We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Moreno Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?

Hello! Thank you for this opportunity.
Something I value a great deal is, authenticity.
In a world that encourages us to “keep it real,” yet judges or labels people who do, it can be frustrating and confusing to know how to show up as an honest and authentic person.
I personally struggled with not wanting to be judged, which meant hiding many of my truths and becoming a people pleaser.  It took some time, but I realized that aiming to please others was costing me my sense of self. Who was I in the world, if it meant dismissing my own wants and needs for the sake of keeping others happy?
If my calling and life’s mission was to help others live their most beautiful and fulfilling lives, I needed to embody the very thing I was preaching: loving and accepting all of yourself as a continuous work-in-progress – as a masterpiece in the making.
That is what ultimately pushed me to write and publish my memoir entitled, Ascension of a Woman.
This was me reclaiming my voice, taking up space in the world as me, not as others wanted me to be, and encouraging others to do the same.
As I continue my work in the Coaching and Wellness industry, I continue to also share my story for others to see that no matter our beginnings, our struggles, or our differences, each one of us has the ability and power to change the narrative of our story, and learn how to unapologetically show up as our most authentic self.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is a holistic and spiritual wellness practice, geared towards providing a safe and supportive space for women to heal and grow, privately or in community.

As an Intuitive Life Coach and Wellness Practitioner, what sets me apart from others is a couple of things.

The first, is that when my clients partner with me as their coach or healing facilitator, they are partnering with someone who is equally invested in their personal growth and emotional healing. My investment in my clients is such that I do not set a timer or have a visible clock in the physical space, because working with me is not an hourly based experience, but a life changing one.

The second thing that sets me apart, is that because I am highly intuitive, I have the ability to actively listen to my clients and in return, reflect their words back to them in a way that allows them to connect dots or put puzzle pieces together, creating a different perspective from which they can view their experiences and situations.

Getting to this point in my professional career has come with its share of obstacles, as well as opportunities. After leaving the corporate and non-profit spaces, I didn’t know if I had it in me to be a successful businesswoman, or an exceptional coach. But, when clients share their testimonials with me, or I’m invited to speak at events, there’s not an ounce of doubt that I’ve answered my true calling.

What I want the world to know about my story is that it took me four decades to get to where I am. A lot of sacrifices have been made, a lot of learning and unlearning has been done, and a lot of long nights and weekends have been worked, but the payoff has been one-hundred-fold. No matter your age or your circumstances, if there is a dream living in your heart, nudging you to take the leap, perhaps it may be worth exploring it when you feel ready to do so. The worst that can happen is, you fall, you learn to pick yourself up, and you move on. That’s not so bad, is it?

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?
This is a loaded question for me because I was born and raised in Los Angeles, a city I deeply love despite its imperfections, and there really is something for everyone who lives and visits here.

I’m also somewhat biased because I grew up in the Northeast Los Angeles area, which means I have a special kind of love affair with cities like, Pasadena, Alhambra, San Marino, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and Silverlake. I also love the ocean, which means I will go to any beach city ranging from Malibu down to the gorgeous beaches in Orange County, but some of my favorites L.A. beaches include, Manhattan, Hermosa and Santa Monica, because there’s lots of great restaurants and people watching you can do there.

I’m also passionate about supporting independent/Latino/Black-owned small businesses ranging from coffee shops, bookstores, spiritual goods and candle shops, to restaurants.

Here are a few recommendations:

For coffee and Latin-inspired goods and pastries, there’s Tepito Coffee or Amara Cafe, both located in Pasadena, Mi Tierra and La Monarca, and if you don’t mind the long lines, Porto’s Bakery, all which have various locations throughout Los Angeles.

There are countless indie bookstores, but a few I love to support are, Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, The Last Bookstore in Montrose and DTLA, The Open Book which has various locations, The Book Jewel in Westchester, Tia Chucha’s Centro & Bookstore in Sylmar, Skylight Books in Los Feliz, and Sims Library of Poetry in Inglewood.

For restaurant/bars, I recommend, Maestro in Pasadena, CaCao Mexicatessen in Eagle Rock, Nativo in Highland Park, Xela’s and Brooklyn Pizza, both in Boyle Heights, Yxta and Las Perlas in Los Angeles, Mercado, which has various locations, Mambo’s Cafe in Glendale, and for a tasty dive dining experience, I highly recommend Mario’s Peruvian in Hollywood or Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, located throughout Los Angeles.

For the ultimate people watching experience, I recommend taking the train into downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood, or taking a drive to Venice Beach.

Enjoy!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The timing of this shoutout could not have come at a more perfect time, because May is the month we celebrate mothers, as well as my mother’s birth month, and I dedicate my shoutout to her, my mother, Elsie. She was a woman who exemplified strength, resilience and forward-thinking.

I also have to shoutout my tribe, which I describe as small but mighty. This tribe consists of my husband, Michael, my daughter, Samantha, my sister, Karla, and my two sister-friends, Verenice and Gissel. They have been with me every step of my healing journey, have watched me come out of my shell and grow into my divine womanhood, and have celebrated my every step throughout my entrepreneurship journey.

I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to my writing mentor, Davina, because without her guidance, I would not have had the courage or confidence to have published my memoir.

I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without the love and support of these beautiful souls, for whom I feel blessed and grateful.

Website: https://www.karenmorenoscott.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmorenoscott/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-moreno-scott-9038b15b/

Image Credits
Aurelie Davis Photography

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