Misfit Entrepreneur December 2021 - 278: Turn Your Scars Into Stars – How to Succeed Through Your Biggest Obstacles with Kelly Falardeau

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Dave Lukas Chats with Kelly Falardeau

278: Turn Your Scars Into Stars – How to Succeed Through Your Biggest Obstacles with Kelly Falardeau

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Kelly Falardeau. Kelly is one of the most sought-after speakers out there today. Rated as a Top 10 Most Powerful and influential Speaker, she has graced international stages all over the world and is a 5x Best-Selling author.

At age 2, Kelly was in a tragic accident that severely burned 75% of her body. She endured numerous surgeries but was left with scars on most of her body. Growing up, she as bullied, made fun of, and ostracized for looking different leading her to feeling unwanted, un-ashamed, and unloved. She endured once again discovering true self-love and as she says, turned her scars into stars, and is now widely successful.

Kelly has proven that no matter where you come from or what happens to you – you can succeed and thrive and I’m excited for her to share all her wisdom with you in this episode.

http://kellyfalardeau.com/

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Show Notes

Kelly was burned over most of her body when she was 2 years old when a spark from a fire caught her dress on fire. She was in the hospital for 4 months being in the operating room every two days. Every two years after that until she was 20, she had to go back for more surgeries. Because of this, she never thought she’d have a good life and that she would be the “ugly, scar-face, girl.”

When she was 16, she would pray to God asking for him not to let her wake up in the morning, but if she did could she be scarless and pretty like the other girls. Of course, she would wake up and they would still be there. She thought that if her doctor could not take them away or God could not, she was destined to be ugly forever and would not get married or have kids, etc.

Despite all of this, she did end up getting married and having a daughter. She was so excited to have a daughter without scars. She had a miscarriage and then got pregnant again and had twin boys.

She had a home-based scrapbooking business that wasn’t very successful when a friend told her to go to an event. Her friend told her to get rid of the business and be a speaker and the event would help her.

During this time, she was almost bankrupt, her husband was laid off and her marriage wasn’t doing well. She saw her life as a failure. Her friend got her to event and got her on stage to speak and people had a great reaction to her story. She went home and told her husband that she was going to be a speaker. He husband, “Who is going to listen to you?” She didn’t know but knew it could happen. Her husband basically told her it was a waste of time and that it wouldn’t work.

The next day everything changed. She met a lady that was speaking and at the end of her speech, she offered a coaching program to teach people to become keynote speakers. Kelly knew this was her opportunity but had no money to pay for the coaching. The lady told her could pay over time and that normally, people came to her to get coached, but if Kelly could 10 people locally to sign up for coaching, she would come there. Kelly worked with others to get the 10. This was the start of her speaking and best-selling authoring career.

Was there a catalyst for you? What there a moment when you found your voice or flipped the switch?

There was a turning point.
When she left her husband, she had a job alongside her scrapbooking business.
4 months later after leaving her husband, she went into work and had her performance review.
It was the worst review she had ever had. It was either quit or be fire.
Her boss said, “You have to ask yourself one question. Are you going to be excited to come to work on Monday? Or relieved if you don’t have to?”
She knew she wanted to be a speaker full time but was afraid. She had no money.
That night she was reading and saw a message that said, “Why do you not trust that God will provide you everything you need?” She slammed the magazine shut and had a dialogue with herself and God.
She had sleepless night and went into work the next morning and knew she wasn’t excited to be there. That was her last day and the start of her being a full-time speaker and author.

Everyone had scars in some way, shape or form. How do we turn our “scars into starts” isolating these things and use them as fuel to succeed?

We all have either internal and external scars, or both in some way.
It is totally up to us to decide what we are going to do with them.
It is a choice.
You can take your scars and use them for something great.
Kelly always wondered why she had lived. She was told by her care takers that the extent of her scaring was so bad that they did not think she could live.
You can use your scars to hold you back or to be an asset for your success and impact on the world. You are here for a reason – make the absolute best out of it.

7 ways to embrace the real you? Can you share those?

A lot of people think they have to change themselves physically to be good enough.
You don’t have to do this to embrace yourself.
One way is to look in the mirror and pick out all of the things you love about yourself.
Embrace what you love.
Learn to love your little parts that make up all of you.
Quit comparing yourself to others. When you compare yourself to someone else that you think it better, you dimmish yourself.
Never give up or give in.
Seek out great mentors for your life.

No risk, no reward – what that mean to you and what it should it mean to us?

When she wrote the book, she didn’t have the title until the very end.
Life is for living.
If we don’t take the risk, we have not shot at gaining the rewards.
We need to step out and take the risks in our life worth taking.
We all need the 20 seconds of “insane bravery”

At the 33 min mark, Kelly talks about how her experience has made her a better entrepreneur…

Advice for entrepreneurs just starting out?

Make sure you are doing something you are and can remain passionate about.
Don’t’ be afraid to let go and find what you are meant to do with your life and as an entrepreneur.
Unleash your life.
Be open to other opportunities because you will be amazed at what is out there.
Dreams are meant to be found and not tucked away in dreamland.

Best Quote

We all have either internal and external scars, or both in some way. It is totally up to us to decide what we are going to do with them. You can take your scars and use them for something great.

Dreams are meant to be found, not tucked away in dreamland.

Your value is in your acts of service and what you do for others. Value has nothing to do with money.

Find a mentor you really connect with.

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