How do you find yourself again after walking away from the career that once defined you?
In the latest addition to our Alumni Series, I sit down with transformational leadership coach Laura Saldivar Luna, founder of Piñata Possible. After leaving her C-suite role at Teach For America, Laura found herself in unfamiliar territory: no title, no roadmap, and no idea what was next. She knew she had a deep passion for helping people thrive and realize their potential. A year and a half into building her coaching practice, she had reached a point many entrepreneurs recognize — she was growing, but not in a way that felt aligned. That was when she heard about my Clear Calling Activator Mastermind.
What unfolded over our year together was a profound transformation in her leadership, her business model, and even her marriage. “There were moments of abundance I never believed possible for us.”
“I was in the very early, nascent stages of building something that felt like a big, bold vision, but still felt very new. And I felt very stumbly as I was in that building process.” – Laura Saldivar Luna
“Now I look at unknown and uncertainty as a place of possibility, as a place of creativity, as an open space or a blank slate to be able to redesign or design what it is that I really love and care about.” – Laura Saldivar Luna
“Business, I now see it as my business works for me, not I work for my business.”– Laura Saldivar Luna
“Letting go, that has really made all the difference in the way I choose to lead now.” – Laura Saldivar Luna
“It could be less, but better equals more progress. It could be more aligned opportunities equals more success.” – Laura Saldivar Luna
“Every completion brings a new opportunity to begin again and to begin again with the lessons from the last chapter.” – Laura Saldivar Luna
“In some cases, this was double or triple the revenue for the same hour spent of work. So it was less work, less time allocation, but for more investment and more revenue for the business, which ultimately was this beautiful cycle of sustainability for me…so a lot more power and choice and agency on my part.”
“I identify as Latina, so there are many cultural elements where I feel oftentimes the pressure to want to be of service, to want to deliver great things, to give it my all. ,,,,It really is an act of reclaiming power and liberation for me to be able to say, I am now more okay with completing things. And every completion brings a new opportunity to begin again and to begin again with the lessons from the last chapter.”
“In our cohort, I noticed some women returning year after year to continue learning with you…Seeing women committed to intentional growth and reassessing what they want to build was inspiring. Being in a community of people who cared about integrating themselves fully, and building what they valued felt joyful and supportive; it was a new way of learning that enabled me to feel less alone in my journey.”
NICOLE
Welcome back to another episode of the School of Self-Worth. I am your host, Nicole Tsong. Today, I am so, so excited to share the journey of Laura Saldivar Luna. She is not only a powerful coach and the founder of Pinata Possible, but she is also someone I have the great honor of working with for the past year as a member of my Clear Calling Activator Mastermind. The Mastermind is a year-long journey where we do big, expansive work on becoming more powerful leaders at work and in business. The breakthroughs are seriously out of this world – just incredible!
When Laura started with me, she was overwhelmed by her business and had more one-on-one clients than she really had time for. She wanted to learn how to scale her business through group coaching so she could actually have time for her family.
DM me ‘Mastermind’ on Instagram @NicoleTsong to get the application. I have limited spots left, so DM me today. Now, let’s get into this exciting episode!
Hello friends! Welcome to the School of Self-Worth, a podcast for ambitious women who know they are worthy of an astoundingly great life. Join us weekly as we get on the right side of your intuition, redefine success, and reclaim your self-worth. I’m your host, Nicole Tsong, an award-winning journalist who left it all behind to become a bestselling author of three books and a work-life balance expert, helping ambitious women unlock their intuition and step into a life of fulfillment and radical joy. Every single week, I will bring you diverse and meaningful conversations with successful women from all walks of life who share insights about what it takes to be brave, joyful, and authentic every day. Each episode is thoughtfully designed to leave you feeling empowered with tangible tips and advice that will lead you to your next breakthrough.
Laura, I’m so excited to have you here on the School of Self-Worth. Welcome!
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Thank you, Nicole! I’m so excited to be here with you.
NICOLE
I feel like, you know, usually I see you in a coaching context, so I want to ask, what are your wins? Because I haven’t seen Laura for a couple of months. But we will get to the wins because I know there are so many of them. I’d love for you to start by sharing what got you to the place where you were considering joining the Mastermind. Just your journey and sharing that with people. This is always about self-worth and value, so I would love to hear any context around that as well. I know it’s a very open question, but I’d love for you to get us started with, like, who’s Laura? We want to know more about her.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Yes! Well, my name is Laura Saldivar Luna, and I am the founder of a transformational leadership coaching practice. When I found you, Nicole, and found my way into your Mastermind, I was about a year, year and a half into running that coaching practice. Now, I will say that I was running a coaching practice and running a company, but back then, I felt like I was just in the very early, nascent stages of building something that felt like a big, bold vision. I felt very stumbly in that building process.
After my first year of entrepreneurship, a fellow entrepreneur friend of mine told me about her experience completing your Mastermind. She mentioned all the growth she had experienced through a year of working with you. At that time, I was looking for a way to invest in building and growing my business by building and growing myself. I remember the very first conversation I had with you, Nicole, where you listened so deeply to where I was getting in my own way. You cared so much about me, even though we didn’t really know each other then, to mirror back to me where I was getting in my own way.
I’ll never forget when you talked to me about the cost of slow decision-making. That always stayed with me. It landed for me as an opportunity to explore why I was getting in my own way regarding decision-making and other areas of my life. I came into the Mastermind with real hopes about the big vision I had for growing my business. Now, on the other side of that year with you, I can see tangible results of growth, not just in my business but in all areas of my life and leadership.
So, yes, I’m coming to you today in a place of real thriving. I feel far less stumbly than I did during our first conversation.
NICOLE
That’s amazing! I love to take it back even farther because, as you know, the women listening are all crazy high achievers trying to figure out their next thing. You had that whole journey too. Would you tell us a bit more about your journey to opening your own business?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Yes! My career path began in the field of education. I was a classroom teacher, teaching high school English and English as a Second Language. Then I moved into working in an education nonprofit called Teach for America. I worked for this nonprofit for over 15 years, starting at the entry level in their New York City headquarters and then growing through the organization to the C-level. I left Teach for America as the Chief People Officer.
Having walked a long journey through different levels of leadership in that organization taught me a lot about leading teams, setting a vision, and influencing and inspiring people to move collectively toward that vision. Throughout my career, I realized my deep passion for helping people thrive and for their potential to be realized. I became aware of the conditions, both internal and external, that could limit that potential. I wanted to support people in breaking free from those limitations and progressing toward the things they care about.
So, my entire career – from education to executive leadership to entrepreneurship – has always been guided by a deep belief in people. I may not have connected those dots easily before, but now they make sense. That’s the common thread.
NICOLE
It’s always easier when you’re on the other side than when you’re in it.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Well, yes.
NICOLE
I’m curious because I know many women here are probably thinking about leaving their jobs or wondering if there’s something else for them. Where would you say the biggest challenge came from? Was it actually leaving your job? I have a couple of questions around this. First, during that window when you decided you wanted to do something else, what was the biggest thing you had to overcome to actually leave? On the surface, people might think, wow, you’re so successful. You’re doing such great work here. You probably have so much impact and a lot of say in what you do at the C-suite level. That’s the dream, right? What would make you want to leave that level of work to do something on your own? What was scary or hard about it for you? What did you have to do to make that happen?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
It was a very scary time, actually. I would use that word to describe it. It was scary, disruptive, and filled with the unknown. At that time, I looked at uncertainty as something to fear. Now, I see it as a place of possibility, creativity, and an open space to design what I truly love and care about. However, back then, I felt like I was walking a prescribed path of leadership, checking boxes, and doing what I thought I was supposed to do to grow in my career.
When I reached the point of checking all the boxes and still felt incomplete, I started asking big questions about what was next and what was missing. Why was I still feeling like something was lacking in my life? It was a very disruptive time because, ultimately, my departure from the organization wasn’t necessarily my choice. This is part of the fascinating story. I came into my Chief People Officer role at the request of our CEO, and I left that position through a conversation with my CEO, where we decided it was time for the organization to embrace something different. We agreed that I would leave that role and close that chapter.
For me, that felt like the end of an important assignment, but it also felt like stepping into a very scary and unknown path. I had reached the end of what I was building in that organization. I remember sitting with a coach friend who said, “That’s great, Laura. You’ve completed all the things you wanted to complete.” I thought, “Yeah, but I never really thought beyond that.” It was scary to sit with myself and ask, “Okay, now that part of the journey is complete, what’s next?” It felt like I was losing control, and everything I had built up was starting to crumble around me. I wasn’t sure how I would begin to reintegrate it all.
NICOLE
Thank you for sharing that. The idea of what people think it’s going to be like when making a big decision can look impressive on the outside, but inside, it can feel very confronting and challenging. I’m curious for you – what are some of the skills you thought would help you in that transition from leadership skills, and what are the ones that actually helped you?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
What I thought would help me were the tried-and-true strategies I had built in a traditional leadership archetype: work hard, give maximum effort, try to give 110% at all times, and push myself to figure things out. What actually helped me through that time – and what I know has contributed to my exponential growth in leadership – is quite the opposite. It’s about building a new paradigm for leadership: surrendering control, making space for creativity, listening to the wisdom of my own body, and allowing clarity to arise before acting on it.
In the past, I would agonize over every decision and seek perfection at every step. Now, I am much more comfortable with emergence, openness, and trusting that if I don’t know how to figure something out right now, eventually I will. I often remind myself that “future me” will figure it out. These little bits of wisdom arise within me if I slow down to listen. Slowing down instead of speeding up and letting go has made all the difference in how I choose to lead now.
NICOLE
Beautifully said! I’m curious because this brings us to where you were when I met you and working in the Mastermind. Many people do bring that kind of mentality into entrepreneurship. Where would you say that played out for you? It probably worked for you to get a high-level job and for a while in your business too. What made you start to see that being in your own business was beginning to feel a little like the job you had before? Is that accurate?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Right! I was just telling a friend today that I now see my business as working for me, not the other way around. I learned that the hard way. In my first year of building my business, I believed that to achieve more progress, I needed to work harder and do more. As someone running a coaching practice, that meant getting more clients-more clients equal more success, more revenue, and more opportunity to reinvest in the business.
So, early on, I focused on getting more clients and growing my roster. One of the significant changes I learned through the Mastermind with you, Nicole, was how to value myself, my time, and the services I provided. I began to look for creative ways to center well-being and an integrated approach to operating my business. It wasn’t just about more equals more progress; it could be less but better equals more progress.
I learned that more aligned opportunities could lead to greater success, and charging higher rates for my services could lead to growth, not just adding more clients. I unpacked the belief that more people and more work equaled more success, realizing that the quality of work and investment of my time could make all the difference.
NICOLE
That reminds me of our conversation about how you were taking calls from the car while picking up your kids, which was driving you crazy. You had your own business, but you still didn’t have time for your family. Was that a priority for you in running your own business? I think a lot of people think, “Oh, that’s the dream.” Right now, I’m adjusting my schedule with having a baby, and I’m figuring out what that looks like and what boundaries I need to set. A lot of times, people believe we have a lot of freedom, but for high achievers who think they need to work all the time, it can be challenging. I was already at 25 hours a week before having my baby, and now I’ve had to decrease even more, requiring me to be even more intentional and clear about my boundaries. I’m curious about your patterns because it sounds like they followed you from your job into entrepreneurship.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
A bit of background context: I’m married, and my husband and I have been married for 14 years. We have two children, ages 9 and 11. When I was building my executive career, my children were very young, and I was working around the clock. I was often on call and traveling every other week. Many achievements in my career came at the cost of time away from my family.
When I moved into entrepreneurship, I wanted something different. I wanted a new paradigm for how I lived my life. I wanted my family, my own sense of self-worth, happiness, and well-being to be at the center of how I designed my business. However, I started to notice a different mindset creeping in. I loved what I was doing so much that I wanted to put in a lot of time and hours. I’d find myself washing dishes or picking things up around the house when an idea would strike, and I’d feel the urge to sit down and write about it or record my thoughts before losing them.
So, there was still that feeling of being on call, as ideas would flow in when they did. As my own boss, I was excited to build what I was creating. I laugh now because sometimes I have to sit with myself, the boss of this operation, to see how I’m getting in my own way. I realized I was compromising the boundaries I set for myself. I was competing with myself and struggling with the tensions within regarding what I wanted to build.
Over the last year, I’ve made strides to sit with my calendar and how I spend my time. I ensure that the priorities I’ve set matter to me go into my time allocations first. For example, I prioritize movement, which is crucial for my clarity and well-being, and I schedule it first instead of fitting it in if time is left over. I’ve started to structure my calendar to include movement, rest, and quality time with my family – at a micro level daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Some old strategies I had for mapping my time allocations still apply; I just utilize them differently by prioritizing and centering what matters most.
NICOLE
I love that. It’s true; many people think their calendar controls them. But who put those things on the calendar? I know people often say, “My boss put it on the calendar,” but I ask, “Who said yes to that?” We often think others control our time, but it’s a big switch to realize that we crafted that ourselves and can change it whenever we want.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Exactly!
NICOLE
Great! I’d love to hear about some of the wins you had from the Mastermind, and then let’s talk about how you achieved those wins. What are some of your biggest wins? Let’s celebrate all the awesome things Laura accomplished in the last year!
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
I feel like I got so much more than what I signed up for during my journey with you, Nicole, over the last year. One significant win was when we held onto a rental property. The renters transitioned, and we were in between deciding whether to keep the house and re-rent it or sell it. I believed holding onto the house was the right thing because it was an asset that would accumulate wealth over time. My husband raised good questions about whether it was time to sell, suggesting we had held on long enough and that the time for this investment had passed.
I struggled to think I could part with something that had been a part of our lives for so long. Through the work in the Mastermind, I began to see that I was coming into our cohort sessions with the same repeated problem. I was still struggling with the house, and admitting that to myself was illuminating. I realized that the house was actually draining my energy – financially and in terms of time spent interfacing with renters and making repairs.
I remember thinking about the taxes for the house and questioning whether we were even getting a return on the investment. I stepped back and realized that the energetically aligned decision was to close that chapter, honor what the house had done for us, and start anew. I was able to celebrate the big win of finally selling the house, receiving the resources from the sale, and reinvesting them in a way that felt joyful and aligned for my family. It was a significant win for both time and resources, showing that it didn’t have to be more of the same – it could be different.
NICOLE
I love that! I remember when that happened early in the Mastermind, and once you made that decision, everything moved quickly. It’s interesting because that wasn’t your initial goal; you came in to work on your business, but we ended up addressing the house. Sometimes, external factors like that can block you from being in flow in your business.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Exactly! I realized that, as the CEO of my business, I was also acting as a real estate manager, juggling many different roles. Not making decisions about the house was draining my energy across the board. It was a different area than my core business, but it connected to other aspects of my life.
NICOLE
Absolutely! What are some other big wins? I know you had some tangible successes within the business as well.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
One of the big shifts I made was moving from exclusive one-on-one coaching to group programming. I initially enjoyed one-on-one coaching and felt tremendous impact from it. However, I realized that coaching people one-on-one reaches a cap in terms of hours and the number of clients I can serve. So, I began working with groups, bringing clients together in a community where they could learn from and benefit from each other’s wisdom and coaching.
I saw that not only was I supporting clients through coaching, but I was also facilitating a space for them to learn and grow together. This sustainable approach allowed me to serve a larger number of people. The feedback was fantastic; clients were unlocking wins and enjoying the community aspect.
I also looked at the contracts and partnerships I had with organizations. I do some consulting and deep partnership work, designing and facilitating initiatives in an organizational context. I realized there were ways I could deepen those partnerships and find new levels of impact, which allowed for increased investments and scalability of services. For example, I moved from working with a CEO to engaging with the leadership team and then the entire organization, creating a ripple effect of transformation.
NICOLE
That’s incredible! Can you share some concrete results? Were you working fewer hours, increasing the number of people you served, or seeing revenue growth?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Yes! There was a particular type of work I was doing where I noticed the payment was about half of what I would charge if I ran that similar program independently. So, I shifted from working in-house with organizations to creating my own programs and inviting people from those organizations to participate. This not only gave me more creative freedom but also allowed me to reset my pricing. In some cases, this meant doubling or tripling my revenue for the same amount of work.
It was less work and less time allocation, but I achieved more revenue, creating a sustainable cycle. I focused on finding aligned partnerships, either creating them or connecting with organizations where I could genuinely offer my services, rather than fitting into their existing molds.
NICOLE
That sounds like such a no-brainer when you explain it that way! A lot of what we worked on with you was getting comfortable with leaving relationships that weren’t serving you anymore.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Right! Talking it out now, I realize I became more comfortable with completion. As a high-achieving woman and someone who identifies as Latina, I often felt the pressure to be of service and deliver great results. I learned that it’s okay to complete things and honor that a chapter is closed. I’ve given what I could, and now I can move on to something else. Each completion brings a new opportunity to begin again, taking the lessons from the last chapter.
NICOLE
That’s beautiful! Completion is super important, yet we often forget it. You mentioned moving your coaching practice from one-on-one to group settings. I find many underestimate the impact of the communities we enter. Often, we focus solely on the coach and whether they will deliver what we want. I believe community is an essential part of the experience. What did you see in entering the community of the Mastermind, and what did you gain from those women?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Being in the company of other passionate, committed women who are up to big and bold things made it so much fun! I learned from their stories, lessons, and brilliance. It left me feeling far less alone in the challenges I faced, knowing I wasn’t the only one struggling with how to authentically message my offers.
In our cohort, I noticed some women returning year after year to continue learning with you. We might be learning on a theme, but there’s always a new level. Seeing women committed to intentional growth and reassessing what they want to build was inspiring. They balanced their endeavors with other identities, whether as parents or nearing retirement.
Being in a community of people who cared about integrating themselves fully and building what they valued felt joyful and supportive. It was a new way of learning that enabled me to feel less alone in my journey.
NICOLE
That less alone piece is huge! Even women in corporate environments can feel isolated if those around them aren’t growing and expanding. As entrepreneurs, it can be even more isolating. I have my own communities that I reach out to when I feel that way.
I’m curious about your experience with the in-person events in the Mastermind. What were those like for you?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
The in-person time really sealed and cemented our relationships. We held space for each other – literally and emotionally – while navigating highly charged issues or sharing bold visions for the first time. There were tender moments of declaring big dreams and letting go of blocks we faced.
That in-person time was a game changer, creating momentum for us as a cohort. I believe you even added more in-person time because you saw the benefits it provided us.
NICOLE
Absolutely! I loved those moments too; they were so much fun! What would you say – have we covered all your wins, or is there anything else you want to add?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
There’s one more significant area of win I’d be remiss not to mention: my marriage. My husband and I have been married for 14 years and together for over 20 years. We first met in high school, where we were not sweethearts but rather rivals in academic clubs.
Looking back, I see how that spirit of playful competition has influenced our marriage. Sometimes, I’d keep score and feel a win-lose dynamic, which can hinder our partnership. Through the Mastermind, I began to unpack these dynamics and see how they connected to my business challenges.
I realized that by acknowledging my role in these unproductive dynamics, I could change the narrative. We’ve made significant upgrades in our marriage, shifting from a scarcity mindset to focusing on shared commitments. We now prioritize meeting each other’s needs and creating a game of marriage that works for us, regardless of societal expectations.
This newfound dialogue and teamwork have brought us a sense of freedom and happiness, which I attribute to recognizing where I was getting in the way of our happiness.
NICOLE
We often underestimate how much a struggling partnership can affect everything else in our lives. It’s not something people typically share publicly, but it really impacts business and career. You can look successful on the surface and still have challenges behind the scenes.
If your partnership thrives, it positively affects your parenting and all areas of your life. You can operate in a way that feels good for you, your family, your business, and your relationships.
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Absolutely! Every major area of my life – from my health and wellness to my marriage, parenting, communication with my parents, business building, and wealth creation – was touched by the leadership lessons I explored in the Mastermind. I’m so grateful for that because I now have a standing practice of restoring myself to wholeness. I can help others restore their wholeness, which comes from my own self-practice and acknowledgment.
NICOLE
I love seeing all the transformations you’ve made. I remember the trip to Disney and New York, where you shared joyful moments with your family. Those were big wins too!
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Thank you, Nicole! There were moments of abundance I never believed possible for us. Some of those experiences were spontaneous and became magical because we allowed them to happen, rather than trying to control everything.
NICOLE
Thank you so much for sharing, Laura. You’re so generous! I appreciate you reaching out to express your gratitude for the Mastermind. It speaks volumes about your commitment to clarity in your life and what you’re gaining from your endeavors. I’m grateful to you for being part of the Mastermind. Each woman is so important to me, and I always miss you all when we reach the completion point. Thank you for coming on; it’s a joy to see you! Where’s the best way for people to find you?
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
You can find me at pinatapossible.com, on Instagram @pinatapostpossible, and on LinkedIn @LauraSaldivarLuna. I’m so grateful to you, Nicole. I can’t remember if I told you, but investing in your Mastermind was the most significant monetary investment I had made in my business at that time. It was so worth it, and the ROI was incredibly high – multiple times over. It’s now my standard practice to keep investing in myself, thanks to leveling up.
NICOLE
Incredible! Thank you so much, Laura. I appreciate you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
I hope so!
NICOLE
Thank you for being here on the School of Self-Worth. We’re excited to see where you go from here!
LAURA SALDIVAR LUNA
Thank you, Nicole! I appreciate you so much.
NICOLE
Thank you for tuning in to today’s episode. If you want to uncover your biggest blind spots and make fast, intuitive decisions, DM me “quiz” on Instagram @NicoleTsong. We appreciate every note we receive about how this podcast impacts your life. Until next time, I’m Nicole Tsong, and this is the School of Self-Worth.
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