My Story

I had a beautiful childhood, surrounded by love. My parents supported me in everything I did. I watched them work very hard to build a business from scratch. They won awards. They got to meet the President. I pushed myself to be High-School Valedictorian, Class President, "Most Artistic" and "Most Likely to Succeed".

The summer I turned 19, we celebrated my Dad’s 50^th birthday with a hot air balloon ride. 

It was 107 degrees that day and we almost didn’t go up. But we did, and we had a beautiful ride, and then all our lives changed when we tried to come down.

When we came in for the landing, we hit the ground hard and the basket bounced. My Dad directed each of us to a corner for safety. I remember seeing him attempt to hold on to the side of the basket because there weren’t enough corners.

We hit the ground really hard and Dad was thrown out, his foot stuck in the ropes. He was dragged through corn and alfalfa fields before the balloon went straight up again.

I remember seeing him hanging upside down below us. I was screaming and the next thing I knew we were sprinting over to him. He was face down, and not moving.

When we turned him over, he was conscious, and didn’t want to see his little girl upset; so the first thing he said to me was “You should see the other guy.”

In this freak accident, Dad had broken his neck and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He was paralyzed and our lives flipped upside down. 

My parents lost their business. They lost their home, and their cars, and ultimately went bankrupt. 

My mom turned to alcohol to numb the pain. 19 years later, her liver gave out and she died.

During those years, fear showed up over and over for me. 

I tried desperately to fix or save people around me. An illusion of control helped me feel safe.

From managing the development of high-stakes investor presentations in Silicon Valley – to launching my own graphic design business – to building my husband’s orthodontic practice from scratch – to starting an orthodontic marketing company – to pioneering marketing technology...

I understand what it is like to live in a fast-paced world that leads to burnout and a secret longing for something different.

I remember the feelings I had after launching a new software product; I expected to be on cloud nine, but I wasn’t, and I didn’t know why.

At the time, I had no idea how much my sabotaging inner voices were standing between me and what really was possible.

I was a workaholic. I was not awake in my life.

I finally started to hear the soft whispers inside me calling for something more, and I began my quest for my best life. I discovered how to peel back my protective layers. 

What I found buried deep was my beautiful spirit, waiting patiently for me to find her and set her free.

I had to learn to trust myself. And then I finally found the path of my inner peace and how to stay on it. Now I show the way to others.

What’s your journey?
Ready to have your own breakthrough?

Charis has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a Minor in Mathematics, from the University of Puget Sound. She is a Certified Fearless Living Coach (CFLC), Certified Fearless Trainer (CFT), and Positive Intelligence^® Trainer (PQT).