Meet Valerie Arroyo | Empowerment Coach & Breakthrough Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valerie Arroyo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The Women’s Healing Circle was birthed in 2017, after the passing of my 22 year-old cousin Aysia-Lynn due to heart complications. While a loss is never easy, it taught me how short life can be, the importance of putting on your own oxygen mask and discovering your purpose in life.

As women of color, we tend to face greater stress factors which lead to a variety of stress-related heart conditions, in which many are not even aware they have. Aysia’s passing illuminated the reality of the weight women of color silently carry trying to live out their ancestors’ wildest dreams, manage the many titles they wear, while simultaneously trying to fulfill their own.

So many of the women I’ve encountered as a coach unfortunately shared truth commonality.
We’d mostly been taught to have pride in being a “strong woman”, even though it often came at the expense of sacrificing our own needs and dreams in order to put the needs of family, careers, and the world first. In many cases the life they were living, was not the life of their dreams but rather the life they had settled for as a compromise to reduce the heaviness had they ignore the needs of the world and actually put themselves first.

These realities highlighted the urgent need to create a faith-based community where women could safely disarmor, so they could recharge and heal through self care and soul-care. At the Women’s Healing Circle we empower women to not only feel good but to heal good too!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Women’s Healing Circle is built on the concept of “I AM SHE”, when we look at our sisters can we pause to see beyond their titles and instead for who they truly are as an individual. Encouraging one another to pause long enough to make each other feel seen, heard, loved, and validated through our stories. We empower one another to uplift our voice and share our stories. It is a WHC belief that we all have similarities woven through the stories we share so how do we use our stories of overcoming to continuously support one another on this ever evolving journey of wholeness. I am SHE is about spiritually healing and evolving through the power of community and that’s what makes us so unique.

I am so proud of the journey I am on as the CEO of Women’s Healing Circle. The fact that what started off my personal journey to wholeness and healing through self & soul care has impacted so many women not only within the US but in other countries like Nigeria (shoutout to TAWER)! Who would’ve thought the shy little girl from Staten Island, NY would be chosen for such a time as this! It really blows my mind.

Like everything in life, there have been many ups and downs but the ups outweigh the bad days. I’ve had to fight imposter-syndrome, perfectionism, fear and so much more. Witnessing God’s plan unfold in front of me through the transformation of the WHC community as well as the open doors & connections all help me keep pushing when things get hard. I believe in this community so much and the generational impact that happens through our retreats, workshops, coaching and conferences, I can’t look back now-This is bigger than me! When you discover that sweet spot between passion and purpose its so hard to turn away from it.

I know artist and social media have more recently glorified the entrepreneurial world but it is not for everyone and that’s okay. There are 3 big lessons I’ve learned so far on this journey:

1. Find your tribe and do not be ashamed to ask for help early and often. There are so many people who are gifted and want to help you. You cannot do it all on your own. Allow others to pour into you through their gifts.

2. Be really clear on what your business is and is not before you even start because when you start off it’s easy to get side tracked by what you see that appears to be popular or trending.

3. Be flexible and keep showing up! We all want to win but you will have moments that feel furthest from a win. Use these moments to adjust and try again. The more you show up, the better things become. The best way to build trust is to consistently show up.

A bonus for all my faith-prenures…Keep God first and everything He orders for you will happen!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love to travel so it really depends on the location, as each place has it’s unique features, but a few must visits in every city is to find the best local coffee shops, pop-up museums, live music events, rooftops, and spas- and of course they have to be top tier for capturing the best content!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I believe that for good or bad, every person you encounter lives an imprint on who you become. There are so many people I can name but I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the women in my family, especially my late grandmother Lucy V. Chambers. She was a real example of what it looks like to serve God and be an extension of His love. She is why we make the time in the Women’s Healing Circle to “BRAG ON GOD” because He chose each of us to join Him in carrying out His plan on earth-that’s why we have our jobs, families, etc. They are all invitations from God to carry out His perfect will.

I also have to shoutout my children Aiden, Anyah and Harrison for allowing me the grace to continue to grow into the best mom that they need me to be

Lastly, my dad, Destiny Collective tribe, leadership team, One Million Black in Business tribe, Daniel’s Den tribe and my church communities SPBC & Abundant Life Family Worship for being a support in all of the twists and turns of life.

Website: www.womenshealingcircle.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thewomenshealingcircle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewomenshealingcircle

Other: Destiny Collective (WHC’s private coaching tribe) bit.ly/DESTINYCOLLECTIVE