Today we’d like to introduce you to Marla Soriano.
Marla, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, even as a little girl, I always had hoped one day I could work in the field of either foster care or adoption. I found myself constantly drawn to the thought of helping children who do not have parents and so desperately wanted to do something to change that. Never in a million years, (especially in my 40’s) did I ever think I’d have a career in surrogacy, with the opportunity to help parents have children instead.
Although I had a BA in Psychology, therapy just wasn’t my passion. After college, I worked in real estate, I was a weight loss counselor and Program Director for a well-known weight loss company, decorated corporate apartments for a furniture rental company and even worked for a short time as a run-through coordinator for the TV show The Dating Game. What did I learn about myself! I DID NOT LIKE SALES, but I loved working with people. Regardless, I went through the motions of working for the sole purpose of making a living, in hopes that one day, when the timing was right, I would find the perfect fit, and build a career.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a work in progress, but worth every minute of the journey to get where I finally am today. In 1992, I married my husband Jacques and within the first year of marriage, I became pregnant with our firstborn, Nicole. I took what I thought would be a short break from work to be a stay at home mom. Turns out, the anticipated short break from work lasted longer than expected, as I soon after had my second child, Brandon. Fast forward 14 years later…Work? I have to go back to work? Not an easy thing to do after years being out of the loop for so long. I slowly integrated back into part-time work but was not fulfilled. The determination and drive to work in the field of family services in one aspect or another all came rushing back, but I didn’t know where to start. Well, along with the help and support of my lifelong friend, who is a Third-Party Reproduction Attorney, I was given my first shot at working in the field of building families through surrogacy. She opened a door, allowing me the opportunity to work for her as an independent contractor, preparing the parentage paperwork for her surrogacy cases. Learning about this process from the legal aspect was both overwhelming and emotional. How could it be so easy for me to get pregnant when so many others are struggling? I knew I had to do more, which ultimately led me to Family Creations. With my friend’s recommendation, along with a direct referral from another friend, who is a Mental Health Professional specializing in Assisted Reproduction, I was granted an interview and got the job. So now, both friends are also my colleagues.
I began my career with Family Creations in 2013. I started off slowly, working at the front desk as an Administrative Assistant. I remember at first feeling so overwhelmed thinking; “I’ll never be able to do this job!” To my surprise, within a month, I was promoted to the position of Surrogate Case Manager and after a few years, took on the dual role of Director of Case Management, while still managing all the surrogacy cases. Today, I am the Surrogate Program Director, matching Intended Parents with surrogates, while also managing the entire surrogacy team. It is nothing short of a dream!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Family Creations story. Tell us more about the business.
Family Creations, LLC is a top-rated Egg Donation and Surrogacy Agency. We have helped countless parents grow their families and some of the most highly recognized experts in fertility routinely work with Family Creations as their agency of choice. There are two different kinds of surrogacy, Traditional and Gestational. Family Creations only works in Gestational Surrogacy. This is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a baby for another person or couple. In gestational surrogacy, the baby isn’t genetically related to the surrogate…It’s just fascinating!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It can only get bigger and better from here! The acceptance of building families through surrogacy is more widely recognized now more than ever. At some point in every match meeting, I always say the same thing, “Our Surrogates come to us by choice, while Intended Parents come us because they often have no choice.” My job is to marry the two and find the best match possible for everyone.
Contact Info:
- Address: 21300 Victory Blvd., Suite 760
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 - Website: www.familycreations.net
- Phone: 818-225-1700
- Email: msoriano@familycreations.net
Image Credit:
Julia Alkire, FamilyCreations, LLC
Michelle Langley, Family Creations, LLC
Lori Meyers-Meyers & O Hara LLP
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