09/15/2022
45 MIN

#18: Client Convo! Leaving the "Carved Path" & Learning to Talk to Fear w/Ariell Ilunga

Decision Masters

This interview was so jam-packed I HAD to make it a two-parter...buckle up!

In this episode, my client Ariell gets totally honest about:

What it took to go from "leaving this job doesn't even feel like an option" to "It's now or never: I'm going to start my own business"
The many layers of FEAR involved along every step of the way (leaving her job, becoming an entrepreneur, even walking away from an investor/partner and a big pile of money after a year of negotiations!)
How it feels to be living her truth

"I'm not forecasting, and I'm not living in the past, and I'm living true to myself for the first time ever."

Plus: The 3 Interviewee Questions!

What would you say to someone considering getting coaching?

Short answer: Do it.

Even if you have no goals, you're still gonna have to be a human. Your fears will still show up, indecisiveness, cloudiness...joy, abundance, all of these things are still gonna show up.

I think the best part about having worked with you and continuing to work with you is: Having tools to manage all of that. For me...I didn't know I could ask my Fear a question, a year ago. I didn't know I could talk with my Fear.

You're still a human, and you're gonna have a lot of feelings. They're not going away — that's not the goal. This whole stupidness around "Don't make an emotional decision"...ALL decisions are emotional! And the problem is, we don't know how to process our feelings, and turn them into powerful tools to make decisions.

2. What kind of decision maker would you call yourself today?

Clear. Grounded. Tethered, in a good way, to something.

You know Tetherball? That pole? I have that. If you root it to something, you can sway the course of your life. I don't think I'm a perfect decision maker, whatever that is, but I have this root thing I can keep coming back to, that helps me stay rooted & grounded.

3. What's the most self-honoring decision you've made in the last week, that you want to share with us?

Ariell's multi-point answer includes celebrations about parenting, boundaries, money choices, vacation, a margarita and a well-deserved lounge chair nap - SO GOOD!!

Ariell Ilunga is the Founder and CEO of Carla's Fresh Market, a reimagined neighborhood grocery store. They'll be opening their first brick & mortar in early 2023 and are currently selling elevated pantry staples online at Also have a Pop-Up Pantry that pops up all over Los Angeles, selling curated pantry items.

#18: Client Convo! Leaving the "Carved Path" & Learning to Talk to Fear w/Ariell Ilunga

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