Meet Elena Taylor of The Innovative Mom in Alpharetta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Taylor.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been many types of mom. Married for 21 years, homeless at times, divorced, single mom of five, ill, stressed, depressed, happy, content, and so many more types. After 21 years of marriage, I woke up one day, divorced and a single mom of five. I immediately went into survival mode, working three jobs seven days a week, attending school online full time and desperately trying to start a business (cupcake shop) that I thought would be successful and give me time to spend with my children. There were times I wouldn’t sleep for days. My kids would beg for me to take care of myself and I noticed that they would create atmospheres to relax after work. That made me slow down enough to think about what my needs were and if I was feeling overwhelmed and needed time, then other moms must have felt it too.

I’d had the name on reserve for six years so I started thinking about how I could help. I worked and saved enough money to quit my job and start The I.M. Three months in, I had several mini strokes and had to put it on hold to recover. I did the minimum, but during my recovery time, my creativity never stopped. I wrote everything down, and it’s taken me almost two years to recovery mentally (fear of dying created major depression) and get started again. I’ve experienced a great deal and I can relate to the feelings and emotions of many. I wanted to create a platform, a space, an environment where moms felt unconditional love and support. I wanted them to reconnect with themselves and identify as a person as it aligned with raising a family. This is where I am today, and I enjoy everything about The I.M.

Has it been a smooth road?
Entrepreneurship I feel is a challenging road no matter what. It hasn’t been smooth, but the lessons learned have been invaluable and because I love The I.M. so much it’s all worthwhile. When I first started, I was like a kid in a candy store, I listened to every webinar and went to every workshop I could possibly find, to gather information on how to build a brand, only to find out that what I was creating didn’t resemble what I had in mind for The I.M. I’d began to dislike what I was doing based on my over-saturation of info and advice. I had an unexpected illness which set me back but during that time, however, I was able to be still, spend time with God and really decide the best way to use the talents that were given to me to make an impact through The I.M.

I think my biggest obstacle was not knowing how to run a business in its entirety. I used the free resources available like SCORE, SBA, Chambers and valuable advice from friends who were successfully operating their business to teach myself how to set up and run mine. Another challenge I faced was learning when to turn off myself off. I’m an insomniac by nature so adding that to building a business made sleep optional. Following my the advice I was giving out, I had to create a space for me, my family and my business.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company is a resource guide and encouragement for moms worldwide. I specialize in self-care, visualization, and implementation of hopes, goals and dreams for moms. I think it’s important to reconnect with the things that you once knew, whether it’s a career or hobby. There’s untapped talent that sits out there waiting to emerge now and not just when the kids are grown and leave home. 🙂 I’m most known for self-care and getting moms to go outside of their 10 miles radius both mentally and physically to explore and create experiences that they can benefit from as well as share to their family and friends.

I’m most proud of being able to talk to moms, share their stories, get to know them, make friends and offer resources that I feel will help enhance their lives while they are raising their family. What sets me apart from others is the fact that I concentrate on the needs of the mom alone. I’m not a parenting resource (and if you do find parenting on the site it’s really to help the mom lol), I’m not a relationship resource (and if you do find it, then I’m usually affirming your feelings lol) There’s so much out there for parenting, relationships, and other things, my focus is finding out their needs, feelings, and desires and then providing the resources, encouragement, and support that she needs.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta and surrounding areas are great cities for startups. There’s literally hundreds of free resources in the area to help new entrepreneurs. Media outlets that give a voice and exposure to newbies and the corporations and groups that hold workshops for free or minimal cost. There are citywide initiatives that encourage and support new start-ups as well. I love the support I receive all around the Atlanta Metro Area.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theinnovativemom.com
• Phone: 678-887-6309
• Email: elenataylor@theinnovativemom.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinnovativemom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinnovativemom/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/t_innovativemom/

Image Credit:
Steven Watson @ Facen Photography (personal photograph only)

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.