Caroline Lauzon: From Cirque to Closings

Carolyn Lauzon explained that her path into circus began through competitive athletics. She started as a high-level gymnast at age five with dreams of reaching the Olympics. However, serious injuries at age 12, including a broken femur and back injury, ended her gymnastics career. Determined to remain in sports, she transitioned into diving and quickly excelled, joining the Canadian national team within a year.

Her diving career was highly successful, but another challenge emerged when she experienced “the twisties,” a mental disconnect that affects spatial awareness during performance. Carolyn shared how difficult it was emotionally to walk away from a sport where she had Olympic potential, especially after medaling consistently with her synchronized diving partner.

At that crossroads, Cirque du Soleil entered her life. Because Cirque’s headquarters are based in Montreal, talent scouts regularly attended athletic competitions. A casting representative encouraged Carolyn to audition if she ever wanted to pursue performance. After deciding to leave diving, she submitted an audition tape and was quickly recruited into the Cirque world. Within weeks, she transitioned from national team athlete to circus performer, eventually joining O in Las Vegas in 2005.

What were the biggest highlights and lessons from Carolyn’s Cirque career?

Carolyn reflected on more than two decades with Cirque du Soleil, performing in productions including O, Iris, Zarkana, and Ka. One of the biggest highlights of her career was performing during the Academy Awards while working on Iris in Los Angeles.

She described how each production pushed her creatively in different ways. While O connected deeply to her diving background and comfort with water performance, Zarkana and Ka expanded her abilities into acting, character work, harness performance, and stunt-based movement. Carolyn emphasized that she loves learning new skills and believes continuous growth helped her maintain longevity in such a demanding profession.

Another major theme she discussed was evolution. When she first joined O, many original performers still worked directly under legendary creator Franco Dragone. Carolyn described entering an environment where the artistic vision and storytelling were deeply respected and carefully preserved. Over time, she became one of the veteran performers responsible for passing that institutional knowledge to newer artists and artistic directors.

She also acknowledged how the business side of Cirque became clearer to her as she developed her own entrepreneurial ventures. Early in her career, she questioned creative and operational changes inside productions. Now, as a business owner herself, she better understands that entertainment companies must balance artistry with profitability and audience demand.

How did Carolyn become involved in real estate and entrepreneurship?

Carolyn revealed that real estate began almost accidentally. She always had a passion for design, decorating, renovation, and hospitality. After purchasing and renovating her own condo in Las Vegas, she realized how much she enjoyed transforming properties into beautiful spaces.

Together with her former husband, she renovated multiple homes and investment properties. During her pregnancy in 2016, she decided to earn her real estate license, initially intending only to manage her own investments and house flips. She successfully passed her licensing exam just before giving birth.

The COVID-19 pandemic became a turning point. With Cirque shows temporarily shut down, Carolyn had time to focus fully on real estate. Despite initially not seeing herself as a salesperson, she quickly discovered she loved helping people navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives.

She explained that her success in real estate came from resilience, discipline, and persistence—skills developed through years of elite athletics and circus performance. Entering the Las Vegas housing market during the competitive pandemic years required determination, adaptability, and emotional stamina, all qualities she already possessed from performing at a high level.

How does Carolyn balance circus performance, business ownership, and motherhood?

Balancing multiple demanding roles remains one of Carolyn’s greatest challenges. She currently performs nearly 500 shows a year while managing a growing real estate business and raising a child. She admitted that avoiding burnout is an ongoing struggle.

However, Carolyn credits her athletic background for teaching her discipline, structure, and mental resilience. Years of intense training prepared her to handle pressure, long hours, and constant adaptation. She also noted that the schedule of Las Vegas resident shows creates opportunities for performers to pursue second careers during daytime hours.

Another key factor in her entrepreneurial success has been community. Because she has spent more than 20 years in Las Vegas and worked across multiple Cirque productions, she built a strong network of performers, creatives, and industry professionals. Carolyn emphasized that word-of-mouth referrals remain one of the most powerful tools in business, especially within close-knit artistic communities.

Despite the challenges, she remains grateful for the longevity of her circus career. At 42 years old, she continues performing physically demanding aerial and acrobatic work while simultaneously building a sustainable future beyond the stage.

What advice does Carolyn give artists interested in buying property or building wealth?

Carolyn encouraged artists and performers to enter the real estate market as early as possible, even if they start small. She believes owning property is one of the best long-term wealth-building strategies, especially for freelancers and touring artists who often face financial instability.

She advised performers not to wait until they can afford a dream home. Instead, she recommended beginning with a condo or starter property to build equity rather than continuously paying rent. Carolyn also highlighted that many first-time buyers are unaware of financing programs and assistance options available through lenders and government initiatives.

For artists worried about touring or inconsistent work schedules, she pointed out that properties can often be rented out while owners travel for contracts or performances. She stressed the importance of speaking with a lender early, improving credit when needed, and creating a long-term financial plan.

One of the biggest influences on her financial mindset was reading the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, which inspired her to begin investing earlier and think differently about money and assets. Her final advice to artists was simple: start sooner rather than later, invest in yourself, and think long term.