Life and Work with Dolores Renteria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dolores Renteria.

Dolores, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The name La Lily de Valle or Lily of the Valley, actually came to me after the birth of my daughter. Her name is Liliana and she is the only one in my family who was born here in Phoenix, so I thought it was a cute play on words. But the journey to get to Lily of the Valley is really what’s near and dear to my heart.

In 2009 I had been experiencing some very tough times after the separation of my first son’s father. I needed a change of pace, but at the time I just didn’t know what that was yet. I had a friend who lived in Phoenix and during one of our phone conversations, she said she had emailed me some open positions with the organization she was currently working with. I decided for the heck of it, I’d apply. I got a phone call to interview, flew down, and was offered the position. Two weeks later my 4 year old son and I packed whatever I could fit in two suitcases and flew to Phoenix! Leaving all of my family and lots of friends, I came to Phoenix, AZ from Milwaukee, WI to start my new position and, essentially, my new life. I still, to this day, don’t know where that courage came from but looking back, it’s pretty amazing.

I worked as a Community Health Worker for the Health Start program at a local non-profit for a little over five years. In this program, I worked with pregnant women, new mothers, and their families to help give their child(ren) and family the best chance of success through information, education, and referrals to many different community resources. Not only was I helping families, but I was also strengthening my own knowledge during this time as well. Having been in their shoes, to some aspect, it gave me a chance not only to build relationships with these young mothers and families but also to encourage and empower them to be their best selves.

Working with this program really ignited a passion in me to help young women. But, in retrospect, it also led me on an incredible journey of self-discovery, reflection, and growth. I called it: My Metamorphosis. This was the beginning of my evolution. As I encouraged my women and families to ask questions and dare to dream, I too joined them in these empowering endeavors. I really started looking at the world around me and I knew I wanted to do things differently, I didn’t want to follow the crowd; I wasn’t the type to conform.

It is important to highlight that during this time I also started experiencing changes in my body. Out of nowhere my body started having reactions to normal, everyday things. Makeup, which I had worn for many years, all of a sudden irritated my eyes. Jewelry irritated my skin. I couldn’t even wear contacts for a while because my eyes didn’t like them anymore either! A few times, I even got hives all over my body due to being allergic to a medication I was taking. At that time, I didn’t have the vocabulary or words for these changes, I just knew it was weird. I suppose now I would say I was shocked by the whole experience. It was tough for me to accept that I couldn’t be the way I used to be or do the things I used to do. I can only assume that many women in our society go through similar experiences. The girl who didn’t leave the house without makeup and whose accessories all matched to the “T” could no longer do any of those things. After a while, I learned to embrace it and decided to just take care of myself. So, for several months, I went without makeup and jewelry. And I even found a cute pair of glasses to sport. At this point, I was approaching a point where I was able to accept these changes mentally, one might even say I appreciated them.

From then, I really started paying close attention to how my body reacted to certain things I was eating, and also putting on my skin. I did self experimentation if you will, on what my body liked and didn’t like. I was also doing a lot of research on foods, additives, and chemicals and how they all affect your body. It was shocking and eye-opening to discover that the a lot of the things I was consuming and using were actually bad for me! I decided that I wanted to do things differently for my children as well. After the birth of my second son, and with the support of my husband, I decided to start making better nutritional choices for my entire family. The lessons and knowledge I obtained on my journey thus far had proven to be foreign concepts for some of my family members, including my husband’s family. They didn’t understand. After all, this wasn’t the way we were raised. And many times they resisted our choices for our children’s diets, still we persisted. Though they didn’t understand or agree with our newly found philosophy , they eventually respected and accepted the decisions we had made for our children.

The postpartum period after my 3rd child, my daughter Liliana, was another period of great growth for me. Our bodies are really very delicate during that time, especially with so many hormonal changes. I made sure to be very conscious of what I was consuming and, of course, putting on my skin. I also decided to really cherish my time at home with her. I became less worried about chores left undone at home or incomplete errands and looked forward to just slowing down and getting to know my new baby. I had lots of time to think and reflect on what was really important in life. Material things became inconsequential.Being in the present moment with my children rose to the forefront. Going back to work after having Liliana was difficult after spending all that beautiful time with her, and especially with this new outlook I had on life. So, I decided to empower these feelings and use them to help me connect with my families! I gently encouraged them not to rush, cherish life and kids, and be mindful of the choices they made in life, whether it be with foods, parenting, or chemicals in their skincare!

With my skin becoming more sensitive, especially after the birth of Liliana, I knew I had to make more drastic changes. I had already known that coconut oil was good for you due to the research my sister shared with me a few years ago. And I had already been using it for a variety of things, for example around my home and on my skin But I felt like I needed more. About six years ago, I remember making a sugar scrub using olive oil. At the time, I had a love-hate relationship with that scrub. I loved what it did for my skin but I hated the smell! So, this time around, I decided to replicate the scrub but I using coconut oil instead. And I fell in love! I made a batch and gave the rest away to friends and co-workers. And they too fell in love, eventually asking for more. I was flattered! But at the time, I laughed it off. It was silly. It was a simple recipe, anyone could make it! No one ever made it on their own though. Who had the time, right? So I decided to give it a go and kept making it for people when they asked. Before long, I discovered body butter recipes, natural makeup recipes, and even started experimenting with essential oils.

A friend I worked with who had just started her own small business making beautiful beaded jewelry, suggested I start selling it. I entertained the thought. However, I put it off for a while due to life just taking over. It was hard taking time away from my 3 children. Since I had been working so much, I cherished all the time I could with them. Not too long after the conversation I had with my friend, I came across information about an upcoming event through a Phoenix Birthworkers group I belong to on Facebook. It was a mixer for new and expecting moms and they were looking for vendors! I was so excited and instantly thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to birth Lily of the Valley! (Pun intended) The event was a great success! Not only did I sell a number of products, but I also met many amazing powerful women. One of them being Shayla Brown, who actually recommended me for this interview! I received so much love and encouragement to keep growing my little business from women I had just met. THIS is exactly the world I envisioned myself in. THIS is the type of world I wanted for all the clients I had been working with. During the event, I even got to share my aspirations of one day becoming a Doula. I left the event so inspired, I immediately began dreaming bigger dreams of what Lily of the Valley could be. Eventually, my time was coming to an end with the Health Start program as I craved a better work/life balance. It was a difficult decision but I decided to leave the program to redirect my life and really set my intentions for my next chapter. I now have the time to learn what it takes to grow my business and figure out how to connect that with my passion for supporting and empowering women.

I know the journey ahead may not be easy but I am happily looking forward to seeing what it can truly become! The love and support from my husband and children are the source of my strength and growth. With their help and encouragement, I know with that I can do anything. I’m excited to keep continuing my evolution!

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth? The only smooth thing is my beautiful skin, thanks to my new products. One of the biggest challenges I faced, and still face, is time. Carving out the time to achieve my goals has been difficult with a husband and three kids. I didn’t want to take time away from my family. Realizing they are my sole source of inspiration, I decided to involve them! My husband stayed up pulling all-nighters with me making batches of body butter, body scrubs, and toilet spray. My two sons helped me set up the table at our event and even helped me package and sell the products! And Lili, well, Lili was just her adorable self. Since then, my 4-year-old plays “store” in his room and sells stuff to me all the time!

I know I am setting an example for my children. People have to take chances, sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t. And that’s ok. I teach my children that every experience, even if it’s bad, has a lesson in it.

Sometimes, people might feel like they’re all alone.But they’re really not. People need to find and surround themselves with positive, encouraging people. I have some pretty amazing friends who are constantly doing amazing things, who inspire me without even knowing they do. Love yourself enough to find good people to surround yourself with; you’ll be so happy you did.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lily of the Valley – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
All of the knowledge I’ve gained through life experience and applying it to what I do is really what sets me apart. I was able to identify the needs of the community I worked with because I had seen and experienced those obstacles myself. These experiences made me the most successful in cultivating relationships with the families I worked with. I was never above anyone. Better yet, I was right next to them, guiding and encouraging them.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Women have an advantage at everything they set their minds to. Not only can women be soft and nurturing, but they can also be strong and fierce. Women can connect and empathize. These are the reasons why I believe women make excellent leaders. Women are the center of all things. We do, after all, wield the power and privilege to create, give, and sustain life.

Contact Info:

• Email: espino.dolores@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Tane Acevedo from T Marie Fotography Services. www.tmariefotography.com/

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