Inspiration Revolution Mom on the Street: Karla Cauldwell

Inspiration Revolution Mom on the Street Karla Cauldwell radiates positivity and grace. Whether she’s hiking with her dog, enjoying a nourishing meal with family and friends, or motivating listeners on her podcast, she shows us all how to live our best lives.

Meet Karla

Karla Cauldwell’s mission is to guide and inspire you to live your best life. She is the author and podcast host of “Live Your Best Life.” Karla is a registered nurse & health coach with a master’s in healthcare innovation. She is a wife of 20 years and a mother of three boys. You can find out links to her podcast, book, and social media at karlacauldwell.com

Beginning the Inspiration Revolution

What are some of the ways you live your best life?

Living my best life is my north star. It is my compass for being and doing my best. It informs my decisions as a wife, mom, entrepreneur, worker, and community member.   I am always filled with purpose. I am deeply connected to my purpose, and it fuels my health and well-being. When life throws its curveballs, it is my dedication to living my best life and role modeling that to others that gives me the strength to keep going and find a way to thrive. I believe the greatest thing I can do for myself and others is to live my own best life.  

I daily live my best life by filling it with inspiration from books and inspiring people, the best food possible, and daily quality time with my family during family dinner. We designed our house for the sole purpose of sharing experiences. We love the kitchen, and from the kitchen, you can see and connect to everyone else in the house if their doors are open. 

I have a dog named Koda; she reminds me to stop and enjoy peaceful moments of eye gazing. She literally bumps my arm and won’t move until I sit on the floor and meet her eyes. She also inspires me to go on long walks with her, which my husband often joins. I get a lot of time with nature. My husband and I work from home, so we get to see each other. We daily walk our youngest son to and from school this is often the best part of my day. It is between that and family dinner. 

What was the journey like for you?

It was enforced in me early to always do what I love and love what I do. From my days in junior high, I was obsessed with learning and teaching, especially in regard to living one’s best life. My first stable career was in nursing. I started as a bedside nurse, and even though it was not for me, I committed to learning what I could and to infusing what I love however I could.

At that time, I would show my patients stress reduction techniques. I would have classes for my coworkers in the breakroom at lunch or after my shift for healthy living and fun subjects for promoting living their best life. As time has progressed, my career has morphed into doing what I love 98% of the time. I guide healthcare clinicians to live their own best life and to role model it to their patients. 

I also teach in the community through social media, my podcast, and my book. When I look back at my life so far, I can see how my daily actions have led to this one moment. I also see that so many things that felt so challenging or things that felt like they were taking sooooooooo long were all moving forward at the perfect pace leading me to the perfect place now.

As I am writing this, I hope I will take some time to really let those words sink in and trust that in twenty years, I will look back and say the same, so maybe extend some grace for this moment and trust it is all working out for the best. The longer my journey extends, the more I realize that my life is perfect for me. The ups the downs are perfect for me. I choose my life. 

Living Life to the Fullest

What are some practical ways people can live life to the fullest?

The first thing to do is to love yourself. Do whatever you have to do to love and accept yourself. Loving yourself is easy when you are doing the things you perceive to be good. It is not always easy to love yourself when you are not doing well. I recommend treating yourself the way you would treat a 3-year-old you love with kindness and understanding. Tell yourself, “I love and accept you,” when you look in the mirror. The best next steps follow you loving and accepting yourself just as you are today.   

Next, get really clear on what matters most to you. What matters most to you helps to clarify where you direct your energy. It also helps to fuel your actions. For example, if you want to eat healthier, make the connection as to why it supports what matters most to you. Connecting what matters most to you to the actions you take will help to keep you engaged and motivated.

The last item I highly recommend is adopting one small thing at a time for successful sustainable change. You can ask yourself daily questions like, “What is one small thing I can do today that will most benefit my health and well-being?  You can also use the one small thing question when it comes to identifying the next best steps by asking what is one small thing I can do today to work towards…….?  

What’s your favorite type of self-care?

My personal favorite ways to take care of myself include long walks. One of the best decisions I have ever made was to join the Walk the Year challenge. Last year was my first year. I completed 2022 miles last year! The challenge inspired me to walk 5-7 miles per day. I found I LOVE WALKING.

Walking gets me in nature, and making movement a lifestyle has led me to support my physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. It has been life-changing to find ways to walk that much. I am doing this challenge again. I think having Koda and joining the waking challenge are my favorite forms of self-care. BOTH inspire and motivate me to be active and to be in the moment. 

What’s the Inspiration Revolution Movement? How can people be part of that?

The Inspiration Revolution started 20 years ago. I noticed that when I made a positive change, it affected those around me. I also notice that people in the groups I led began to take care of themselves, and it affected every person within their sphere of influence. OH my goodness, what an amazing type of infection.

Since then, I have witnessed thousands of people begin to embrace health and happiness, and their actions affect every person in their presence. Currently, I mostly work with healthcare workers, and I see as they start to add small healthy living habits, they role model it to their patients, their family, and their community everything changes! Can you imagine if every person on this earth was healthy, happy, and whole, there would be no room for anger, greed, and ugliness. This is the Inspiration Revolution.  

How do people join? Begin to ask yourself, what matters most to you? Start working on loving yourself and making choices that contribute to your health and happiness ….. YOU WILL AFFECT EVERYONE WITHIN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. 

Inspiration Revolution Style

Which three words best describe your style?

Personal (I focus on wearing clothes and jewelry made by real people and clothes that advertise small businesses or great movements) Colorful, Supportive ( Supportive of me living my best life meaning skirts with shorts in case I want to do a cartwheel, yoga dress pants that I can wear to a board meeting then go walking in for 5-6 miles

What are your favorite places to shop? 

Local artist fairs, state parks, small businesses, and museums. I find great jewelry, t-shirts, and scarves at local places. If it involves someone I know or someone local who makes something unique, or a startup restaurant that supports a great cause and sells t-shirts, I am ALL IN!!!

For dress wear, I love the Black & White Store; for jeans, Eagle is my go-to, and for work, I like Ann Taylor & Loft.  

Who’s your favorite style icon?

Frida Kahlo. Her style was a statement that brought awareness and advocated for the indigenous people of Mexico. 

What’s your best style advice?

When you find something you love, buy several!! I have made the mistake so many times of thinking I would find it again later and a big disappointing NO So now when I find something I like, I buy at least 3-5 of the same or different colors.

I think it is important to know yourself and buy things that make you feel good and make sense for you. 

What article of clothing/accessory would you not want to live without?

Really good walking shoes are critical since I walk so much. I like getting fitted by Fleet Feet. It makes a HUGE difference. I can’t live without my earrings. Depending on my mood, I pick my favorites. I also love my scarves. I also have 9 pairs of skorts all because they are versatile and because if I want to do a cartwheel, I CAN! 

Which trend would you want to see make a comeback?

I am not sure I love belled-out jeans, corduroys, and skinny jeans, and while they are not always in, I notice it is just a matter of time they rotate around, so I keep wearing whatever I like. 

What should NEVER make a comeback?

I don’t have thoughts on this. Even if I don’t like a particular style, when I see someone wearing it proudly and shining brightly, I would not want to deny them their style. 

What’s your best style secret?

I love all the old styles. I can still remember how excited I was about all of them. When I look at pictures, I can feel the excitement of hairspray, crazy bangs, dark eye make-up, my raver days wear, jelly shoes; it has all been SOOOO Good!

Stilettos or flats?

Flats for the majority of the time. Stilettos for the bedroom and the first 30 min of select events. I will always have flats with me. There is nothing getting in the way of me dancing!! 

Inspiration Revolution Family

What’s your favorite way to spend time with your family?

My favorite is Sunday brunch. I love those lazy mornings and a two-hour meal followed by playing a card or board game.   I love our dinner time, I love movie night. I like traveling with my family.  

What’s been your best family vacation?

Jamaica. My husband is from there and going to see his family was so wonderful. It was amazing for the boys to see a whole meal come from the backyard! What an incredible experience!  

We ate the best food, met the nicest people, and slowed down the pace.

What’s your go-to family dinner?

Always a large salad with whatever we make. I love to make salmon and roast chicken. 

What’s your favorite family restaurant?

We like pizza when we eat out. Oven brick local. 

What five things are you most likely to have in your purse at all times?

My phone, a pen, a small notebook for my ideas/observations, ChapStick, and my ID.

Inspiration Revolution Parenting

Best parenting advice:

Don’t compare with others unless it is to learn and support each other.  

Understand there is good and bad to everything, so just go with what you decide and trust good and bad will come from it. For example, if you decide to just have one child versus having more than one, there will be good and bad. Or if you decide on private school versus public, there will be good and bad.  

Get on the same page as your spouse or co/parent. I really feel like that has caused the most harm when my husband and I were not on the same page. It is confusing to the kids.

Find other parents you love and trust to have real conversations. To laugh and cry together to normalize the hard parts. We are so blessed to have dear friends that we have raised our children together. They are the Mixons; we are the Caudwells. We call each other the MixWells.  Ever since I can remember, we have met once a week for what we call a board meeting. We share wins; we share challenges; WE LAUGH SO HARD. It has been a lifesaver to understand that certain stages will pass and to have support. IT IS A GODSEND.  

Parenting true confession: 

I always thought I would be an amazing mom. I was really great at pregnancy and the first five years of my children’s lives, but after that, LORD, HAVE MERCY. I haven’t known what I am doing. All I know is I am doing the best I can, and I love my boys fiercely. 

What’s your best parenting hack?

ALWAYS talk to other parents. WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER. I love learning from others and sharing what I know. We really need each other.

My best hack by far is asking my kids their high point of the day and their low point. I have been asking this since they all learned to speak. It has helped tremendously to get good information other than “good”  It also helps me know what matters to them or anything that may be challenging them. 

Inspiration Revolution Life

What’s your favorite show to binge-watch?

IT is hard for me to sit still, so I don’t really binge-watch things. I do watch an episode of Monk with my family at least once per week. WE LOVE THAT show. 

If you could pick anyone to star as you in a movie based on your life, who would it be?

Shakira, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST!! Or Wanda Sykes so that others could laugh. LAUGHTER is so healing, and she is so funny!

What’s your favorite beach read?

Any of the books in Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club

What song would you dance to when nobody’s watching? 

The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson

If you could go shopping with anyone from history, living or deceased, who would it be?

I want to go shopping with Michelle Obama I feel like I could learn a lot from her. 

What’s at the top of your travel bucket list?

I really want to walk El Camino De Santiago 

What’s your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day?

Cooking a meal for my family if the day was mentally exhausting.

Dancing to Lovers Rock ( A genre of reggae, the BEST ever)  if my day was stressful! 

Let the Inspiration Revolution Begin!

We love Karla’s refreshing perspective, which makes us excited to take part in the inspiration revolution! Imagine how much happier the world would be if we were all confident in our purpose and had the tools to achieve it. Karla’s ability to help her friends, readers and listeners live their best lives is a beautiful gift.

Be sure to connect with Karla through her website, social media, book, and podcast. And for more uplifting and inspiring moms, check out FamilyApp’s Mom on the Street!