Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Llanos.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story began long before I arrived in Washington, D.C. It began in Venezuela, with an Industrial Engineering degree, a passion for entrepreneurship, and a belief that education can change the direction of a person’s life.
When I arrived in the United States in 2016, I was starting over in many ways. I had professional experience and a lifetime of knowledge behind me, but I was also learning a new language, a new culture, and a new way of navigating the professional world. I quickly understood that being an immigrant is not only about adapting to a new country—it is also about discovering how much of your experience and identity you can bring with you and transform into something new.
Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School became an important part of that transformation. I first went there as a student to improve my English. Later, I became a volunteer and eventually an instructor in the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Program. What started as a place where I came to learn became a place where I could give back.
That experience helped me recognize something very important about myself: I was not only passionate about business—I was passionate about helping people understand their own potential.
Since then, my journey has brought together three things that are deeply connected to who I am: education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. As a Business Advisor, mentor, instructor, and speaker, I have had the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs and small business owners from different backgrounds, helping them transform ideas into structured businesses and develop the confidence and strategies needed to move forward.
My own journey also led me to create Mood Biz Solutions, where I now bring together my experience in business development, education, strategy, and communication to guide leaders and entrepreneurs in building businesses that are not only visible, but also structured and sustainable.
I have learned that starting over does not mean starting from zero. You carry your knowledge, your experiences, your culture, your talents, and your story with you. Sometimes, the challenge is simply learning how to connect all those pieces and give them a new purpose.
Today, I see my journey as a bridge between where I came from and what I am building. My purpose is to help others discover that their own story can become a source of clarity, innovation, and opportunity.
Because ultimately, your story is not just what happened to you. It can become the foundation for what you create next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, and I think that is part of what has made the journey meaningful.
Starting over in a new country came with challenges that went far beyond building a career. I had to adapt to a different language, culture, professional environment, and way of doing business. There were moments when I had to explain my experience all over again and prove that the knowledge and skills I had developed in Venezuela still had value in a new environment.
There was also the challenge of rebuilding a professional network from the ground up. As an immigrant, you can have years of education and experience behind you, but you still have to learn how to translate that experience into a new context.
At the same time, I was learning to balance multiple roles—entrepreneur, educator, business advisor, speaker, and community advocate—while continuing to build my own professional identity and businesses.
There were moments of uncertainty, rejection, and having to rethink my plans. But those moments taught me something I now share with the entrepreneurs I work with: a setback does not necessarily mean you are on the wrong path; sometimes it means you need to find a different way forward.
Education became one of my strongest tools during that process. Every new skill, relationship, and experience gave me another piece of the puzzle. I learned to be patient with the process while remaining intentional about where I wanted to go.
Today, I don’t look at those challenges as something separate from my success. They are part of it. They taught me resilience, adaptability, empathy, and the importance of creating opportunities not only for myself, but also for others.
My journey has taught me that starting over can be difficult, but it can also reveal abilities you didn’t know you had. Sometimes the road becomes clear only after you are willing to take the next step.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mood Biz Solutions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Mood Biz Solutions was created from a simple but powerful idea: a good business idea needs more than passion—it needs structure, clarity, strategy, and the ability to communicate its value.
Mood is a Washington, D.C.-based business consulting firm that supports entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders who want to transform their ideas, talents, and experience into structured, visible, and sustainable businesses.
My approach brings together my background as an Industrial Engineer, entrepreneur, educator, Business Advisor, and speaker. I look at a business not only as a product or service, but as a system where strategy, communication, operations, identity, and people need to work together.
We specialize in helping entrepreneurs move from “I have an idea” to “I have a business with direction.” Depending on the client’s needs, that can include business idea development, business planning, strategic positioning, personal and commercial branding, digital presence, business development, and one-on-one strategic guidance.
One of the things that sets Mood apart is the importance we place on the person behind the business. I believe that your knowledge, talents, experiences, and story can become valuable business assets when they are connected strategically. That is why our work is not simply about creating a business plan or a social media presence. It is about understanding the person, the business, and the environment in which that business needs to grow.
My philosophy is reflected in the concept “Ingeniería Comunicacional Sostenible para negocios en entorno digital”—bringing together strategic thinking, communication, and sustainability so businesses can build a meaningful presence in today’s digital environment.
I am particularly proud of the identity we are building around Mood because it represents something personal to me: the belief that business growth can be both strategic and human. After years of working with entrepreneurs and small business owners, I have seen how much potential exists in people who simply need the right guidance, tools, and structure to move forward.
Another important part of our brand is education. I don’t want clients to become dependent on a consultant. I want them to understand their own business better and develop the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
Ultimately, I want readers to know that Mood Biz Solutions is about turning potential into purposeful business action. We help people connect the dots between who they are, what they know, what they can offer, and how they can communicate that value to the world.
For me, the most exciting part is seeing what happens when someone realizes that their own story, experience, and talents can become the foundation of a business with real purpose and possibility.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
iI I had to choose one quality that has been most important to my success, I would say adaptability.
My journey has required me to constantly learn, unlearn, and reinvent myself. As an immigrant, I had to adapt to a new country, language, culture, and professional environment. As an entrepreneur and Business Advisor, I have had to adapt to changing markets, technologies, and the evolving needs of the people and businesses I serve.
But adaptability, for me, is not simply reacting to change. It is being curious enough to see change as an opportunity to learn and create something new.
My Industrial Engineering background also shaped the way I approach challenges. I naturally look at how different pieces connect, where there are opportunities to improve, and how a system can work more effectively. Over time, I have learned to apply that same mindset to people and businesses.
Another quality that has been essential is curiosity. I am always asking questions, learning from others, exploring new ideas, and looking for better ways to do things. I believe that the moment we stop learning is the moment we limit what we can create.
And perhaps most importantly, I have learned to trust the process. Not every opportunity is immediately clear, and not every setback makes sense when you are going through it. Sometimes you have to keep moving, learning, and connecting the dots before you can see where the journey is taking you.
Today, I believe success is not simply about reaching a destination. It is about remaining open enough to evolve while staying connected to your purpose.
That combination of adaptability, curiosity, and purpose has allowed me to turn challenges into learning experiences and experiences into opportunities—not only for myself, but for the entrepreneurs and communities I have the privilege of serving.
Pricing:
- Business Strategy & 1:1 Business Advising: Customized sessions and strategic guidance for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Business Idea Development: Support transforming an idea, talent, or concept into a structured business model.
- Brand & Digital Presence Strategy: Guidance for developing a clear personal or commercial brand and building a strategic digital presence.
- Workshops & Training: Customized workshops for entrepreneurs, organizations, and community programs on entrepreneurship, business development, branding, leadership, and innovation.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MOODBIZSOLUTIONS/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/soymariallanos/
