I just ended an incredible May, increasing my revenue by 65%. This month, I’m working on 2 courses for a company and partying a lot.

But it’s not what you think, I have kid birthday parties literally every weekend #weold

We’re half way through the year, and it’s my half-time, so I’m doing my own mid-year check-in to hopefully motivate you to also do your OWN mid-year check-in.

Special bonus, I’m also sharing exactly what I’m doing to honor a slower summer season, and what I’m focusing on for fall when things ramp up again.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• What’s been working for me - aka how the hell we’re doing really well despite this chaotic mess rn)
• What’s NOT working - Don’t worry this podcast episode isn’t a highlight reel, I get #realreal
• And my predictions for future trends - I’ve been spot on lately

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 54: Work-Life Balance: The Lie with Natalie Kuhn | 53 mins | Listen on Apple or Spotify

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call

Check out our 314 client reviews

Follow the Podcast on Apple

Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas

Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

Follow, Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts

Are you following the WOC & Allies: Business & Career Realtalk podcast? My team and I created this podcast for accessible education for women of color and allies. When you follow the podcast, it lets podcast streaming companies know that this podcast is a podcast fellow women of color and allies should listen to. If you are enjoying the show, I would love it if you would leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. This is one of the best ways to support the show and my team, and it helps other Legacy Leaders find it! Head over to Apple Podcasts to follow, rate and review now!

What We Cover in This Episode:

Replay + Breakdown of My SCMSDC #1 Pitch (& why that wasn’t even my goal)

This episode isn’t just for business owners, it’s for leaders, job seekers, and anyone navigating relationships (yes, even the hard conversations with loved ones). Whether:

• You're pitching an idea at your next team meeting
• Prepping for a job interview
• Or presenting to a client

This episode is your reminder that pitching isn’t just about “selling,” it’s about being understood.

🎧 Listen in for the replay of the pitch that won me first place at the SCMSDC competition and the real story behind it. You'll hear:

• The full 2-minute pitch
• My strategy and thought process behind each line
• How I actually hit my entire 2024 revenue goal by May 2025 and increased profit by 41%
• What I cut, what I focused on, and how I’ve stayed true to my values through it all

Resources Mentioned:

• Download the free Team Dashboard: elainelou.com/dashboard
• Episode 5: Time & Energy Management to Get Your Life Back | Listen on Apple or Spotify
• Episode 23: How to Get Clients with Ease Through Referrals & Renewals | Listen on Apple or Spotify

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 320 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

What We Cover in This Episode:

I always get asked, ““Elaine, how are you even getting all these speaking gigs and clients when you don’t even have 5,000 followers on IG or LinkedIn!?”

Great question. And the truth is... I don’t. 😅

But what I do have are real relationships and a strategy that works offline.

I’m headed to the B3 Conference for Minority Business Owners next week in LA—where I’ll be speaking, pitching (as a finalist!), and meeting with procurement officers from companies that are actually hiring. There’ll also be corporate matchmaking tables to help you land real contracts, not just another stack of business cards.

And before you ask I know you're nosy, but I can’t name-drop because, you know... NDAs.

Let’s just say... you definitely know this company 😜

Want to join me IRL in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 8?

Click here to register and use the code B350 for $50 off and use that on gas cause you kno… LA

I’ve also secured 2 more speaking gigs for July and August.

And no, I didn’t get them from a viral reel or perfect pitch deck.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• How I really book speaking gigs and high-paying clients and I don’t have 5k followers
• 3 real-life stories of how I landed gigs and actual strategies and how you can too
• Tangible, non-sleazy networking tips you can use today without being a sleazy car sales-person

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 61: How I Became #1 on Google, and how you can too with Andres Aguero, 30 mins | Listen on Apple or Spotify
• My 300+ client reviews: elainelou.com/reviews
• Want to network with companies like Disney, Bank of America, or Chase? Get certified via nmsdc.org
• Center for Executive Coaching (for you coaches who want that legit certification)

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

“Ugh that generation is so entitled!” But are they really? As Jackie Dacanay shares, “The problem isn’t Gen Z asking so much, it’s not having the conversation early enough.”

So how do you lead a team made up of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers especially when there are unspoken biases, stereotypes, and different values at play?

In this fireside chat I had at HR Retail, I talk with Jackie Dacanay, Northern California Regional Director of Service Culture & Engagement at Fairmont Hotels, about how to build inclusive, values-aligned workplaces that actually support multi-generational teams—and boost retention while doing it.

Also: Did you know Jackie’s a hula champion and motorcyclist? And I’ve been doing Muay Thai (yes, Thai kickboxing—the art of 8 limbs, punching, kicking, knees and elbows!) for 21 years. So, we know a thing or two about discipline and collaboration 👊🏽

In this replay we talk about:

• How Fairmont improved retention from 50% → 80% using values-based coaching
• Why younger employees expect growth within 6–8 months (and what to do about it)
• How to create consistent, non-performative conversations around failure
• The coaching & mentoring frameworks Jackie built to support every level—not just execs
• Repositioning “growth” beyond just titles and raises

Hot tip from Jackie:
“Luxury isn’t about fancy words. It’s about emotional connection.”

Resources Mentioned:

Jackie’s LinkedIn and YouTube

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

Got a team member who keeps missing deadlines and making mistakes? Dealing with a colleague who seems annoyed by anything that comes out of your mouth?

Last month, I did 3 speaking gigs back-to-back with different audiences:

• A C-Suite Retreat in Laguna Beach (fancy, right?)
• A session with the West Valley Warner Chamber of Commerce on teamwork cause the teamwork makes the dream works!)
• A private retreat at Lido House in Newport Beach for API government affairs execs from Intuit, Coca-Cola, Turo, Edison, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, and East West Bank (yes, that’s a lot of power in 1 room!)

And guess what? No matter the industry or leadership level, the same question kept coming up:

How do I communicate with people who just don’t think like me?

Like a marketing exec who pulled me aside and said:

“How do I talk to accounting people? I’m flowery, and they’re...not.”

If you’re working hard and ever struggled to getting your message across, and making sure something gets done catch this 18-minute episode, we break it down:

• Why talking to different personality types is like practicing a sport (or scrolling TikTok—consistency is key!)
• How a team dashboard can keep everyone on the same page (aka fewer “per my last email” moments)
• How AI can help you edit emails, texts, and messages so your message comes across to the other person based on their communication style and goals

Resources Mentioned:

• More info on Conscious Conversations
• Episode 47. Scripts & Strategies for Boundaries and Negotiation for WOC Leaders with Accion Opportunity Fund (52 mins) Apple | Spotify
• Episode 99: How to Develop Executive Presence & Own the Room You’re In (My Talk from NextUp Summit) (1 hour) Apple | Spotify

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

“My job as a therapist is to get fired by you.”

When my EMDR therapist said that, I was like, “Wait, what!?” 😳

I’ve been going to therapy since college because it was “free” with my tuition.

But after almost a decade of talking about the same stuff without much change, I started noticing how my body reacted whenever I got triggered—tightness in my chest and throat, that fight-or-flight mode kicking in.

That’s when my therapist shared how EMDR can heal my trauma and triggers. And I responded --

“Sign me up!”

In this episode, I’m diving in deep with my client, Jennifer Oh, LCSW, who is a Licensed EMDR Therapist about:

• What EMDR actually is and the SCIENCE behind it! (Fun Fact: I got my Bachelors in Cognitive Sciences aka the study of the human mind and brain)
• The personal stories that led me to try EMDR (cause I know y’all are nosy and want to get into my biznaz!)
• How EMDR helped me react to triggers and self-regulate (like, who am I!?)
• Why you should consider EMDR—even if you think your trauma “isn’t that bad”

I got into EMDR back in 2014, way before Prince Harry, Sandra Bullock and all the celebrities hopped on the bandwagon.

And let me tell you, it changed everything.

Now, as a trauma-informed coach, I make sure to create safe spaces for my clients—and I’ve referred so many of my clients to EMDR therapy when they’ve felt stuck.

The glow-up I’ve witnessed for me and my clients who have done EMDR? Complete magic. We’re embracing who we are, flaws and all.

Resources Mentioned:
What is EMDR
Jennifer Oh’s Website
Episode 25: Coaching vs Therapy: Which One Do You Need with Dr. Nazarin Moali (44 min) Apple | Spotify

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

I recently had the honor of sharing the stage with Chéla Gage, a Global HR Executive, speaking to HR leaders in Los Angeles about how to lead through chaos and make impactful decisions.

Spoiler alert: Brave leaders ask for advice, feedback, and insights—regardless of job titles (and egos).

In this podcast episode we discuss:

• How to inspire your team to problem solve (vs. going to you like Google)
• How to set boundaries and say no (cause it protects your team’s well-being -- and your own, too
• How to have those awkward, BUT necessary convos with colleagues even when you know they will take it personally.

If you’re a leader navigating the chaos and want to make better decisions (and keep your sanity), this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned:
Add Chéla Gage on LinkedIn
Oli Strategies
Listen to me and Chéla’s other podcast episode. Episode #79: How to Create Psychological Safety with Starbucks VP Global Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer Chéla Gage. Listen on Spotify or Apple

Where We Can Connect:
Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color

With the rise of layoffs in tech and finance, consumer trust in a low, many professionals and business owners are reconsidering their next steps. I share personal stories, client examples, and actionable strategies to help you make an empowered, strategic career decision.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• How to assess your current career and financial stability
• Key questions to ask yourself before deciding to stay, leave, or pivot
• Steps to prepare for a transition while maintaining financial security
• Real-life case studies of successful pivots and lessons

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 45: How You Can Have a Fulfilling Job and Life with Mac Prichard | Apple | Spotify
• Episode 66: 4 Steps to Reduce Financial Anxiety with Claudia Rucker | Apple | Spotify
• Episode 11: Identity Crisis? How to Quit or Realign Your Business or Career with Your Life | Apple | Spotify

Where We Can Connect:

Schedule a Business & Career Review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
Check out our 314 client reviews
Follow the Podcast on Apple
Follow the Podcast on Spotify
Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elainelou_
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Lou Cartas
Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color