Crystal, you have a powerful story. Why don’t you give us some details about you and introduce us to your story. How did you get to where you are today?

My name is Crystal DeLeon Sarmiento.  I am the Founder of the company The ARI Source, and I am a published author of the first book of my series, Becoming a Lioness. I am also an executive and life coach, a public speaker, and my favorite role is being a wife to my husband and best friend, mom to 5 kids.
My career began over 22 years ago when I faced one of the toughest times of my life. I found myself being a teen mom who’s fiancée had just passed away in a tragic car accident. Hard times were not foreign to me as I was raised by a single father who, on top of that role, was also facing many other challenges as an immigrant from Mexico. My tragic predicament forced me to dig deep, and connect to my inner, resilient spirit. It propelled me into a challenging, yet rewarding career. It allowed me to be humble, and to appreciate all of the blessings that I had.

I focused on going to work every day and making an impact. I focused on impacting others, while simultaneously providing for myself and my daughter. This resilient spirit allowed me to break records and achieve the highest awards in my career. I was 22 years into my successful career when my clients began to ask me to speak, teach, train and coach. I decided that I would take on these additional roles and use my uncommon skill set to help others. I have a mentor ( John Maxwell) and I incorporated his favorite methods into my new roles. and to add value to others lives.

Today I coach executives, and I offer life coaching,  I also conduct seminars and proudly offer women empowerment seminars to teach women the fundamentals of confidence, mindset, and safety in a raw and tangible way.

I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?

My biggest challenge was becoming aware of my own self saboteur. I had to put in the work to become aware of my own mental and emotional self hindrances. I had to realize that the circumstances around me controlled parts of my life, but ultimately that I was control of how I let them effect my life. I had to embrace the knowledge that I am the one who designs my life. To pivot from comfort to determination, is always a challenge. Our minds are conditioned to seek the path of least resistance, and I noticed that this was the very thing that was hindering my goals and aspirations. So to become the best version of myself for myself and my children,  I needed to make powerful changes that began with a battle inside my mind to fight the self saboteur.

Let’s talk about the work you do. What makes you good at what you do?

When we talk about coaching, teaching and speaking, we refer to one who can master the art and skill of connecting. Connecting, is getting to the heart of the matter, and it goes beyond spoken words. As my mentor John Maxwell says, “everyone communicates, but few connect.” Especially in today’s society, when the majority of professionals are using virtual modalities to reach their teams, customers and families; we are finding that connection is the hardest thing to accomplish successfully. Understanding the key principles of connection, being able to master this, then teach teams and leaders how to expand on this skill, proves to change dynamics completely. Mastering the art of connection increases productivity and morale, while also making communication far more effective.

Knowing that the majority of humans are constantly seeking connection whether consciously or subconsciously allows us to deliver methods that have tangible effects. When it comes to my personal style of coaching, whether it is executive, life or mindset, my fundamental belief and principals system is why my clients see such powerful results in a short amount of time. My belief in a creator who architects everything with precision and design, forces me to conceptualize that his most prized creation, being humans, are fully resourced. I look at our creator as abundant and I know that my clients lack nothing. They simply need someone who already believes in them, champions them, and has the tools and techniques to pull from that untapped reservoir of potential.

When you work with me, you have a coach that will challenge you to see different perspectives. When starting off I see you as whole, with nothing lacking, and it’s my desire to help you achieve that mind set. Many of our clients start off with a huge identity question. Often times, working through this helps to set our entire game plan into action. It puts our clients on the path, with a new empowered mindset; tapping into a resilience and determination that ultimately leads them to achieve their highest goals.

What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?

Success is different for all of us. Success looks, feels and tastes different to each of us,  mainly because we define success based on impressions on our subconscious mind. In order to be somewhere you have never been, it will require you to do something you have never done. It will require a firm decision. It requires action. This begins with the thoughts you allow yourself to think. Again, it starts with the thoughts you ALLOW yourself to think. The first step in a new direction, is to choose intentionally and by design, your thoughts. Take captive your thoughts. That is half of the battle. Then, the second hardest part is to DECIDE. The third, is well.. action. Push past the patterns that keep you feeling safe but that ultimately keep you in mediocrity. If you feel this is hard, that is because it is.  It is also important to research a successful mentor or coach in the area of your goals, because no one has climbed Mount Everest alone. Everyone need someone who has been there before, who knows the way, knows the tools needed and knows that they need a team to reach the top. A good mentor will also know that being at the top is designed so we can learn the way, then teach the way to others.

Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?

I am so glad you asked what success means to me. It depends on what area of my life we are talking about. Success to me is a journey. It is achieving small goals that ultimately lead to much larger goals. Success is when I reach the end of my days, or I am standing in front my maker giving an account for my life, that I did not leave any path in my life untouched, because I was afraid. Success is achieving my goals, little or big and pushing past my own comfort zone. Success will be when I look at my descendants and smile. It is because of my determination to not be in mediocrity, they will have an ancestor who paved the way out of pure love for God, them and all others.

What’s next for you?

There is no ONE next for me. There is a long list of many ‘nexts’. My days are broken up by my responsibilities as a daughter of God, wife, mother and professional. What is next  for The ARI Source,  is to build a powerhouse team! A team that a strong belief and love for helping other’s achieve their highest self. We also aim to impact as many lives as possible. The next thing for Becoming a Lioness, is publishing my book. It’s set to be out on all online outlets and on my website by end of June. We will have book release launch in my home town of Houston.