How to Overcome, Find Your Path and Build Your Community E2
On this episode of The Messy Middle, Kelly Kussman, CEO & Founder of Cayla Gray Candles, and Rachel Tarman, Business Development Executive of VIP Mortgage bring us along as we travel through their path to success.
Both women share their unique story of heartbreak, how they overcame obstacles and defined their own path on their own terms. We talk about the power of community and connection and how to find “your people” in this post-covid world.
If you are trying to find your own path and purpose this is a great episode! Kelly and Rachel share tips on how to find your community even when it is not right in front of you. Join us for a few laughs as we reminisce on business date missteps and support each other in vulnerable moments as we describe the challenges we have each faced.
You will be sure to walk away with pages of notes and ideas on how to triumph despite the tragedies in your own life.
Get ready to be inspired!
Cayla Gray is a luxury line of clean fragrances. We have cleanly formulated perfumes and candles in four core scents as well as quarterly limited-edition scent releases.
In 2017, owner Kelly Kussman suffered from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, losing her first baby and almost losing her own life. She realized after this tragedy that life is short and not guaranteed, and decided it was time to start her dream business. 
In 2020, she launched a fragrance company and named it Cayla Gray, to honor the name of her first baby.
“I am so fascinated with how deeply personal fragrance is to an individual not only in its ability to evoke emotion but also to encourage a tangible connection to past experiences; the connection between scent and memory is so strong! How many times have you smelled something that transports you back to a moment in time? I wanted to bottle that feeling and build a brand that harnesses these memories so people are wearing more than a perfume – they’re really feeling something. So often we move through life without even noticing the beauty around us. I wanted to create products that caused a moment of pause for us.” -Kelly Kussman
Kelly Kussman has 18 years of experience leading large teams in corporate retail, but always had a passion for fragrance and decided to set out on her own to start Cayla Gray.
She took her decades of experience and launched her direct to consumer brand in 2020, all during the pandemic.
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn and follow Cayla Gray on Facebook and Instagram.
The Bates Team at VIP Mortgage is a leader in the mortgage industry. Continually ranked among the top teams in the nation, The Bates Team specializes in residential purchase and refinance loans.
VIP Mortgage is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, but does business on a national scale.
Following an impressive endeavor in the title industry, Rachel Tarman joined The Bates Team at VIP Mortgage. As the Business Development Representative for the team, Rachel is responsible for bringing in over $100 million in business during her tenure at VIP Mortgage.
A former teacher, Rachel’s mission is to educate her clients regarding the loan process. Similarly, she partners and plans with real estate agents to help them increase their production and level of service.
A national speaker on building business within the mortgage industry, Rachel has been featured on numerous podcasts, including The Loan Officer Leadership Podcast. Rachel has also been recognized in her local community for her dedication to helping others thrive. 
Rachel is an Ambassador for the Scottsdale Chamber, on the board of Scottsdale Rising Young Professionals, President of Scottsdale Profit Builders BNI, and volunteers with the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors.
Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, as well as a Master’s degree in Education from Arizona State University. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys traveling (especially to the Dominican Republic), watching baseball, reading, and spending time with her rescue Boxer, Olive!
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
About The Messy Middle Podcast & Radio Show
“Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad but it’s the middle that counts the most.”- Hope Floats
We often talk about the beginnings and endings of things. We celebrate our firsts and mourn our lasts. We often ignore the in between, or what we like to call the messy middle. In this nebulous space, often there are no awards or recognition.
It is frequently characterized by the long days, hard work, uncertainty, self-doubt, small wins, setbacks, persistence, and sheer determination to simply keep moving forward. And, yet, it is also where the magic happens. The middle part of our journey is what shapes us, prepares us and fills our lives with meaning.
Welcome to the Messy Middle Podcast & Radio show! Each month we invite guests to share their own version of the Messy Middle and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Whether you’re in the messiness of growing a business, healing from trauma, or navigating the wild world of parenting; this show is for you! We’re so excited to celebrate the messiness of life and business with you!
About Mother & Founder Co
Mother & Founder Co was created to help people who are experiencing change and are looking for growth, healing & transformation. The only thing that is constant is change…and change is really difficult for most people. When remaining where you are is more painful than the unknown, change happens.
*And*
Mother & Founder is there to help you create, maintain, and navigate the changes you wish to make.
In addition to the amazing community of women, we provide trauma healing sessions, clarity courses designed to re-imagine what’s possible, individual coaching and small business strategy masterminds.
About Jen Burwell
Jen is the Founder of Mother & Founder Co. and Co-Founder of Jens LIGHT Events.
She is a recognized public speaker and enjoys working with audiences of all sizes. She is a fierce advocate of self-development and believes a kinder world begins from within.
Her goal is to help as many leaders heal themselves as possible. A healed world is a better world for all of us. In 2020, she received the prestigious honor of Business Woman of the Year by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.
She loves being right in the messy middle of growing business(es), mothering 3 young kiddos (2 on the Autism Spectrum) and navigating a healthy and happy marriage amid it all.
In her spare time, she enjoys morning solo runs accompanied by her AirPods and her latest Audible book. Her other joys include spa days, being near the ocean, travel and learning something new.
