We recently connected with Colette Santo and have shared our conversation below.

Colette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

The moment that defined or changed the trajectory of my professional career was most likely when I realized that after suffering from years of abuse, then depression and anxiety, that no one was really coming to save me. I had to save myself. Of course, I had the support of my psychologist and psychiatrist but that is not the support system a person relies on when personal troubles have consumed your everyday life.

It was not an easy process at all. All the years of being alone and hoping, wishing and praying that someone would come and say “hey, are you sure you are ok today?” and actually mean it, never happened. There were some who showed compassion but not what a growing adolescent needed.

After years of handling my own issues the best I knew how, I decided to get my undergraduate degree in psychology to help better understand what was going on with me and what others were thinking about depression and anxiety in general. Attending university was not my pivotal moment; it was the start of it. My trajectory changed when I finished and graduated and was completely alone. Did it make me sad? Of course, however, I turned that sadness into a brand new perspective of myself. I graduated, I studied for endless weekends, I gave up partying in my 20’s for more reflection time. The formula was ALL ME! I did it. So I was proud of me and showed myself the love that I was in need of.

Finding your inner strength is a necessity in surviving life and if I was going to thrive and survive then I needed to be even stronger than the strongest.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Master Life Coach with degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology. I am also certified in Communication Skills and Teaching English As A Foreign Language (T.E.F.L.). If that was not enough for me to keep busy I also became a USAG Certified Gymnastics Coach.

I believe that our capabilities come out stronger when we are challenged. Since my whole existence has been a challenge then why not see where my skills and strengths would take me.

I started Successful Serenity Inc. in 2006 and by started I mean picked a name and put it on paper. Acquiring clients was going to have to be earned. Nothing valuable in your life is more appreciated than when you have accomplished something all on your own, no gimmes.

What does Successful Serenity Inc. do/offer? Very easy answer; LOVE and all that comes with it.
Love comes in all ways and forms. For example, hugs, kisses, little notes on your dresser, specific acts of respect, kindness, comfort, compassion, non-judgemental attitudes, open-minded thinkers, teaching others to better themselves, creating a better quality of life, etc.

I excel in emotional intelligence and with my extensive training and 18+ years of hands on experience working with those who need love, support or someone to guide them in the positive direction needed to find serenity and peace.

I see clients via online meetings, in person (at their location) or a simple telephone call. I also host Life Skill Workshops that combine all the life skills I teach into a more organized and simple way to learn so that the client can apply those skills towards their personal lives at their own pace and discretion.

It is not easy to speak of myself in a manner that sounds boastful however I will acknowledge that my skill set in areas of survival, emotional turmoil and self-reflection are superior. I do not give up, I do not quit and I am still here today, telling my story and helping others find their way in this life.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe that my transparency about my personal issues, having C-PTSD and how I managed to stay afloat even when I wanted to let go so badly is the reason my reputation has respect and dignity behind it. It is not easy to tell a personal story let alone a sad personal story to complete strangers but in order to be relatable I had to disclose my own battles and whether they were victories or losses, did not matter. It was the “how” of the battle. How did I win, how did I lose, how can I do better next time, etc…..

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale all starts with the leader of the team. When managing a team, one must be able to outsource themselves into the “teamwork” phase of management. What does that mean? It means that just because you are the manager it does not mean that your input or work should be any less than the team you are leading. If you are not willing to do the specific work needed, then why would you expect your team to do so? They are, in fact told to follow your lead. Morale happens contagiously. If someone walks into a room feeling gloomy, the room’s essence will feel gloomy. We have all experienced that at one time in our lives. As for the opposite, when someone comes into the room with a smile, a happy demeanor and positive vibes, the room with also feel that energy.
My best advice is “Be weary of what energy you put into the room when you are in it.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://successful-serenity-support-services.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
• Instagram: @successfulserenityexists
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/successfulserenityexists/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colette-santo-440715a2
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Colette Santo