Carmen M. Perez - A Spiritual Girl in a Material World

Carmen’s story is one that will really inspire anyone who is willing to listen. It starts as she was bedridden, for over a year, with no real medical explanation. When most people would use that as an excuse to give up, Carmen Perez decided that she was going to take back her life and truly start living again. Her simple, yet powerful secrets to creating a life worth living are: live with passion, purpose and play. After spending over 20 years working hard in the legal industry, Carmen shifted gears and now devotes her time as a speaker, consultant and writer. I mean what is retirement anyway? (LOL) Some of her favorite topics to speak about are: life balance, productivity and online marketing and content strategies for building a meaningful, heart-centered business.

If this sounds like something you might want to read more about, check out her new book, Be a Spiritual Girl in a Material World, which she has worked diligently on for the last two years. After the highly anticipated March 9th launch, it is available on Amazon!

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FlipperSplash: Do you attribute your success with Social Media to any one thing?

Carmen M. Perez: I contribute my success on social media to the targeting tools available on most platforms. The options available for marketing on social media are outstanding and comparatively, the costs associated with marketing your business online are much less than most other means of marketing on or offline.

FS: Has your business grown because of Social Media?

CP: Yes, my business has grown because of social media. In 2014, before I truly understood social media and its potential to help me marketing my business, I barely made enough to cover the cost of running my business.  As I became more and more aware of the potential reach with the help of Social Media, and learned how to tap into it, over the next 18-months my business revenue grew 612% and the next year another 198%. Since I can work with anyone in the world who speaks English, Social Media allows me to reach potential clients that I could not reach otherwise, providing me with more potential clients, which has a direct effect on my bottom line. Because of Social Media, even though I live in Orlando, Florida, I have been able to work with clients all over the United States and in Sweden, London and Toronto.  People in places I would otherwise not have been able to connect with.

FS: What app do you use the most, professionally?

CP: I use the Facebook app the most. Since I am monitoring my two business pages, and three groups on Facebook, there’s a lot of interaction I monitor and engage with.  It’s important to me to make people feel like they are being heard, so it’s important that I be there when they are.

FS: Have you ever have a fear of public speaking and if so, how did you overcome it?

CP: I don’t believe I’ve ever suffered from a fear of speaking publicly.  I think it was more a nervousness from a fear that the audience would not appreciate or value what I was sharing and how I was sharing it. Creating and practicing from outlines and staying away from scripts helped me overcome my fears because instead of worrying about what to say, I can focus on connecting with my audience and, then, change up anything I feel I need to, to be of service to my audience.

FS: How often do you engage with your community of followers? 

CP: Regularly - I engage with my community at least one time a day. If we are launching an event, product, or service, I will engage three to five times a day.

FS: If you could give one piece of advice to someone interested in starting a business of their own, what would it be?

CP: Be clear about the passion, personality and purpose of the business you want to create, then find the tools that will help you do that. Don’t try to do this on your own.  Find a mentor who will help keep you aligned and accountable to the success you desire.  My mentors were instrumental to my professional growth.

FS: Do you have a mentor or person that you look up to and try to emulate, professionally?

CP: I have had several mentors during my entrepreneurial journey.  What helped me was to find a mentor who connected to my mission and what I hoped to achieve.  The job of this mentor was keep my vision alive with me.  Then from time to time I would hire other mentors for specific mentoring in a skill I wanted to enhance, like digital marketing or speaking.

On a personal level…     

FS: What’s your favorite city to travel to and why?

CP: I love to travel to Chicago because it’s my home town.  I moved to Orlando, Florida 14 years ago but there isn’t a day I don’t wish I was back in the Windy City.  Mostly because my family is still there.

FS: What’s one item on your bucket list for 2018?

CP: My number one item was to publish my first book. (SPOILER ALERT: She can totally check this off the bucket list!!)  The book, Be a Spiritual Girl in a Material World, took me two years to write and it feels so good to be at this place. I truly believe it will help people more easily achieve success without sacrificing their health, wealth and happiness.

FS: Do you have a hobby that may surprise people?

CP: I have a hobby that I love but don’t talk about much.  I found it during a tough time and hold it close to my heart. It’s beading, creating jewelry using seed beads.  I take weekend classes to learn different techniques and relax while I make something pretty for myself.