Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Mahoney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Re-Inventing Self Love was born in November 2017 as part of my Mastering Leadership thesis with the company Live4You. It started as a 2.5-hour emotional intelligence workshop all about supporting people tap into a love that feels real and true for them.

Growing up, I was the youngest of three and was always smiling, being silly, and full of imagination. I loved riding bikes, running around outside with friends, and just being a kid. My parents worked so hard to give us everything they could. Food on the table, a roof over our heads, and opportunities they wanted us to have. Looking back, I realize they often did it at the expense of their own self-care. They gave us everything they had so we could thrive.

I felt deeply loved by others, however I didn’t fully understand what it meant to love myself.

By 3rd grade, my inner voice started turning harsh. I got bullied at school and didn’t know how to handle it. That’s when I started looking for love and validation outside of me. I spent a lot of time trying to fit in, trying to be enough. Through middle school and high school, I felt like I was still on a search to belong. I asked myself over and over, Who am I? That search for identity led me into all kinds of experiences. Some beautiful, some painful.

Fast forward to 2017 I was working at Playworks, a job I loved where I was bringing social emotional learning and play to kids and adults across Phoenix Schools. One day, a coworker came to visit me at a school and said, “Are you okay? You don’t seem like yourself.” That moment hit hard. I was not okay. My relationships were crumbling, I felt lost, and I didn’t even recognize the person I’d become.

That was my turning point. I learned about these beautiful leadership trainings at a company called Live4You and it cracked my heart wide open. In what felt like the darkest season of my life, a light inside me—one that had been dim for years—started to shine again.

I began doing the deep inner work to re-invent what self-love meant for me. This time, it wasn’t about achievements or the approval of others. It was about creating a relationship with me. Slowly, my thoughts shifted. I started letting go of old beliefs that held me back, and for the first time in a long time, I felt free.

As I poured into myself, I noticed how much more powerful my work with kids and adults became. I knew I wasn’t the only one who had ever felt lost, disconnected, or unsure of their worth. And I thought: What if I could help others rediscover their light too?

It was one person, who crossed my path, who stopped to see me and take a stand for me to awaken that spark inside.

That’s how Re-Inventing Self Love came to life. It was no longer just a workshop, but as a movement. Today, I lead workshops, retreats, and camps that help kids, teens, and adults reconnect with themselves and others through play, self-discovery, and emotional intelligence.

Because when we choose to love ourselves first, we show up differently for the people we care about. And that ripple of love? It can change the world.

Erin , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Erin, the creator of the Re-Inventing Self Love LLC. My journey into this work has been deeply personal and transformative. With over a decade of experience in leadership, coaching, and wellness, my path began with a desire to heal and grow within myself. It was during one of the most challenging times in my life that I discovered the power of self-love, play, and emotional intelligence and how these could be transformative for not only myself but for others as well.

Today, I work with children, teens, and adults, blending my expertise as a holistic health coach, transformational life coach, and play specialist. Through workshops, camps, retreats, and one-on-one coaching, I aim to help individuals unlock their potential, strengthen their emotional intelligence, and cultivate a deeper relationship with themselves. My programs are grounded in fostering self-love, empathy, and connection, often using play and creative expression as tools for growth.

What sets me apart is the fusion of play-based learning with social-emotional leadership. I firmly believe that when we reconnect with our inner child and nurture our sense of wonder, we unlock profound insights and healing. Whether it’s a child discovering their superpower through arts and crafts or an adult breaking through limiting beliefs in a leadership workshop, my work is about transformation at every level.

I am most proud of the relationships I’ve built and the tangible results I’ve seen in my clients. I’ve witnessed families heal, children grow into confident leaders, and adults rediscover their purpose. Personally, I’ve experienced incredible breakthroughs: healing my own relationships, achieving professional milestones, and building a life that aligns with my passions.

If there’s one thing I want people to take away about me and the Re-Inventing Self Love LLC., it’s this: transformation begins with you. Through self-love, play, and grace with oneself, we can create lasting change in our lives. With therefore ripples out into lasting change in our world. I’m here to support that journey, whether through camps that help kids thrive or workshops that inspire adults to reimagine what’s possible. Together, we’re re-inventing what it means to love ourselves and others, one step at a time.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What’s really helped me build my reputation is staying real and doing the work every single day. In the beginning, I looked up to leaders I admired and thought I had to show up like them or prove myself to them. I later realized my greatest impact happens when I lean into my own style and show up fully as myself. That authenticity creates a ripple, it gives others permission to do the same.

I’ve also learned how important it is to stay grounded in my own energy. Instead of getting pulled into outside noise or negativity, I focus on self-awareness, taking ownership of my emotions, and holding space for growth, for me and the people around me. That’s where I’ve seen the biggest shifts.

Of course, I’m still learning and unlearning every day. I meet myself where I am and practice loving myself through it all. That kind of self-love doesn’t just change me, it sets the tone for how others engage with me too.

For me, it’s not about just talking transformation. It’s about living it. Every challenge and every win has shaped me, and I’m committed to growing so I can keep showing up fully for the people I serve. I think that kind of steady, authentic presence is what builds real trust and a strong reputation.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

You know, one of the most defining moments of my life and a real test of my resilience, was ending a long-term relationship. It was heart-wrenching. It wasn’t about the other person being “bad” or me being “right.” It was just one of those moments where I had to be radically honest with myself about what I wanted, what I needed, and who I was becoming.

And here’s the thing no one really prepares you for: when you make a decision like that, even when you know it’s the right one, it can feel like the floor has completely dropped out from under you. I went from having what looked like “it all” to suddenly it was just me and my dog. I had no savings. I was living with family friends, figuring out my next steps, and eventually got my own apartment by selling almost everything I had just to make rent.

All while showing up every single day for a job that pours into others and serves our community. That required me to dig deep. To lean on parts of myself I didn’t even know existed.

And that’s what I’ve come to realize about self-love. It’s not bubble baths and affirmations, that is a part of self-maintenance. Real self-love is learning to end anything, a relationship, a job, an old story about yourself, that no longer serves you. It’s looking in the mirror, even with tears streaming down your face, and saying: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

There were moments I felt completely overwhelmed, but I kept reminding myself: “There’s a light at the end of this. And in order to heal it, I get to feel it.”

What I discovered through that experience is that resilience isn’t about bouncing back to what was. It’s about becoming someone new. Someone stronger. Someone who trusts herself enough to let go and believes enough to rebuild.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://re-inventingselflovecoaching.godaddysites.com
• Instagram: re_inventing_self_love and emahoney_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eurrin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-mahoney-9b6808151/

Image Credits

Location: Sweatshop on Central
Last photo with Cactus: Delmedia photography