I Grew Up Where Matching Your Outfit Made You Fancy

Imagine growing up on a remote island in rural Alaska — where if your outfit matched, people thought you were showing off. Where survival wasn't a metaphor. Where your grandfather lived on a floathouse and float planes brought food twice a year. And where the lesson you absorbed before you even had words for it was this: money is for survival, not ego. At some point you've probably asked: What does it mean to be truly successful — not just financially, but as a person? And what do you do when the career you spent twelve years building starts to feel like it's slowly hollowing you out? Carrie Williams grew up in Ketchikan, Alaska — a town of twenty thousand where everyone knew everyone and resilience wasn't a buzzword, it was the baseline. She graduated on a full academic scholarship, moved to Los Angeles to become an actor, and quickly discovered that someone had to pay the rent. So she pivoted to casting — spending twelve years watching hundreds of actors audition, saying no without explanation, and slowly realizing that the part of her work she loved most wasn't finding talent. It was unlocking it. She began mentoring actors who had stopped booking. Then freelancers who wanted to start businesses. Then she asked herself the obvious question: Is this a job? It turns out it was. It was called coaching. So she went back to school — full time, while still working full time — got her evidence-based ICF certification, and eventually became one of fewer than 35 coaches in the U.S. to hold both the MCC and ACTC credentials. The financial transition was real. She took a significant pay cut leaving casting. She was honest about it: she had a husband with a steady income who believed in her, and that runway made the difference. Today, when she works with business owners making the same leap, the first question she asks is: What's your runway? Not just financial — but emotional. How long can you go without immediate gratification? Because in business, it doesn't come fast. Her definition of success has shifted completely. It used to be the finish line — the title, the award, the letters after her name. Now it's the ripple effect. "Success to me is not just how far I lift myself up," she says. "It is how uplifted people feel because of their connection with me." And the final piece, she adds, is integrity — doing what you say you'll do, and cleaning up honestly when you can't. Guest Carrie Williams, MCC, ACTC is a best-selling author, executive coach, and founder of RainShadow Coaching. One of fewer than 35 coaches in the U.S. with both ICF's MCC and ACTC credentials, Carrie's ALL IN Mindset™ and Spectrum of Willingness™ frameworks equip leaders to reduce stress, build resilience, and drive results. Former ICF LA president and dynamic keynote speaker. Connect with Carrie Website: https://www.rainshadowcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriewilliamscoach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carrie.r.williams Resources Free 30-minute conversation with Carrie — book at https://carriewilliams.as.me/30min-RainShadow Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson Mindset by Carol Dweck Positive Intelligence (PQ) methodology — positiveIntelligence.com