Meet Terina Maldonado | Life Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Terina Maldonado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terina, how does your business help the community?
It can often feel like there’s nothing we can do to change the world for the better. I believe the path to changing the world begins in our hearts. When we heal our wounds, release our shame, and begin living authentic lives we create a ripple effect. It is inspiring to see someone stand in their truth, and make decisions from a space of self-love and confidence. Observing this in others can inspire us to do the same. I genuinely believe that when we can live a life full of love, acceptance, and grace for ourselves, free of shame, we can free ourselves of so many things that negatively impact our communities and us. When we replace shame with love we can overcome addiction, abuse, and violence. When we live life from a space of wholeness and authenticity we give others permission to do the same.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a life coach, I empower those who are hungry to live more authentic lives, to break free of the expectations of family, religion, and society. They’re afraid of the consequences of breaking the “rules” but are even more afraid of the life they are missing if they continue living for others. I help them discover that life lived with authenticity, on purpose is breathtakingly good! This allows them to feel confident in themselves, their decisions, and the life they are living. My speaking and corporate facilitation inspire and enable individuals and teams to speak up for themselves and their company, for the ideas that matter most to them.

The building of my business has been small consistent, unsteady steps. I’ve had the feeling for so long that I’m meant to help others, like a divine whisper. The whispers said the experiences of my life that have taught me so many lessons are meant to teach others as well. I’ve had a vision of how I’d like to do that, but didn’t know the exact steps to get me there. I’ve just done what I know to do as I’ve learned other tools and skills for my business. Working with coaches has helped me learn more in a matter of months what may have years on my own. Although it’s not been easy I’ve always trusted the whispers that I’m here to serve and my vision of the good I can do.

I am a survivor in every sense of the word. I’ve been empowered with resilience, empathy, and determination through my lived experiences of child abuse, sexual assault, and leaving a high-demand religion. My superpower is my capacity for vulnerability. Through a lifetime of learning, research, therapy, and personal development, I acquired a deep understanding of how to tell your story as a survivor and how to help others do the same. I now powerfully share my story with others inspiring them to join me in a place of triumph.

Several years ago I identified sexual grooming in a children’s movie. I wrote an article sharing what I saw and that the lens through which I was able to see this was a survivor of child abuse. My article quickly went viral receiving over 5 million views. There was a public outcry about the content in the movie. As a result, for the first time in history, the production company pulled the movie from theaters to be edited for content. Faithwire News dubbed me, “The Mom Who Took On Hollywood-And Won,”

As I’ve walked the path of entrepreneurship I’ve discovered personal growth and business growth are deeply intertwined. Through continually reading books with inspiring and educational content, growing my spiritual practice, sticking to a regular exercise routine, volunteering in my community, and stepping out of my comfort zone to achieve new goals I’ve felt myself become more grounded, sure, and in tune with my vision. Being grounded, sure, and in tune has helped me have greater drive and clarity for my business. Conversely, as I’ve experienced success in my business it has helped me find a sense of purpose and fulfillment which has increased my overall satisfaction with my life enabling me to be a better mom, wife, and friend.

I have contributed to a variety of blogs, been interviewed by news and media outlets, and been a podcast guest. I co-authored the book, Fear to Freedom: Stories of Triumph After Leaving a High Control Religion. I am a graduate of the Spotlight Speaker Accelerator speaker training program and a certified Step into Your Moxie facilitator. I have been featured by dozens of national and international media outlets including New York Times, CNN, ABC, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, FOX and Washington Post.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The first thing would be to introduce them to our friends and show them around our neighborhood. We love the Cadence at Gateway community. It has enough amenities to keep us busy. We love spending time here with our friends. We would probably check out the grand canyon, horseshoe bend, and Sedona and drive home through Oak Creek. We would do a hike although picking one would be hard there are so many beautiful trails nearby. We might paddleboard down the Salt River and hopefully, see the beautiful wild horses. We could take a drive to the Cookie Cabin in Tucson. Going dancing on Whiskey Row in Prescott would be a night to remember. Doing some wine tastings in Cottonwood would be a delight.

I love supporting local businesses, especially restaurants. Some favorites we might visit would be Nando’s, Bacci Italian Bistro, Salt, Grimaldi’s, Dim Sum Cafe, and Thai Kitchen. We would spend one evening exploring downtown Gilbert enjoying the nightlife and unique bars and restaurants. Depending on the weather, we would enjoy some wine on our patio.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m continually grateful for the love and support of my husband Brent he empowers me to follow my dreams. My three kids, Croix, Maizy, and Pierce inspire me every day to be the best version of myself. i’m also thankful for friends and family who love me and encourage me. My business and speaking coaches, Alexia Vernon and Darlene Hawley have given me the skills and knowledge to help others in a greater way.

Thank you to the brilliant Brene Brown for teaching me and the world what vulnerability looks like.

Website: http://www.terinamaldonado.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terina_maldonado/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terina-maldonado-49129b201/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealEmpowerEducate

Image Credits
Ali Hohn Photography Quianna Marie Photography