This blog post series spotlights women entrepreneurs kicking butt in business. We all play so many roles in life that it can seem overwhelming to also run a business. I hope you find their success stories inspiring.

Happy Marketing, Danielle

Tell us about your business. What makes Reina + Co. unique?

• Reina + Co is the Life + Biz Success Coaching practice that helps creative entrepreneurs to make confident decisions in their business. Often, creatives have a million ideas bouncing around in their head and it feels like she’s spinning her wheels. Through coaching, I help her hit the ground running and take her business to the next level. What’s unique about my practice is that I’m trained in psychology through my undergraduate education (total Psych nerd), Masters in Social Work and my ongoing education as a trained coach. What makes the approach of my coaching unique is that I’m able to ask really powerful questions to help my client think about an issue in ways that they may not have considered rather than providing strategy or a plan that may fall flat. I also combine life and business coaching because for entrepreneurs, often life bleeds into the business and vice versa and we’re not able to compartmentalize as well as we think we can. If you’re having a bad day at home, it’s sure going to impact the way you show up in your business. I’ve built my business to be heart-centered. It means that over scrutinizing the bottom line (while that’s important), it’s more important for my clients to have a business that is in alignment with their values. I help my clients explore this as well and living lives that are purposeful and full of passion and fulfillment.

Sometimes in order to find solutions to business problems, we need to step away from business. I heard you recently spent time with your family in Hawaii. Did you find taking time off helped your business? How so?

• I traveled to Oahu for vacation for a week and it was a much needed break. I met up with my family who lives in Japan (we live on the East Coast in the US) and got to travel around and enjoy each other’s company. I try to practice what I teach and try to disconnect from my work and be present with my family. Vacation has a way of helping me with that. Typically, it involves a lot of water recreation (going to the pool, going to the beach, scuba diving) and since I’m terrified that I’ll drop my phone in the water, I just leave it in the hotel room and don’t have the opportunity to look at my phone. I was able to prepare myself for that trip and setting the expectations of my clients to let them know I was gone. I refueled on me and realizing that freedom is a value that is very important in my life and in my business. Having this business set up the way I desire opens me up to be free to travel, to be anywhere to work, to pick up my kiddo when I want to. I am able to choose my own adventure!

What were two big investments you’ve made in your business? Were they worth it?

• I’ve made a few big investments which I’m happy to say I’ve done. I first have my own coach. That’s an investment of my time and my financial resources. I’d be wary of any coach who doesn’t also have their own coach. Mine has been worth her weight in gold. Second, I invested in one of the most intensive Coach Training Programs in the country. I did this because I wanted to make sure that I had all the tools needed to serve my clients. That experience has been transformative in the way that I’m able to deliver my coaching. I take a lot of pride in having gone through such a rigorous program (I’d say that it has been just as intensive as one year of college!).

What brings you happiness? This can be something in your business or personal life.

• Connection. The #1 thing that makes me happy is being able to connect with people. I feel most fulfilled when I can take the time to get to know somebody and see them for what they are. Their hopes, their desires and all the fears that linger. I think that it’s one of my gifts that I’m so grateful to have! So much of our conversations in daily life are so surface and superficial. I love to dig deeper and find a connection that is more than just the “water cooler talk” that we’re so well versed in. It also makes me happy when people (including myself) get to live a life on PURPOSE and completely authentically!

What’s next? Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?

• WAHOO! I’m so excited for the next 6 months. In the fall, you’ll see me launch a group coaching program called the Q4 Refresh. It is an accountability group coaching program for all those goals that creatives set for themselves but got put on the back burner. We pull those lists out, dust them off and make sure all the delayed but important projects get checked off before the New Year’s ball drops! Another exciting thing I’ve got coming up is an e-course to help Creatives build Confidence in their business. How you carry yourself makes a huge difference and it will walk through step-by-step why you need it, what it does for the business and how to actually find your confidence! You can expect to see that course in early 2016!