Maria Torres: Making a Difference by Creating a MomBoss Community
I was browsing through Instagram searching for like-minded moms to follow and ran into MiamiMomTribe, a community of Mama-preneurs started by the beautiful entrepreneur Maria Torres. Of course I had to feature her on the November issue of the MOMBOSS section. I hope you enjoy reading about her and getting to know the wonderful community she is creating and remember to show her some love supporting her Momtribe on social.
Tell us a little about your self and your company
I was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the US in 2005 at the age of 20 and settled in South Florida where I have held more addresses than anyone can ever imagine- if anyone needs any moving advice, I am your go-to person for that. I graduated from Florida International University with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, and later on received an MBA degree from Florida Atlantic University. Married for 3 years, dog mom for the last 9 years and in September 2017 as Hurricane Irma hit South Florida, me and my hubby welcomed daughter Amelia to our lives.
I have always had a strong passion for community involvement and women empowerment, but after the birth of our daughter, I shifted my focus to the Miami Mom community, founding Miami Mom Tribe. A space dedicated to “Mamapreneurs” in Miami and the surrounding areas, spotlighting Mom-Owned businesses, encouraging others to shop small , and empowering Mom Bosses to continue to follow their dreams.
As an entrepreneur myself, I understand the challenges behind balancing motherhood and having a career and as such, I wanted to create a space where these mamas can come to “recharge”, meet other moms in the community with similar mindsets, spark awesome collaborations and increase business opportunities in a fun, supportive, judgement free environment. “Mommyin’ ain’t easy” as they say, we might as well have fun with it!
Describe yourself in 5 words
Happy go lucky, down to earth, dreamer, passionate, caring, wears her heart on her sleeve
Please walk us through a day in your shoes as an entrepreneur
I wish days were longer for everything that I have to do, but I work with what I get and try to make the best of it. I am not perfect but I definitely try my hardest and that’s what gives me peace at night. I wake up, prepare breakfast, wake my baby up, get her ready for school, pack her lunch, get ready myself, drive her to school.
After I drop her off, I go and see clients, then at noon I pick her up, bring her home have lunch with her and continue to work in between breastfeeding sessions, naps, and play time. in the evenings after I put Amelia down to sleep at (7:30pm) I continue to do any or all admin work that I wasn’t able to get to, go out for run, and spend quality with my husband, who by the way is the one in charge of making dinner and is my biggest supporter. Having a support system is key when you are trying to balance life as an entrepreneur, everyday I count my blessings for having him stick around with me.
How do you go about marketing your business and what tips can you give others?
Besides making sure that I post relevant, and eye catching content on my Instagram account, I try to spark individual conversations with every single one of my followers. I believe the human element is the most important part of any business, yet sometimes I feel it’s an aspect that most of us forget about. If my heart is about empowering others, then I have to make sure that I connect with people’s hearts and understand what they do, and where they want to be, and figure out what I can do to support them. I feel that automatically creates reciprocity where they will support me as much as I support them. It’s a true friendship bond that goes beyond business- hence the “Tribe” concept.
Have you ever had to sacrifice something at work to make the family work? Or vice versa?
I feel that anyway you look at it, there will always be something that is sacrificed. Time, lunch dates, appointments, dinners… and that’s just part of the game but it’s a matter of balancing it and making sure it doesn’t become a repetitive pattern. I have had to miss or postpone dinner meetings because I simply want to hang with my family- that will always be my priority. But I have also had to sacrifice time with my family to attend a business endeavor. As long as my family is taken care of, that is all that matters.
What is the best thing to have happened to you because of MIAMIMOMTRIBE?
Meeting all the people that I have met. The Miami Mom community is filled with a myriad of smart, beautiful, intelligent, kind people who are trying their very best to provide for their family while still engaging lovingly with other fellow Mom Bosses. You see, whats so beautiful about this community is that our driving force is our families- wanting to pay for those ballet or karate lessons, or the braces that one of their children needs, going on family trips that create memories of a lifetime… when they say that when you buy small, someone does the happy dance, that is literally true. And that in itself is worth supporting, embracing and celebrating!
How do you keep yourself organized and make time for everyone and everything? Any helpful tips?
I have a white board with sticky notes everywhere! I divide by columns where i write all the projects I am working either personal or work related, organize it by level of priority and go at it! I check mark everything, create calendars that keep me with targets per day (even down to the hour), and once something is complete I celebrate BIG TIME as I scratch it off. Because the feeling of having completed something gives me a sense of accomplishment and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside lol. Obviously there are times when I fall off track but I also try to set up phone reminders and try to do my best. I am not perfect at all and sometimes this can be overwhelming but overall, this system keeps me moving forward. And when I fall off the track, I just try to get back on it and continue.
Favorite fun thing to do with the family?
My husband loves the water, so we go to the beach a lot, and also hang out at Splash and Plays areas near by. I love Miami’s artsy scene, so we go a lot to walk around the Wynwood area and uncover small hole in the wall places with hipster vibes.
How do you unwind from it all?
I don’t think I have an off button lol but I do love beer more than I do wine. So once or twice a week I give myself that space where I just have a bottle or beer (Stella to be exact), sit in my backyard and chill out!
What’s your favorite date night?
Trying out new restaurants that are low key and hidden gems. Finding a really good show on Netflix and binging on it while we eat popcorn. And when we have a babysitter, go out dancing, painting or taking street photography.
Guilty pleasure?
Reality TV
A piece of advise to Mompreneurs
Fear is part of the game- don’t challenge it, embrace it and turn it into that fire that propels you forward. Fear is only in the mind, but you have the power to overcome it and create greatness for yourself, for your families, and for everyone else to see. Everything else will fall into place as long as you keep moving forward.
Maria Torres lives in Miami with her husband and daughter. You can contact her by email at [email protected] or on Instagram at MiamiMomTribe
