A Meditation Conversation with Kara Goodwin
Kara Goodwin is the founder of Kara Goodwin Meditation in Carmel, IN and the host of The Meditation Conversation podcast.
She has been using meditation and mindfulness-based tools to help clients break through their limitations and realize their true purpose and potential to reach greater fulfilment in their lives.
For more information and for a free guided meditation, visit www.karagoodwin.com.
Here we sit down with Kara, to know a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur — how did you get started? What inspired you?
Kara: I was drawn to meditation after a tragic year that brought many losses in quick succession — the death of my sister-in-law, a tragic accident for my mother-in-law, ICU and a heart transplant for my stepmother, critical brainstem surgery for my stepfather, and the death of our dog — all while I was living out of the country.
It felt as though my whole reality shifted to some unpredictable nightmare, and I dedicated myself to learning the art of meditation to help me cope. Meditation helped me to move through that difficult time with greater ease and clarity, and as I immersed myself more and more deeply in my practice, I found purpose, freedom, and a deeper connection to life.
I now use meditation and other tools to help people understand themselves from a higher perspective and get more out of their lives by experiencing themselves as more than the body, thoughts, and emotions. I also love to connect to people through The Meditation Conversation podcast to highlight the important work others are doing in the realms of personal and spiritual growth, energy work, and consciousness.
Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive in your day-to-day busy schedule?
Kara: It can be easy to get pulled into the endless to-do’s of entrepreneurship and focus on completing task after task. I try to always keep steering myself back to the human beings I am serving.
It is important to me to nurture that human connection, which can easily take a backseat in this day of automation and technology. This connection is what helps me to get the most out of my business because it is what matters more than the number of downloads and list subscribers.
Q. How do you stay organized with such a busy schedule? What are some time management strategies, SOPS (standard operating procedures), hires or hacks that have helped you dramatically in business
Kara: I try to batch my tasks as much as I can. If I am going to be editing the audio of podcasts, I will dedicate a chunk of time and work through a number of them at once. I’ll dedicate another chunk of time to loading and creating accompanying podcast content.
I’ll set a whole day aside to focus on writing. Another chunk of time will be on marketing. It took time for me to realize the value of focusing on one specific area and trying to knock out as much as I can in that arena instead of floating between unrelated tasks all day. I get a lot more out of my brainpower through batching, because I’m utilizing the flow instead of continuously breaking out of the flow. Each different type of task requires a different part of my personality, brain, and being to be tapped into, so I’ve learned to maximize the opportunity once I’m tapped in there.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Kara: My greatest joy is helping people to realize there is another way to experience life, with more purpose, joy, and connection. If I could change anything in the world, it would be that every person increases their connection to something much deeper within them.
On a retreat I hosted recently, a guest was asking me — with tears in her eyes — how to take the feeling that had been awakened within her during the retreat back to her everyday life. She was feeling such a profound transition into a deeply true, more complete version of herself and she wanted to carry that forward into all areas of her life. Retreats are a powerfully transformative experience, and one of my greatest joys is experiencing and witnessing in others these deep shifts, and then supporting that complete transition in their regular lives through meditation, mindfulness, and other methods.
My greatest wish for change in the world is that every person realizes they are SO MUCH more than they believe themselves to be, for them to open themselves to the wonder and magic around them, and to understand that they are connected to everyone and all things.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Kara: Kurious Kara!
The number one reason for my personal growth is an unending curiosity and an openness to explore new things. The Meditation Conversation podcast is a testament to this curiosity, as the topics, I have explored run across the spectrum of subjects related to consciousness. I have been honored to have a wide range of fascinating guests, including Neale Donald Walsch, author of the Conversations with God series; master kirtan musician Krishna Das; Caroline Cory, creator of documentaries such as Superhuman; ET hypnotic regression pioneer Barbara Lamb; Reuben Langdon, creator of Interview with ED; and Dr Jill Bolte-Taylor, author of My Stroke of Insight. The Meditation Conversation is well over 200 episodes now, and the catalogue is chock full of incredible insights into a vast array of mind-expanding topics relating to consciousness.
Q. What motivates you?
Kara: My driving force is becoming the best, highest version of myself and to assist as many as possible who have the same motivation. I want to get to the end of my life knowing I made the highest contribution to this planet and humanity as I was capable of and that I utilized my skills and gifts in the most beneficial way.
I believe many people have this same desire, even if it is not consciously recognized, and I am drawn to assisting them to remove the barriers and veils which obstruct their path.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made
Kara: There are several ways I have invested in myself which have completely turned my life around. The first meditation course I took to learn the fundamentals of meditation was a HUGE turning point for me. It opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities to awaken things within me I didn’t even know existed.
Years later I hired a personal coach who worked with me on mindset, focused mostly on my business. I had a deep desire to serve more people so they can accelerate their awakening, but I had a lot of barriers to making a business out of that.
In addition to many other things, he helped me to make connections about the importance of putting myself out there so more people have the opportunity to know this type of help is available and understand the benefits of making it a priority in their lives (hello, a huge increase in life satisfaction and purpose!).
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
Kara: I believe doing inner work is critical, regardless of what type of entrepreneur you are. Being aligned at a deep level with your personal purpose and your business is what is going to keep you going when things get challenging — and there are always going to be challenging periods that rise up no matter who we are.
How is your work helping you to live the life you are here to live? When you are sure of this, you have a true north. You can better understand which direction to take your business, what opportunities to say yes to, what parts of your business you want to dedicate hands-on attention to and what parts to hire someone else to do, and so on. Your inner work is absolutely vital to your own well-being and that of your business.
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ piece of advice you’d like to give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Kara: Know deeply who you are and who in particular you want to serve.
To keep up to date with Kara and her journey, connect with her on Facebook, and Instagram.
