Rising Woman ~ Constanza Eliana Chinea

I'm honored and humbled to introduce the next guest and conversation to the Rising Woman Project, Constanza Eliana Chinea. 

If we are going to empower women to rise, then we must empower them ALL. I'm thankful to provide a space for all women to share all stories and passions, as well as for all women to be able to find stories to be empowered and uplifted by. 

The Story is Being Written...

Sharing this with you is super scary for me, but I feel like I don't have a choice anymore. I need to put this out there to you, and to the Universe, to hold me to my word.

Not a Single Mom...

Ok, I am a Single Mom.

But not by the terms that you probably just read that.

She Remembered Who She Was...

There is a storm raging inside of me. It has always been there. Only now I embrace it. All in.

I am a strong woman. Fierce. Loyal. Bold. Powerful. Unshakeable.

Even When We Don’t Want To...

I just got home from a long day, I’m tired and I don’t want to write tonight. 

I don’t have a plan and I don’t have it all figured out. Welcome to life. 

Here I am anyway. 

Rising Woman ~ Kristine Surla

I'm thrilled to introduce our next Rising Woman, Kristine Surla. We met during an amazing course that we both participated in called MITT (Mastery in Transformational Training) in Los Angeles in 2015. I have watched her blossom and share so much of her amazingness through the work she's doing that I just had to have her share her story with us.

Who are you & what is your story?

Hi everyone, first I'd like to share my GRATITUDE for Mimi for creating this series for us to share about our journeys to inspire and uplift each other.   

Greetings - I am Kristine Reyes Surla. My journey in life has been one full of challenges and triumphs, lessons in life that have led me to where I am now.

I was born in the Philippines to parents who, although probably loved each other, also led very chaotic and often destructive tendencies towards each other.  It was certainly a life full of passion and excitement, but one fraught with violence and instability. One of my first memories is my father and mother fighting with furniture flying & torn about the house and a lot of rage and violent tendencies in play.  At 6 years old, I witnessed what seemed like 30 armed men with semiautomatic weapons barge into the house that my mom was renting after separating from my dad. They surrounded the house and was looking for my mom. You see, my father was in the government and had access to what seemed like an army of men looking for my mom, and through brute force trying to intimidate her.  It is a memory etched into my brain, one that left me feeling unsafe & unsure of the world I was living in. That same year, my mom left the Philippines and moved to the USA where her mom & grandmother already lived. She took me and my two young brothers to escape from the tyranny and oppression she felt in Manila. From that point onwards, we moved almost every year. I found myself in a different school almost every year and we moved back & forth from Manila to SoCal to Florida like it was nothing.

Upon reaching high school, I then asked my mom to consider staying in the same place so that I could graduate from one high school in order to work towards getting into a good college.  So finally after moving every 1-2 years throughout my life, we settled into Carlsbad, CA. I finished high school in ONE school -HURRAY! And was fortunate to graduate Valedictorian, Editor in Chief, Student Council member and got into every school I applied to which led me to Stanford. At Stanford, I became a Public Service Scholar and much of my life outside the classroom was immersed at the Haas Center for Public Service.  Service Leadership became an important part of my core values and empowering and inspiring youth through education became a passion. I interned for the CA Department of Education through Stanford in Government my Sophomore year, worked as an Upward Bound Coordinator, mentor, & counselor and also interned for GLOBE in Washington D.C. ( Global Learning & Observations to Benefit the Environment) which created international teaching programs and curriculums throughout the world focused on the environment and was an intergovernmental agency under NASA, NOAA, the EPA, the State Department, & Education Department. (It was also a “pet project” of then Vice President Al Gore). I concurrently studied at Stanford in Washington with a full time internship by day, classes at night and as a working student, I found a job working at a local store nearby.  I then interned for a Congresswoman from California (Rep. Lynn Woolsey) during the summer wherein my focus became research re: Parental & Family Leave & Childcare issues. I also was a Fellow and received a grant from Stegner’s Children & Society Curriculum. As a Senior, my Honors Theses in the Science, Technology, & Society Department focused on the “Use of Technology in Education” with a focus on elementary schools while serving as a Public Service Scholar. Life as a student at Stanford was AMAZING! I enjoyed every minute of my time at “the Farm.” But apart from my academic and public service related projects, I also studied abroad in Paris at the ESCP (Ecole Superieur de Commerce a Paris) wherein I applied for & received an independent study project grant which I used to study the “built environment” of Paris by using photography as the medium. I had never really taken a photography class, so I jumped in with a camera and learned by doing primarily as I delved into the how the built environment of Paris affected societal norms.

After graduating with a Masters in Sociology with a focus on Social Stratification and Organizational Behavior from Stanford, I ended up backpacking around Europe and eventually stayed in Paris for much longer than anticipated focusing on art and living the “starving artists” life.  You see I had always been drawn to the creative field, but never truly formally studied it -- I just did it on the side. When student loans from Stanford started to kick in, I moved back to the US and after the holidays moved to New York City with no job yet, but with a firm resolve to start my “career” in New York.  

My life was amazing and dynamic, but also full of unexpected challenges -- you see, after working for a year for PBS in the non-profit world, I eventually ended up working in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center for a prestigious financial firm, which launched my “hands on” learning in the business world.  I was there on 9/11, witnessed & experienced the craziness and am a survivor of 9/11. In that tragedy, I found purpose in the work I was doing in a world that I never really thought I'd join (given my public service and education focused proclivities in school). Yet working for OppenheimerFunds during and after 9/11 instilled within me the knowing that businesses can truly make a difference in the world if and when there is a focus on how one can impact the community and the world in a way that empowers others.(i.e. the spark and connection of my passion for Social Enterprises, businesses that do well by doing good).  I experienced the goodness of the leaders of the organization, but also the triumph of the human spirit in action after such a horrific tragedy. I focused on crisis communications and primarily “ghost” wrote the letters of the CEO to our shareholders, the public and our constituents. I wrote from my heart a message of hope, of strength and of rebuilding.

Fast forward several years and joining the International Team for Oppenheimer to expand the company in both London & Hong Kong, I finally bid adieu and farewell to NYC after rebuilding and being part of a great organization and team of people.  I will always cherish the mentorship and learning I received and gained from my experience with such an upstanding firm led by honorable and good leaders. So I moved to Hong Kong, then Bali for a short stint, then Manila where I focused on volunteer service, teaching at a University focused on Entrepreneurship and dove into research re: healing modalities, social enterprise, and the goal of bringing handcrafted goods from my motherland to share the beauty and craftsmanship of the Philippines with an international focus.  I had my first “Pop Up” in Hong Kong bringing Artisan and Handcrafted goods from the Philippines with a focus on Triple Bottom Line and Fair Trade principles in 2006. But I was too early to market and the concept & principles of Social Entrepreneurship was still not well known. And I found myself explaining and educating what a Social Enterprise was.

During the time I lived in Hong Kong, I met someone in Thailand after attending a Women’s Conference through the Association of Women in Development (AWID).  This friendship slowly developed even further after I moved to the Philippines from Hong Kong. This man eventually proposed to me after a whirlwind 5 months of courtship and I became engaged.  That engagement, in many ways, changed the trajectory of my life and we ended up moving back to the USA and got married in Santa Barbara. Los Angeles became home. Fast forward almost 10 years and that marriage ended in divorce.  

I had lost myself and my path while I was in that marriage. My dreams of making a difference in both my motherland and in this life became living an unfulfilled life wherein I never truly felt loved, supported or seen. I worked for jobs that didn't inspire my spirit and I felt stuck and unfulfilled.

It has been a long journey of coming back to my truth, to my path, to what my soul has longed for and envisioned.  After asking for a divorce and starting to live authentically, regaining my voice and my vision for my life, I was able to finally launch Artisan Made International, a social enterprise that partners and collaborates with other social enterprises and organizations to bring about positive change through conscious fashion and the empowerment of Artisans throughout the world. I launched with my first curated collection of handmade, Artisan Made, hand woven, hand created and beautiful pieces while partnering with several social enterprises from the Philippines: launching Artisan Made Philippines in October 2016.  The launch event was amazing & inspiring, blending conscious high fashion (with an Eco Fashion Show with real “Role Models” on the runway), Speakers Panel with the CoFounder of one of our partner Social Enterprise organizations, Anthill, and the Executive Director of Gawad Kalinga USA on the panel with video messages from the amazing “Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur” and phenomenal President of “Rags2Riches”. The evening culminated with a Kamayan Feast introducing Filipino food made by Chef Yana from the New York Times featured Salo Series.  It was a great launch and a beautiful way to share Artisan Made Philippines with Los Angeles.

2. What do you do?

In addition to the above, last year during my birthday in 2017, my passion for photography was reignited and I currently consider myself a “Visual Storyteller” - a photographer who captures magic moments and people's magic through my lens.  It has been a beautiful journey of discovering and embracing this gift of sight and visual storytelling which in many ways has always been a passion of mine, but never truly formally studied. I am a self taught photographer and it truly has been a beautiful and inspiring journey of discovery.  I currently have 3 Photography Series’ that I'm creating:

“Role Models {real everyday heroes}” - which features everyday Role Models and heroes doing wonderful things for the community. The website is: “rolemodels.gallery”

“Goddesses & Heroes” - which focuses on divine feminine & divine Masculine and the interplay of both through a series of photoshoots -- the most recent photoshoot focused on Divine Feminine Rising - Goddesses Shining Bright (January 2018 - @DivineFeminineRising888 on Instagram)

The next one coming up is called Goddesses ONE with Nature (March 2018) and it will serve as a template for the beginning of a new focus on creating Goddess Retreats & Workshops.

“Age Is Just A Number” - #AgeIsJustANumberSeries - which focuses on featuring individuals living their best life at any age. On Instagram @KsurlaPhoto #AgeIsJustANumberSeries

In addition to the above Series’, I also work with clients from product, lifestyle, fashion, editorial and my favorite Portrait shoots where I get to work closely with individuals to bring out their true essence as people.  

I'm also developing a series of workshops and Retreats under a new brand called: “Divine Feminine Rising” 888 which will encompass several modalities in empowering women to truly embrace the Goddess within. This has come about through the realization that I am Being called forth to lead, teach, inspire and empower others in this journey & to raise the consciousness of our planet through love.

In addition to Visual Storytelling, as I had mentioned before, I am the Creative Director and Founder of Artisan Made International which I launched with a first Capsule Collection under the moniker: Artisan Made Philippines at the end of 2016.  Instagram: @ArtisanMadePH

Artisan Made collaborates with Social Enterprises to create and curate a capsule collection of the best social enterprise products from the Philippines.  Through events, pop ups, online, and Mindful Retreats & Journeys (coming soon) Artisan Made International aims to uplift & connect the work of hands and hearts to a broader international audience with a focus on Triple Bottom Line principles.

Currently I am also serving as a Senior/Coach to a committed group of leaders in a 4 month Leadership Training Program through MITT (Mastery in Transformational Training) here in Los Angeles which focuses on leaders creating leaders that will affect positive change in the world by living authentically and on purpose. Staffing started in Mid November 2017 with Basic 149, then December with Advanced 149, and now The Legacy/Leadership Program #LP149 continues until April 22nd.

But apart from all of the above, I am also a full time mom to a beautiful little boy who has become the greatest teacher in my life.  Becoming a mother has been both the most rewarding and also most challenging journey that I have undertaken. I feel so thankful and blessed that Drake Kross chose me to be his mom in this lifetime. Motherhood is a life changer and one which I am so grateful to experience.  It hasn't been an easy road to be a single mom, but I am blessed with such an amazing little soul as my son.

What have you overcome to get where you are today?

(see above) And apart from what I've already shared, I think a big part of what I've overcome is the feeling of not believing in myself and my worth as a woman, as a leader, as an innovator.  Today I stand tall and proud of all I've accomplished in my life and I continue this journey of discovery re: the gifts I am blessed to share with others in this world.

Did you ever feel like giving up? When you felt like giving up, what did you do?
There were many moments where I cried with tears of pain, distraught, confused as to the path I was to take, but in each instance I found the opportunity to grow and to become a stronger and even better version of myself.  Each tragedy has led to a realization of my inner strength and resolve, my resiliency and my heart leading the way out of the darkness.

What are some of the tools and resources you have used to work through and overcome those struggles? (books, counselors, workshops, programs, coaches, etc.)

In addition to a wonderful foundation of education and inspiration that I found through Stanford, I also studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and did postgraduate work at NYU for Strategic Marketing and Communications to add to my tool belt. But most recently (i.e. 2 years ago) I took the Basic, Advanced & Leadership Course at MITT (Mastery in Transformational Training) which led me to rediscover my voice, get clear on my vision, stand in my power, and transform my life to what it has become today.  The community, friendships formed and the tribe of like minded soul brothers and sisters whom I've met through this program have been instrumental in the trajectory that I've taken for my life over the past 2 years.

What are your gifts and how did you discover them?
(once again, see first question where I go into detail re: my life experiences) But to answer succinctly, I believe my gifts in this world are to teach, inspire, empower, develop, create, and be a catalyst for true transformation and raising the vibrational consciousness of our planet through all that I do, lead & create with LOVE.

Who/What keeps you uplifted and on your path?

The inner knowing and guidance from God, the Universe, a higher power and consciousness that continually leads my path in this lifetime.

Tell us about your tribe and the importance of having one.
My tribe consists of Warriors of Light and Love - soul brothers and sisters devoted to living the best life we can possibly live and inspire others to truly make a difference and share the gifts we each have in this world through love, community, and friendship.

What do you want other women to know who are feeling lost, and/or experiencing their own tragedy and/or struggles?
To be Courageous

To live from your heart space

To know that everything that happens in our lives is an opportunity for growth, for development, for each of us to find strength within.

What is some advice you would give to women who are healing?
Take your time. Enjoy the journey. Learn the lessons the pain has brought and take heart that this too shall pass. You are brave. You are strong. You are LOVE. So much love & gratitude for the opportunity to share a little bit about my life lessons. ❤️

You can find Kristine at one of her outlets here:

KristineSurla.com (currently being revamped)

ArtisanMade.org

ArtisanMadePH.com

RoleModels.Gallery

DivineFeminineRising.org (to be launched May 2018)

Kristine, I am amazed at all of things you have done and are doing to continue to rise the women of the world. Thank you for being part of this cause and for sharing your story here. 

xoxoxo

Happy April Updates!! No April Foolin' here!! ;)

Happy April, my friends!! 

Even though it's the same every year, it's always shocking how the time seems to fly so quickly. It seems Christmas was just yesterday! And where did Easter go?

Since I haven't been very on top of my newsletters, I thought I'd take the time to bring you up to date! I'll try to keep things to the point and elaborate more later... :)

2016 is already off to a big and busy start. Looking at my vision board over my meditation this morning and seeing how much I've already accomplished is exhilarating. I'm not sure I've ever felt so overwhelmingly joyful and proud of what I've created and I'm so excited to see where this year takes me! 

I brought in the New Year with my first article published on Women for One. This was a proud moment as I intend to bring much more of my story and my writing into the world in order to make a difference for other women out there. So many of us struggle with the stories of our past and it keeps us stuck in life and unable to move forward to live a life we love. Often this manifests in health issues and a huge lack of self-care. I want to see more women freed up and aware of their ability to design life however they choose. 

In February, after more than two years of wanting to move after my divorce, I decided that it was time to stop thinking about it and make it happen! Within weeks, I found the perfect situation in the exact area that I wanted to live and last weekend I officially became a resident of beautiful Encinitas, CA. Even though I didn't move very far away, this is monumental for me. The whole thing is still sinking in, but the one thing I know is that when you believe and commit to what you want in life, truly anything is possible. More on that later!

I couldn't be more proud of my March accomplishment when my daughter, Zoe & I brought another dream to life and launched our first Bonding Beauties workshop. I am still in awe at what a beautiful day that turned out to be for all who came. Not only was a new sistership formed between all of us, but the closeness that was created between moms & daughters was beautiful beyond belief. I am such a believer in the power that we as women have to empower each other on so many levels. And if we will just start with the women in our lives, the ripple effect can be astounding. I can't wait to create more of this magic! 

What's next, you ask?! ;) SO MUCH!! 
I'll just bullet point some of the good stuff so you'll know you should stay tuned... :)

• My nutrition programs are under construction and relaunching within the next month!! And guess what, you won't have to live in San Diego to work with me!! Yay :)))

• I'm co-facilitating a Mother Daughter Connection Weekend with the lovely Patrina Wisdom and both of our daughters, Jorden & Zoe at the end of this month! Join us April 22-23!

• Our next Bonding Beauties Workshop is set for June 11th! Mark your calendars and all the juicy details will be coming soon!

I hope that your year is off to an amazing start and I look forward to connecting with you so much more in the coming months. Make sure you're following me on all the social places and feel free to email with any questions or feedback. I love hearing from you!

Want to work with me to create your healthier, happier life? Simply email and let's chat!

All my love to you, in health & happiness~

Mimi Marie

xoxoxo
mimimariecnc@gmail.com

Podcast Party!! Check it out!!

I love sharing things that I find that help me on my growth path and I'm just SO pumped about this one! Like, seriously addicted... 

If you haven't noticed, personal growth is a huge passion of mine. I don't think I'll ever stop the quest of learning and the process of becoming the best version of myself. For me, that's what life is all about. For the past year, I have been spending about an hour per day in my car driving to/from work. Usually I use the time to enjoy the peace or rock out some singing while nobody can be tortured in the process. ;) While both are very therapeutic to me, I started to yearn for something a little more productive. So, when I found out one of our friends at Nourish (Evelyne Lambrecht) had her own show (Elevate Your Energy) I just couldn't wait to see what it was all about. Now, I'm hooked to podcasts!!  
Here are some of the goodies that I've found so far~

• The Life Purpose Advisor
• The Wellness Mama
• Real Food Mamas
• Dr. Lo Radio

• Build Your Tribe & The Chalene Show both by Chalene Johsnon
• Sex with Emily
• Wellness Force Radio
• Body Ecology Living
• Bulletproof Radio

Seriously - if you have any amount of time that you spend in your car, or just plain quiet time that you could use to listen to some brain food, you must check some of these out! Do you have any favorites that I'm missing? Let me know!!

Yours in health and empowerment,

~Mimi :)

The keys to commitment, growth and success!!

Over time, I've discovered the things that I can do to ensure my success and I want to share them with you because I truly believe they can be applied to any of your goals and actually empower the progress and success that you've been wanting. 

So, here you go. Here are your keys... :)

Find and declare your WHY~

Why do we get stuck? Because we've lost touch with our WHY. Your WHY is the whole reason that it's important for you to be successful - whether it's your physical, mental or spiritual health, your business or career, or the relationships around you - strongly and clearly knowing your WHY drives you to being committed and working hard for these things. When you lose touch with your WHY, you can lose touch with your drive and become stuck. 

Your WHY is your purpose and what's *really* important to you. For example, here's mine~ 

#1 is that my kids have an amazing life. That I'm able to empower what's important to them and having a future that makes them happy & fulfilled. And that I'm able to have all of the freedom to enjoy my time with them, take them on adventures, and create the memories of a lifetime. 

#2 is that I make a difference in the lives of other women. Women are beautiful, amazing and powerful, but so many have forgotten that. I want to help them remember and help them find love for themselves, because when moms are enlivened and empowered they can move mountains. When women are empowered, the men and children in their lives are happier. And when you put these pieces together, then our children can and will inadvertently grow up in a better place. 

Remove the obstacles~

Remove the things that hold you back, whether it be food, certain habits, people, places, etc. If you can't get over or around the things that slow you down or hold you back, sometimes it's best to take a break, create some distance, and re-evaulate what really has a place in your life.

Get some accountability~

Share your goals and the things you're working on with the people in your life. This could mean clearly asking for support. Maybe it means hiring a coach or mentor. Having a support system is so important in keeping you accountable. You're not proving anything by trying to do things on your own! 

Find a structure~

This could be a group, a class, a program, a book, a partner, or any kind of well rounded structure to support you on your path. These things provide tools and education to get you where you want to go in a healthy and balanced way. Not everyone needs this kind of thing, but I know for me, being surrounded by people moving in the same direction is exactly what I need. I can't do these things on my own!

Acknowledge yourself~

Lately, I've done a lot of reflecting on how far I've come over the past few years and realized how little we stop to give ourselves credit for our accomplishments. This is SO important on the journey of personal growth! We must always acknowledge how far we've come or it can literally feel like we've gone nowhere. Acknowledging our progress propels us to grow more. It's time to give yourself some credit for the hard work that you do!

Take action~

I feel like a different woman than I was a even just a year ago. Looking back I felt so timid and afraid to step into the path that so strongly called to me. But day by day and little by little, I took steps even when I was scared. Taking steps in the face of fear and uncertainty gave me confidence and grew me into a woman that believes in herself. *Action + practice = progress!

Work hard and be patient~

We live in a world where we want results NOW. We're impatient and we don't like when results take time. It has taken me several years to step into my place as a women's coach. I have a client who has lost 20 pounds in 4 months and feels like she's failing because it's taking so long. These are great accomplishments!! Be patient and acknowledge all of the little steps along the way.
Get your vision clear (whatever it is), stay focused, work hard and don't give up!! Your consistency and persistency WILL lead to success. I promise :)

We have such a tendency as humans to complicate things. We get stuck inside of our thoughts, insecurities & fears and can literally paralyze ourselves. If you can start with even one of the things above at a time, just one step, you will surely start moving in the direction of your dreams. 

If you have any questions, need support, guidance, resources, anything, please feel free to reach out! 

I love to help!

Always love,

~Mimi