Meet Laura Cardona | Licensed Massage Therapist & Certified Aromatherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Cardona and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a mother of three young girls, I am always thinking about how my decisions are going to impact their life. Everything is a risk. Whether you are risking quality time or money or both they both can be heavy loads to balance when you are an entrepreneur and a parent. The fear of going through financial hardships during the time you are trying to make something out of yourself is very real and can be very discouraging. However, keeping your eye on the horizon and setting an example for your kids to follow is all worth it. Risk taking has played a very big role in my life and career. After nearly 15 years in corporate America, three cities, and three children later I decided to walk away and go back to school full time, live off of my savings, and pursue what had always been on my heart: massage therapy as well as an education in other holistic modalities. This was a huge risk because although I had my family’s support everything had to be very meticulously calculated since my husband was the only person generating income. In my mind the risk had to be well worth it and I had a new mission to prove it. Without risk taking there is no chance to actually become who it is you want to be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career as a licensed massage therapist and certified aromatherapist all stemmed from a place of love and respect for nature as well as a genuine need to care for others. I would say that I am most proud of not quitting when there were so many opportunities for me to do so. In going back to school full time, I had to still balance family life with a lot of school work. Long sleepless nights and early mornings became a norm for me. It was not easy. Whenever I wanted to quit, I thought about my girls and the path I am trying so hard to pave for them. I would ask myself what advice would I give any one of them if they wanted to quit? One phrase would always come to mind: Quitters NEVER win and Winners NEVER quit. I wanted to be a winner and that meant quitting was not an option. Along the way many lessons were learned but the ultimate lesson was to be kind to yourself when challenges arise. You learn something new every day about yourself, goals change, and sometimes delays happen. At this time, I am preparing the launch of my brand and am so excited to be at this stage! It has required me to say no to self-doubt, take extra risks, and truly remain anchored in my faith. My brand and business will honor each person’s individual need on their wellness journey as no two journeys are ever the same.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place to visit is the Schnebly Redlands Winery. We would go there for lunch or dinner and enjoy the music on a Saturday evening. I would also take her to coconut grove for Sunday brunch. I love the Wynwood area for its display of creativity and amazing talent not to mention some of the bars ofcourse. Bayside Market place is so iconic to Miami we would have to stop there for some drinks and entertainment as well. We would also end up at Cava in Coral Gables for a flamenco show and perhaps stop at Morelia Ice Cream Paletas to take care of our sweet tooth.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a huge shoutout to Nicky Dawkins founder of Werk it Moms for creating a safe, encouraging, and educational space for mompreneurs. She helped me realize that there is only one of me and someone needs what I have to offer. I would also like to shout out Rosa Ore founder of Latina Leaders Leaving a Legacy for her mentorship, support, and above all her prayers over my life. In addition I would have to shout out Zeina Darwich (ICF-Energy Coach) as well as Avalon Annisette King (life coach). Without these strong grounded and powerful women to guide me and nudge me I would not have pursued entrepreneurship.

Instagram: Laura and Essentials