The Momtrepreneur Planner

Photos By LA Aerial Image

During a recent trip to a children’s arcade, Laurie Castillo’s 4-year-old son Andrew, asked his mom if she could buy him a toy from a vending machine.

Castillo, who could have easily spent a few dollars after playing arcade games with her little boy, didn’t submit to his plea. Instead, she offered a simple answer:

“If you work hard, you’ll make money and then you can buy whatever you want,” she said.

The boy didn’t cry or argue, almost as if though he agreed with his mom’s response. And he probably did.

“My son is so inquisitive and detailed and is one heck of a salesman!,” says Castillo.

Castillo has been a self-made entrepreneur since she graduated from high school in El Monte. Most recently, she ventured into the world of stationary, launching her unique, one-of-a-kind Momtrepreneur Planner— a practical organizer intended to help moms manage their work, home, social and business obligations.

“My mother-in-law actually opened me up to this whole new world of custom planners,” says Castillo. “I am a to-do-list-aholic. I’ve always used planners, notepads and have been known to fill a room with sticky notes. After talking to friends and fellow momtrepreneurs, I realized how much others could benefit from something like this and there went my crazy entrepreneurial spirit!”

The Momtrepreneur Planner offers a chic design with organized pages, tabs and sections for mothers to schedule, note, record, pencil-in and remember all that is necessary to lead successful busy lives, while raising kids.

“To me, it’s all about learning to integrate my life as a wife, mom and entrepreneur instead of trying to find balance. I wanted the tools to help me do that, because, let’s face it, we all lose balance at some point so why not change the course?,” explains Castillo. “I took to the task of creating my own planner that focuses on productivity and conquering goals.”

She designed the organizer using her favorite color scheme and taking into account her own mommy needs. She did so after years of trying many different planners. None them offered enough space in the day-to-day sections, she says. They hardly offered room for sufficient note-taking, which is necessary when you’re running a business and your mind is constantly coming up with ideas. Plus, Castillo says the planners she tested were either strictly day planners or note planners but nothing that addressed the needs of a businesswoman-turned-mom.

The making of a Momtrepreneur

For Castillo, taking a risk with her latest business project was an exciting decision. She wasn’t new to building successful enterprises, having watched her parents run a prosperous architectural firm as a young girl. After high school, Castillo started working at a cell phone company where she helped increase business sales. Then she launched a cell phone business of her own, proving that a good understanding of business practices and the drive to branch off was good enough to get ahead.

A few years later, Castillo started a T-shirt printing company with her then-boyfriend Alex, where the demand was so high, they were staying up all night to complete orders. Eventually, the couple decided to slow down. They closed up the shop, got married and started family planning.

A couple years ago, Castillo teamed up with a friend to help him build a plumbing business out of a small empty warehouse. Her knowledge in marketing strategies and self-taught web development skills, helped drive the company from a single serviceman operation to a six-figure empire. Castillo was rewarded with a formidable salary.

At the same time, she had teamed up with her sisters to launch Gloria’s Garden, an online business that provides customized flower seed packets to memorialize the passing of a loved one.

Gloria’s Garden started growing considerably and soon, Castillo was finding it hard to make time for both jobs, which brought her to the moment where the Momtrepreneur Planner, as a concept, made perfect sense.

Castillo resigned from her job as operations manager with the plumbing company and is currently focusing on her planner, which is a week away from its pre-sale launch.

As far as her motivation, Castillo says: “I have learned (my son Andrew) is so much smarter than we know, and he is learning and growing and following our footsteps every day,” says Castillo. “I am driven to be that example— take risks, step out of my comfort zone and show him that we can do anything we put our minds to.”

Tips from

Laurie Castillo

on Becoming a

Momtrepreneur!

• Start somewhere and just start doing something. Anything! 

   

• If you feel your idea isn’t ‘good enough’, turn the volume down on that inner voice.

   

• Action breeds confidence and courage. 

   

• Dream –> plan –> do –> learn –> create –> and be resourceful! (as outlined on the Momtrepreneur planner)

Connect with Laurie &

pre-order a Momtrepreneur Planner!

Website: www.Momtrepreneurplanner.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/momtrepreneurplanner

Mommy In Los Angeles® Magazine had the opportunity to spend time with Laurie Castillo, learning about the Momtrepreneur Planner and getting to know the motivation behind this unique concept. We commend Laurie for her drive to build a business from scratch and wish her continued success!

Every Mom Has a Story.