A conversation with Carla Salteris, a healer and self-love coach for women. Carla empowers women to realign with their true selves and create a life full of love, wellbeing and prosperity.
Carla Salteris is a healer, self-love and energetic alignment coach for midlife women. She has a diverse background in mind, body and soul healing and transformational work. Carla empowers women to let go of the past and line up energetically with new, empowering beliefs that match their desires. She believes that by connecting to your inner guidance system, everything is available to you.
In this episode, Carla elaborates on her upbringing and how her family's work ethic influenced her. She describes her transition from psychology to acupuncture to becoming a coach, highlighting how her spiritual connection and experience with transformational work shaped her journey.
In our conversation, she emphasizes the importance of processing emotions and rewriting limiting beliefs through tools like meditation and journaling. Carla offers practical advice on how women can embrace self-love, overcome limiting beliefs, and create fulfilling lives. Through Carla’s experiences, discover how stepping away from conventional career paths can lead to fulfilling endeavors that resonate deeply with one's true beliefs and passions.
“Only you can let it go. That's the thing. So you can spend your whole life. Therapy is great. You know, I think there's all different options. You could spend a lifetime in therapy. So you know, it's like how much do you want to dig? That was something that I learned from my transformational work. It's not about the digging, it's about letting it go. Sometimes you have to peel back some layers and then sometimes you just have to get happy at some point.” - Carla Salteris
Key takeaways:
- Become aware of the voices, other than your own, that are influencing your decisions. As Carla was choosing what to study and what career direction to take, she became aware of all the voices in her head that were influencing her: the voices of her parents, the opinions of friends that she respected. It was hard to separate those voices from her own internal compass.
- Middle age can provide an opportunity, especially for women, to reinvent. Carla shared how she had become bored with her work as an acupuncturist, which had already started to shift because of Covid. As she approached middle age, she became more aware of her mortality and began to ask herself: what are you passionate about? What are you longing to create?
- Transformational work is not only about the “digging”; it’s also about letting go. Carla works with women to peel back the layers to understand the stories and limiting beliefs that are holding them back. She acknowledges that it’s important to understand the experiences that may have led to feelings of unworthiness, but also not to hold on to them too tightly. It ultimately does no good to hold on to guilt or shame; we need to energetically let these feelings go.
About the guest:
Carla is a healer, self-love and energetic alignment coach for mid life women. She has a diverse background in mind, body and soul healing and transformational work. She mentors women on how to align with their desires by putting energy work first! With over 23 years of experience in the healing arts and transformational work, Carla shows women how to become their own healer, the lover of themselves first…body, mind and soul. Standing in deep self-love, you can connect and embody the Higher Self version of you that effortlessly attracts all desires and re-create your fulfilled life. Carla empowers women to let go of the past and line up energetically with new, empowering beliefs that match their desires. By connecting to your inner guidance system (Soul) everything is available!
Website: www.carlasalteris.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlasalteris/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlasalteris/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlasalterisvibe/
Free resource: Alignment Made Easy: 3 Hacks To Raise Your Energetic Frequency and Manifest Your Dreams
Stay connected:
Connect with Laura on LinkedIn
@Rotters5 on Twitter
Connect with Laura on Facebook
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Subscribe to my newsletter
Get your free copy of Unlock Your Money Blocks Workbook: Your step-by-step guide to unlocking your blocks to financial freedom.
Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.
Carla Salteris
And only you can let it go. That's the thing. So, you can spend your whole life, I, therapy is great. You know, I think there's all different options. You could spend a lifetime in therapy. So, the more, you know, it's like, how much do you want to, like, dig? That was something that I learned from my transformational work.
It's like, it's not about the digging. It's about letting it go. Sometimes you have to, like, peel back some layers. And then sometimes you just have to get happy at some point.
Welcome to making change with your money, a podcast that highlights the stories and strategies of women who experienced a big life transition and overcame challenges as they redefined financial success for themselves.
Now here's your host certified financial planner, Laura.
Laura Rotter
I am so excited to have as my guest today, Carla Salteres. Carla is a healer, self love and energetic alignment coach for midlife women. She has a diverse background in mind, body and soul healing and transformational work. Carla empowers women to let go of the past and line up energetically with new empowering beliefs that match their desires.
She believes that by connecting to your inner guidance system, everything is available to you. So welcome Carla, to the making change with your money podcast.
Carla Salteris
Thank you. Thank you, Laura. So happy to be here.
Laura Rotter
I'm excited that you're here and, you know, interested in seeing where this conversation takes us.
And I'm going to start like I always do. Carla, what was money like in your family growing up?
Carla Salteris
Well, in my family, I came from a hardworking, you know, my father's side where they were farmers. So if you go back, you know, Appalachian farmers on the East Coast, like Pennsylvania, and So there was really a hard work ethic.
My grandfather was a coal miner and my dad was led there to join the coal mines and he decided that's not for me. And he pursued other things, but definitely there was a money you had to really work hard for it. Like, You know, it's like, you really had to deserve that money on the other side. My, my mother's side grew up, she grew up in Trenton, New Jersey.
So it was like very. City hardworking, you know, young blue collar. I think my, my grandfather was a shop owner and he's French Canadian, but he, you know, it's like every nickel and dime counted. So it was like, you really used both sides really used everything. But there was a sense of, you really have to work hard and there's probably not a whole lot at the end.
You know, things were tight, but a really full, you know, family full of love. You know, on the other side, my dad. With that, you know, embracing nature around us, we always had animals and having spiritual connection to the oneness. So that was really rich.
Laura Rotter
There's a lot there, Carla. How was, I generally follow the train of thought of, of the money.
But before I go there, you know, I love what you just said, the spiritual connection to oneness. How was that communicated?
Carla Salteris
So if we were in the garage with my dad and there was a bee in the garage, he would, he would say, Carla, don't be afraid, let it land on you. And I was like, of course, terrified, like, let the, let the bee land on me.
It's going to sting me. But he, he was giving me such really powerful information. Now that I look back, you know, as you get older, you really appreciate those things. They weren't church people, but it was like a nature church that I, my dad was always showing me how to communicate with animals, but it was really teaching me, you know, how to not be afraid.
It's like that, that took me into like indigenous medicine. It's like, you know, the world's indigenous cultures and all the before is like, if you really look, it is more about love and abundance and overcoming fear.
Laura Rotter
So, so true. And it sounds like your father was one of the first people to teach that to you.
And just to get back to the money piece, when you say things were tight, how did that impact you? And do you have siblings? Should I?
Carla Salteris
I do, I have 2 younger brothers, I'm the oldest and I have 1 brother that's 10 years younger and then 1 that's 18 years younger. So it could be mine really. Yes. Yeah, as far as, you know, I always helped with the family business.
My mother is a teacher. She branched off. She had her own tutoring company. She still does. And so I learned that, you know, I always worked around the house because it's like farmer mentality. I always did chores. I always worked. I mowed the lawn and it is things, you know, that one needed to do. And then I always knew that I would get.
What I needed and I would be rewarded. I had a beautiful childhood. I had a woods that I was, you know, free to go in and out of back then. We just let, with my dog, I would wander in the woods and come back out, you know, thank God. You didn't worry in the same way. It was the seventies, you know, in the seventies, you know, that was not an issue.
You know, it was a beautiful thing. I did. I always felt safe. I had a really beautiful childhood because I always felt safe. Money might have been a little short, but you can't buy safety. That was amazing.
Laura Rotter
And it sounds like in some ways the scarcity wasn't communicated to you in a way that made you fearful, or even that you felt like you needed to be earning your own money, or did you have that pressure?
Carla Salteris
You know, I just got transported back to my childhood when we were talking about that, but when I, you know, as I, I always worked, so it was embedded as a young kid. I always helped, you know, and I think that's really important for us mothers as, you know, and fathers to instill that. I'm doing that with my daughter right now, actually.
She's 12 and talking about money and getting her a credit card, but like some things aren't paid for. Right. Some chores are not paid for, but there are, I've heard this, someone was talking about this on Instagram. There are gigs that can get you paid. Like in showing her that there's like ways to earn more money.
Like if you go mow the lawn, that's kind of above and beyond. Or if you go mow the neighbor's lawn, now you have a gig. And so training the kids how to like go out in the world and make their own money. Important, I think. So I'm trying to do that right now. What are some good gigs?
Laura Rotter
So you worked in the house with your family, which you didn't necessarily get paid for, but it was a sense of work ethic.
Everybody contributes.
Carla Salteris
And eventually as I got older, I did get paid.
Laura Rotter
Okay.
Carla Salteris
And then it was like the family business. I could choose to work there too, but it was always like, you know, I guess when you do your work, is it something you love to do? That seems like fun or does it feel hard? Cause you really don't want to do it.
Right.
Laura Rotter
And when you were growing up, where, where were you in that? Did you feel like you just love to contribute to the family or?
Carla Salteris
Well, as you get older, I felt like it was more of like something I didn't want to do and I left. Got it.
Laura Rotter
So how old were you when you left? And, and what did you leave to do?
Carla Salteris
Well, actually I was in and out for a while and I actually was going to acupuncture school in New York city, which I believe that's where, you know, New York for you. I'm sorry to interrupt. So you grew up more in the DC area, like Virginia right now, Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland. My dad was in the military.
So before that we traveled around the U S but we always, we landed here on the East coast and the DMV. Well, I made it work for me. So I would come back and I was able to work with my family business and get my master's in acupuncture school. which was really cool. I had the freedom there. Yeah, to pursue something, you know, more in line with what I wanted to do.
But I still had that sense that I was still following in the line of what I was supposed to do or what my parents thought was a worthy, you know, Area to go into because when I was growing up, it was like English or math, like pick my mom was a teacher and she that was with good intent. You know, like, if you want to, you know, artist was out, you know, artist.
No, you can't be an artist. So it's like, what, whatever you thought, you know, you think is possible. It's like, are your and, and how to make money at it. You know, is it going to be something fun? I think that's the dream. Is it something that's fun for you or is it something that is a chore and it really becomes hard work because you're not enjoying it.
Right.
Laura Rotter
And so before I go, cause are you implying that, so I was going to ask what drew you to acupuncture school? What's. Gills that you had, or was it the idea that that would be a relatively lucrative profession? So it didn't otherwise speak to you. I'm not, you know.
Carla Salteris
Well, yeah. So the journey and into that part of the conversation was like, that's how I got to know energy.
And that's how it's like, it took me on a road to learning about energy and really about mindset, about what you're, you're putting out into the world to like, bring back whatever, attract whatever you desire, right? Like, whether that's. That, you know, the job or whatever, it's like, we grow up in this, you know, kind of limited scarcity thing around money about around everything.
And it's supposed to be kind of line up the way that we were taught, whatever that looks like and. When you learn about like your whatever energy you're projecting out and you know, you can get back to you So like an acupuncture school, I learned more about like being in my body learning how to move energy or to you know That everything is connected the body the mind and the soul and the soul is really that part of you that is like dreaming Feeling into what you really love to do and And following it or not, so that was one of the things that drew me into the work that I do now.
Laura Rotter
But right, so, so what I hear you doing, and we will continue, certainly in our conversation, that point is looking back and seeing what that. contributed. What I'm curious is there you were leaving home. I don't know who you are at that point, whether you were math or English, but what made you say, Oh, acupuncture school.
Carla Salteris
That's what I'm studying.
Well, what had me do that is I started out in psychology, which was more of a You know, normal perfection, I couldn't go the route that I wanted to go without them not helping me go and pay for it. I did it acupuncture. I paid for myself, but the road to what had me, you know, follow that is my interest in Chinese medicine to go back.
I was. Always interested in, in energy. I had found that at, I actually had gone straight into psychology after high school and had a degree in psychology and women's studies only to find out that I didn't want to do psychology because psychology was like, okay, you put people in these boxes like this and then mostly you prescribe if you really want to make.
Good money. And, you know, then you pursue that. And I was like, well, that's not really what I want to do. I'm really interested in, like, my own transformation. So I was doing transformational work in landmark education, and it led me to, you know, really, you know, get into my own, you know, beliefs. And start to look at that and then it was like, Oh, well, it also, it goes through your body.
It goes through your mind. And then, you know, you have the feeling that there's something out there that has your back like the universe that you actually are part of that. It's not something separate, you know. Society has sometimes has different ways of communicating that like in church and yes, man up in the sky.
That's like the figure. That's exactly exactly. Especially for women. It's kind of like, it's what, you know, at least for me, it was, you know, in my women's studies. Uh, I was kind of like, wow. Yeah. So you got your bachelor's undergrad, is that where you did sort of? Yeah, I had my bachelor's in psychology and women's studies.
And then I went on to do my master's in acupuncture, still kind of thinking that was something that like, Was good to do even though it was interesting to me. It really wasn't like passionate like I had done it for a while I was actually a shiatsu practitioner before that so like it was just an extension of that But the the beautiful thing about Chinese medicine is that they don't separate all that stuff the physical the mental and the spiritual It's all one where our society and Western society We kind of divide it up and as if we're supposed to like deal with it separately It doesn't work, right?
Laura Rotter
And where did your interest in body work come from? I mean, you mentioned your father and the be a nature. I mean, do you see that as the driving factor?
Carla Salteris
But, well, you know, what's really interesting. I was as a manager in the nutrition department at a whole foods market in Baltimore because after I discovered that, you know, it's like psychology was not it.
Actually, I was going to school at the same time, I think, that I had that job. And a friend of mine, we traveled down to an herbal conference in North Carolina. And it was, uh, all the big herbalists, you know, American herbalists and some European, a lot of Native American influences gathered at this conference.
And on the way, we stopped and my friend was like, oh, my God, my back is killing me, Carla. Will you give me, you know, will you help me out? I started working on him. He's like, oh, my God, you're so good. I was like, really? It was as simple as that idea. I was like, okay. And then since I was working at Whole Foods, you know, I was working with Chinese Herbs and, you know, we were getting trained on all this stuff and, and getting paid.
Laura Rotter
Really?
Carla Salteris
Yes. Yeah, you know, back when John Mackey was, you know, hanging out with us, it was pretty cool. I got to go on a road trip with John Mackey in California. Yeah. So it blows my mind. I'm seeing him on, uh, social media. I'm like, Oh, my God.
Laura Rotter
And even I hadn't even thought about that, right? I'm also someone who's, if you will, victim of like, get, go to be, get a BA, get a master's pick a profession that like, Oh, you could study herbs.
You could see, you know, that there's a whole world out there. If you decide that that's what you're going to specialize in, that it's not just, You know, herbs are interesting, but you could go to a conference with herbalists from all over the world. Like, so it certainly put you in a different space than the BA in psychology and women's studies had you got it.
Carla Salteris
Well, you know, and that just made me think about as women, you know, we get, you know, we're living our lives and we're supposed to do this and then we start families. And then it's like you. All of a sudden, it's like, what happened to me? You know, like, we find some things. It's like, I think I could go to school forever.
I mean, there's so many things I swear. I mean, I really could. I have to be like, you know what? No, I mean, because I mean, there's so much to learn. You know, it's like, but when you actually just allow yourself to, like, without the other voices, like, I had my parents voice, like, And I love my parents. They, thank God they were there.
I don't know what I'd do without them, you know? And it's like, but when you, it's hard to separate all those things. You know, it just took my friend to say, you're good at massage. And I was like, I think that's my calling.
Laura Rotter
I mean, if you think I can do it, then I think I can do it. But it's like when we get, right, that's true.
We want outside affirmation. That it's a, it's an okay path to follow and it's a path we can follow. And were you already, like, where were you in terms of financial security as you made that decision? Did finances play any role as you pivoted from a more traditional path to a less traditional path?
Carla Salteris
Yeah, well, You know, an acupuncturist, you know, they're medical professional.
It's still like, it's a good job and you get paid now, you know, back when I was doing an insurance was not very friendly to us. So they really made us work to get paid. And eventually I left it. For that, but also for COVID really, I mean, I just speak, I actually kind of just found that like, you know, I need to take this to another level.
Like it got boring for me. And like, I love it and I still use it, but it's like, you know, we're supposed to expand. I think it's like, you know, just because we hit. middle age, all of a sudden we're thinking of our death. It's like now it's like what's instead of that, it's like, it's like, it's actually like an opportunity to like start a side gig.
You know, what's that passion that you have that you never thought? Like, I know that's what you support people in. Like women is like, You know, now it's your turn.
Laura Rotter
Yeah, and I think women more than men sort of hit midlife and, and perhaps you have less responsibilities in the home. Your kids have gone, you're empty nest.
And we really have the opportunity to rethink and recreate. What are we going to do with this next half of our lives? And frankly, you know, I'm looking at my mother in law at 91 and a half years old. Like we, Have a lot of life ahead of us. So how did that play out for you? It sounds like it was during COVID that you started to.
Carla Salteris
Yeah. So, well, I also had my, um, little one was. Littler than, and it wasn't, I had an in home practice. And so when COVID hit, also I had to rethink some things. And I thought, you know what, I, you know, and I had been in offices and worked other places outside the home. And I just thought, you know, I need to shift something here.
And sometimes it's just getting bored with what you're doing, you know, and it could be like a life career, or it could be, you know, there's so many different. You know, things do and we live in this country where it's like, and this time where it's like, not only is there endless possibilities of what you could offer or study or, you know, and get better at an office offer services for is that you have the world at your fingertips.
Here we are in zoom, which is fricking easy.
Laura Rotter
Right. It did open so many things up, right? You could work with people across the country, if not across the world, depending on what you do.
Carla Salteris
Exactly. Like I go to Greece every year for like a month to two months. Not a problem. I mean, it's like, that's, I mean, I live a life that I love.
It's like, what do you want to create?
Laura Rotter
It's really amazing. So how did that start for you though? Because of course it's amazing and it, and it's frightening as hell. So what was the first step you took, which I'm sure you say the same thing to women you work with, which is one step at a time. If it's a bigger vision, it could be really frightening and keep you from doing anything.
So what was the, the steps that you started to take?
Carla Salteris
So the steps are like. You don't have to change anything when you have that inspired moment. Maybe you do, but you can get your energy where you want it first. So like, it doesn't matter if it's a job, if it's a love relationship, like take six months and get that energy solid so that it's like you embody the faith.
You embody the knowing of where you're going by becoming it now. So things are shifting energetically, physically, mentally, you know, starting to allow in your own inner guidance to lead you different places because you know where you're going, you know, you know where you're going and who you're, you know, who you're becoming, you're holding this vision for yourself.
You don't want to, like, quit your job right away. You know, you don't have to just, like, cut everything off. It's like, but when you live in something that's in a reality that's not looking around at your circumstances now, when you have this, like, powerful vision and knowing energetically, and this takes a meditation practice, no doubt.
It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be something that you presence to yourself because you have these voices, you know, the good wolf and the bad wolf everyone you're feeding. Right? And you have to start distinguishing which 1, you want to listen to. And what that voice is really your voice.
You know, universal voice coming through and that becomes you and then you start doing things in the world that reflects that and then you start attracting these like, people that are like, oh, you like photography. I need someone to photograph, you know, to photograph my house. I'm selling for, you know, 2M dollars.
Would you do that? You know, like, things start happening. And it's like, anything is possible. I see, you know, I see this all over the place with women. It's like, they love photography, and then they start doing it, one of my clients, and she starts, you know, just enjoying it, putting it out there. Part of it is putting it out there.
So when you're developing this internal thing, it's like the courage to actually. Go. Yeah, that's, that's what I, I love to do. That's what I do.
Laura Rotter
So like you could use that woman as an example or anyone that comes to when you start to work, first of all, when someone comes to you, what, what kind of problems are they coming to you with?
And how do you start to work with them? And I guess one of the questions that came up for me, I wrote down, you said you have this powerful vision and you, I'd have to assume that not everybody has a powerful vision of where they want to go. So what's the process?
Carla Salteris
So the process is first identifying like where you are right now.
And a lot of that is like, what is like the bad wolf been telling you, you know, what, what are these like core limiting beliefs? And it's something that's, it takes time, right? It's not something that you can just, cause we've had, you know, I just turned 53. That's a lot, a long time of, you know, it's like, like that goes away, but you start to distinguish.
Oh, yeah, that's my, you know, that's that little, you know, victim voice that, you know, it's like the little inner critic. Thanks for sharing. But, um, you know, refocusing over here. That's why it's so important with the body, mind and the soul is it's that you actually are feeling it. It's the feeling that we're missing.
You can be in your head all day long, but when you, like, stop that thought, you grab it and you embody it and you feel it in the moment, and you, you're conscious of that you have control over your own reality. Because you're doing it over and over. It's just a new practice. So when you start to do that, you start to feel it and you start to make different choices because you have, you start to see where you're going.
So you creating a roadmap is the next, like what's this roadmap to my fulfilled, extraordinary life that I want to have, you know, it has a new business. It has a awesome love relationship. Cause I love to travel. So I want to travel partner. You know, it has. Prosperity because I have, you know, kids, I want to leave them something.
I want to leave a legacy, but I want to really enjoy my life now. And, you know, the money, it's not really, you know, we have money has a lot of stories, of course, you found it, right? I mean, it's like, we're talking about that this whole time. It's the freedom that we want. It's the freedom that the money brings.
It's not when you take the, we start to train you to take the money out of the equation and you take, you know, of course, you know, this is what you do. You take the, the stories of the love, whatever the subject is, you take those stories out, you replace them with new stories. So you're embodying the freedom of, like, you start, you know, picking things that you know you want to do.
Like, for me, I really want to go on one of those Viking cruises. Like, that's like, I really want to go, like, doo doo doo doo down. That's what I, I see myself, you know, multiple Viking cruises a year. That's what I want to do. Like, my next thing, you know? It's like, so, it's like, okay, I know it's going to happen.
You But it's like, so that's that thing every morning is like, you're building that confidence. You're building that and it comes with experience, right? It's like, you can't go from, you know, victim to empowered person. You have to like, do that and then the process you're loving yourself so much that you're becoming this, like, who do you want to be seeing some other people that like, you're like, Oh, my God, I would love to have, you know, What she has or business wise or love wise, like that would be really cool.
I need a guy like that, you know, the world is your oyster, you know, but you just have to like choose and make more conscious decisions about what you're choosing and not just what we're bumping up against, you know, I've been there, done that, you know, just like, it's not like just you want those to be empowered synchronicities because you have this new mindset, soul set.
Bodyset, you know, you have this new feeling that you're walking around with that you're attracting something different than just like, Oh God, I just, you know, wish I could find someone. They're never going to show up. Well, yeah. Then you start attracting all those losers my own name, like in a bad way, but they, they taught me something, but not aligned at all.
And I knew, you know, you know what I'm talking about? Like…
Laura Rotter
So it's interesting, Carla, I'm going to ask, cause you're saying a lot. What you're describing, and I know you again to be someone who teaches an embodied practice to a certain extent, what you're describing sounds still a lot, which is where we all live up here.
Right? So, what is and also you're describing in such a way that it's clear that you've. Done this work and continue to do this work. So what's the mix of right self talk positive self talk and a deep embodied practice that that you do specifically.
Carla Salteris
So is working on. worthiness. Getting to the root, you know, what are the stories that you, you know, the experiences that you've had, the traumas that you've had, where that you felt guilt or shame.
That's like the root, right? We all have them. A lot of women that come to me, it's like reproductive choices that they've had, like they've made that they're, it's like, Carrying something like maybe they had an adoption or an abortion or something like it's like carrying that weight all all your life is no one to talk to about it is hard.
Right? Anything that has those kinds of like, core negative emotions. We want to like. It's like, that's just the bad wolf. It does no good to dwell in guilt and shame. Talk about like a possibility squelcher. I mean, you're, you just, it's like holding yourself underwater. And unfortunately, the mental health system that we, you know, or the, I would, I would argue that that's a soul trauma.
You know, I've done some work with curanderas and that's, it's just like you talk it out, but you actually like let it go. And only you can let it go. That's the thing. So you can spend your whole life, uh, therapy is great. You know, I think there's all different options. You could spend a lifetime in therapy.
So the more, you know, it's like, how much do you want to like, dig? That was something that I learned from my transformational work is like, it's not about the digging. It's about letting it go. Sometimes you have to like, peel back some layers and then sometimes you just have to get happy at some point.
Who thought it could be that easy?
Laura Rotter
Is part of letting it go? No, because because right, there's so many different messages. Part of the message is certainly if you try to let it go by pushing it away, it just comes back. So is that part of the embody practice to take it in to feel it and let it pass through you?
And what are the strengths that you personally, because I can again feel the passion coming from you, that you personally bring to this work? Do you think, of course, you've done it yourself. That's part of it. But like, who are you as a person that, Um, You feel like gifted to do this. So as a person,
Carla Salteris
I think I've experienced a lot of these things.
I've been through a hard breakup. I've, and you know, I've had an abortion. I know what that feels like. And we know what to do with these things and how to transform them. You know, that would be my gift. Like, I know how it moves through you. I know where you have to be energetically to like, let it go and the things that are coming out of your mouth and what you want to create.
Like I know how to like help shape that and like, so that that is something that comes up out of the person instead of keeping it down. It sounds so appealing. I still keep wanting to like, how do you do that? How do you do that?
Laura Rotter
It'll work with me. That's how you do it. So how do, first of all, If you had, you know, did the, we all do all a solopreneurs, like the avatar of your ideal client, who's your ideal client and how do you structure the work?
Carla Salteris
So my ideal client, uh, really midlife women, they could be moms, they could be single, but they're looking for love. They're looking for, it's like life has gone flat for them. It's like, what else? Is available to me and I'm here to tell you everything is available. You know, and it might not seem like it, but if it's like, if that's something that interests you, I work one-on-one.
I usually do like, you know, to test out the waters. I do like a VIP day so that you can kind of get like the in there and get like kind of the root causes. What's going on in your story and what would be possible, but then I also have some group programs. I have 1 coming up in September, getting underneath and having like that the self love and the worthiness piece.
It's kind of like the core of what I want people to start. And then I also have like a longer 12 month program where it's like, then you can really, it's like, start to move through that stuff and get in there in a, in a community of, of women that are going through the same thing, which is awesome and making new friends and making new connections.
And, you know, it's like. It's a process. It's a becoming.
Laura Rotter
It really is.
Carla Salteris
And it's, it's work, right? Cause change, change is not easy. Yeah. And when you get those moments though, it's like empowering. Cause it's like this brand new world is opened up for you.
Laura Rotter
And when you work one on one, Carla, is there a minimum period of time that you ask that people work with you?
Do people pay monthly? How, how do you structure?
Carla Salteris
So what I do right now is I do half the IP days, like four hours, and I do eight hours.
Laura Rotter
Wow. That's a lot of time.
Carla Salteris
Well, no, not really. I mean, eight hours is ideal, but you can, oh, I'm sorry. I see what you mean. Like at one time. I make it flexible. If you can't do that, then I can do it into like a couple days, but I mean, when you start to get in there, you don't want to break the momentum of getting in there.
You know what I mean? It's like, if you do 1 hour here and 1 hour there, it's like, you kind of like repeat a lot of the same stuff. It's better just to get in there and say, oh, okay. And then things start to come up. In in longer periods of time, like 4 or 8 hours, but, you know, 8 hours, not for everybody. So you can do 4 and that's on zoom.
Laura Rotter
That's awesome. Wow.
Carla Salteris
It's recorded. So you can go back and and look and say, oh, that was I wonder what she said. And then. You know, you're doing the inner work. You're doing the journalism because only you can tell you what's going on in your mind and you, you know, it's like, I'm here to kind of like support and like, look at that come up for you and let it go.
That's the goal, right? Little by little and like create. Now, what are you going to replace that with? Because you can, it's like you let that go, but that's not the end. Okay, that's just the beginning. What do you want to create and fill with that? Whenever you uncover one of those limiting beliefs, it's like, what are you going to put in place of that?
So that doesn't live anymore. And you start feeding that new empowered story, because 53, I got a long life ahead of me, baby. I got a lot of stuff to create. I am not done.
Laura Rotter
And so then after the VIP day, are there exercises that people are left with? Homework? What, what, what is?
Carla Salteris
Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's, there's homework.
There's meditations. There's, you know, they can continue working with me in my group programs. Or one on one I, I do, I keep it limited, but I have some one on one time, like three months. And
Laura Rotter
I see again, I've said this several times, how this lights you up. It's clearly, you know, your life mission. I'm curious how it shifted.
I do always like to, you know, end my conversations with a sense of how you might have defined success, you know, in 2020 when COVID hit and how that might've shifted. If at all since then, both financially, as well as however else you define success, a very loaded word,
how it's shifted.
Carla Salteris
So for me, I was able to like shift body and mind doing things.
I was doing things differently than when I was doing acupuncture and that, and It was more of a, you know, limited. I can only see, sir. It was, I had a story around money back then, where like I had to get paid hourly and I was in competition with everybody, you know what I mean? It was like, it was like a scarcity thing and doing something that I like to do.
But I wanted to do something more evolved to who I've become. And so now it's, and that's constantly evolving. Right. But I have a freedom lifestyle now. It's like I have, I can work anywhere I want. I can go on vacation, but I can still work and work less and make more. Here's a concept back in 2020. It was not that way, you know, and, you know, you know, we have all these gifts.
We don't even aware that we have them until someone goes, hey, you're really good at that. You're like, I am. Okay. Like sometimes it's just as easy as that. Or you like really love doing something and you're like, God, I really love doing this. And then you realize I'm really good at this. Like I actually could start doing this more and less of the stuff that I don't like doing, or I could send in motion a plan of like, you know, in midlife, we have all these things.
We start talking about retirement. We start, you know, it's like, how do you want to live out the rest of your life? You actually get to create it. You know, I'm at this level, but I'm looking at another level, another version, Viking version.
Laura Rotter
That's your experience life cycle.
Carla Salteris
That's right. I'm pulling in, you know, what else? What else? When you start to shift, you know, and you have to, you can start with the little things like I was just thinking of an example, like when my cat, I look at my cat and from across the room and he comes charging at me and then comes over and just like, does this on me?
Like, that's, those are the little nuggets. That you just keep putting them and make a big snowball, that's how you build this mindset. It doesn't have to be like, you know, winning the lottery is also possible, you gotta play to win. But you know, it's like when you start viewing through that lens, and not through life is hard, I have to work, like that we were started in the beginning.
And we only get this through our life experience, so thank God for that. That's how we know we want something different. Yeah.
Laura Rotter
I mean, I, I, what you just said so resonated with me, Carla, I am now looking towards my cat and I've really come to recognize that, that like the universe has gifted me with love. I also have a dog, but this cat in particular lives in my office.
I do yoga in my office. He'll come and snuggle next to me. When I meditate, he reaches to, won't sit on my lap, but, and. I had shifted it. And again, it's not work, but it takes the recognition. Cause it could be like, I'm meditating. Would you leave me alone? Or, but instead like, what a gift that I have this unconditional love from this soft, warm, furry creature.
And to recognize that that's again, that that's a gift that the universe has given me and take it in and feel it. And also recognizing that. My go to is often a victim mentality. Like, you know, again, I was telling, let's see if I could tell this Joe quickly, you know, the guy, the construction worker every day is, you know, sitting on the construction site and bitching.
Oh, no, you know, cream cheese and olives again, cream cheese and olives again. And at the end of the week, the coworker says to him. Tony, stop complaining. Tell your wife to make you a different sandwich. And he's like, what wife? I make it myself. Like, you know, complaining I'm working too hard. There's so much to do.
And it's like, wait, this is your business. You've created this. Don't be a victim of it. Own it. What can you change? What can you do differently? You know, I'm a woman, so I don't know otherwise, but there is sort of a feeling again, probably unworthiness. I'm supposed to be busy. Whatever is coming up for me.
And it's the 1st step. I always feel as a mindfulness practitioner is just like, okay, notice that.
Carla Salteris
And if you can notice it the way that you do with a big smile on your face. The best. I mean, you're, you're, you're doing fantastic, right? Because it's often, I mean, I still will bitch and complain and find things that, like, you know, but I'm bitching and complaining.
Okay. But not beating yourself up for it. And that's where most of us, you Go wrong is like we, Oh, I'm, I'm doing negative thinking again. It's like, you're going to your human, but you get practice at it and then you can laugh at it.
Laura Rotter
You know, exactly. So as we, you know, wrap up our conversation, Carla, is there something else you'd you'd like to make sure you share with our listeners?
And I'm certainly going to put in, you know, if you share the link with me, the sign up for what you're starting in September. And I see you also have three guests that I will I will include the link.
Carla Salteris
Okay, great. That sounds great. Actually, I wanted to mention, you know, I use, I think animals are really important part.
We started talking about like, but I actually incorporate that into, you know, we have so much to learn from animals. So, if you're an animal person, you might be my person. I mean, animals are present and so connected with them, right? So how many pets do you have? I don't even want to know. Okay. Well, I'll tell you real quick.
I have a dog, Fiona, and we go for walks every day. And then I have a cat Chibu who came from Greece. We actually brought him back from Greece. He was a feral cat. He's humongous. He's like a Greek cat. Like, I mean, I mean, he's got some major genes. He's probably like 20 pounds. And then I have a rabbit, Rudy, and then we are getting another rabbit, a friend for, for Rudy, a girlfriend this weekend.
So it's a crazy, it's like, but they each have. Different energy and they, it's like different things come up, you know, when you're staring at like, uh, a rabbit, who's like a prey animal, you know, some people who work with horses, the same thing. It's like this different energy. It's like, you really learn a lot about fear from what you're, You know, projecting versus a cat who they're not scared of you, but you get scared of them, like, you know, should I, you know, it's a different energy, right?
It's just really interesting. I think I find it really also pure love. Dogs, they don't care. They love you anyway. What do you want me to do? I'll do it.
Laura Rotter
I always wanted a dog. We finally got one during the pandemic, Gus. And I have a cat who we had before, Barbosa. And, you know, having a dog, I have to say, is You know, everything I imagined it would be.
It's just lovely to have someone make eye contact with you and just look at you with such open love. It's really very nice. I'm the center of my universe. They're saying you are the center of my universe.
Laura Rotter
So I love this conversation, Carla. Again, I will include your information in the show notes and you're leaving me with a smile on my face.
Carla Salteris
Oh, that's great. Me too. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed our play and conversation today. Thanks, Laura.
Narrator
Thanks for listening to Making Change With Your Money. Certified Financial Planner, Laura Rotter specializes in helping people just like you, organize, clarify, and invest. And invest their money in order to support a life of purpose and meaning go to www.
trueabundanceadvisors. com forward slash workbook for a free resource to help you on your journey. Disclaimer, please remember that the information shared by this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. It's for information purposes only.