My story
I know what it looks like to build an impressive life and still feel like something's missing.
For nearly 30 years, I operated at the highest levels of the luxury industry.
At 16, I opened the first Versace franchise in the United States, building an unknown brand into the most successful Versace store in the country and helping transform Rodeo Drive into what it is today.
In my 30s and 40s, I went on to hold executive and leadership roles at Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, Bulgari, and Gucci.
By every external measure, I had made it.
But external measures don't tell the whole story.
The Real Story
Behind the impressive resume was a life that required constant reinvention.
I fled a revolution and emigrated from Iran as a young woman. I was laid off twice and forced to start over. I was married, divorced, and navigated the complexities of single motherhood while building a demanding career. For years, I managed chronic back pain while raising two young children and running teams at some of the most prestigious brands in the world.
I succeeded. And I struggled. Often at the same time.
There was a gap between what I had achieved and how I actually felt. I performed ‘success’ beautifully. Inside, I was exhausted, searching, wondering if this was really all there was.
The shift didn't come from achieving more.
It came from doing the inner work I had been avoiding. I hired a coach. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
With her guidance, I learned to master my mind—to catch the thought patterns that were running me and replace them with ones that actually served me. I got clear on my values and started making decisions from that clarity instead of from obligation, fear, or habit. I stopped performing success and started actually experiencing it.
Most importantly, I transformed my identity.
I stopped being someone who was endlessly striving and became someone who could genuinely own what she had built.
The gap closed. Not because my circumstances changed, but because I changed.
This transformation was so profound that I knew I had to learn how to offer it to others. I trained as a coach, earned my Master Certified Coach credential—the highest awarded by the International Coaching Federation—and have spent the past decade helping accomplished women do the same work that changed my life.
Credentials
• Master Certified Coach (MCC) — International Coaching Federation
• A decade of experience as an Executive Coach to accomplished women
• Nearly 30 years of executive leadership in the global luxury industry
• Host of the Amateur to Pro podcast
“One of the best investments you can make in yourself.”
“For years I experienced doubt and imposter syndrome—even in my 20+ year area of expertise. Therapy helps make sense of the past. Coaching is about the future. After working with Carolyn, a stronger, louder, confident woman has taken charge of my decisions.”
— Jeanne Yang | Top Celebrity Stylist and Manager/Producer at Anonymous Content
If you've built an impressive life and are ready to genuinely own it, I'd love to talk.