Working Mom Spotlight: Stephanie Llorente

Name: Stephanie Llorente

Occupation: PR Strategist at Prep Communications AND Owner of Restored

Number of kids: 2 (+ our dog Sofi!)

Favorite candy bar: Take 5 (just discovered this!)

Tell us about your family, and what’s your childcare solution?

I’m married to my college sweetheart, Chris, and we have two kids – an eight-year-old boy and a girl in kindergarten. They keep me on my toes, and each has a different personality to manage. My boy is reserved, but still waters run deep. My daughter is a bold artist full of spunk, and my husband is a true enneagram 8…decisive, loyal and challenges everything. (ha!) I have worked from home for five years, and Chris has worked from home for nearly a decade – so we’ve figured out how to navigate life together pretty well. (Our offices are side by side, so he knows more about Restored than he might care to!) 

Our kids are in school during the days, and I enjoy the flexibility of my role because it allows me to pick them up and hang out with them each afternoon. I’m a night owl, so I do a lot of work after bedtime to catch up. During the summers we hire a nanny (who our kids LOVE) to spend time with them so I can work. We’re also blessed to have grandparents close by, so they pinch hit when needed, too.

 Where do you work, and what is a typical workday like for you? 

I have worked for some amazing PR agencies and a major branded food company, but I now work as a PR strategist for my own company, Prep Communications. I also spend a lot of time bringing Restored to life.

Because of the variety, there is no typical workday. The closest I can come is to tell you that I wake up in the morning and I eventually get to sleep at night. 

Each morning, my husband does school drop off, which leaves me with a bit of quiet time in the mornings to get ready for the day. After that I dive into PR client work and emails. Much of my day is spent writing – press releases, blog posts, social media content, C-suite messaging, or any other number of things that help companies communicate to audiences that matter to them. I basically help companies set communications strategy and then work with them to execute on that strategy.  

For Restored, most of my time is spent thinking about, planning for and communicating with YOU! Each day I’m thinking about what content would be helpful for you, what resources you need and how we can make this community easily accessible, relevant and enjoyable for you. That can look like event planning, social media posts, writing blogs, interviewing other moms or any number of tasks that help take Restored from a name you heard to a community you trust.

Share some of your goals – personal or professional. 

This is a tough question for me because I’m not a huge goal setter, but I do always have things that I want done, and I have little patience that they’re not done yet. 

Professionally, on the PR side, I’d like to set up my business to function without my fingers touching every single thing. For Restored, I want to see growth – an expanded community (while retaining an intimate feel), additional touchpoints within the community, and more efficient operations/processes.

What motivates you to work?

YOU!! I do PR because I know how…and it pays me.  

But, I do Restored because I love connecting with moms who love their families well, work hard, and desire to integrate their faith into those things. I’ve met incredible women I now call friends, and I feel like if a community like Restored benefits me, then it potentially, and hopefully, benefits others as well. 

Plus, it has been cool to see God work through Restored to create friendships and align moms with common interests.
How do you like to relax? 

Spa. Coffee. Book. Nap. Repeat.  

I don’t care if it’s a facial, a massage or a pedicure…anything at a spa makes me feel relaxed. I also love to read and sip an iced latte. But, I think my most favorite way to relax is to be on a boat in the water with my family. 

What is your favorite part of motherhood? 

Gah! I don’t know…there are so many ups and downs – and we’re only eight-years in! I think my favorite part is also the hardest. I love knowing that they’re mine for a while. I get to see them learn, change, develop, laugh, cry, question, trust, fail, succeed, grow – all of the things that kids do. And those moments are mine. For a while, at least. I feel incredibly honored that God – for some crazy reason – entrusted us with these amazing, beautiful, frustrating, loving, completely imperfect kids. There’s a lot of pressure associated with that, but also a lot of blessing.

What does Restored mean to you? How has it impacted you personally? 

I’ve read a number of responses to this question from the other moms we’ve profiled in the past, and I always nod my head in agreement as I’m reading. The thing is, Restored means something different to me than it ever will to anyone else.  

Restored is something I wanted in my own life, but couldn’t find. When God first nudged me to take it on, I was like, “Nahhhh.” Then, persistent nudger that He is, I agreed, but with a hesitant heart because I felt that the huge responsibility of shepherding the hearts of moms in different places was too big for me. Truth be told, it was. It still is. But, for me, Restored has been the perfect way for God to show His strength in my incredible weakness. Through my hesitancy, through my imposter syndrome, through my inadequacies – He shows up. He does the work. I’m just here in the front row watching His show while each scene leaves me on the edge of my seat (eating popcorn, of course) waiting to see what happens next.

What is one of your favorite Restored events to date? Why is it your favorite? 

I refuse to pick just one. Each has been valuable and rewarding in a different way. I love learning from our speakers. I love engaging with other moms at our socials. I love diving into the word with friends during our Bible studies. I love each part for a different reason…except for endless admin tasks. Don’t love that. ;)

Can you share how you overcome challenges related to the “mom chaos” that settles in when you feel pulled in 100 directions? 

When I figure out the answer to this question, I will shout it loud and clear for all the world to hear so I can earn a sweet book deal. 

I think, the best way for me to manage the chaos is to share the load. Much of my load is shared with my husband (I definitely married up), but also with my mom, my sister, my mother-in-law, and you! When I feel overloaded, there’s typically another mom within Restored that’s been there, is there now, or will be in the same position shortly. So, it’s been unbelievably helpful for me to fully engage with this group as a member rather than a business owner.

Besides your faith and family, what are you passionate about? 

I’m passionate about helping others. Whether it’s connecting moms through Restored, finding a real job for my intern who’s graduating, feeding someone who’s hungry, or helping my kids feel connected to others throughout a pandemic, I want to make sure those around me feel seen, valued and loved no matter the circumstance. (And, on a funny note: I literally had to get up from my desk and go ask my husband what I’m passionate about to answer this question!!)