On today’s episode Cat is sharing details about her commitment to lock in and the commitment she is challenging her clients to inside of Show Up Real. 

Cat breaks down why this commitment is personal, stories of how much can happen in such a short period of time, and she breaks down the questions to ask yourself to lock into one big scary goal and the mindset shifts needed to commit. 

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My name is Catalina del Carmen and I’m a wife, mother of two, daughter of immigrants, and rule-breaking business coach for women of color, coaches, creatives, and service professionals. I spent years trying to figure out the online business game—creating fashion blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram pages, email lists—all of the things with little or nothing to show for it.

Now I run a growing multiple six-figure coaching business, keeping things radically simple so I can spend more time with my babies than my business. Inside my programs, Show Up Real and Show Up and Lead Mastermind, I teach my clients how to build an online community using authentic, revenue-generating content that doesn’t require them to be everywhere—whether it’s your first four figures in business or six figures in my mastermind.

Less is more when you are committed to growing your impact and revenue at the same time. In this show, I tell the whole mother f***ing truth about what it takes to build and scale an online business. I don’t gatekeep. I don’t tell you half the truth. I keep it real, and I will challenge you to do it as well. Welcome to the Show Up Real Podcast.

Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to the Show Up Real Podcast. I hope you are doing well. Y’all, I feel like I haven’t been here and created a whole solo episode for you. Number one, it is in my values since I started my podcast journey back in 2019 to communicate with you when I’m taking a break and if there are changes happening to the podcast.

The last two months, I’ve taken somewhat of a break from the podcast, and I didn’t let you guys know. I just want to apologize for that. Not that I have to—I know this is free and I don’t owe anyone shit—but it’s in my values to do that. It doesn’t feel right to me. I’ve always been the person who says, “I’m gonna take a break and this is gonna happen.” This time around, it kind of didn’t happen that way. But that’s okay. And I wanna bring it up here because it just didn’t feel right.

Besides that, I have been taking so much time to be with my clients inside of Show Up Real, be with my one-on-one clients, help and support them. I’ve put on some training events for my clients. I’ve been moving and shaking, but I haven’t been keeping you in the loop. So today, I’m going to be talking about a commitment that we’re doing inside of Show Up Real and with all my clients: Q4 Lock-In.

I’m also going to commit to coming back to this podcast. My podcast is going to be a big part of my Q4 Lock-In, which I’ll explain in just a moment. But you can expect me here weekly like I always have. So that’s that. Let’s get into today’s topic. I also feel like giving you a whole update, but maybe we’ll leave that for a different episode. Today, I want to make it short and sweet and make it about the lock-in—about what the title of this podcast is about. So let’s get moving.

Today’s episode is called “The Q4 Lock-In.” This is a commitment I am doing with my clients inside of Show Up Real and with my one-on-one clients who are choosing to participate. I wanted to share it here on the podcast—one, for my clients to have a resource, but two, to get you involved. Because if this is something you want to do, then I want to help you in that process. I want to help you get really clear and focused about the direction you’re going in your business, what you want to create in the last quarter of this year so that you can go into 2026 feeling powerful, feeling in control, and also feeling a sense of surrender—not needing everything to be perfect for you to be able to take action and take risks.

I’m so excited. Let’s talk about where this all came from. The root of this started in the beginning of September. I saw some content around “the great lock-in” or something like that, and I loved it. I love a good challenge—clearly, I do them inside of my programs. I saw this great lock-in challenge on Instagram and TikTok, and I was feeling it. I liked it. But as we got through September and into October, I started thinking about what that could look like for my clients and for me. I started putting together the idea of doing a Q4 Lock-In.

A couple things I want to explain here. When I say “lock-in,” I don’t mean “go all in, 75 Hard, give it all you got, don’t give up.” That’s not this. I don’t want you to give up, but I don’t want you to burn out either. This isn’t a lock-in that means prioritizing your business so much that you’re not enjoying life. This is both—showing up for your business and your life.

Here’s why I say this. When I started thinking about this commitment, I started thinking about what October, November, and December have meant for me in my business. Two specific years came to mind: 2019 and 2020. Those were two years where, from October to December, I took massive action. Wild, insane action. That’s where this idea came from. Once I saw it online, I started thinking about Q4 and the mindset I wanted to have.

In 2019, I was a content creator posting on Instagram, doing YouTube episodes once in a while. I didn’t have my podcast yet. I had just had my baby and was on maternity leave. That time brought so much self-reflection. I was postpartum, learning, growing, full of emotions. I started realizing what I wanted my niche to be because I used to obsess over it. I surrendered to the fact that I wanted to talk about personal development and help people grow. I just hated the name “life coach.” But I had always been that motivational person in my groups, in school, in church. I was always the “you can do it!” person.

It wasn’t until October, as I prepared to go back to work, that I decided to do something brave: I put on an in-person live event with my network. I worked in learning and development, so I was comfortable putting on a training. I decided to just effing do it. I was scared, but I held onto the mantra “Follow that fear.” That’s what I named the workshop. I hosted it in early October. I sold tickets through Instagram. People from high school came. Old coworkers came. My cousins came. So many people signed up. It was such a blessing, and it solidified for me: “Yes, this is what I want to do.”

After that, I wanted to keep having events, but I knew going back to work would make it hard. So I decided to bring that energy to YouTube. But I procrastinated—I felt like I always had to look good, and I had a crying baby at home. One day, I was at my office on a Sunday with my recording equipment, sleep-deprived and frustrated. I prayed about it, and I swear God told me to create a podcast right then and there. Within an hour, I signed up for a hosting platform, created the cover art, and recorded the first episode. A couple of days later, I recorded a few more. I decided to live and breathe the name “Follow That Fear,” the same as my workshop. That moment changed everything. It was December. I decided I was no longer going to let myself stop myself from doing the shit I wanted to do because of how it looked or how it would be perceived. I needed to give myself breathing room to create and let it evolve.

The first three or four episodes of my podcast didn’t have an intro, no outro, no editing. There were quiet moments. I didn’t edit because I didn’t know how and because I knew if I told myself I needed to learn, those episodes wouldn’t come out for a month. Then who knows what mindset shit would come up. I was tired of playing that game with myself. So I told myself: “Cat, you’re going to have to suck it up. You’re going to feel the embarrassment and put it out there. Anyone who doesn’t like it can log off.” That changed everything.

The next year, I was committed to growing that podcast like never before. I did two episodes weekly. I studied how to grow an audience. I started a brand new Instagram account for my podcast. I was willing to make all the mistakes. That was a huge stepping stone for what later, in 2020, became my business.

In 2020, I spent a lot of time sharing my journey, giving value, growing my podcast and Instagram audience. By summer, I wanted to monetize but didn’t know how. I started selling strategy calls but wasn’t happy with that offer. So I made big moves. Around September, I decided to go all in again. I created a course on podcasting in September and launched it in October. I remember being so disappointed, even though 12 or 15 people bought. My expectations were just so high. Then in November, I started a group program called Show Up Real. At the time, it was an eight-week program about building a personal brand online. I was desperate to make something work. I gave myself so much permission to do things imperfectly. It was beautiful, but I was also burnt out. By December, I thought, “Maybe I should just go back to a 9–5. This is so hard.”

That’s when I decided to work on my mindset. I asked myself: What do I want for my life? My business? What would it look like if I stopped trying to take the easiest route? If I stopped trying to go faster? That was when I learned there are no shortcuts. You have to grow, feel, challenge yourself, and discover what you really want.

By the end of December, going into January, I stopped looking for shortcuts. Thinking that way only made me more anxious. If I was serious about growing a business long-term, I needed to earn my stripes. I needed to become good at what I do, put in the work, and help clients get results. I focused on one-on-one coaching. I journaled heavily, changed the way I thought, stopped obsessing over anxiety, and normalized it. “Of course I’m anxious. I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’m being vulnerable. These things don’t have to be a problem.”

Everything changed. I took everything one step at a time. I got coached, joined communities, asked for help. It changed the trajectory of my business.

So when I talk about this Q4 Lock-In, for me, it’s personal. It’s about helping you focus on the work it takes to become the person you want to be—not just looking at the big goal, but looking at the hard work, the emotional load, and learning to carry it. It’s going to take work. It’s going to be hard. And it doesn’t have to be something you fear. I want it to be something that challenges you.

Can you create a challenge for yourself that’s so scary, so audacious—and learn how to take action while being the most compassionate, kind, loving person to yourself? Can you be the advocate you want? Can you learn to validate yourself?

That is the energy of the Q4 Lock-In.

I’m going to give you some questions so you can make your lock-in decisions. These are the decisions about what you’re creating. Then I’ll give you some mindset shifts to anchor onto for the next three months. I’ll refer back to this lock-in throughout upcoming episodes.

Let’s start with the lock-in decisions. Grab a pen and paper, or if you’re on the road, pause and voice memo your thoughts.

1. What’s the one bold, big, scary goal you want to commit to this year?
2. What’s the version one of that goal—not the final product? The minimum viable product.
3. What support do you need to stay with this commitment? Look at your life, habits, and self-talk.
4. What are you ready to stop perfecting and start moving on?
5. What energy do you want to lead with the rest of the year? What beliefs do you want to anchor to?
6. What is the big ask you’re making of yourself? How can you show up without making it mean something about your worth?

Am I willing to step up and do my best—not the best, my best? Can I show up even when it’s hard, without making it mean I suck or don’t have time? Can I be honest with myself when shit comes up? Because it will. It’s the holidays. I have two kids. Life happens. That’s certain. Are you going to show up for your business and your goals and not make your emotions the villain?

When the anxiety or overwhelm hits, take care of yourself. Walk, journal, move, rest. Then ask, “What can I do next to move forward?”

Now, let’s talk about the five mindset shifts I want you to adopt for the rest of the year.

1. Presence over panic.
   When you feel panic or anxiety, get rooted in presence. Focus on what’s in front of you. That’s enough for the day.
2. Being brave over being perfect.
   Perfect doesn’t exist. This is about courage, self-acceptance, and doing what you said you’d do.
3. Surrender over control.
   Trust that your actions are enough. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
4. Momentum over milestones.
   Let consistency and focus build the win. Failure will happen. It’s part of the journey. This is about who you’re becoming.
5. Self-trust over self-doubt.
   Trust your ideas and your process. When doubt comes up, talk to it. Normalize it. Even Olympians feel it. Then lean into self-trust.

That is the Q4 Lock-In. If you want to participate, stay involved, keep listening to the podcast. I’m committing right here that even if I have to record in my car in front of a hotel like I am right now, I’ll show up. I could tell myself a whole story about how irresponsible this is—but instead, I’m taking action. And honestly, this is the best episode I’ve recorded in so long.

I hope you’ll join me. If you stick around, if you keep listening, if you follow me on Instagram at Cat Del Carmen, I promise I’ll support you along the way. And if you want even more support, I’m taking a handful of one-on-one clients for the rest of the year. It’s a four-month program, high-touch. You’ll have access to me on weekly calls, on Voxer, and access to my group program Show Up Real so you can have that community piece. If you’re interested, apply and book a sales call below—or go to my Instagram and use the link in bio.

Let’s lock the F in. I’m sending you a hug. Bye.

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