We recently connected with Carol Cottrell and have shared our conversation below.
Carol , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
When I began developing my intuitive and mediumistic abilities, the profession of being a medium was not widely accepted. There were very few people, especially in the Southeast, doing this work publicly. Finding a mentor was challenging, and seeking guidance and a supportive community in Charleston wasn’t easy. As my abilities developed, I intended to change that.
Mediumship has long been misunderstood. Unfounded myths, fueled by some religions, books, movies, and societal fears, have persisted for centuries. I knew a significant part of my work would be to help people see the truth: having intuitive and mediumistic ability is normal – it’s not crazy, and it’s not scary. When practiced with authenticity, integrity, and the intention to help, psychic and mediumistic connections can be profoundly healing, empowering, and transformative.
Throughout my years as a psychic medium, my focus has been on helping others heal from loss—whether it’s the loss of a loved one or a relationship, a life-long dream, an intention, a job or the loss of trust in self. One of my greatest hopes is that those I’ve read for have found peace and healing through the connections I facilitated. I also hope my work as a teacher and mentor has helped people recognize their own inner power, giving them the confidence to walk their path with authenticity, joy, and ease.
That’s why I created courses and retreats, such as Awaken Your Ability and Nurturing Our Connections. Society often teaches us that we must seek answers outside ourselves, and that someone else knows best. My dream is for those who take my courses and attend my retreats to realize the truth: the answers have always been within them. No one is more powerful or more special than anyone else—we all hold the wisdom we seek.
If I leave behind any legacy, I hope it’s this: thousands of people will feel I helped them, in some way, to find healing and re-discover the power within themselves.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Growing up, I followed a traditional path, completing college with a bachelor’s degree in English and going on to build a career in marketing. Looking back, it was my reliance on my intuition that helped me achieve my success in that career, both in my time at ad agencies and as a corporate marketing executive. I never felt fulfilled though. I had been struggling with depression since my teen years, and as hard as I tried to be and look happy, the depression was always lingering.
In 2010, at the age of 40, I left my corporate job, with the intention of becoming a marketing consultant. I hoped giving my family more of my time and attention would lift my spirits, and theirs, but I sank deeper into a funk. Luckily, less than a year into my consulting work, some serendipitous twists and turns led me to a Reiki energy-healing session. Reiki was not something I had been familiar with, and it seemed a little woo-woo to me, but a massage therapist recommended it to help with my depression. During my first Reiki treatment, the practitioner followed her own intuition to point out my mediumistic ability and urged me to find an intuitive coach who could help me with my emotional healing process. My interest in learning about these abilities, which I had so often ignored, suddenly became my passion, leading me to an undeniable recognition of my purpose.
When my quest to learn more about my abilities began, I was not aware of any mediumship teachers in the Charleston Area, but extensive research helped me find some of the most respected mentors in the world. I committed to making an investment in myself that was more than just a financial commitment for travel and great tutors, it was also an extensive investment of my time. Time devoted to healing my emotional wounds, constant practice to expand my abilities, and an ongoing commitment to being the best vessel of connection to the spirit world I could be. The work was hard, and my logical mind often tried to scare me; reminding me that people would judge and say I was crazy. I wondered if I had the strength to ignore those judgments. I constantly found myself asking God for signs I was supposed to do this work. Finally, I came to the realization, that to fulfill my purpose I would have to rely on my faith; a faith that had been instilled by my Catholic upbringing. That faith helped me understand there was something greater pointing me in this direction. All I had to do was trust.
I’m so grateful I did. I recognized, very early in my commitment to the work, that I was no longer carrying the constant depression that had been so prevalent most of my life. It was as if finding the faith to follow this path lifted the weight of the world from me. That’s how I knew, with certainty, I had rediscovered my purpose.
My work has developed beyond anything I could have expected. As an intuitive medium, my intention has always been to offer readings based in evidence and messages that provide healing, love and guidance. Over the years, I have facilitated thousands of connections for clients and their loved ones, as well as helping people find clarity for their journeys. I’ve also been honored to share messages with audiences in person and via Zoom. One of
the greatest honors came in 2020 when I was invited to offer a large-scale demonstration to soldiers and their
families through the United States Military’s USO.
As my waitlist has grown to include thousands, I’ve recognized the importance of people discovering and trusting their own connections, inner wisdom and self-guidance systems. This has encouraged me to place my focus on helping people become their own gurus.
My efforts to share the reality of mediumship lives in my work as a speaker, a teacher and a mentor. I’ve created courses that help others understand, trust and use the intuition each of has, allowing them to recognize, explore and develop their own psychic and mediumistic abilities.
Intuition • Psychic • Mediumship Introductory Course:
I’ve welcomed students from across the United States, Canada and beyond to my Awaken Your Ability Course; an in-person, weekend class that introduces people to their own intuitive, psychic and mediumistic abilities. What I love about the course is it’s not just for people who want to work as psychics or mediums, but also for those who are ready to open themselves to an ability we all have, but may have forgotten how to use. This ability – intuition – is a gift to all of us, and can open so many doors for self-guidance and connection to our own passed loved ones.
Healing • Intuitive Development Retreats:
With the understanding of what intuition is and how it can benefit us, my Nurturing Our Connections Retreats offer magical places to explore the connections we have to our inner guidance systems, our loved ones in spirit, and the support of nature. Retreat participants have called their experiences life-changing, amazing, incredibly healing and more. Many have commented that fellow retreat participants have become lifelong friends, some even referring to them as “soul-family”. The connections have been magical and enduring. Our upcoming retreats, scheduled for Fall 2025, offer exciting adventures for incredible healing in Ireland and England.
Deeper Development Courses & Mentorship:
For those who wish to continue on the journey of development, my Expanding Your Ability Courses and private mentorship program provide the opportunity for students to glean even more insight into their own abilities with tried and true teachings to help them explore greater depths of what lies within.
If you’d like to receive updates about upcoming classes, events and retreats, you can visit my website and join my mailing list at https://carolcottrell.com/psychic-mediumship-events-classes-retreats/
If you are interested in inviting me to speak, offer a public demonstration of mediumship, or come to your area to teach Awaken Your Ability, you can contact me at [email protected]
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
In 2010, I left my corporate position to become a marketing consultant. My business was very successful financially. Right from the start, I had enough marketing business to fill my plate, but it didn’t feel like I was on the right track. Within the first year of launching my consulting work, I was guided to recognize and put attention on my mediumistic abilities. I felt the mediumship was part of my purpose, but couldn’t envision creating a business from it that could replace the income of a twenty-plus-year marketing career.
At first, I refused to give up any of the marketing work; knowing I needed it to fund my mediumship training. The classes, mentorships, and travel necessary to work with some of the world’s most respected mediums required extensive financial and time investments, but I was willing to do what was needed, including burning the candle at both ends.
As part of my early development, I gave practice readings to people I didn’t know. Friends and family found volunteers for me, but it wasn’t long before those volunteers were sharing their experiences with others, and strangers were contacting me for readings. At first, it was only one or two a week, but as the requests quickly increased, so did my time allocated to giving readings.
By early 2013, I had given up one of my biggest marketing clients to allow more time for the mediumship work. I remember a colleague asking, “Do you think it’s wise to give up clients? Do you even know if there is a market for the mediumship work?”
That question made me realize I had completely side-stepped basic market research to ensure a full-fledged business in mediumship could be viable, but my intuition told me everything I needed to know; the mediumship work was what I was supposed to be doing.
The private readings gave me the experience I needed to prepare for the next step of my path; the demonstration of mediumship to live audiences. I gave my first public demonstration in early 2015. Shortly after that, my business really took off. I went from considering mediumship as my side hussle, to moving it to the forefront of my career. The energy required for readings was intense, though. It wasn’t possible to offer those services 40 hours a week, so I continued to provide marketing expertise to a small handful of clients.
The energy for the mediumistic work was very different than what was needed for my marketing process, so it became necessary to keep them separate. It was too difficult to jump from a marketing brain that needed to-do lists and control of every detail to the complete surrender and calm required for the intuitive connections. In addition, there was a lot of energetic prep work needed prior to giving readings. The only way I could successfully handle both was to designate days solely to the mediumship and then give my marketing business the time left over.
As 2015 brought enough clients to fill my schedule for months in advance, I was guided to start helping others recognize their own abilities. I was shocked when the entire contents of my first course, Awaken Your Ability, flowed through me and onto paper as if someone else was writing it for me. I wondered, “What am I supposed to do with this?’ The immediate gut response was, “Teach.” So I did.
Awaken Your Ability started as a way of giving others what I didn’t have; a local teacher who could introduce them to the fundamentals of intuition, psychic and mediumship abilities. It made others’ exploration more convenient, less costly and offered clarity and a comforting assurance that what they were experiencing was not crazy. As my experiences, understanding and knowledge of the work grew, I was guided to create more advanced courses and a private mentorship program for those who were interested in moving beyond the fundamentals.
Even with what had become more than a full-time job in mediumship, I held on to one last marketing client until the start of COVID. On the day nearly everything shut down in the United States due to the pandemic, I reached out to my final marketing client and told them it was time to move every ounce of my attention to my true purpose. At that time, no one was sure what the future would bring for any business, but I continued to trust. The transition, forced by COVID, to online readings, events and classes, opened my work to a global market, allowing me to share my abilities and teachings with even more people.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
This is a great question, particularly for someone with more than twenty years of experience in marketing. Given that background, you might expect me to attribute the success of my business solely to marketing efforts, and they have definitely had an impact. Understanding my identity as a service provider has been crucial. Building a brand that reflects this identity and maintaining consistency with it allows potential clients to determine if I’m the right fit for their needs. From the outset, I have been clear in my intention to offer my abilities to help and empower others with authenticity and compassion. Additionally, I have aimed to normalize intuition, psychic, and mediumship abilities, demonstrating that they are not unusual or irrational, but rather, they can provide profound healing and clarity by removing fear from decision-making. With this vision in mind, I have worked diligently to craft a brand that embodies my core values.
Beyond ensuring that my brand accurately represents my mission, I can confidently say referrals have been one of the most significant sources of new clients. Some of these referrals come from unexpected places. Many therapists have discovered that connecting their clients with an experienced medium can provide a powerful sense of healing and relief. Each time a new client mentions that their therapist referred them to me, I feel both grateful and honored by the trust these professionals place in me and my work.
In addition to therapists, I have received referrals from a diverse range of professionals, including life coaches, doctors, police officers, detectives, scientists, researchers, accountants, lawyers, hairstylists, yoga instructors, energy workers, podcasters, and even neighbors, friends, and family members. Occasionally, a client shares that a chance conversation with a stranger led them to me—proving there are no coincidences.
I’ve also been surprised by how far-reaching these referrals can be, extending well beyond my local area. People have traveled from places such as California, Washington, Texas, Canada, Bermuda, Idaho, Illinois, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and beyond to attend my classes. I’ve also had the privilege of conducting readings via Zoom for clients across the globe, all based on recommendations from those they trust.
I’m truly grateful to those who share the healing they’ve experienced through readings, classes, or retreats. Their openness not only inspires others, but also helps them see what’s possible for their own healing. I know it can be difficult to step into these experiences—fear of judgment often holds us back. But when we witness the growth and transformation of people we trust, it becomes easier to let go of those fears and take steps toward living our fullest lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carolcottrell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolcottrellspiritualmedium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolcottrellpsychicmedium
Image Credits
Kate Benson Photography
Kelsey McCormick
Rieley Cottrell