A Conversation with Karin Carr | S03E06

Welcome to season three of the Leadership Is Feminine podcast. I'm Chris Plackey and I'm so happy that you're here. In this season, we're doing something different. One of the things that I believe to be true is that there is so much unsourced, beautiful wisdom in the everyday person. I really like to talk about what I call obscure wisdom. That means these are things that people know that unless we meet them at a cocktail party or at a barbecue or sitting next to them, you know, on a train, we don't hear about it. And these aren't celebrities. These aren't people who've written, you know, best selling books yet. These aren't people that are on the circuit that everybody else is learning from. These are everyday women who are CEOs, building, dealing with, working through all the pieces and parts of running a company. And I want to bring my beautiful clients and their wisdom to your ears because I know that you'll find it to be validating and insightful and hopefully also some fun. So without further ado, let's get started with this week's amazing personal client and guest on Leadership Is Feminine. Okay, welcome, welcome. I'm so excited. Welcome to this episode of Leadership is Feminine. I'm Chris Plackey and I'm incredibly excited to introduce to you my client, Karen Carr. She is here to talk all the things and spill the tea. The CEO Love it.

Thank you for having me, Chris.

It's my pleasure. Love my clients. Any chance I get to just kind of chat with you guys is so fun. We're not like solving big problems. We're just talking about some things.

That's right. Just chit chatting.

So for everybody listening, why don't you tell us who you are and what you do? What is this beautiful business that you have and you know, all the things. We'll go from there.

I would love to. My name is Karen Carr. I started out as a realtor. I was in Northern California when I first got licensed back in 2005 and then moved a whole bunch of times and realized that every time you move to a new city, you're starting over. Nobody knows who you are. They've never heard of you. For all they know, you just got your real estate license last week. They don't know all of the houses you've sold and all of your history because when they look in the Georgia Real Estate Commission website, they see that you just got licensed two weeks ago and they think you're brand new. So I started a YouTube channel just so That I could get my name out there in my new market. And it kind of mushroomed and just blew up my business. I now own a real estate business where I have a team of seven agents plus me. So we're up to eight people now. But I started to teach other agents how to use YouTube as a lead generation strategy. Not just so you could go viral and have bragging rights, not so you could show off these beautiful multimillion dollar houses that you're selling. It's to show people you and let them get to know you and your personality and decide if they would like to hire you to represent them in a really large transaction. And that has become the focus of my business now. So I've had over 2,000 people go through this coaching program and when I see the results they're getting, it just makes my heart sing when somebody's like, oh my gosh, my whole business has changed. I had somebody tell me last week I was this close to quitting. I was so going to leave real estate. I was going to go back to corporate America. I just could not make one more cold call. And now his phone is ringing off the hook. And it's just like I'm getting goosebumps telling the story. It makes me so happy to see that other people have had the same sort of results that I've had with my business. So I just love it.

It's crazy to think too, in real estate, because, you know, from a layman's perspective, it's like, how can you not thrive right now in real estate? Right. But I'm sure it's also doubly or triply competitive than it was.

Oh, totally. When the market is good, everyone gets their real estate license. In fact, when I was in California, it was 2005, I had to take my state exam to get my license in California at the Sacramento Convention center. There were 800 people in the room with me taking the test that day.

Just that day.

That was just that day.

Yeah.

And they were doing it a couple times a week. So everyone gets their real estate license because they think, oh, it's gonna be so easy and I'm gonna sell so many houses and I'm going to make a crap ton of money. And they just think that it's easy. What they don't tell you is where do you find clients? It's not like you get your license and the next day your phone starts to ring with people that say, hello, I would like to buy a million dollar house. You have to go find those people. And most of the people resort to cold calling because they don't know what else to do. They call all of their friends and family. But do you really want to hire somebody who's brand new, who hasn't even sold a house yet? And they don't really know what they're doing? So it's very hard. And the failure rate is 80% the first year. 80% of realtors will never do it again because it's just so hard.

Yeah, I think that's probably true for. Right. Any sales role that is potentially incredibly lucrative, but also has a lot of barriers. Right. To entry in terms of. Really, you just talk about bootstrapping. Although that really is what being an entrepreneur is. Right. It's sort of this, here we are, I'm doing this in the world. Does anybody want it?

That's right. And for us, there's really a low barrier to entry. I mean, this test that you have to take, it's not that hard. It's not that hard. And we don't have to have any sort of business skills. Like, all we have to understand is, where are the earthquake faults and what are the architectural styles of houses? And you took the test, and you passed. Congratulations. You're now a real estate agent that could be making six or seven figures a year.

If you. It's.

It's not that complicated to get your license. Then once you get your license, there's no training on. Okay, well, now what do I do?

Right. So unless you get lucky finding someone like you or have a mentor, somebody who really walks you through it. Right. Gives you a book of all their clients. That would be nice.

Yeah, that'd be great.

Yeah. And I think, you know, so that's interesting. So you. A lot of the clients that I work with start in one place, and that sort of opens up into this other, you know, lily pad, if you will. Right. This other whole space that you didn't even know existed once. I would imagine that you. Because you said it sort of morphed into this thing. But I always think that there's more than just luck. Like. Right. So you started this YouTube channel to help your own real estate business grow and have people have awareness about who you are. But how did that transition to. Then realtors started to say, hey, can you teach me what you're doing?

That's exactly what happened. I just got a phone call one day from an agent in. I think she was in Seattle. And she said, hey, I'm a realtor in Seattle. I follow your YouTube channel. And there was like three seconds of silence. And then I said, why? Like I couldn't imagine why another real estate agent would be following my channel, which is all about buying a house in Savannah. I couldn't understand why. And she said, well, you've been doing this now for several months and you're getting a lot of views on your videos. Is this working for you? And I said, oh my gosh, you have no idea. And I probably talked her ear off for an hour because I was so excited about the topic. And she got all excited about it and said, can you teach me how to do it? I was like, no, I am so busy right now, there's no way I could take on one on one coaching clients. And never occurred to me that there was such a thing as like group coaching or a digital course. All I could think of was individual one on one coaching. And I thought I would have to charge you so much money for personal coaching that nobody would ever agree to it just to make it worth my time. So I brushed her off and I said, just go watch my videos and copy everything I do. And then I got another call and another call and another call. And after, I don't know, 30 or 40 people did this, I hung up the phone one night. It must have been 9:30 at night. And I was like, whew, it's been a tough day. And my husband said, you need to be charging for this. There is so much demand for what you are doing. You need to figure out how you can teach them and also make money from it so that you're not just giving all your time away for free.

Right. And your brain. Yeah, right. Your value. Yeah.

So he loves to say that my entire business success is, is because of him, because it was his idea. And I'm like, you're the idea man. I just execute.

It's all good. I love a good idea that makes money.

Yes, yes.

You can take all the credit. I will keep all the money.

There you go.

Not a problem.

I'll give you an allowance now and then.

But I do love that. Right. Like, it's interesting how sometimes, you know, I think a lot of people, it's the opposite, they know what they really, really want and they struggle to find the market. Yes, you, you just found the market and then you had to put together a solution to be able to support them.

So yeah, it was truly accidental. I had no aspirations of ever doing this. And I love to teach, I love to share and, and tell people what's working and if it's working. For me, there's no reason why it can't work for you too. And I love that. But I never thought that that could be a business. I truthfully just wanted to. And honestly, I've never been terribly. What's the word I'm looking for, where you have all of this ambition? I've never been super ambitious. I was very happy to just be a solo real estate agent and just make enough money that we were doing okay, but I still had lots of free time. I wasn't working crazy hours. For me, that was fine. I was okay with that because my husband was the primary breadwinner. And I looked at it as though anything that I brought in was just gravy. It was supplemental, but it wasn't required for us to be able to pay our bills. And then as it blossomed and I formed a real estate team because I could not keep up with the amount of people that were coming to me asking for help. There's only one of you and there's only so many hours in the day. So I formed a team. And as I saw that I could now support the team with their careers. I mean, my agent, Nicole, sold 39 houses last year as an agent on my team. That's crazy. I sold two houses my first year and three the second. She sold 39 in her third year. And all of the clients come to us and say, I found you online. Will you please help me? It's amazing. And so as the team started to grow and become very successful, it was like, oh, my gosh, like now I feel like a real, like a big girl. I have an actual business. I'm not just self employed anymore. Yeah, you're an adult. Yeah, I'm adulting for the first time and I'm in my 50s.

My kids always say that to me and I'm like, no, you don't understand. I'm about 27, I think, totally in my brain. So let's talk about team. Okay, so another great example, right? Somebody with an expertise. Obviously you don't teach people, you don't certify people to be realtors, but they go and they take their exam and then they're eligible to come work for you. But I'm curious, like, how has that been for you? That journey of sort of expanding your wisdom and knowing and helping other people then, you know, amplify both your results and then achieve their own.

It's been very interesting because my business model for real estate is attraction marketing. Right. I don't chase business, I attract it. I put My content out into the world, and the people who want it find it and then come to me. That's how my team has grown, too. Where One of my former clients, Nicole, was my buyer. She moved here from out of state, moved from New York, and bought a house sight unseen because her husband was in the army, and they were transferred to Savannah. So I was going to the house and doing virtual tours and sending them videos. They wrote an offer. It was accepted. They. Her husband Tony, did not see the house with his own two eyes until the day before we closed on it. I was like, please let him like it. Please let him like it.

Yeah, right.

You know? And then Nicole moved a week later, so she never saw it until they were the proud owners of this house. And after they got all settled in, I took her to lunch and said, how's it going? Are you learning your way around? Do you like the house? And she said, this was such a great experience. I think I want to get my real estate license. And I said, oh, because I am drowning. I need help. And I knew her, and I had been working with her, and I liked her very much and thought, do you have any interest in being on a team? And then I went to my manager, and I'm like, I don't know anything about a team. What does that even look like? How does that work? So we figured out, okay, we'll just have you show the properties to clients. So I will get a new buyer. Nicole will take them out and show them all the pretty houses, and then when they're ready to write an offer, they come back to me. And that way, she has none of the pressure of representing somebody in a legally binding transaction. She's just opening the doors and showing the pretty houses and having a lot of fun. And then after several months of that, she said, you know, I think I'm ready to represent them as the buyer's agent. So she did. And of course, I was very involved on the back end, answering all the questions. And now she's just a rock star. And I have her training the new agents who come into the team, but they've all happened that way. My second agent was somebody who worked in my office and was like, can I come be on your team? Because, dang, you're killing it. My third one was one of my former buyers. My fourth one was somebody who saw my channel and was like, I live in Hilton Head. I want to be on your team. One of my coaching students moved from Roseville to Augusta and said, I want to be on your Team. So everyone that's on my team, I have basically attracted to the team without having to go out and find them, which is both a blessing and a curse, because it's great that I didn't have to go look for these people. But also, I never went through the process of evaluating them other than, do I like you? Do you know how to make videos? Would I enjoy having you around? Was essentially, that was my only hiring requirements.

Yeah. Well, I'd like. I have to tell you, I really.

Subscribe.

Subscribe. I share that attraction model. I love it. And I think a lot of people don't believe in it, but I do. You know, I was talking at a event a while ago, and somebody asked me about hiring, and I said, I feel like I flirt with people for a while before I hire them. Like, I like to kind of like. And I like to fantasize before I even start dating. You know, it's a little like, who do I really want? And then inevitably they show up. And sometimes not. Not right away. And sometimes I'm like, oh, shoot, no. And I go, and I have to do it again. But it's such a nicer way to think about bringing people into the team. And I think what you have to recognize, too, is that you've established yourself as a leadership voice in your industry and in your space, and so that's incredibly attractive for people to come work for. And I think a lot of people listening to this call or to this podcast, like, remember that it's not just you needing to hire someone. It's that they want someone to work with and for that they trust that they have confidence in, that they think they can learn from, that they respect. And that's equal part of the equation. So becoming and standing in your leadership voice and really standing for something and representing something is an incredibly attractive way to be so that you do attract the right people. Right. So it kind of goes both ways. But I think a lot of times people put them in themselves in a passive position of like, oh, I hope I find someone.

Right.

Yeah, it's been really great to just have people come to you and say, I want to be on your team. And there have been a couple of times where people have come to me and I kind of stalk them on social media first. And it's like, yeah, I don't think so. I'm not feeling it. And you can just say, oh, I appreciate it so much. Thanks. We're not really hiring right now. You know, maybe another time. It's really nice to be in that position.

Yeah, it's great. It's fun to be sort of ahead. And you've built something that's really cool, different, very sexy to the right person. Right. Okay, so let me ask you a question. Question.

Okay.

What is something that you think most women CEOs deal with that a lot of women CEOs don't talk about?

Hmm.

You know, it's interesting. When I was talking with my husband recently, he used to be the six figure primary breadwinner, and my little real estate salary was gravy that allowed us to go on vacation. But it was cute, right? It was cute. And like, oh, look, yeah, you sold a house, Yay. And made a little bit of money. And then it got to the point where he said during COVID he worked in a hospital. He would go from hospital to hospital to hospital fixing their MRI equipment. And he took some time off because he had surgery on his hand. And that just happened to be when Covid hit. So he was off work. And at the very beginning, remember, we did not know what this thing was. We thought if you got it, that was it. You may as well write your eulogy right now. And I said, I don't think I want you to go back to work. I'm really glad that you're not going in and out of hospitals right now getting exposed to this. And he said, I think this would be a really good time to retire. What do you think? And I said, amen to that. Let's do it. So he gave his notice and said, I'm not coming back after my medical leave is up and the more my business has taken off. So, I mean, it's just been.

It's far surpassed anything that I ever thought would happen for myself. And I was talking to him one day saying, how do you feel about that now that I am the primary breadwinner and I make 10 times as much as he ever made on the best year he ever had. Like, is that emasculating for you? Do you feel threatened by that? Like, does that make you feel bad about yourself? Because I don't want it to. And he said, hey, listen, when we first moved to California and we had our first child, you said you wanted to take time off and be a stay at home mom. And I said, that'd be awesome. And he had to work long hours. He would leave very early in the morning and not get home until 7 or 8 o' clock at night. And he sacrificed that to make the money so that I would be able to stay home and he said, now, I just. Now it's your turn. We've traded. And I love that. And I don't see anything wrong with that. And heck, no, I don't feel threatened by that. I feel like I worked my job for 35 years, I put in my time, and it wasn't a job that he really loved, let's be honest. And so now I am retired, and I take care of our land. We've got six acres. We've got chickens. We've got trees that need to be knocked down. We've got all this landscaping that needs to be done. I call him the major domo of the estate. He just stays home and takes care of all of that stuff. And he loves every minute of it.

Great.

And he's very grateful that my business is performing so well, that we're able to do that.

Yeah, that's lovely. You know, I think one of the. I love that you brought it up, because I do think it's a.

Not often discussed, but often present, very present concern or issue for both people in a relationship or one person in a relationship. Right. Like, some people are oblivious, and other people. It's really a big deal. And so I think I'm glad you raised it. And I think it's a great thing for other people to think about and to talk about with their spouse or.

Partner, because I think a lot of women, when, like real estate agents, I'm specifically see the most of that when their business starts to do well and they're making a lot of money, they almost pull back a little bit. Because I can't overshadow my husband. I can't have him feel to be less than. Because now I'm doing so well in my business. And it's really sad that we think that way as a society of why. Why wouldn't your spouse be thrilled for you? Like, I know if he had this business and it took off like this, I'd be shouting from the rooftops how proud I was. Why do we think that it would not be that way just because you're the female and he's the male?

Well, and I think I agree with you 100%. And I think for as long as women shrink, then other women don't feel confident too. Like, it's a cycle that we keep washing ourselves through. But I will say my husband and I both have our own businesses, and I do a very different work than he does. And my business is virtual, and I can work with people all over the world. And he's got a local Business. So there's limitations that come with that also. So, you know, financially, this business I have does exponentially different in revenue. Whether we can argue if it's more successful or not is debatable. Right. It's more just if we look at the numbers. But what I find incredibly fascinating here in our community.

Is when we go out in the world and we're talking with people. Chris, how's your husband's business?

Everybody wants to talk to me about my husband's business.

Interesting.

And so it's a fascinating. So you can see just this undercurrent in society.

Right.

Like, oh, Chris just has that little life coaching, whatever thing is. Right. It's just so dismissive. And it's not intentional. It isn't intentional, but it's very insidious. And so, you know, I'm actually toying with the idea. I'm actually going to put a little teaser out pretty soon here. To do a how to run a business with someone you love class. Because I've had a lot of partners be interested in doing how to CEO that. Don't that have a male version? Right. Because I don't let the guys in. Sorry, guys, you're not allowed in how to CEO for female entrepreneurs. But I could do a special, like an off, a special one. And the money, the finance relationship in that partnership is because I have coached a lot of business partners who are also spouses. And money is a real important thing to be talking about. And so I just love that you brought it up because I think there's a lot of arteries here. There's you making more money than them. There's them. You know, in my experience, the partners that tend to have a harder time are the ones who don't have their own thing.

So your husband has a thing. Right. He loves his property and his land. He has a real purpose. And a lot of people that. That gets a little weird for them too, like if they don't have a thing that they do. So anyway, it's a big, big bag with lots of little pieces and parts. Yes. So I'm glad you brought it up. And then we'll just leave it there. Okay.

Talk to your spouse about how they feel if you make more money than they do. Because the other thing is a lot of women, when they start making a lot of money, they feel inclined to. That they have to hire their husband. Yes.

So that was my inclination too. And he was like, I don't wanna. He said, I just. I don't want to. I am the idea person. Like, I come up with all these great ideas, but I don't. I don't then want to sit at a desk for eight hours a day and put them into practice. I'll just tell you my ideas, and then you go do it.

Yes. I think that's brilliant.

Yeah.

But there's this. It's a weird sort of obligation, like, oh, well, I'm making this much money. I can retire my husband. Like, right? Maybe, maybe not maybe. Or maybe it's perfect. Or maybe not, Right?

I mean, if there's something that they're good at and it makes sense, I can see how that would be great. But you know what? There is such a thing as too much togetherness.

I agree.

And I think that if I saw him 24 7.

Bad things might start to happen.

Like, I need alone time. I need time on a Zoom call with the girls where, you know, we're just talking, and we're able to let it all hang out and be raw and real with each other and not worry that he's, like, listening to everything that I say, because then you just feel like you can never really be completely honest. And. I don't know.

I mean, but everybody has to know that for their own relationship.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's the truth. Okay, so what would you say is something that you've learned as a woman who's running her own business, as a woman who needs to lead people, that you've really had to learn, that you would share back with others and sort of say, listen, this is. This is a lesson that I would want everybody to heed.

Oh, this whole delegation thing is just a constant learning process for me because I was the solopreneur for so many years. And you become the person who does it all. You learn how to be a bookkeeper, you learn how to do your own marketing, you learn how to do the paperwork, you learn how to actually sell the houses. You learn how to do all of the things, and then you hire your first person and you think, okay, well, you should be able to do all of these things too, because I was doing it all myself, so why can't you? And then you get mad that they're not skilled in video editing and paperwork and graphic design and customer service and emails.

And the emails. Yeah.

Good grief. Yes. And so trying to come up with a plan of, like, an org chart who does what and what are their responsibilities? And is it realistic to think that one person can do all of those things? Well, maybe if they had 15 years to learn it like I did. Did because it's not like I did it all in the first year. It's been ongoing for this length of time. Yeah. That is the part that still I'm learning something new every day when it comes to delegating. And I have a little sticky note on my computer that says, would a seven figure CEO do this? Because I will jump in and I'll start writing that blog post. And then I see that sticky note and I was like, oh, yeah, probably not.

And probably not. With the energy of I'll just do it like that. Jump in. Like, there's no strategy, there's nothing. It's just, I'll take care of it. Right?

There's an it. I'll scratch it, I'll take care of it. Because I love that you said that. That's what solopreneurs. Right? We just don't.

Oh, we totally do. Like, it'll be easier for me to just do it myself than to try to train someone else to do it. And you have to say, okay, maybe I'm taking a step backwards right now, but that's going to save so much time in the future. But like, if I didn't have it on a sticky note in front of my face 24 hours a day, I would forget every single day. Because my natural tendency is to just jump in and get it done.

So what would you say to the woman listening who says, yeah, I know, but it's also, that's like the part of my job that I like.

So that's a bit of a thing. It's so funny that you said that because that's part of the thing that I'm struggling with right now because I do like that stuff. I do like creating and I like writing. So when I write the blog post for the website, I enjoy that part. So I've been really sitting and thinking with it of, is this something that is a good use of my time and I should do it? I'm looking at that whole the quadrant of like, is this your zone of genius? Is this your zone of competence stuff? And you know, I think I'm coming to the realization that if I really am good at it and I enjoy it, I should keep doing it and I should delegate the other stuff that is more admin that I. That I don't like.

Yeah, so.

But trying to find a balance so that you're not just being the artistic genius all day long and then not running the business because you're too busy writing blog posts.

Yeah, it's a balance. I would agree. I Think I was just on a call before this, and one of my clients said she's really working on that compound effect. Right. Where one. There's one thing that really drives everything. That's your one thing. And I thought it was a great conversation because I do think we all have sort of that superpower that is the reason why our business has thrived. And it certainly wasn't my ability to make a landing page or. Right. Like whatever it's been over the years. Those were all pieces and parts that came together. But what is it that if I stay in my lane and I focus on that part of what I do, and it's where I love to be, that's where I'm going to drive the best results for the business. So the problem with, with it is that people then think, oh, well, good, that means I don't have to manage anyone to your point. And no, we still have to run the company. But it's the. It's the mire that we get into with the details and then hovering over mistakes that people make and the micro parts that I think people find quite exhausting.

But I like that for you and I like that for everyone to sort of really look at that high level, like, where are my skills best tapped for this business? Where can I be leveraged the best to help the growth of this business or the success of the business? And then the rest of that, I'm willing to bet you could hire people to help you.

Agreed.

And then you kind of have to let them do it.

So hard, isn't it? It's like when your little kids are learning how to walk and you're going, oh, be careful, be careful. Don't, don't, don't do that. You're going to fall down. Oh, stop, stop. Like, my husband is the worst. When we go to the beach, he is convinced that sand is going to blow in their eye. They're going to rub their eye and, like, abrade their cornea and go blind.

Oh, my goodness. Okay. Another thing for me to worry about. Right?

And it's like honey, just. They're at the beach, the wind blows, they're going to get sand in their face. I think they're going to be fine. And it's just you. Yeah. Learning to say, I trust that you got this, and then back up and just let the mistakes happen. I don't think there are any mistakes that we couldn't possibly recover from. They feel, like, awful at the time when they happen. But then when you look back and think, really was Like, I'm still here and the business is still, still thriving, even though my. My Internet cut out in the middle of my pitch on my very first launch. Like, and I'm still here and the business is still.

You made it.

You're here.

Yeah, I know. All those emails I've sent out with typos.

Yeah.

Or broken links. Yep, yep. I'm notorious for that.

Yeah.

And I, I think. I think the thing about mistakes that I want to share because a lot of people, you know, the reply I get to that kind of those things. Right. Are, oh, so you should just accept substandard. You should just accept, you know, less than whatever. And my thoughts about mistakes is, listen, I make so many that I am wickedly hard on other people in my mind when they make mistakes because I'm so awful to myself when I make a mistake. Right. And yet what I've learned is it's not so much the mistake as it is how people respond once they've made one. That's what I really pay attention to in how I assess a team member. It's, listen, everybody's going to make a mistake, but how do you handle it when I point it out or when we talk about it? Is it an immediate, like, oh, well, I could. And it's very blamey and justify and excuse y. Or oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Let me fix it.

You know, I agree.

Just immediate accountability and then I can handle a mistake a little bit easier. Yep, yep.

And you said something really interesting on a coaching call recently where you said when the mistake happens, you say, okay, great, so what processes are we going to put in place so that it doesn't happen again next time? And then they come back to you with this whole game plan that's brilliant. And it's like, okay, awesome.

Yeah.

Make it feel like maybe it was good that that mistake happened because we didn't know that we didn't have a good process. And now we know and it's documented, it's written down. We got it out of our heads and onto a Google sheet where we have this written down. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Always this helps you be better.

That's good, right?

I know we're talking a long time, so I'm going to see if I can ask you one more question.

Okay.

We could talk all day. You're coming to Hawaii.

I cannot wait.

Why are you coming?

Oh, the idea.

Because you're far away. You know, everybody says to me, oh, my God, but you're going, Savannah.

I know It's Savannah to Houston. Houston to Honolulu.

All right, good. I'm glad it's only one stop.

That's okay. And I booked first class tickets.

Yes, you did.

I am so excited. I'm going to be on those beds that lie down.

Yes, you are.

I want to be comfortable on this trip. I am bringing my family with me as well because I figured we have not been to Hawaii since my daughter was like, seven, so it's been 10 years. My son has never been there before, and they just happen to be out of school for that week. So I'm like, we're all going. We're going to go early, then I can go off and do my stuff with you, and then we'll come back together at the very end. It's going to be great. I'm so excited about it, but I really wanted to come just because my business has grown so quickly and I feel like I am struggling to keep up. Like, I feel like I'm behind that. There is all these things that I should know because I don't have an mba. I didn't major in business. I was going to be an opera singer, for crying out.

You were going to be an opera singer?

I was. You seem. I do, Yep. I wanted to be an opera singer, except that I'm six foot one and all of the men on stage were like five, seven. And so it was always like, I never got cast for anything. Plus, if I'm being brutally honest, I'm probably not quite good enough to have a killer career. I was good, but I wasn't amazing.

MG I did not know that about you.

Yeah. And I loved it. It was so much fun. I really remember.

And I didn't know you were six foot one.

I know it's usually like, yeah, you're only from the waist up on zoom. I know. It was usually, hey, tall girl, go stand in the back behind that pillar. So the biggest role I ever had was Lady Montague. I was Romeo's mother in the production, but I was younger than Romeo, so we had to do all the makeup to make me look old. It was really fun, so I enjoyed it. But I have no business training. Right. And like we said, you get your real estate license. Low barrier to entry. Not really all that. So now that I have this thriving business and I employ all of these people, I have some.

I don't want to say I have.

To figure out what the I'm doing. Yeah, yeah.

It's not really imposter syndrome. It's more like I don't know how to run a business. I need somebody to give me a blueprint. Hence why you are my coach and I am in this program. That's the CEO blueprint. Yes. I want to come to Hawaii and just, like, absorb this stuff and let it sink into my pores so that I feel just more confident in my own ability, not only to make videos that get lots of views and get lots of clients, but to actually run a business.

First of all, I will just say you are running a business and you're doing a pretty good job.

Thank you.

So maybe.

We just need to pay attention to that little bit. Right. And that maybe this whole attraction model that you love actually is.

More useful than you're giving it credit for in a lot of different parts of your life.

So.

Because you know that I got. I have a master's degree in organizational management, and I used to work in education. I will tell you that getting an MBA does not prepare you to be an entrepreneur.

Oh. And, I mean, you would think that it does.

No, it's. No, no. Because the majority of the challenges that we have running a company are not the parts that they teach in the MBA program. Okay. It's the people parts.

Yeah, I can imagine.

It's not. You know, I mean, anybody can learn how to do a P and L and read a spreadsheet and figure, right? Like, there's all these functional areas that we have to learn, but it's the people part that derails companies.

And leaders because they can't. They can't figure out how to find the right people, keep the right people, hire or fire them, talk to them, deal with difficult things with them, all those pieces. So you know what you're doing. It's a great. And I'm glad you're so. I'm so glad. We're gonna have so much fun. It's gonna be amazing.

I'm so excited.

Okay, so before we sign off, I wanna know a few things. I wanna know if there's anything else you wanna share with these listeners about being a woman who leads her beautiful business and then let people know where they can find you so we can do that, too.

Can I talk about real fast?

What's that video?

Real fast? Can I talk about that? So, like, so many women are terrified to get on video because they don't like how they look, they don't like how they sound. And I am just proof that this works. And you don't have to be young, you don't have to be skinny, you don't have to be gorgeous. Like, I decided to let my hair grow out gray during COVID when I realized after I couldn't go to the salon for two months and I saw how much was in there, I'm like, well, this is stupid. I'm just letting it grow out. And people have watched my gray grow out over the last two years. I don't think anybody has said anything negative about it. I haven't gotten any comments.

Saying, like, oh, girl, you really should do something about those roots. That skunk stripe is terrible. Instead, they've said, you are so brave to do this so publicly. And then after I've been doing it for several months, they're like, wow, you know what? You're inspiring me. I think I'm going to do it, too. If you can do it, I can do it. So I just wanted to let people know that by being, oops, there goes the dog. By being on camera.

Yes, there may be trolls that say something negative, but you know what? We can't let it stop us. You can have such an amazing career if you're just willing to put yourself out there. And to hell with what people think. Like, if they don't like you, that's fine.

I love that. I think that's also such a great exercise in exploring your own confidence and knowing, you know, just kind of allowing yourself to be seen, which a lot of women struggle with for so many reasons. So thank you for sharing that. So where can we find you?

KarenCar.com is probably the simplest place. And if you look for me on YouTube, you will find me.

Do you have a YouTube channel?

Of course. I have two. I have YouTube.com Karen Carr, and then I have YouTube.com Karen Carr Real Estate, which is my Georgia coast homes channel for people that want to buy or sell a house in Georgia and now South Carolina as well, in Hilton Head. Hilton Head, South Carolina, baby.

That's where I spent all my summers when I was.

I know.

It's beautiful there. Okay, well, thank you for your lovely time and wisdom. It's been a pleasure to spend this time with you, and I'm going to see you in person. And like a month.

I know it's coming up soon. I bought a new suitcase and everything.

My Hawaii cake.

Can you tell I'm excited?

I can't. Okay, thank you.

Thank you.