Differently Client Spotlight: A Life by Design with Cara Leis (Encore Episode)
What happens when you realize your successful life feels completely empty inside? For Cara, a high-achieving sports industry professional, this uncomfortable question sparked a profound transformation from living to prove herself to others to intentionally designing an authentic life.
The journey begins with recognition. Despite ascending in her male-dominated field and building an impressive career with NBA teams, Cara felt hollow and disconnected—successful on paper yet unfulfilled within. Her motivation had always stemmed from proving wrong those who said she couldn't achieve something or from pursuing an impossible standard of perfection. While this drive had served her career well, it left her personal life feeling inauthentic and draining.
"I truly think for a long time, it was always about how can you be the best? What's perfection? How are you constantly trying to prove yourself to others?" Cara reveals. This realization led her to examine what she calls her "survival model"—the collection of beliefs and behaviors that once helped her navigate her world but eventually became limitations. Through this process, she discovered the freedom that comes from shifting focus: from external validation to internal motivation, from needing every relationship to affirming her worth to cultivating deeper connections with fewer people who truly supported her growth.
One of the most powerful metaphors Cara shares compares two approaches to life's challenges: "Buffalo run toward the thunderstorm while cows stand together and let it pass over them. The buffalo actually spends less time in the storm because they run towards it and deal with it." This philosophy has transformed how she handles discomfort, teaching her to face difficulties directly rather than attempting to outrun them.
Today, Cara views her life as a canvas she gets to paint herself. Her journey demonstrates that creating change doesn't require waiting for perfect circumstances—it starts with present choices, regardless of your situation. Through practical tools like separating facts from stories and addressing small upsets before they accumulate, she shows that intentional living is an ongoing practice rather than a destination.
Ready to examine whether your life brings you joy when you wake each morning? This conversation might just be your invitation to start painting your own canvas, exactly as you choose.
Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Get The Differently Journal:
https://carlareeves.com/journal
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast
Go to https://carlareeves.com/free-class to get The Class schedule, sign up, and/or pass it on to a friend. Come hang out and learn with us for FREE!
Book a Complimentary Strategy Call with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/strategycall
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