- 3 min read

Mariela De La Mora, Founder, Mariela De La Mora LLC

For the last 15 years, Mariela De La Mora, Founder and CEO, has coached multi-billion dollar companies and their CEOs - empowering them to be the best leaders possible. Mariela speaks to The Industry Leaders about what she does for her clients and how she got started.

How did you end up sitting where you are today?

As the high-achieving daughter of immigrants, I spent years collecting degrees and climbing the corporate ladder in marketing. I eventually rose to a Director level, where I grew and led teams.

As the only woman of colour in senior leadership, I felt I had to prove myself more than anyone else. I also knew that I had to unlearn a lot of what I was taught as a woman of colour, which was to be agreeable and take on whatever was asked of me. Now, as an EQ-certified leadership coach, I help women understand and heal their limiting beliefs and fully step into their power.

What kind of work does your role involve?

My work lies at the intersection of personal development and business. It involves three main areas:

Trauma and mindset,
Emotional intelligence, and
Team dynamics.

We begin by looking at what generational trauma patterns are showing up and where they come from so they can be unlearned. We then take the EQ-i 2.0 Leadership Assessment, the world's only recognised measure of EQ, and set a plan to develop emotional intelligence regarding leadership.

For some clients, I also teach them how to make emotionally intelligent hires, build efficient processes, and build leadership skills amongst the manager and the team.

What gets you excited about your industry?

I'm excited to see more BIPOC-started businesses and people become leaders not only within their own companies but in their industries. They are creating generational wealth, but that is only possible by doing the inner work and healing by developing emotional intelligence to become the best leaders they can be.

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

"Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."

It refers to the fact that what affects your outcomes the most are your relationship with and understanding of self. I've seen it to be true at all levels. You are your best and most secure investment. Work on yourself, and you can create everything you ever wanted.

What's the best way to support aspiring leaders in your field?

I teach them tangible skillsets to build self-awareness, EQ and leadership. I also bring a cultural, racial and systemic oppression lens to everything I do because women of colour need to be seen, supported and coached differently.

How do you keep up to speed with what's happening in your industry?

I invest heavily into nurturing relationships and partnerships in my industry. I have also joined two group programs this year which have helped me to better support marginalised populations suffering from trauma.

What was the most challenging project or situation you've overcome?

The most challenging project was working with a client of mine who was a leader in the United Nations. During our time together, she needed to hire and onboard 70 people, navigate a heap of political red tape and cultural considerations, build a project management system to track a time-sensitive multi-location humanitarian project in South Sudan, and most importantly, step into her power as one of the youngest female leaders in the UN.

We worked on her limiting beliefs, built her confidence, and as a result, she was able to create systems and change, which resulted in a successful project. It was the most complex project I have ever coached anyone through!

You finish work today and step outside the office to find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?

I would invest in scaling an online community that would allow me to support thousands of WOC and immigrant descendants. I would also create a scholarship fund for WOC looking to launch or scale businesses that directly impact marginalised communities.

As a single mom, I would also set some aside for my daughter's future.