Meet Caroline Leach of The Carrelle Company

After a career in the corporate world, I always knew I wanted to start my own business. Having the freedom to set my own goals, do work I enjoy, and make a difference for others are what motivate me.

When I was vice president of Corporate Communications at DIRECTV, I launched a blog to explore the future of communications. It began as a labor of love at the intersection of writing and business, two topics that fascinate me.

More inspiration came from Reese Witherspoon, the actor/producer/entrepreneur, when I heard her speak at a leadership event. As she was asked why she’s so successful with social media, Reese credited authenticity. And she mentioned a big white space in the area, helping people shape their images and reputations through social media.

It was an electrifying “a-ha” moment for me. I re-focused my blog on how people can build their careers and companies through social media. More people starting reading my blog, asking for my advice, and inviting me to speak.

Ultimately it became the foundation of a business I launched in the fall of 2018 after more than a dozen years in the Fortune 100 in VP roles leading communications and marketing.

Absolutely not!

The struggle for me is pacing myself and giving the business the time it needs to grow.

We live in an instant success culture. We constantly hear stories of people who wrote and published a best-selling book over a weekend, attracted thousands of social media followers in a week, or grew their income by multiple figures in a month.

That can either offer hope for achieving big goals, or despair about why it’s taking so long to grow a new business. What we don’t often see is the meticulous work behind the scenes that led to those achievements.

The solution for me is to do the work every day and remember to celebrate successes along the way. A success could be anything from someone reaching out on LinkedIn to ask for a proposal for my services to being invited to speak at a conference.

My advice to would-be or early-stage entrepreneurs is to give yourself time to gain traction, encourage yourself through the rough patches, and remind yourself why you’re on this path.

I write, consult, teach and speak about how professionals can grow their careers and business owners can grow their companies through the strategic use of social media.

My business is called The Carrelle Company. It’s an amalgamation of my name, Caroline Elizabeth Leach, and somewhat evocative of careers and communications.

My husband Kevin came up with the name in his business plan for a steakhouse he’s opening in Redondo Beach called Pacific Standard Prime. He’s one of my clients, who are in a range of industries, including hospitality, real estate, education, technology, and media.

So far I’m most proud of writing and publishing my first book, What Successful People Do in Social Media: A Short Guide to Boosting Your Career. Another proud moment was giving a TEDx talk about how social media can make you a lifelong learner.

What sets me apart is having extensive executive experience in the corporate world. I advise people based on my hands-on learning from leading teams, coaching colleagues, and working with CEOs and other C-Suite leaders in the Fortune 100.

Success to me is a life filled with people I love and work I love.

It’s a blessing to be married to my best friend and have a family, where we enjoy and encourage each other on this wild and wonderful journey called life.

It’s a blessing to do work that has significant meaning and purpose to me, where I use my favorite and strongest skills to help people achieve their own professional goals and dreams.

Writing, communicating, and influencing all came together in my corporate work and they are the foundation of my new entrepreneurial venture.