. Rather, I start with NOW and help people reveal to themselves what it is that they actually want in their lives so that they can create realistic and achievable goals. It usually turns out that what people truly want is in their hearts and so as they grow into their purpose, they feel more alive and aligned.
This is what turns me on. I love it when the light bulbs go off and people move into enthusiasm because of something I have taught them.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I was a 6th grade camp, sitting by a stream and I wrote a poem. That poem was read at the 8th grade graduation ceremony that year. I got to go to summer camp each year and I always enjoyed the campfire songs, stories, and skits.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carolmerlo.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolmerlo/
