Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayra Moreno.
Hi Mayra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Everything I went through has prepared me for what I am becoming and this is my story. I am a mother to an amazing eleven years old daughter. She is the reason I have accomplished so much in the last few years including our newest small business adventure @rootingforyousucculents. My family and I (Mom, Sister, and Brother) have always dreamed of owning a home. In 2006 we lost everything. Some of our closest relatives opened their doors to us and allowed us to sleep in their homes until we could get on our feet. My senior year in high school, I gave up basketball, quit drum line, stopped volunteering at the hospital and I picked up my first job at CVS pharmacy to help support my family. I would give my mom my entire paycheck so that we could cover rent, food and utilities. I used to get scolded for not having lunch money by my mom, but surviving was all I could think about. We moved a lot. More times than I can count. Although our housing situation was not ideal, I still managed to graduate from high school with honors. What an accomplishment after all of the things we went through.
Fast forward to 2015, I found myself starting over in a new job in medicine and decided to combine my life savings with my mom to purchase a condo in Orange County. I was twenty-five. Two divorced single moms chasing the impossible. But we did it. Now fast forward to 2020. I had been working behind the scenes on my college education. I went to 6 community colleges between 2010-2020. I took classes near my employer at any given time and chipped away at pre-requisites. In 2020, I earned five associate’s degrees. AAT-Psychology, AAT-Sociology, AA-American Studies, AA-Social & Behavioral Sciences. During a full-blown pandemic, I finally made it to the next step in my career which was to apply to my dream school. On a warm summer day, I got the letter. I was accepted to Chapman University as a Psychology Major. It was the only school I applied to because of the cost of college applications but I knew in my heart that I would make it. Not only did I earn 5 degrees, and get accepted to Chapman, my mom and I took the next step in buying our first home and I am on track towards earning my Bachelors in the Spring of 2022. Pardon the long preface but only now will you understand the significance of this home. The market was brutal and we were outbid on many homes. The house we now live in wasn’t even available anymore however the owners at the time allowed us to view it anyway. Destiny has a funny way of manifesting itself and let me tell you, that what this was.
After many weeks on our search for a forever home, we got the call. The house that wasn’t available had a client fall through and it becomes ours on February 2021. Our home is covered in succulent walls that are heaven in a backyard if you ask me. The previous owner found her passion in gardening and upon walking through our new garden, I too found myself learning all about the new collection I just inherited. My goal is to provide succulent arrangements from our garden to share some of the love and passion that comes from our home. Along with that, I hope that I can use our small business to help me cover tuition at Chapman while raising my daughter. I am a woman of strength, resilience, and I have an extreme passion for helping others. My next goal is to become a Physician Assistant. I want our small business to help motivate and inspire others through the messages we add to our arrangements while also getting to know us, This in turn, will allow me to fulfill my lifelong dream of healing others through medicine and now through our garden. My business became a mother/daughter adventure and we’re learning so much along the way. We hope to bring you along and we are here to encourage any and all of your milestones. Hence our business name: Rooting For You Succulents.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our small business is fairly new and we’ve been open for almost three months. We have encountered several bumps on the road but we’re learning so much. One of the most challenging aspects about running this business is the fact that I work full time in a Children’s hospital, I am a full-time student, and Motherhood is no easy task. I have now become the marketing team, creative designer, accountant, social media manager, and more! Our small business isn’t about the income we will acquire but the positive impact we’ll have in the community when they get to know us. We want everyone to know that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. We have been participating at local pop ups in the hopes that more people will get to know us. Every succulent arrangement is unique. One of my favorite things is when a customer has an idea, and they let us get creative with it. No order is too small. If you can think it, we can create it. I also want to address my village. Without my mom, sister, and brother, none of this would be possible. They come to our pop ups, they take care of my daughter while I’m working my full-time job, and they out here to bed while I’m attending lecture at night. No amount of gratitude will ever suffice and I hope they know how grateful I am to have them in our lives.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a healthcare professional and have been working in medicine for over ten years. I worked the frontlines throughout the pandemic and continue to chase the dream of becoming a Physician Assistant. I live and breathe medicine. Not even a pandemic has deterred me from this dream and that’s how I know it is what I am destined to do. What sets me apart from most is that through all of the trials and tribulations my family and I have endured, I remain optimistic about my life. I want to use that to help others who are in need and I have so many ideas in which I will be able to help others. My main goal is to help single mothers who want to pursue higher education. My little succulent business is the start of that goal and it will come to fruition without a doubt.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is when my mom got to join me for a school field trip to sea world. She let us choose our Itinerary and that simply made her the BEST mom ever! P.S. She is the definition of a guerrera and I want to grow up to be half the woman she is.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @rootingforyousucculents
