Meet Lizzy Madrigal | therapist/coach, writer, entrepreneur

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

Hi Lizzy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I found myself an entrepreneur because I found myself having a hard time fitting into one place, and even now, I’m proud to say that I wear many hats. When I was a teenager, I had dreams and aspirations of becoming a writer, but at the time my parents encouraged me to pursue something a bit more realistic instead (to be fair, it was 2007). While in undergrad, I came across sociology which eventually led me to pursue a masters in clinical psych. I worked as a therapist for years, and it wasn’t until 2020 that I returned to my dream of being a writer. In the past five years, I’ve completed another masters degree in writing, published my debut poetry collection, and made my transition from therapy to coaching. Like I said, I wear many different hats!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been working as a therapist since 2013 and got licensed in 2020. Like many others, I found myself reflecting on my life and asked myself hard questions about where I was heading in my career. It took five years (and another masters degree) to finally find my place in the world and I could not be more excited to introduce myself as a therapist/coach/writer/entrepreneur. In my therapy and coaching work, I work best with women who are looking to find purpose in the in-between, which just so happens to be a reflection of the journey I went through in my 20s. I have years’ worth of experience about what it means to wait and hope for things, and learning to pivot when things may not go my way. Is it a hard lesson to learn? Yes. But as someone that has lived it and written about it, I am just the person to walk that journey with you.
In addition to my therapy/coaching work, I’ve revisited my dream of being a published writer. I’ve been published a few times with IDONTMIND and Writerly Magazine, and I recently published my manuscript ‘everything in its season’ back in April. And every book needs its accompanying merch, which is available in my online store.
Is it hard describing what I do sometimes? Perhaps yes, but it is a small price to say for the sense of fulfillment that I have finally found in my mid 30s. What I want people to know most about me is that good things take time, and that sometimes the biggest growth happens in the quiet moments.

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?
I’m located in the north OC so I would recommend nearby coffee shops like MADE, Lovetta, Sip and Savor, and Play Coffee. Go have some breakfast at Our Nest (best chilaquiles) or at Classic Cafe for some vintage vibes. Of course, no visit to the OC would be complete without a visit to Disney for a day or two, followed by some beach time over at Newport and Laguna.

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?
The person that comes to mind is my friend Drew. He’s my co-writer and the artist behind my photos. While I was working on my masters in writing, I had seriously considered leaving the field of therapy altogether. But luckily he was able to see the value of my giftings and I am so thankful we did, because we have co-written several articles for the nonprofit IDONTMIND and we are drafting our first novel. He is also an investor and co-designer for my book merch, for which I am so grateful.

Website: https://www.lizzymadrigal.com

Instagram: @lizzymadrigal

Other: lizzymadrigal,substack.com

Image Credits
Drew Valo, ahumandreaming.com