South Florida Women in Business with Maureen DeLorenzo {south florida personal branding photographer}

I am excited to be sharing the first installment of my South Florida Women in Business blog series in 2021 with a blog post about Maureen DeLorenzo, with Wellness and Relationship Counseling. I had the pleasure of also photographing Maureen for her personal branding images at the beautiful, The Social House, and I very much love her approach to life and to her practice.

Tell us about your business: 

Wellness and Relationship Counseling, Maureen DeLorenzo is a therapy and coaching practice geared towards individuals and couples who are looking to start a family or are interested in cultivating deeper connections within their already existing one.  I am a licensed psychotherapist and a holistic health coach and work holistically with my clients to address their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. I have advanced training in integrative nutrition, Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and individuals along with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Based Interventions.

What made you decide to become a therapist (or health coach or both?)?

I was raised in a large blended family and was the middle of five children so I was naturally groomed to work in a helping profession as my younger years where filled with lots of caretaking responsibilities in different capacities. As I evolved, I learned ways to channel this energy through leadership and community work. My decision to become a therapist, health coach and healer was born from a love of psychology,  passion for holistic health and wellness, and my natural gifts of intuition, empathy and compassion. 

What were your first steps to starting your business?   And if you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

My first step was in getting clear on all of the reasons why I wanted to be an entreprenuer. It’s a massive responsibility filled with lots of opportunities and rewards. After that, it’s a giant leap and a lot of faith. If I had to do it all over again, I would put the tightest blinders on my eyes and cover my ears completely. It’s so easy to get side tracked by everyone else’s vision of how you should run your business, what you should learn, and who you should work with. This process has strengthened my connection to my intuition and my own desires. When we follow our desires and passion, everything always works out. 

What is the biggest challenge about owning and running your own business?

The biggest challenge is maintaining standards that are aligned with my larger family vision. It is so easy to get excited and carried away with new ideas, ventures, collaborations, clients, and so on. For me, it requires me constantly checking in with myself to make sure that I am being intentional about where my energy goes and staying focused on my priorities- my own self care and spirituality, my relationship with my husband, my kids and then my work.

 What is the most rewarding thing about owning your own business?

The self growth, for sure.  I get paid to run through my own fires. The more I evolve, the more mindful, connected and effective I am with my clients. 

Where do you see your business heading in the next few years?

My business is evolving into a premiere coaching practice for highly motivated & driven Millennial mothers who are looking to re-envision their role in their family and in their life. Millennials are the most family-centric generation with the greatest desire to connect and the least amount of tools and resources to do it. I am in the process of creating an online community for Mindful Millennial mothers to connect, find purpose, cultivate spirituality, creativity, and deepen their connection within their families. I work with perfectionistic parents who are looking to learn how to trust themselves as parents while giving them a framework to manage their emotions, work through trauma and communicate effectively with their loved ones. It has become extremely difficult and impossible to sustain happy, healthy and connected families with the pressures that are put on today’s families. I help you step out of the intergenerational pattern that you have inherited and are perpetuating and into the life you want to begin to envision and design.

Do you have a morning routine or schedule that helps maximize your time and productivity?

Yes. My morning ritual is critical - I have always been an early riser and am most productive in the morning. I work hard to start my day with a meditation and some journaling. Very often, I am derailed by my three year old who wakes up before the sun rises. :-)  Finding time for my own self care is a critical component in creating a successful business and the best time is usually in the morning. I have to schedule myself in to my calendar, just like I would a client.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who is starting their own business, what would it be?

Enjoy the process and be yourself! You are constantly evolving, so expect that your business and interests will too. When you are yourself, you naturally develop services and products that you are passionate about which will allow you to become a magnet for your ideal client and customer.

Are there any particular resources or tools that you recommend to other small business owners that have helped you run your business?

 Hire a business coach that does not teach you cookie cutter strategies of growing your business. Hire someone that does the personal work themselves and is going to know the right questions to ask you so that you can design the business that YOU want. That being said,  get clear on what you KNOW and what you DON’T know. Self Mastery is the name of the game. Feel free to reach out to me for additional resources!

How do you balance work, family and fun?

I don’t always, and I embrace the imperfection around it, however, I  work hard to be very clear on my priorities. My family comes before work. So, after envisioning the type of family I want to have and the way I want to show up and feel day to day, everything else falls into place. My work is fun so I fit into my family life. Personal and business is always interconnected, so I am constantly working hard to keep both in alignment with my goals. 

What is an accomplishment that you are very proud of?

 I am extremely proud of my children, Lily, 6yo and Jackson, 3 yo. They are spirited, curious, resilient, fun, silly, loving, and energetic all in one. They are my best teachers, constantly pointing me to the places I need to focus and grow the most.  I did complete a half marathon and an all day silent mindfulness meditation retreat not too long ago- those were big ones!

If you were stranded on an island and could only have three things, what would they be? 

My journal , my wedding album or a picture of my family, and a water filter. 

When you are not at work, where can we find you?

I am either working out, doing yoga, cooking in the kitchen,  doing arts and crafts projects with Lily, chasing after Jackson, hanging out with Brock, meditating, journaling, reading, catching up on sleep, drinking tea, and planning our next family adventure. We have a camping trip planned for December!