Claudia Cometa is a pharmacist turned business owner who lives her life purposefully and passionately. She worked for over a decade as a clinical pharmacist, then was quickly forced to see the healthcare system from the patient side after her father was diagnosed with lymphoma.

It was this year-long struggle that shifted her course permanently. She is now on a mission to help others find clarity in their own healthcare journey and ultimately seek true wellness, which integrates mind, body, and spirit.

• CEO Hack: Book- The Surrender Experiment by Michael Alan Singer
• CEO Nugget: Do the work you do in the absolute best way and clients will come along
• CEO Defined: Vision caster, way maker and human being

Website: https://www.peaceadvocacygroup.com/

Instagram: @wellnesswithclaudia
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-cometa-pharmd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeaceAdvocacyGroup/

FULL INTERVIEW

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of.

This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:30

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Claudia Cometa of Peace Advocacy Group.

Claudia, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Claudia Cometa 0:39

So great to be here with you, Gresham, thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless 0:41

No problem super excited to have you on and what I want to do, which is read a little bit more about Claudia so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Claudia is a pharmacist turned business owner who lives her life purposefully and passionately. She worked for over a decade as a clinical pharmacist, then was quickly forced to see the health care system from the patient's side after her father was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was this year-long struggle that shifted her course permanently. She now is on a mission to help others find clarity in their own healthcare journeys and ultimately, seek true wellness which integrates mind, body, and spirit. Claudia, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Claudia Cometa 1:19

Absolutely, can't wait.

Gresham Harkless 1:20

Awesome. Let's do it. So I know we touched on it a little bit. But could you tell us a little bit more about what I call your CEO story? And when did you start your business?

Claudia Cometa 1:27

, so I worked as a clinical pharmacist for about a decade and a half, which basically means that instead of being in a retail setting, I wasn't your Walgreens pharmacist, not that there's anything wrong with that. But I was working on the front lines with the actual medical team in a very interdisciplinary way. I was basically in the trenches with the team and the patients.

And so I had a very intimate feel in that primary care setting. For the most part was relatively happy with what I did, but not really happy with the brokenness of the medical system, as many people feel the same, even if they aren't part of the system, they see that there is a brokenness in it. And I didn't really see that in detail until I went through the year-long journey and struggle with my father when he had lymphoma. And we were then the patients.

And I became his advocate just out of sheer, of course, love for him, but also out of the fact that I was the only one knowledgeable in my family who was able to do that. And seeing all of the brokenness firsthand, really was discouraging to me, but then turned into a passion that I needed to do for other people that people really just simply don't know what they don't know very much like if I go into an auto mechanic to help with my car, I have no idea what you're saying to me. And, yes, go ahead and do that. Although that's an acceptable way of being in an auto mechanics' office, the consequences of it being your car are a little bit different than the consequences of it being your life or that of a loved one.

So I switched courses, and I have become basically a patient advocate. But I also like to just turn to myself, I'm not really big into identities, because what I do and what I am for my clients is so much broader, but I am basically a source of light for others on their journey to their own true wellness. And in some ways, that means a lot of help with Western medicine. And in some ways, that really just means a lot of mind and spirit work as well.

Gresham Harkless 3:23

That makes perfect sense. And now I definitely appreciate you, Sorry, obviously you had to go through everything with your father. But I know that a lot of times people that have all the insight and expertise that you do, sometimes they will hold it as power sometimes even like mechanics like you just mentioned, they will use like kind of big words that people don't understand just to hold that power.

But it's great to hear somebody like yourself that has that expertise. And unfortunately, you know, of course, had experienced that with your father, but you didn't just help out your father, you decided to turn that into an opportunity to help out so many other people that kind of feel helpless in a lot of situations like that.

Claudia Cometa 3:59

Absolutely. Yeah. And it was something that opened a door to me that I didn't know was going to be opened. But all of my experience before in the world of clinical pharmacy was absolutely necessary for me to take that leap. So I am a huge believer that the universe will work its way the way it's supposed to work its way and this is where I'm supposed to be.

Gresham Harkless 4:20

Absolutely it always finds a way to do that. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. I know you touched on a little bit. Can you tell us how you're serving the clients and some of the things that you're doing to support them?

Claudia Cometa 4:28

Yes. So I basically walk my clients through the muddy waters of the medical system. And so what that can look like is so variable from person to person. For some people, it's the young entrepreneurs who are hustling and doing their thing but also neglecting themselves neglecting self-care and they are now realizing I'm having these symptoms I am going to the doctor, I'm not getting the answers and I need help because this is not my full-time job. I am not a healthcare professional and I have a hustle that I am doing. And I just simply don't have the time to be Google MD. So I need somebody to walk me through this mess.

And then in other cases, it could be the adult children of the parents, the parent generation, who know that they need some help with where they're at, but they don't know where to go either. Because our parent's generation, it was very much you listen to authority, you do what they say, and you don't question anything.

And so they need somebody to come in and in a very educated way, ask the right questions that needed that need to be asked. And then there are the others who come to me and asked me if I could be their life coach. And that's where the other pieces come in the mind and the spirit. And I have done all of that work for years, even before my dad's diagnosis. And I completely understand that wellness is a state of being not just a state of body. And so there are a lot of pieces to what I do, but the majority of the clients that come to me are coming to me because they know that they are not getting the answers that they need from the medical system, and they simply need somebody to walk that journey with them.

Gresham Harkless 6:01

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And I find you can definitely let me know if I'm correct or not. And this is that a lot of times people just want to be heard, and they want to have somebody listen to them. And the fact that you have all those, I guess you call them tools at your disposal, where you have so much expertise in different pieces, that you're able to kind of make that connection or make the right prognosis or analysis of exactly what a person might need.

Claudia Cometa 6:25

Yeah, there are just so many pieces that are missed based on a system that largely does not have the time or resources to do what it needs to do for people. And so that's where kind of I come in, like, let's put all the pieces together and get on the right path. And it doesn't mean that I make those medical decisions for them. But it means that I am helping. I'm basically that guiding light. Because people again, just simply don't know what they don't know. And it's their life. And so it's an important consequence.

Gresham Harkless 6:52

Absolutely, absolutely. And Google MD, as you said, is not a replacement for that. So definitely they are led for doing that. And reminding us of that. So you might have already touched on this, but I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And this is what you feel kind of distinguishes you or your organization that sets you apart.

Claudia Cometa 7:07

Yes, so a lot of the time when there are advocates involved, they are employees of a facility. And so their primary interests are in the facility they are employees of. And so I am a private advocate and wellness coach. And so number one is my interests are only those of my clients, I do not take insurance, I do not involve insurance, and everything is cash paid directly to me, which means I have zero interest other than the best interests of my clients. And the other piece to that is what we've mentioned, which is my background in the education that I have. So a lot of times advocates come from other very important fields, it's just a different position than me.

So sometimes they're nurses, sometimes they're social workers, all of which are super important. However, I do feel that my background in clinical pharmacy, meaning that I worked alongside doctors, and I am knowledgeable on medications, which a lot of the times can be helpful, but can also be very harmful and can be most of what the problem is, to begin with. That knowledge and background definitely help me and then the third piece is the work that I have done in both mindset and spirit that those pieces just simply are not combined in any type of comprehensive, holistic approach for people in their wellness journey. And so I really combined all of that together. And that's me.

Gresham Harkless 8:29

Yeah, that's a great secret sauce. And being able to combine all of that is definitely something good. I don't think I've ever heard or you hear very often has been able to bind especially a lot of the mind and body as you touched on, but the expertise and the knowledge of knowing the different kinds of the pharmaceutical system in and of itself, and some of the drugs and things like that and what their potential side effects might be and if they should work, or just so whoever works with you, has like a full picture of exactly like what's happening and what could potentially happen when they take whatever.

Claudia Cometa 9:01

Yes, absolutely. There's just so much lack of knowledge. And it's not that you have to have a degree in it. It's not that you now have to go become a pharmacist, but you really do need to tap in and be resourceful. And that's where I come in being resourceful enough to find me so that I can help you.

Gresham Harkless 9:17

Yeah, absolutely. Because even as you touched on the busy entrepreneurs that are out hustling and doing a million things, sometimes you find that you can't be the expert in everything, but you can find and connect with the right team and the people in place so that you can ask those questions.

Claudia Cometa 9:31

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 9:32

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or a habit that you have but something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Claudia Cometa 9:43

My absolute favorite book right now for entrepreneurs and really anybody is The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. Now you have to be in that mindset to go there but and he is a very spiritual person, but it is his story of surrounding rather than trying to pull from the universe trying to make things happen trying to control everything around him. It was about his extreme success. But it came from a place of surrender.

And so I know a lot of us as business owners, or anybody, even if you're an employee, there's a lot of attempts to control. We want, we envision ourselves in a certain place, we make certain goals, and we want to control everything around us to try to get to that place. And this book will shift your mentality more than it did for me than any other piece of literature or a pube huge podcast, listening to anything that I have listened to, or read, was a really huge shift for me to begin that process of surrender.

Gresham Harkless 10:48

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And it's very difficult. I myself know, I need to pick up that book. Because a lot of times, you just want to control things as much as possible. But a lot of times, I feel like some of the best things that have probably happened to me have happened as a result of me, not being able to control everything, and it just happened. Sometimes it's been forced. Other times, it's just been me sitting back and saying, Okay, let things fall as they should.

Claudia Cometa 11:13

Absolutely. 100%.

Gresham Harkless 11:15

Nice, nice, nice. And I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO, nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you can happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Claudia Cometa 11:24

Yes, and it really ties back into the concept of control. But how I really feel now that I wish my younger CEO self felt was that the goal should not be to find and get clients, but rather to do the work you do and the absolute best way you can do it, and the clients are already looking for you. Because the fact that you have the fire within means that you're supposed to be doing this, and the clients will come if you focus on your work, and the value of your work in the marketplace, rather than I need to get my next client, where am I going to get my next client? And I think that it's a hard lesson to learn. And sometimes it requires experience to learn it. But if I could impart that wisdom on my younger CEO self, I feel like it would have taken away a little bit of that stress right out of the gate, when all my clients are knocking on my door. And just focusing on the work that I do instead.

Gresham Harkless 12:27

Yeah, and I find that, and definitely, I don't know if you find the exact same thing. But a lot of times when you do try to kind of right in line with the question that we talked about before, when you do try to kind of look after and find those clients, sometimes you get the clients that aren't necessarily your perfect clients. And a lot of times if you had kind of just continued to do and get better at what it is that you do, then a lot of times there'll be attracted to you

Claudia Cometa 12:50

100% Spot on.

Gresham Harkless 12:51

Yeah, absolutely. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So I want to ask you what has been a CEO means to you.

Claudia Cometa 13:02

Yes. So I really believe a CEO is a vision caster and way maker, which means I think that a CEO has to cast that vision for the team that they are managing or working under, I am actually a solopreneur. But if I did have a team, my goal would be to cast that vision that I have, so that we are all in the same boat all paddling in the same direction. And that they are invested in that vision, but also the waymaker meaning I've got to find a way to give them that journey to give them that path to walk to come with me and to ultimately deliver to our clients what our intentions are. And so I feel like there are two pieces. And then the third really important piece I feel like is being a human being more than a human doing.

So I think that hustle comes as you know, the CEOs are hustling. they're doing, they're working, they're in meetings, they're this, they're that when I really think that sometimes slowing down and just being with even if you don't have a team, just being with who you are as a business person, if you do have a team being with that team, listening, observing, getting the feedback that you need to support them in the best way because ultimately, you've got to have a great team under you just to provide the service that you need to the clients. And so that's what I would say vision caster waymaker and human being

Gresham Harkless 14:17

Awesome. I love that three-part definition. And I think a lot of times too, even with your clients as well, sometimes they're coming to you to lead them to the right path, especially for you because they don't have that expertise. So a lot of times a lot of those three-part definition kind of overlap with them.

Claudia Cometa 14:33

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 14:34

Nice, nice, nice. So Claudia, I truly appreciate your time. What I want to do is pass you the mic just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know and then how best they can get a hold of you.

Claudia Cometa 14:43

Yes. So my main piece of advice is even though I am not a 10-year veteran of being a CEO, most of my life has been as an employee, and the CEO is more of a recent journey for me. I cannot emphasize or encouraged enough the concept of self-care. So even though there are times when hustling is necessary and working hard is necessary, and we all work hard in our businesses, your body is working really hard for you doing a lot more than you give credit for, with their hearts pumping, your lungs are breathing for you and there can be a tipping point.

So don't forget to care for yourself in the midst of caring for your clients and for the other people who might be on your team or on your journey. So self-care is such an important piece to this. And you can find me on social media. So Instagram, I am at Wellness with Claudia. and my website is peaceadvocacygroup.com. I also have a podcast that is called Minding Wellness, and we talk about all topics related to wellness. And that goes from mind body to spirit. So those are the main ways.

Gresham Harkless 15:56

Awesome, awesome, awesome. We'll make sure to have those links in the show notes as well. But thank you so much for your time today and all the awesome things that you're doing and reminding us to put on our oxygen masks because in order to help out others, we got to make sure that we're taking care of them as well. So I appreciate you for that reminder. I hope you have a great rest of the day.

Claudia Cometa 16:12

Absolutely. Thank you you too.

Outro 16:14

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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