Carla Nell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Carla , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: When have you felt most loved—and did you believe you deserved it?
My Mother passed away in 2016. She made me feel the most loved of anyone I’ve ever known. She instilled in me a deep understanding that everyone is deserving of being loved, including me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi. I’m Carla. I am a Growth Partner with Smartlab Learning. After an almost 20 year career in real estate and non-profit theatre I decided it was time for a change. The opportunity with Smartlab presented itself at a time of transition. I knew I was ready for a big change. At 51 years old I took a leap and accepted a coveted role with Smartlab. I am tasked with bringing STEM/STEAM education and curriculum to Southern California and introducing area schools to the SmartLab approach.
I’m so glad I was not afraid to try something new! In my new role, I get to partner with area schools and build relationships with organizations who are supporting these schools in bringing STEM education to the mainstream. It is a perfect marriage of my many combined years of skills in the real estate industry and the non-profit sector.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I believed that the experiences I had growing up in an abusive household would define me forever. I now know that I get to play a much bigger part in my story than anyone who ever tried to harm me.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
One out of three women will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. I’m one of them. When I was in college I still struggled with sharing my story or even admitting the abuse had occurred at all. Gratefully, I had the experience of seeing The Vagina Monologues in 2001. I went on to produce 18 performances of the show in San Diego beginning at SDSU in 2002. I met so many women and men who shared this experience. Through that I transformed my pain into power. Finding a community and shared experience was invaluable to my own healing and to learning how to truly love myself.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
You’re really not shy with these questions! believe that the majority of people are not on board with the direction our country is headed in. I believe the news and social media are being used to control us rather than inform and create community. It’s our job to change this.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
For many years I was very involved in the local theatre community. Those were the best years of my life. The pandemic and AB-5 made it impossible to sustain the small company we built and I had to come to grips with that and release it. I miss it every day but the light has only been dimmed, it is not completely off.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @carlaismysdagent
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carladeannenell
Image Credits
Photographer: Daren Scott
