Exploring Life & Business with Stephanie Llorente of Restored

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Llorente.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I began my career in public relations right after graduation from N.C. State University (Go Pack!!). I worked for agencies and in corporate America before starting my own consultancy called Prep Communications in 2015.

At that time, I had two small children and craved resources to support me at work and at home. I was hopeful for a faith-centered community that prioritized working moms, but the only groups offering connection points took place during working hours. So, while they were great resources, they were not ideal for mothers who work outside of the home.

A friend was also looking for a similar space, and it became clear that if the two of us were searching for similar offerings, and if 70 percent of mothers work outside the home, then others likely need a similar community. That’s when Restored was created. We decided to prioritize working moms with content, timing, resources, and everything in between. It has grown into a thriving community of moms who work outside of the home and value their faith at the same time.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating something from nothing is rarely easy. At Restored, our North Star has always been to meet moms where they are in life, and that’s easier said than done. For example, our target demographic is busy, distracted, and overwhelmed. Breaking through the noise of life to snag the attention of a working mom is painstakingly hard.

Their work, their families, their activities and many other things tug at them for attention – but because we’ve created a valuable community that fulfills our basic need to connect with people, moms across the U.S. have connected through Restored offerings.

As you know, we’re big fans of Restored. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
While I still enjoy owning my PR practice, I have a heart for working moms and their unique challenges. They’re in the trenches each day ensuring that their family is provided for, their home is maintained, their spouses are prioritized, their faith is upheld, their children do homework and their work deadlines are met – along with a thousand other things. That’s why I started a second business called Restored – to equip, encourage and engage moms who work outside of the home with the resources and community they need.

There are many wonderful organizations that support moms. Likewise, there are many great organizations that support careers for women or support women of faith. But Restored is the only local organization prioritizing all three: Faith, family, and function. To be clear, we cheer for ALL moms – stay at home, working, adoptive, foster, single, married – literally all moms, but we’ve decided to strategically focus on faith-interested mothers in the workplace because there is so little offered to them. Some of our programmings are secular in nature, but some are more faith-based because we’re known for affirming to women that it’s OK to work and love Jesus at the same time. We’re proud of establishing a brand that is rooted in truth, grows in community, and thrives in its ability to encourage mothers to do great things.

We gather monthly, virtually, and in-person, to rally likeminded-women around a specific topic. We often bring in speakers who have specific expertise, and our past speaker lineup is incredibly robust. Past topics have included things like home organization, meal planning, maintaining friendships, and goal setting. We also host social events that build a trusted community among women who truly want the best for the woman beside them. Social events can look like play dates at the park or Christmas markets with local vendors. We have some great events on the horizon that connect families, and also mom-centric events that cover topics like social media and internet safety.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve discovered that I am a bit more risk-tolerant than others. I quit a job I loved in 2015 to start a PR consultancy.

To the world, it made no sense. I would make less money. I would have fewer benefits. I would have less “fame” (I was a spokesperson). I would enjoy fewer perks. And… I would potentially fall flat on my face. While I’ve definitely fallen flat on my face quite a few times, all in all, the risk was worth the reward. In fact, it created time for me to start Restored.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, or perhaps it’s because I’m an Enneagram 9 and kind of go with the flow. (I’m sure it has a lot to do with the fact that my husband holds a steady job and I feel like I can take a few extra risks!). Whatever the reason and whatever the risk, I believe we learn from success and failure alike.

Sometimes risks pay off, and sometimes they don’t. To be clear, I hate (HATE!) to fail. I want to win – every time – but there are lessons to be learned in failure that can’t be learned from success.

Contact Info:

• Email: sllorente@restoredformoms.com
• Website: https://restoredformoms.com
• Instagram: @restoredformoms
• Facebook: @restoredformoms
• Other: https://prepcomm.com/

Image Credits
Traci Huffman Photography