Courage Creatives

Inspiring Brave Steps, Creative Journeys, and Healthy Lives

Through a blend of transformative coaching, community support, innovative offerings such as the Courageously Speaking Podcast and other digital assets, mind and body resources, and access to creative and wellness providers, we support individuals on their journey to redefine success in the lens of authentic fulfillment within and beyond the workplace.

We also offer organizations the opportunity to help their employees find meaning in their work while addressing their personal wellness needs.

Our Mission

Courage Creatives empower professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, wellness providers and advocates, and organizations to redefine success by prioritizing wellness and holistic growth using evidence-based resources.

We aim to make wellness as well as personal and professional growth accessible to all, offering impactful programs and tools for those who are ready to invest in themselves while providing a wealth of free resources to uplift and support everyone on the path toward a life of courage, connection, and purpose—all rooted in research and community.

Our Vision

Be an inspiration for people worldwide to take brave steps toward a healthier and more creative life by providing them accessible and evidence-based wellness resources, fostering courageous growth within communities.

Our Guiding Values

C-ourage

H-onesty

A-cumen

R-eliability

A-ltruism

C-reativity

T-eamwork

E-xcellence

R-espect

Services

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When Your Calling Calls You

That 6th Grade Dream

When I was in 6th grade, I wrote in my year book, “When I grow up, I would be a business woman.” However, I also know that I want to be: a singer-songwriter, an actress, a teacher, a psychologist, and a missionary. Not sure how that will all work out but my determination to be able to do all of the above never changed. Anyone with this same struggle?

The American Dream

In my early years in the United States, I definitely did not become a business owner nor become a singer, actress, teacher, psychologist, and missionary. As an immigrant, I needed to find a job quickly in order to survive as not only did I have to support myself, I had to help my family back home financially.

Interestingly, I thrived as a sales associate, a marketing coordinator, an HR representative, a registrar, an admissions counselor, and a department manager—except becoming one of the above-mentioned.

Indeed, no matter how successful I was in terms of salary and position, there was this lingering feeling that something’s missing. No wonder, some of my friends and family frequently asked me these two questions: 1) Why are you too ambitious? 2) Why can’t you just focus? I can’t blame them for their remarks but I wish some of them believed in my vision. I am ambitious and I love to do a lot of things but I am also very determined. I will make it happen, no matter how long it takes!

For more than a decade, I did what I needed to survive and gave my best to ensure that whether I was a sales associate or an HR pro, I made an impact. Then, it dawned on me that I value altruism—that as long as I get to serve others, I am happy.

Seek to Thrive, Not Just Survive

Given ample financial stability, I transitioned from survival mode to thriving mode. One by one, I started fulfilling my aspirations while holding a full time position—I had a number of gigs as a singer-songwriter (here’s a link to my original song) and as a broadway actress (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Palms Theater).

In addition, I have been working as a part-time faculty at a local university since 2016 while volunteering my time as a community leader who helps organize and support philanthropic events that serve at-risk populations in our community.

Mental Health

As I continued working as an educator and a community leader, I witnessed the mental health struggles that my students, colleagues, and people in the community suffer. I also noticed a pattern—mental health, nutrition, physical activity, relationships, genetics, environment, belief system, socio-economic factors, and lifestyle are interrelated.

I saw how some of my students, in particular, struggled in school not because they are lazy or unmotivated but that they are trying to cope with the aftermath of a shooting that happened on campus, financial aid that they fear will run out, family problems, etc. that are causing their mental breakdown. Being a faculty member, I am curious to learn about some practical but also evidence-based approach to address the mental health issues that my students and our society as a whole face.

On Being Courageous

In 2024, I decided it’s about time to embody what ambitious really means but also focus on a different level—I am going to finally be that entrepreneur who combines all of the above plus find a way to incorporate mental health and life fulfillment in my work.

Focus? Yes, focus on the goal to translate my love for altruism to an actual business that will help others be more courageous, creative, and healthy without sacrificing the many interests and skills that make me unique. If you’ve been told who you should be, what you should think, which things you should like many times in your life, I am sure you somehow understand my plight.

Courageously Speaking

While figuring it all out, I know I needed an outlet to creatively express myself in altruism that actually brings impact not just to my community but to the world at-large. The first episode of my Courageously Speaking Podcast which aired in July 2024 tackled mental health through the lens of a mental health counselor/college administrator who helps people like her manage their life while living with mental health struggles.

Courage Creatives

In August 2024, Courage Creatives was born. I built this community to help people just like me who are ambitiously unique to courageously find the creative balance they need to live a healthy, successful, and happy life without having to conform to artificial standards of fulfillment!

Mind Body Science

In this day and age, there are plentiful of information floating around social media and the internet on how to address mental health, nutrition, relationships, success, and life, in general, but many of those resources are based on opinions, anecdotes, and sometimes, pseudoscience.

In my quest to provide evidence-based tools and resources to the public, I studied medical/psychological/nutrition journals; interviewed doctors, psychologists, and fitness experts; and completed a course on Mind Body Science from Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the Massachusetts General Hospital. This class opened my eyes to things that the public are only partially aware of.

The COURAGE Model (Wellness & Success Coaching)

After taking the aforementioned Mind Body Science course, my Creative Balance framework that I have used throughout my life as an educator and counselor/coach as well as as a person has now transformed to what I now call, the COURAGE MODEL of Wellness and Success Coaching. This model combines evidence-based tools and resources as well as practical application of life experience in helping people achieve a truly fulfilling life.

What About You?

Follow your North Star! So, when you’re calling calls you, take the call, even if it means the journey starts a little later or it progresses a little slower in the beginning. However, when getting to your WHY feels so overwhelming, you don’t have to be alone—Courage Creatives is here to help you get there!

Stay Courageous,

Maria