Stellar Image Media is honored to introduce you to the impressive Maria Dantos:

It’s such a pleasure to connect with you, Maria! Tell me, how on earth did a young woman start a multi-million dollar company right out of her apartment living room, without business partners or capital? It seems like an impossible dream!

It does feel like a dream sometimes. It started with people who had confidence in me, a deep breath and a few toys and books. Really it was about a group of parents and teachers who encouraged me to open my own school. I leveraged a small amount on a credit card and took the risk that things would catch on. Within a few months, the apartment which was licensed for 12 children was full and within a year we had three apartments. Within 18 months we had an 11,000 square foot commercial space and were ready to take the plunge, this time with investors who had faith in the project.

That’s amazing. I know you’re giving me the bullet points of the story, but what kinds of struggles and obstacles did you have to overcome during those earlier days? Were there times you felt you felt like your vision wouldn’t come to fruition?

As with starting any small business, the obstacles were almost limitless: would a childcare center be accepted by the building, would we be able to make ends meet, would we be able to deliver on what we had set out to do? The major challenge ultimately, though, is maintaining confidence in yourself, and being ready and able to rise to the occasion. Between getting licensed, recruiting quality teachers and finding the right families, very little of it was easy. However, positive things happens when you are working on the right path. It takes great effort and discipline; but somehow you just know you are going in the direction you are meant to.

Incredible, Maria! That risk paid off in spades. Now, you had graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a Masters in Education, correct?

Yes, I have both my undergraduate (BA) and MEd from University of Pennsylvania.

I understand that quality childhood education is very important to you. How did that drive your successes and career growth?

Although I didn’t formally study early childhood education, over time directing early childhood centers, I came to realize how integral the early foundation years are to who we become as people, and how we function in the world. Children find out who they are going to become by interacting with their parents, peers and teachers, and by developing their moral compass and place as individuals during the first five years of life. Although I had never seen it as a truly ‘academic’ subject matter of interest, witnessing children’s development, made me realize how much there is at stake to having a positive early education foundation, and how much there is still for educators to learn.

I can imagine. Let’s fast-forward to what this all led to and where you are today. What kind of clients come to you for consulting or business coaching? Are they usually start-up companies, or do they tend to be experienced business owners seeking the benefit of your insight?

My business coaching clients have been amazingly diverse in their backgrounds and their business goals. Obviously, most of them are small business owners, and many in the education field, but the unifying factor is that they are exceedingly motivated, mission-oriented and goal-driven. The people who seek to work with me as their business coach are ready to achieve what they have set out to do, whether that is starting a company from ground up, or taking an entity to the next level of growth.

There’s no doubt that some people reading this are thinking, “Hey, Maria is just the coach I need!” Can you tell that segment of our audience about the kinds of packages you offer and what is involved when you take on a coaching client? 

Before taking on clients for business coaching, we do an informal session to make sure that it is the right fit and that we will all benefit from the relationship. Once we are able to identify what kind of value they are looking for and that I am the right person to help them get there, I work as a catalyst for achieving their dreams and success. Every business person works their own individual way, and I tailor my services to coach with different styles. Some people need consistent, weekly coaching sessions with specific goals and targets for each meeting. Some are looking for more ‘a la carte’ consulting advice. I seek to support a wide range of professionals in whichever stage of management they need.

I imagine that new business owners could save themselves a lot of time, stress and wasted capital just by having guidance through their decisions. Is that the greatest benefit of having you as a business mentor?

On the average, I save my clients $10,000-20,000 with them not having to reinvent the wheel. With my experience and expertise, they are able to avoid costly and time-consuming errors or oversights, and optimize their resources on what they do best. My business coaching clients who are in the growth mode have seen upwards of $40,000 increases in their sales volume by working with me as a coach. It all depends on the goals, but there are tangible savings and income increases directly attributed to working with me as a business coach and advisor.

Thanks for being with us today, Maria. Is there any closing advice you have for people who are thinking about launching their own business?

Getting into this line of work was inspired by wishing that there had been an expert in the field who had been able to advise me when I was starting out. I would say all of the old adages: go for your dreams, etc. But, also: find a mentor and make the most of the experience of that person as a coach. Launching your own business is difficult enough, there is no reason to go it alone.

Maria you are both a pleasure and an inspiration. How can excited entrepreneurs get in touch with you for business coaching? 

Thank you for taking the time to interview me. The best way to contact me is through my LinkedIn page or website. I’m always eager to bring on new and excited clients with a passion for growing business.

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadantos/

Website: www.curated-child.com