In Episode 12 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio, shares how the simple practice of gratitude can create miracles in your life. Even the darkest times in our lives hold transformation when we can look back on them through a lens of love and gratitude versus anger and resentment. Join Kara for a powerful episode designed to help you create more peace and blessings in your life!

Episode Highlights: 

• Kara shares how the practice of gratitude can be life changing and open up new possibilities in your life.  
• In our consumer centric society, we are often bombarded with messages, marketing, and images that aim to sell us on what we NEED to be happy. 
• Kara explains the importance of being grateful for the little things which opens us up to receiving bigger blessings. 
• Kara shares a story from her past about a difficult relationship. Being able to look back on that time with love and gratitude has allowed her to receive bigger blessings. 
• The process of exploring your life with a lens of gratitude..the messy, the ugly, and the beautiful...can reveal new gifts to you. 
• As the year comes to a close, Kara encourages you to look back on past experiences...both good and bad...and bless them all with gratitude as a way of moving forward and opening yourself to new possibilities. 
• You are invited to be part of the Soul Inspiring Business private Facebook Group to continue the conversations from the podcast.  

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Soul Inspiring Business Private FB Group 

In Episode 11 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio, interviews guest Claudia Coren, co-founder of Yeppoon Real Estate, a boutique real estate company in Yeppoon Australia. The firm was recently awarded a prestigious honor, Business Owners of the Year for Regional Australia, and topped 70% market share this past summer. Tune in now to hear how Claudia has learned to lead from a flow paradigm rather than hustle...and you can too!

 Episode Highlights:

• Kara introduces Claudia Coren, an inspiring leader, who alongside her mother opened their own real estate brokerage in Yeppoon, Australia.
• Amazingly, in just 11 years, Yeppoon Real Estate topped 70% market share this past summer.
• Claudia shares how she entered real estate by becoming her mom’s assistant for a short 6 month period and then falling in love with the business, which eventually led to the pair starting an agency together. 
• Claudia attributes much of their business success to the strong work ethic and discipline that she and her mom share. They also value connection with their clients, and value the long term relationship with their clients over a quick sale.  
• Claudia shares that taking time away from her business has allowed her business to grow and succeed at higher levels.  
• Claudia used to be caught in a hustle paradigm, and now experiences more joy and more business when she operates in flow. 
• Claudia has developed a morning routine of picking three things that will be awesome about the day and ending the day with three things she is grateful for. 
• Kara & Claudia both share how they use affirmations to create and attract more prosperity. 
• You are invited to be part of the Soul Inspiring Business private Facebook Group to continue the conversations from the podcast.  

 Connecting with Claudia: 

Website

Facebook

Email

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Soul Inspiring Business Private FB Group 

Other Resources Mentioned: 

ThinkUp

In Episode 10 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio, discusses how to access your inner guidance to assist in solving problems and decision making. Always remember that you are uniquely powerful, and possess an infinite amount of wisdom within. Kara will remind you of this important truth, and give you practices to better connect with your highest self and divine wisdom! 

 Episode Highlights:

• In the past, Kara shares that she was heavily influenced by others, and often turned to mentors, coaches, and friends for "the answers" to any problem.
• While it can be positive to have a select group of people to share ideas, it is equally important to not allow another person's story to influence your own. 
• Even with the best of intentions, your mentors, coaches, and friends are not you. They are responding with their own biases. 
• In religious teachings, we hear time and time again to listen to our inner guidance to create a life of joy and purpose. 
• Kara shares the way to begin your inner guidance practice is: 1) find a place that makes you feel at peace, 2) have a journal and pen ready, and 3) find a form of meditation. 
• Kara explains that a simple way to begin the inner guidance practice is by connecting yourself above and below and writing down what comes to mind in that creative moment.
• You are invited to be part of the Soul Inspiring Business private Facebook Group to continue the conversations from the podcast. 

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Soul Inspiring Business Private FB Group 

Other Resources Mentioned: 

Sacred Acoustics

In Episode 09 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio shares some very practical tips to remaining centered no matter what is going on in the world around you. Kara also takes you through a guided visualization to help you more fully ground into the powerful being that you are, so that you experience more peace and are able to make better life and business decisions.

Episode Highlights:

• Kara shares that she has suffered in the past from higher levels of anxiety. 
• She shares 3 very basic tips to managing anxiety rooted in her own experience of what has helped her. 
• The top 3 easiest ways to reducing anxiety are: 1. Ensuring you're feeding your body good nutrition, 2. feeding your mind positivity and 3. getting enough sleep.
• Kara shares an ancient grounding practice and visualization that she hopes will help listeners find more peace.
• In business and life, when we are more clear and filled with more peace, our decision making skills can be enhanced. 
• A grounding practice can be a simple way to return to a more peaceful and restful state within a matter of minutes. 
• You are invited to be part of the Soul Inspiring Business private Facebook Group to continue the conversations from the podcast.

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Soul Inspiring Business Private FB Group

Other resources mentioned:

NIH - anxiety in the US 

In Episode 08 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio invites Grace Gyemfi, CEO and founder of Arrivista Planner, to share her soul inspired business story. Grace will inspire you with her spunk, daily intentions, and love of life. Recently featured in Vanity Fair UK, she shares her spiritual journey to creating a dream business, and offers wisdom and insight to help you live out your own calling and passion in the world.

Episode Highlights:

• Kara introduces Grace Gyemfi, a former client and now business owner of Arrivista Planner. 
• Grace begins by sharing her journey and all the different jobs and experiences that prepared her for the creation of her business.  
• The idea for Arrivista Planner came suddenly and Grace experienced a "knowing" that this was her next step in the world. 
• The 2020 planner is about self-care and Grace expresses the divine timing of it given that it launched during the time of the pandemic...and a global time for self-care. 
• Grace shares her daily intention practice and how she has created the Arrivista planner to aid in your spiritual well-being. 
• To turn dreams into action, the Arrivista planner includes a vision statement and a monthly landing page, message from Grace, self-care mission, and reflection space. 
• Each month there are virtual planning parties for women to have accountability and find their voice as leaders within their gifting.
• Grace’s long term plans are to host an experience and help others be purposeful and create connections within your circle. 
• Grace shares her wisdom and advice for how to help others that may be struggling with "knowing" what they're meant to do in the world. She shares a practical example of how she helped a friend to discover his unique gift. 
• You will learn about how Arrivista Planner became featured in UK Vanity Fair and how you can experience miracles in your own business.
• Kara & Grace how trust and allowance are a big part of the abundance process and mentality. 

Resources Mentioned:

Connecting with Grace: 

Arrivista Planner Store

Arrivista Planner Instagram

Grace's Personal IG 

E-mail

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Other Resources Mentioned: 

Dr. Myles Munroe – YouTube

UK Vanity Fair (Featured in Vanity Fair Finds #15!)

In Episode 07 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio, invites guest Jen Cudmore, an Entrepreneur Alignment and High Level Success Coach, to discuss how to align your work and business with your own unique essence. Jen shares a unique tool she uses to help people shine in their business', so they can experience more income, more freedom, and a brighter, more fulfilling way of doing business!

Episode Highlights: 

• Kara introduces Jen Cudmore, a business coach and dear friend who has helped her personally design her boutique real estate brand and business. 
• Jen begins by introducing the twelve branding archetypes for business and how she believes they are a great balance between knowing who you are and being client focused.  
• Archetypes create an easy way for clients to better understand your brand, and allow a specific system for business' to follow for success.  
• Jen uses Kara’s Romantic archetype as an example, where Kara deepens intimate connections and makes her clients feel special through her work as a realtor broker associate. 
• Jen takes us through several other archetypes, including the Ruler archetype. The Ruler archetype likes to be in control, organized, and make people feel important.
• Branding Archetypes are discovered through a quick online assessment, and can be a useful tool to identifying your branding blueprint. 
• Jen works one-on-one with clients and in group coaching events, and has seen her clients' businesses flourish when they have a deeper knowledge of their own branding archetype and can develop this messaging in their marketing. 
• Jen also tells us about Money archetypes and how they can be an important part of your business and marketing strategy.
• Kara tells us that while there are many ways to run a business, your true power in the world is going to be magnified when you can work from your core essence.

Resources Mentioned: 

Connecting with Jen: 

Website & Brand Assessment Link

Free Facebook Group for Access to Trainings

LinkedIn

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

In Episode 06 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio, shares how she has created miraculous results in her business and life using a powerful practice every morning. Using this tool, you can clear limiting beliefs and begin to consciously create all that you desire versus unconsciously attract people and situations that no longer serve you. Tune in for a message of hope and inspiration as you pave a new path towards miracles and growth. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Kara begins by sharing with us the “secret sauce” to her business.
• She tells us it is not so secret, in fact the idea comes from a book written by Louise Hay called, “The Secret.”
• The power of affirmations has created life changing results for many leaders and business professionals. 
• Sometimes people may discount the use of affirmations because they regard them as too "woo woo" or even too simplistic.  
• Often, people do not use affirmations in the right way, and this can prevent them reaping their benefits. 
• We refer to affirmations as the process of affirming what you want to create in your life through a variety of different ways. 
• Kara reminds us of Episode 02 of Soul Inspiring Business where she spoke on how to manifest your goals. Everything is energy and you are creating your reality consciously or unconsciously.
• This episode expands further on this framework and specifically discusses using affirmations as a way to raise your vibrational frequency. 
• Kara tells us that we are often unconsciously guided in our business and life by a set of beliefs that may or may not be true. 
• These beliefs may be generational thinking that we have inherited from our ancestors. 
• Kara asks you to think about any deeply held beliefs that you inherited from your parents or grandparents. 
• Kara also asks you to think about any circumstances that you've personally experienced that affect your current belief system. 
• It's important to understand the limiting beliefs that may be causing our current set of circumstances.
• You can use affirmations to clear the beliefs that no longer serve you.  
• Now is a time to consciously choose, versus unconsciously allow, deeply held beliefs of the past to dictate your future. 
• Kara shares one of her favorite quotes from Albert Einstein, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”
• Kara invites us to believe in possibility, in hope, and in a friendly universe. 
• Kara asks a series of questions to pause and reflect on how they may be playing out in your own life. 
• Kara has experienced miraculous results in her business and life through the use of affirmations. 
• Kara believes you can use affirmations to change all aspects of your life and she shares how to use them for maximum effectiveness in business and life. 
• Through a practice of using affirmations, you will begin to experience a physical shift in your energy which allows you to attract more of what you want into your life. 
• You will know they are working because you will feel different and start to experience seemingly miraculous results in your business.
• Stay open to new opportunities around you and choose hope always.

Resources Mentioned: 

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Other Resources Mentioned: 

You Can Heal Your Life (Book) - by Louise Hay

The Secret (Book) - Rhonda Byrne

Abraham and Esther Hicks (Website)

Gabby Bernstein (Website)

Marianne Williamson (Website)

In Episode 05 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio invites guest Josh Long, owner of Bottleneck Breakthrough Group, to discuss “Staying on Track in Business When You Feel Knocked Down.” As a high level business consultant to multi-million dollar B2B companies, Josh is a sage strategist and trusted advisor. He shares practical advice to help you more clearly see the best path forward, and delivers it with such clarity and wisdom!

Episode Highlights:

• Josh tells us about his journey to his current role as a sought-after business consultant for CEO’s and leaders.
• Josh experienced a major setback in 2008 when his mortgage brokerage business went bankrupt, and his daughter was just 1 week old.
• Josh worked alongside high level entrepreneurs, and began discovering patterns in businesses; this is where he developed the framework for the bottleneck theory.
• After his mortgage business failed, he taught classes at Fresno State (where he received his MBA), and received a book that changed how he looked at business entitled, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement.
• We continue to experience ripple effects in the economy due to COVID19, and smaller mom & pop businesses are more greatly affected.
• Josh shares with us how he is advising his current clients, and the series of questions he asks in order to determine the best strategy moving forward.
• Josh cautions businesses that are thriving as a result of COVID19 to move forward cautiously...and not take on too much unnecessary risk as a result of the quick expansion.
• Due to levels of uncertainty, it’s important for business owners to monitor their business’ more closely, so they can better see how things are changing (either growing or shrinking) on a weekly basis.
• Often, we get comfortable in our businesses; the uncertainty surrounding COVID19 will help some business owners reevaluate their true needs and “get lean.”
• Josh shares some of his favorite thought leaders and inspirational figures that have assisted his own personal growth in life and business.
• Josh provides examples of using meditation to reset, and how he’s come to realize that we all have energetic set points….many of which relate to how much money we believe we are capable of earning.
• One of the most important things you can do in your business is get centered and remove mental blocks and emotional trauma from your past.
• This deeper work allows you to reach higher levels of potential in your business.
• Muscling through never ends up working out long term but surrendering and staying in flow always works out.

Resources mentioned:

Connecting with Josh Long:

Website

LinkedIn

Bottleneck Breakthrough: How To Find & Fix Your #1 Business Challenge To Unlock Sustainable Growth, Fast (book available for purchase)

The Bottleneck Breakthrough Podcast

Connecting with Kara:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Other resources mentioned:

Broken Open (Book) – by Elizabeth Lesser

Justin Faerman (Website)

The Surrender Experiment (Book) – Amazon

The Untethered Soul (Book) - Amazon

Michael Singer (Author) -Website

Naval Ravikant (Podcast, LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube)

Eliyahu Goldratt (The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement book)

In Episode 04 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio shares several ways that you may be unintentionally sabotaging the realization of your goals and dreams. By shining a light on these fear-based tendencies, you can clear a way to the best path forward and step into your fullest potential!

Episode Highlights: 

• Kara shares a story of a business owner that is having trouble finding a new operations manager for their business. Part of their struggle in finding someone was due to them clinging to a false ideal of their previous manager. 
• We make similar mistakes in our personal lives...such as a false remembrance of failed relationships. 
• Often, by creating a fantasy of the past, we hold ourselves back from new opportunities waiting to unfold. 
• Kara shares a favorite quote by Oprah Winfrey, “Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could’ve been any different.”
• As we forgive the past, we release the notion that we could have changed anything about what happened, and are able to open up to new opportunities. 
• Kara reminds us of a previous episode (Episode 3 of Soul Inspiring Business) where Dr. Andrino shares his belief that the two major issues holding people back from realizing their goals are: a fear based issue or a self-worth issue.
• Kara outlines the 5 main ways that we unconsciously block our goals and dreams from being realized. 
• Kara shares the first thing holding you back is clinging to the past which keeps you stuck and blocked from future success.
• Forgive what needs to be forgiven, let go of the idea that the past could be any different, and be open to new opportunities unfolding around you now. 
• The second thing holding you back may be procrastination and the what-if game. 
• You may be procrastinating on taking steps towards your big goal because it feels more obscure and less known. It may be easier to tackle the day-to-day tasks, rather than move toward a big dream. 
• You may also be asking yourself..."What if it doesn't work out?" However, Kara suggests that you flip the question to "What if it does work out?" instead. 
• The third thing holding you back is comparing yourself to others. 
• The comparison game is easy to do in the world of social media where our lives are so visible. 
• Instead of focusing on comparison, focus on the unique contribution that you can share that will help you and others succeed. 
• The fourth thing holding you back may be distractions of shiny objects.
• Shiny objects refers to an offering that allows a straight shot to success. 
• One way we can relate to falling for the shiny object is in the health and fitness arena, where we often think our woes will be quickly fixed.
• Rather than focus on a quick fix, focus on your strengths.
• If you find yourself without clarity, wait until the clarity comes to you in order to accomplish your business goals.
• The fifth way you may be holding back is by thinking too small. 
• Kara shares an all-time favorite quote by Marianne Williamson.
• Kara encourages you to see yourself in a new light, see yourself as brilliant, as powerful, as a light to brighten the world around you. 
• Begin with yourself, be kind to yourself. 
• As a final thought, Kara suggests that you start by acknowledging the gifts you have been given, commit to sharing them with the world, and finally, remain open and receptive to opportunities manifesting for your highest good. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Kara Chaffin Donofrio (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) 
• www.kcdrealestate.com 
• Dr. Andrino (Website) 
• Oprah Winfrey (Website) 
• Marianne Williamson (Website) 

In Episode 03 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio invites special guest Dr. Andrino, a gifted practitioner and sought-after Prenatal Chiropractor in the DC metro area, to discuss his own soul inspired journey to finding more meaningful work in the world. Dr. Andrino shares his process of manifesting miraculous success and also how to uncover and break through fears that may be stopping you from expanding and growing to your next level.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Andrino begins by sharing his career on Wall Street that left him unfulfilled. 
• He realized that while his work was not unpleasant, he was being called to do something more meaningful with his life. 
• He wanted to build a legacy that was based on helping people, but didn’t know where to begin.
• Suddenly, he woke up one morning with vertigo.
• Dr. Andrino’s vertigo symptoms were so bad, he knew he could not live with his current health conditions in the long term.
• After hearing an ad on the radio for a chiropractor that specialized in helping people experiencing a variety of ailments (including vertigo and migraines), he decided to book a visit.
• After two visits to the chiropractor he was 60% better and his life was changed.
• He began to realize that this could be a profession for him to help people achieve profound results.
• Dr. Andrino tells us that this experience prompted him to change careers and move across the country to become a student again for the next 4 years.
• He says he had excitement the entire time while in school, and had a deep knowing that he was in the right place at the right time. 
• When learning how to listen to your own inner guidance, Dr. Andrino speaks of the three voices to understand: the egoic voice, soul voice, and a voice outside of of himself, namely God/Source/other guidance.
• In order to best listen to your own intuition, it’s important to learn how to tune out the egoic voice. This allows you to more clearly see how things are unfolding for your highest good.
• Meditation is an essential part of quieting the egoic mind.  
• When beginning his practice, Dr. Andrino worked on both external and internal goals.
• He attributes more of his success to working on an internal set of goals/visions.
• He wrote down where he wanted to see himself short term and long with action steps.
• Dr. Andrino regularly practiced visualization techniques on a daily, weekly, monthly basis to realize his goals.
• One particular practice that worked for Dr. Andrino was finding an image of his "ideal" day and picturing himself inside that image.
• Dr. Andrino’s chiropractic practice has been very successful, but he continues to grow by working on other businesses.
• He tells us how a little about his history of being a professional dancer, childhood actor, and walked into a unique experience of selling books on the street. All of these experiences become part of our story as we evolve, grow, and collect new experiences.
• There are 2 big blocks that hold people back or stifle their success. Most often these stem from fear or self-worth issues.
• In order to achieve your next level and expand, it’s imperative that you uncover what blocks are holding you back.
• A powerful practice for removing blocks stems from NLP. 
• Dr. Andrino pictures whatever it is that is causing you fear…and imagine that image exploding. Do this every day, week, month, until you can picture your next level without that same fear sensation.

Resources Mentioned:

• Kara Chaffin Donofrio (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) 
• www.kcdrealestate.com
• Chirogroup (www.chirogroup.net) 
• Dr. Andrino 
• NLP (www.nlp.com)