Do you wake up and head to work every day with the feeling that you are just going through the motions? Have you experienced that nagging feeling that something is missing and that you aren’t living your life’s purpose? Our guest, Claudia Castellanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Black Mamba Foods, had a successful corporate career but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was meant to do more with her life. To the surprise of her friends, Claudia quit her corporate job to volunteer in Africa in search of her purpose. In this episode, Claudia shares her story of finding clarity, overcoming her fears and making difficult decisions, leading to the launch of her own business, Black Mamba Foods. Claudia is passionate about Africa and finding ways to develop the continent through sustainable projects that uplift women, considers the inclusion of grassroots communities and protection of the environment. Black Mamba Foods is a growing brand with a strong social and environmental ethos, based in Eswatini (eh·swaa·ti·nee), that manufactures and distributes specialty food products in Southern Africa and overseas. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Claudia.   Highlights: [02:28] Claudia’s journey [06:38] Gaining clarity on your strengths [10:45] Getting past your fears & limiting beliefs [13:40] Strategies for making difficult decisions [16:50] Overcoming failures and setbacks [20:41] Gaining access to influential leaders and mentors [25:47] Tips on effective execution [30:09] Accelerating success in the digital age [32:50] About Black Mamba   Quotes: “Often times you realize what you don't want to do before you realize what you want to do.” – Claudia Castellanos “If you're tired, learn to rest and not to quit.” – Claudia Castellanos “A goal without a plan of action is no more than a dream.”– Claudia Castellanos   About Claudia Castellanos: Claudia Castellanos, a Colombian that came as a volunteer to Eswatini and fell in love with Africa and made it her home, is the co-Founder and Managing Director of Black Mamba Foods, a growing brand with a strong social and environmental ethos based in Eswatini that manufactures and distributes Specialty food products in Southern Africa and overseas. Claudia has over 12 years of experience working as a marketing consultant for several businesses and NGOs in Eswatini and overseas, and as a lecturer for international Universities such as the European School of Economics (www.eselondon.ac.uk) in Italy, and Mananga Business College in Eswatini. Previously Claudia worked as Regional Manager for SAIWA SpA (www.saiwa.it) a former company of the Danone Group, in charge of trade marketing and sales activities with the main retailers of Central Italy. Claudia has also been involved as a trainer and mentor for Technoserve in Eswatini, and also for several business accelerator programmes (such as VVGROW from Vital Voices) locally and internationally. Claudia holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in Marketing from ESADE Business School and a major in Finance and International Relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia (Bogota, Colombia). Since 2016 Claudia is a fellow of Vital Voices, an American NGO that works with women entrepreneurs from around the world supporting their growth. Since 2019 she is also an active member of ECCo (Eswatini Climate Coalition), a grassroots organization promoting awareness, action and civic engagement around climate change and pollution in Eswatini. In 2020 Claudia was awarded the WIA (Women in Africa) Award as the Eswatini Laureate for her work with Black Mamba, promoting and developing regenerative agriculture and inclusive value chains.  Claudia is passionate about Africa and finding ways to develop the continent through sustainable projects that take into consideration the upliftment of women, the inclusion of grassroots communities and the protection of the environment.   Links: Website: http://blackmambachilli.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiacastellanos/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmambafood/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMambaChilliVenom/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackmambafood/ Recent news: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/416/162/210485.html