#175 When Trauma Forces Your Reinvention (Carrington Smith)

When Carrington Smith had a traumatic experience in college, she found very little support from family and friends. Her mother told her to never speak of “it” again. Burying the memory, she went on to become a lawyer before reinventing her career as an executive search consultant for Fortune 500 companies and law firms. With a successful career and a fabulous social life, Smith had it all. But unhappiness led her to finally uncover and take ownership of the experiences she had avoided long ago. Through therapy, writing, and “doing the work” she began to heal, ended her unhappy marriage, and created a  life with a new sense of self. Unfortunately, some friends, threatened by her reinvention,rejected her for giving up a seemingly ideal life in order to live her truest self, forcing her to move communities and change schools for her kids. “It’s those experiences that help us build emotional resilience,” she tells CoveyClub founder Lesley Jane Seymour in this intimate, vulnerable conversation. “People who pretend to be perfect are oftentimes the people who are hiding the most,” she says. Listen in to learn how Smith overcame adversity and trauma, embraced her identity, and told her story in her new book, Blooming: Finding Gifts in the Shit of Life.   A gift from our speaker! Go to our website for an opportunity to receive a free copy of Carrington Smith’s Gratitude Journal and create your own 30-Day Gratitude Challenge   FREE GIFT! Don’t start your reinvention without downloading CoveyClub’s starter guide called “31 Badass Tips for Launching Your Reinvention Without Fear!” Bio: Carrington Smith is a single mom, attorney, business owner and executive search professional. In her debut best-selling memoir, Carrington combines wit and wisdom to share her journey through life’s tough moments, with a positive attitude and a shift of mindset, into a life bursting with joy, opportunity, and purpose. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Tulane Law School, Carrington resides in Austin, Texas, with her two teenage boys.   Connect with Carrington: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube LinkedIn   Join CoveyClub: If you like what you hear, you can support the CoveyCast podcast with a five-star rating, and subscribe to CoveyClub for more inspiring conversations.  Time Stamps 9:29 - Leaving a law career to begin her first reinvention 11:49 - What happened in college that her mother told her never to speak about 16:20 - Writing about and reliving the trauma 18:28 - Ending her marriage and being rejected by her friends 22:54 - Giving up her dream house to escape toxic relationships and starting over 26:26 - Learning a growth mindset at any age 30:00 - Why gratitude is important and how to start a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge   Social & Website CoveyClub website Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn