Meet Dorian Liriano | Life Coach and Mentor

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

Hi Dorian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
From a young age, I knew I had an entrepreneurial spirit. My earliest memories of being an entrepreneur were buying merchandise and selling at a profit when I was in the 3rd grade! Remember Creepy Crawlers? A friend and I started selling single crawlers. When we picked up traction, we bought a machine to help us make our own merchandise, helping us lower our costs and increase our revenue. Using my mother and father as role models, my father always picked up on any side hustle that would make the family extra cash while my mother was a relentless negotiator. I still remember times when she’d be at our local bodega negotiating over the price of yucca!
Fast forward a few decades later, I still knew that I wanted to go into business for myself. I keep a physical black Moleskine notebook in my back pocket at all times. While I’ve generated over 100 business ideas, I never actioned many. I remember the pivotal advice a friend’s father imparted to me, “Choose one, get it done, and move on to the next one.”
Long story short, while my focus is still split several ways, I knew that coaching/mentoring was the most important path for me. I have personally been the benefactor of mentorship and I have had the privilege of mentoring others both in a school setting and in a professional setting. It made sense to me to start with the one thing I feel strongly about – giving back to community. I spend time sharing my lessons learned in both personal and professional settings so that the next individual can learn from my mistakes and gain an advantage in life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
While I legally incorporated my Life Coaching business in 2023, I have been working up the courage to become a Life Coach for roughy 10 years. It took plenty of discussions with my circle and myself to make sure I didn’t sound crazy. Thing is, when starting a business and embarking on something other than a stable job, you HAVE to be a little crazy anyway! The process has been long and daunting as I reconcile so many aspects of who I am with what I represent. And in that, what sets me apart is that I came up from the hood and when I move, I move with my upbringing and my neighborhood. I try to be the person I needed when I was young. “I came up right where you came up, I’m successful, you can do it too.”
I want the world to know that my ultimate goal is move into speaking engagements and talk to groups of people about the meaning of success, challenges in life transitions, and related content. I’m proudly from the hood and I’m relentlessly pursuing success. So watch out. There’s no stopping this freight train.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man. If you came to Atlanta, I’d highly recommend:

Breakfast: The Real Milk & Honey in College Park. The vibe is dope and the portion sizes will leave you more than satisfied.

Lunch: The best pizza spot in town is a franchise called Fellini’s. Its pizza done right, recommended by a native a New Yorker. ✌️

Dinner/Hangout/Weekend Vibes: I would send you straight to the Beltline by Ponce City Market or by the West End. The Beltline is a city development project connecting several neighborhoods through a continuous, close circuit path for walking and biking. You can start anywhere on the Beltline, take a stroll on a beautiful day, chill for hours, and eat in any of the dozens of restaurants along the path. If you’re looking to have drinks, there are designated spots on the Beltline where you can have alcohol as well. Its just as good as a place for the family during the day time as it is for friends hanging out at night time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Ask me in my 20s and I’d tell you I did it all myself. No one to thank. Nearing 40, I have a clearer perspective on how I arrived where I am at today.

My Family – My grandmother, sister and mother have been my biggest cheerleaders since day 1. My sister in particular, Yli (CEO of Yli’s Love Look), has been encouraging on this venture’s journey. Last but not least, my wife and children, whom I love to the moon and back.

My Friends – As I grow older, the fewer friends I make. Its also more difficult to make friends. For those reasons, I rely on and am grateful for my childhood/high school/college friends. They hold me down and lift me up. Special shoutout to my oldest and closest friend, Rizz.

Book – The Alchemist was a major catalyst in my life. Its a short book with depth and meaning. The most important lesson I learned: even if I leave and return home after exposing myself to new experiences, the place I return to will be the same but I will be different; so in a sense, I’m where I began physically but I am in a new place.

Website: https://www.dorianliriano.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorian.liriano/

Twitter: https://x.com/DorianLiriano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorianlirianolifecoaching/