We were lucky to catch up with Deanna Araceli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Deanna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Growing up, I always knew I was different, and I found myself more of an observer of reality than a participant. Yes, I played sports and had many friends, but I always knew I wanted more than what I saw around me.

My parents were opposites when it came to work ethics. My mom was an immigrant from Mexico who worked hard at her company for over 47 years, and my father was an African-American who despised the system and hustled his way through life.

As I started reaching for my identity and understanding my purpose, it led me to teaching and tutoring children. After college, I traveled and taught English abroad. This helped to bridge my sense of exploration while preparing myself for my most significant venture, stepping out of the shadows, taking my gifts, and using them on a larger scale.

The creation of my business, LA Casa de Luz, destroyed my past. While I was undergoing my Saturn Return in 2019, I was brought to the darkest night of my soul.

My spiritual training, alternative lifestyle, and career in the public school system all started to weigh down on my physical and mental bodies. I found myself in need of deep healing and reconnection to my roots. I began to study more of my lineage as an Indigenous of the Americas and started to reclaim my ancestral knowledge.

I knew I wanted to build community, use my educational background, and teach the spiritual knowledge I had gained through my travels in India, South America, and Mexico.

I started to join classes with the Inland Empire’s Women’s Business Center (IEWBC), I got myself a free counselor, and I started to build my business plan for a storefront in East Los Angeles. The name “LA Casa de Luz” came to me during a healing session as I prepared to travel to India for the fifth time.

When the pandemic started, it was clear that I didn’t want to be in a major city. I was already offering divination services (as I was exposed to this as a child) at a donation price to my family and friends.  With enough feedback that my advice and guidance were helpful and enlightening, I started to charge accordingly.

By the end of 2020, I had moved back to Mexico and was on a new path. During the pandemic, LA Casa de Luz transformed from a storefront idea to a home of Divination Readings and spiritual counseling. I started helping out with retreats and workshops in Mexico and realized this was my path.

At the end of 2022, I created my course, “The Mysterium,” an 8-week journey I take artists and healers on to integrate their shadow aspects to be their most authentic selves. I didn’t have the systems and funnels in place yet, so I started diving back into “business school,” finding coaches and courses to help me scale. I connected back with my business counselor from IEWBC. Then, I took the risk on myself and invested in a high-ticket program in 2023. This gave me the courage to price my course at a higher value, run ads, and expand my network.

There are a lot of ins and outs when it comes to business entrepreneurship, especially when your primary product is yourself. The biggest lesson from getting the idea to launch is not to give up and reach out to those who can help you! Some ideas need time to germinate and come back to. Others are easier and can be the first steps to the bigger picture.

I still dream of having a brick-and-mortar place, but now I know my most significant impact is the intrinsic value I bring. The future looks bright!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

LA Casa de Luz is a home of divination and Spiritual School. We offer energy readings, 1:1 Spiritual Counseling sessions, Soul Retrieval Ceremonies, Workshops, Classes, and our signature course, “The Mysterium.”

We provide our clients with spiritual and personal guidance to help them navigate their situations with clarity and understanding. The Mysterium journey uses indigenous and eastern practices to help one navigate one’s subconscious mind and remove any blockages that may inhibit them from being their most authentic self. Through Soul Retrieval processes, guided meditations, spiritual chants, and somatic techniques, we help our clients integrate mind-body-spirit.

We are here to uphold the spiritual Truths of Indigenous and Ancient Sciences worldwide. We are committed to uplifting our communities and creating a positive learning environment that fosters true transformation and understanding.

As an artist myself, this is an intricate role I play in expanding my business and how I present myself when I work with small business owners, healers, and artists. I am very proud that although I have been full-time in my business, I carve out time for my personal ventures. One is my new Poetry book, “Walking Piece of Art: Poetry for Healing,” which I self-published through LA Casa de Luz on 8.8.24!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I love running ads, as they take your market reach to a new level. Although ads are a great boost of exposure, they require capital. So, in the beginning, I found the best clients, and the most impactful relationships I make are from word of mouth and in-person events. Some of my clients are friends of friends or people I meet at local pop-ups when I collaborate with another business owner, etc.

I have found networking with other business owners helps strengthen the connections and brings in trustworthy people!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Since college, I have lived an alternative lifestyle. Traveling abroad, living in ashrams (monasteries), working, and creating communities in Mexico—my spiritual basis has built my reputation. Listening to my story and understanding the path I have taken shares my courage and determination and makes me trustworthy that I truly want the best for my clients and students.

Since we are now in what many would call a “woo woo” age, I steer away from trends and anything that waters down the authority of ancient sciences. I keep my message clear about where we stand as people of color, activists for justice, and spiritual warriors with a true foundation to honor the cultures of my people and other Indigenous people around the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lacasadeluz108.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacasadeluz108/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacasadeluz108
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacasadeluz108/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lacasadeluz108
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lacasadeluz108

Image Credits

Dustin McWethy, Nalina Kaufman, Vivian Tu, Mackenzie Mccullough