Author name: Carrie

TLDR: For an early enrollment period, I offer my 8-week, small-group, live Zoom course The Lab at Pay from the Heart pricing because I want it to be accessible to everyone. That period ends on Friday, 12/19. Until then, you can enroll in the winter or spring cohorts of The Lab at the rate that’s manageable for you. Don’t worry if Pay from the Heart makes you a little uncertain – I provide guidance on what to pay if you’re not sure.

You might be curious…

Why do you do this?

Simply put: 

1) I want everyone to have the chance to take this course because I know how life-changing it can be.

2) I want other Labbers to have the benefit of knowing and growing with amazing people who may not otherwise been able to join.

3) I want the program I’ve poured all my love and expertise into to thrive, both because it is my livelihood, and because it is my mission. Y’all, I love The Lab SO. MUCH. 

I want you to feel great about participating in The Lab: what you get as a participant, and what you give to me to sustain me in my work. And I want to feel great about it, too.

Some of our alumni have only been able to take the course due to Pay from the Heart, and it is immensely gratifying to know money isn’t a barrier for these amazing humans who get to go through the program and find it, as Kelsey has described it, “genuinely life-changing.” 

Kelsey signed up for The Lab in the middle of a career transition when money was tighter than it had previously been, and Pay from the Heartmade it possible for her to join. Here’s a snippet from her recent newsletter.

It  makes me legit sad to think about Kelsey not being part of the Lab community, and I’m so, so glad she is—thanks to Pay from the Heart.

But I feel awkward…

I TRULY get it. I understand what it’s like to try to figure out what to paywhen the choice is left up to you. It can be awkward…and it can also be a lifesaver.

Please know that I’ve been on both sides of this: I’ve had times when a Pay What You Can offer was the gift that allowed me to experience something I really needed or wanted, or gave me the nudge to try something I wouldn’t have tried otherwise that changed my life, and I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to pay the minimum amount. 

Other times, I’ve been in a position to pay the full rate or even more, and that feels amazing. I love being able to give from the budget and from the heart.

I trust that you, too, WANT to pay what you can. 

Whatever you choose to pay, you can trust that I will bring 100% of myself to our work together, and I trust the same of you.

I would not offer this if I didn’t want to.

How does Pay from the Heart work?

First, decide if you are going to join us. Let yourself feel the possibilities of what this course can mean for you in this moment. Sound good? If so, welcome!

Second, if you decide “YES!”, decide how much to pay for your spot. (Note that your payment does not cover your course supplies, which you must order yourself from a list I’ll provide. Unfortunately, this is the part of the pricing that I don’t control!) On the sign-up page, I give you some guidelines to help with this. decision.  

PftH is also an answer to payment plans: if you need some time to budget for the amount you’d like to pay from the heart, you are welcome to pay what you can today and return to the payment page and pay more later. Or, if you pay one amount and are inspired to paymore after experiencing the course, you certainly can. 

Pay from the Heart is open through Friday, December 19.

After that, The Lab is at a fixed price. 

If you need Pay from the Heart in order to take this course, or if you are inspired to give more to help support someone who needs to pay less, please join now. 

And please feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who you think would really benefit from The Lab, but may be working with more limited resources at the moment.

From my heart to yours,

Carrie

P.S. I was inspired and encouraged to offer PftH in a workshop with Mark Silver from Heart of Business, back in 2020, in which he shared about this powerful model and helped us imagine how we might offer it in our own businesses. So big thanks go to him, too!

Last Thursday night, I found myself standing on a small stage in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago, performing a song to a little roomful of strangers. 

When I’d woken up that morning, I’d had no idea this was going to happen. But when my friend Eric texted  just a few hours before the show to ask me if I wanted to join him onstage that night, I instantly said yes.

Eric is a poet and rapper, and in the third month of my nomadic adventure, back in March of 2018, I’d dropped into a recording studio in Champaign, Illinois and, at Eric’s request, spontaneously added some background vocals on one of his songs. Since I’m back in Chicago this month, he had the idea for me to perform that song live with him. 

And that’s how I came to be on stage boots-and-catsing into a mic.

The “yes” to unexpected experiences continues: Tonight, I’m attending a bilingual improv workshop in Chicago!

While I’ve been improvising for more than 20 years, and have dropped into various theaters to play with strangers all over the country for the past 8 years (something that’s always a little vulnerability workout!)…I’ve never improvised in Spanish! I studied Spanish years ago, and I’m definitely rusty. 

I’m honestly a little nervous.

And that’s the biggest reason I signed up for the workshop. Not in spite of it feeling scary, but because it’s a little scary.

Because when I step outside of my comfort zone on purpose – when I’m willing to tolerate the anticipation of doing something a little scary and the discomfort of actually doing it – I’m almost always glad I did. At least one of the following things happens (and usually more than one):

1. I discover something about myself that I never knew existed, or reawaken parts of me that have been dormant.
2. I work out my courage, vulnerability, and boldness muscles– getting stronger and more confident as I teach myself again and again that I can survive discomfort and do things even if I feel afraid.
3. I meet someone new who becomes a meaningful part of my life – whether through a shared moment that lives on in me, or through a longstanding connection.
4. I have fun and/or learn something and/or increase my empathy.

We can step out of our comfort zones on purpose, in everyday ways, taking Right Risks aligned with our intuition and our values. By doing so, we grow our capacity to be courageous and bold in all aspects of our lives.

Several of the people who have joined The Lab have told me that they signed up in part because it was a step outside their comfort zones – and the payoff has been enormous beyond their imaginations.

What is one little brave step you could take outside your comfort zone this week? 

Let this be your gentle nudge to give it a go.

¡Hasta luego!

I’m sitting in the Moonrise Cafe in Fargo, North Dakota. I was thinking about my upcoming keynote for the Capital Coaches Conference, Venture Boldly Forward into the Unknown: Nomad Insights to Transform Your Work, Leadership, and Life, and I started thinking of you—you who, for whatever combination of reasons, are reading this post. I want to share some thoughts about decisions to venture into new places and experiences, and the surreal awe that can arise from them. 

Of all the places I’ve been on this journey, North Dakota felt among the most surreal to enter into. I’ve known for the last year or so that I would come here, but still, when I actually began to approach the state line and ultimately crossed over, I felt a little…dazzled; shaken up; unsettled; startled. 

Based on the semi-stunned response my body was having, I realized I’d crossed an unconscious boundary, and come to a place that, for most of my life, I’d never thought about as a place I would ever be. 

I felt spooked as I drove past the enormous grain silos, and wondered why I felt so spooked. (I sensed it was largely because it was round about 3 AM—a story for another day—but not entirely.) Part of it was this strong sense—not just a factual knowing, but a full-body awareness—that I was somewhere unlike anywhere I’d been, or ever imagined being. It was as though I could feel this in my cells. I was in new territory, literally. 

Of course, this has been true of almost all of the places I’ve visited on my adventure. So why was it any different from all the other places I’d never been? Why was this crossing extra intense? 

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North DakotaRead More »

This year, I’m synthesizing the discoveries and lessons learned from a decade of work with coaching clients, crystallizing what helped each of them overcome their obstacles and achieve their goals. I’m sharing these key insights and making suggestions for how you can apply them in your own life. Today, let’s take a look at another key skill that can help you break through Thirtysomething Panic: Narrate with neutrality. This means making the Negative—> Neutral Shift.

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The Negative —> Neutral Shift: An Important Pit Stop on the Road to PositivityRead More »

 

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Alternatives to DespairRead More »

Now, let’s dive into one of the foundational commitments that will help you break through Thirtysomething Panic (or set yourself up for success in any period of life transition): Telling the Truth.

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Tell The TruthRead More »