Carole Issa - Founder of Alephpreneur

Being someone who found it hard to deal with people did not stop Carole Issa from starting a business to help others who felt the same.

What’s your story?

I used to be a sound engineer, great at what I did but found it so hard to deal with people!

The turning point was when I moved to Australia and landed in Sydney with nothing but my suitcase and a distraught mum and dad who did everything they could to dissuade me from this crazy move!

My purpose since then has been to create for others what I’ve always wanted: ‘a people’s manual’! Today, I am running Alephpreneur, a training business, and we are on a mission to help the silent movers and shakers go from hiding to thriving.

What excites you most about your industry?

What I love about the personal development training and coaching industry is its ever-evolving nature. Because human behaviour and psychology have so many layers to them. And there is always another level to discover; it never ends. Also, more and more people are starting to be aware of the importance of developing their emotional fitness. And it’s so exciting and rewarding to support them in their personal development journey and witness the change.

What drives you in business to push beyond what other people consider normal?

For me, business is a vehicle to grow and contribute. It’s a constant dance between equipping the self and serving others better. What drives me is its impact on people I work with, especially when they look around and mostly see beige and ordinary. Pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo by asking how we can do things differently better and not settle for what is, has always been the driving force behind everything that I do.

What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?

If I were to name a few…

Showing up
Leading the dance with fear
Empathy
Behavioural flexibility
Consistency
Resilience
Discipline
Tenacity
Contribution

And so much more than that!

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

Every NO will get you closer to a YES.

Who inspires you?

The first three names that come to mind are Ramit Sethi, Brene Brown, Lewis Howes. And I’ve learned over time to shift from getting inspiration from the outside to generating it from within. I keep asking myself this question almost every day ‘Do you inspire you?’. And that’s what keeps me going, growing and taking on more challenges as I move forward on this journey.

What have you learnt recently that blew you away?

‘Most of the time the data we have collected about choices and alternatives and options aren’t used to make a decision anyway. They are used to justify decisions after the fact. We buy the cars we ‘like’. choose the jobs and houses that we find ‘attractive’, and then justify those choices to other people with any number of facts and explanations’

– Book: Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

AND

‘We don’t see the world the way it is, we see the world the way we are!’

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?

Nothing. ‘You are where you need to be and it’s perfect the way it is and the way it isn’t.’ I came across this powerful thought a while ago. It summarises why I wouldn’t do anything differently.

How do you unwind?

Meditation has lately been my go-to favourite unwinding activity.

What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your business?

Get out of your own way!

Everyone in business should read this book:

The 4 disciplines of execution by Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey