Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to NneNna Carr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi NneNna , thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I have ever taken was walking away from a 14–year Air Force career to bet on myself. I was on track for retirement, working my event planning business part-time, checking all the “right” boxes, but there was this inner tug I could not ignore that kept telling me it was time to go. I was confused, because I was not happy where I was, but I was also so close to being “done” and had absolutely no clue what came next. So, I went inward. I started doing the deep inner work to understand why my spirit was screaming for an exit when my logical mind was trying to cling to safety. I did not know where I was going, I just knew with every fiber of my being that I could not stay “there.”

Eventually I filed my separation papers with no solid plan, no savings stacked, just a quiet and constant knowing that I was doing the right thing. A friend referred me for a job right before I got out and I already knew the job was mine, but I still had to go through the interview to satisfy the process. In the interview they asked me, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and all I could think in my head was, “Not here.” In that moment, it hit me that I did not belong there at all. I cried, walked out of the interview, and called my best friend to tell her what happened. I told her, “I can’t do this,” and she simply replied, “Then don’t.” That was the moment everything shifted. I realized I had the ultimate power over my life and I could choose any path I was brave enough to pave. I decided that day to become a full–time entrepreneur, and seven years later I am still here, still standing, and the happiest I have ever been.

NneNna , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an Experiential Learning Designer, Human-Centered Marketing Strategist, and Holistic Behavior Coach who empowers soul-led entrepreneurs, neurodivergent entrepreneurs and creatives to design unapologetic brands and lives grounded in their values, nervous system, and what they truly want, not what the industry says they should be.

My journey into this work started with me realizing I could not keep shrinking myself to fit systems that were never built with me in mind. I walked away from safe, traditional paths and a long military career with nothing but my intuition, a deep love for people, and a strong desire to create spaces I never had. Along the way I tried on a lot of unaligned business models and identities and every single one taught me something about who I am and who I am here to serve. Over time I stopped chasing what looked good on paper and chose to build what felt right in my body and spirit. That is how I landed in this lane of experiential learning, human-centered marketing, and behavior coaching for misfits.

At the core of my work, I help people nurture the “u” in business. I support my clients in becoming a version of themselves that disrupts the status quo and allows them to lead with honesty, courage, and emotional awareness. When we work together you are not just getting strategy. You are getting a full reset on how you see yourself, how you show up, and how you connect with the people you are called to serve.

I do this through what I call my 3 C’s:

Courses

Community

Clinics

Through my signature experiential learning courses and coaching clinics, I blend behavior science, storytelling, and human-centered marketing so my clients can understand why they do what they do and how to communicate that in a way that actually reaches people. I provide behavior coaching and human-centered marketing strategy that is rooted in real life, emotional regulation, and lived experience, not just theory and trends.

Community is a huge part of my work. I created the Booked and Balanced community as a safe space for bold, like-minded “entrepreneurial misfits” to grow together without losing themselves. It is a place where we talk about money, marketing, mental health, boundaries, burnout, and belonging in a real way. We celebrate wins that may look small to the world but feel huge to us. We hold space for the human behind the brand first and the business builder second.

What sets me apart is that I refuse to separate the person from the business. I am not interested in helping people build a brand that looks incredible online but leaves them exhausted, disconnected, and resentful behind the scenes. I am here for the ones who want their life and brand to match. I bring a mix of lived experience, instructional design skills, behavior coaching, and marketing strategy that is specifically crafted for those who have never felt fully seen in traditional spaces. My clients do not have to translate themselves for me. They get to show up as they are.

I am most proud of the fact that I have grown into the person I once prayed for. I did not get here by following a straight line or a perfect plan. I got here by learning from every misstep, leaving unaligned rooms, and choosing to stand beside the people I believe can change the world when they are properly supported. I made an intentional choice to serve the ones I felt needed me the most. The ones whose ideas are powerful, whose hearts are huge, and whose nervous systems and life experiences do not always fit the standard entrepreneurial mold.

What I want potential clients, followers, and collaborators to know is this: my work is for the human who is ready to stop performing and start becoming. If you want to build a business or brand that honors your values, your brain, and your body, I am here for that journey. If you want community that feels like exhale, not performance, I am building that. If you are ready to create something that feels like you and serves people deeply, not just loudly, that is exactly the lane I live in.

I am not here to make you more palatable. I am here to help you become more you and to give you the tools, strategy, and support to turn that truth into something sustainable, profitable, and aligned.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest things I had to unlearn was chasing checkboxes and outcomes instead of falling in love with the process of who I am becoming. For a long time I thought I had to be obsessed with hitting goals, looking put together, and doing success the “right” way. I believed if I followed the traditional path and looked together on the outside, I would finally feel safe, worthy, and settled on the inside. What I realized is that my real work was not about forcing myself to cross finish lines. It was about becoming the woman who has the desire, the sense of worth, the skills, and the habits to do all of it in a way that feels effortless and true to me.

I learned that as a creative, neurodivergent, soul led entrepreneur, the traditional blueprint for success was never designed for people like me. It drained me, stressed me out, and made me feel like something was wrong with me when there was really something wrong with the way I was trying to live. So I gave myself permission to create my own rules. I started building a dopamine filled, playful, nervous system safe environment where I could actually be myself without feeling judged. I stopped trying to look polished all the time and decided I would rather have fun, be present, and enjoy my life while I build.

I let go of needing perfectly defined outcomes and focused on becoming the woman who lives the life she desires, allowing that definition to evolve as I do. That is when I started to make real progress and naturally align with everything that was meant for me, and for the first time I felt real peace in the process. I embraced that I was a “misfit” and my role is to disrupt tradition and toxic patterns. Now it is my life’s work to help other “misfits” do the same so they can stop performing for a life that looks good and finally live a life that feels like home.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly, it is my authenticity. I have never tried to be anything other than who I really am. I am very open about what realistic growth actually looks like and I never pretend to have it all together. Even though I am well educated in my work, I am human first and I am still learning, still messing up, and still growing every day. I meet people where they are and I take it seriously when someone invests in me, because I want them to feel like they are getting the best of me. I am just me and who I am is imperfect but powerful. The experiences I create are real, honest, and valuable, and people usually cannot wait to tell someone else about them. That alone has carried me in every venture I have touched.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nnennacarr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekweenofstreams/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nnenna.carr/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnennacarr/

Image Credits

SouthernSweety Photography