Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Wilmaris.
Hi Carla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Before I evolved into a passion-driven Podcast Guru, I was a corporate girl crunching numbers behind a desk. In June 2016, my life was turned upside down when my father suddenly passed away the morning of father’s day due cardiac arrest. He was my rock and I always knew if anything happened, I could call daddy. Instantly my security blanket was gone and found myself trying to figure out my purpose in life.
I worked 40-60 hours a week as an accountant and although I was great at what I did, I knew I wasn’t in alignment with my purpose. So… what do you do when you realize you’re not living in your purpose? I could either A) stay in the place that keeps you stagnant and stunts your growth or you can. B) pivot and lean into the skills that make you unique and fulfilled. Well, I went with B and chose to leave corporate, but not right away and I didn’t have a clear plan.
I started a podcast called SH*T I’m 30! and it gained traction quickly. Every day I would come home and work towards my passion for the podcasting industry. It was just a hobby in the beginning, but within seven months, I sold out a live show and finally quit my corporate job to become a full-time podcaster. I was set on a mission to get rid of society’s expectations about where you should be in your 30’s because I was officially 30 and I had no idea what to do with my life, although it seemed I did everything “by the book.”
Through sharing my personal story, I was able to amass over one million downloads, over $100k in ad revenue and sponsorships, and I created a business to help others share their stories and impact the lives of others. I didn’t even know that I discovered my passion for teaching early (my dolls and stuffed animals can vouch for me) and knew I had to create a platform for others to learn what I’ve learned in a quarter of the time!
My academy Idea to Launch has now helped over 500 podcasters launch a successful and profitable podcast. I love getting messages from my alumni about the doors it has opened for them and the opportunities that have come from owning a platform of their own. Podcasting seems like it is just a trend, but it isn’t. It helped me and so many others find my purpose in life and create a business and relationships I could have only dreamed of.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This road has not been smooth at all. I had a year’s worth of savings when I first quit corporate. I had started generating revenue from my podcast but it was nowhere close to the almost six figures I was making as an accountant.
I made a leap of faith and summer of 2019, I moved to NYC to expand my podcast and create more connections, but that trip depleted my account (NYC is not cheap). I found myself in an industry that chews and spits people out alive. Women are not the head of anything it feels like in the entertainment industry, and men objectify us before they even listen to a word we have to say.
I was naive and coming from Orlando and the corporate world, I had to learn and navigate the snakes and people with other agendas. I went into business with people that almost ruined by brand because they just wanted fame. I lost people that I thought were friends. From the outside looking in. it seems like this is fun, but the road to success has taken. Countless hours of work and research, sleepless nights and a lot of money invested into further education within this industry.
As you know, we’re big fans of Idea to Launch. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
When I started in my podcasting journey, I had no idea what I was doing. What equipment do I need? How do I record and edit? How do I have a podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.? There were a million questions I had but no one to help me figure it out and google was extremely confusing and an information overload. I reached out to several podcast coaches and experts and the first thing I noticed were 1. this space is dominated by white males 2. if I wanted any kind of help it all started at 3K.
I didn’t have thousands of dollars to invest right away so I was on a mission to figure it. It actually cost me more than that with trial and error because there are million different mics, mixers, media hosts, etc. Once months later, I got the hang of it I became obsessed with learning everything about podcasting and vowed to help others that sound like me look. Like me, and are in the same position I was in 2017.
I love the fact that I can help and be involved with my students and ever since then, I found a new niche and that is a podcast agency for entrepreneurs. I can teach anyone how to launch a podcast in 3o days without tech overwhelm or impostor syndrome kicking in, but I can also help entrepreneurs launch a podcast and do it all for them. Podcasting is my passion and I am extremely proud of the team I have created to help everyone launch their podcast, find their purpose, and to top it all off, Profit from their expertise and their story.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Taking risks as a mother of two children is terrifying. It is much easier to play it safe and get a paycheck every single week. When starting out, it feels like you are just dishing out money and there might not be a return. I had to lean towards my faith and Pray that I was following. My God-given talents and my purpose. Moving to NYC was a huge risk and I had to leave my daughter behind for the first time in 14 years. Many of times I have invested in courses or programs to help the launch of the business and those were also scary. Today I know that even my failures, like at first not having the manpower to deliver on my products, could only teach me a lesson and I have learn tremendously from my mistakes.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@carlawilmaris.com
- Website: www.carlawilmaris.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlawilmaris/
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/idea-to-launch-podcast/id1547148703
