We caught up with the brilliant and insightful MARIA MOCK a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
MARIA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
As the Founder and CEO of The All Purpose Center, my mission is deeply personal. Our mission is to empower individuals of all ages to discover and align with their true purpose in life. That mission was born from my own journey—starting from humble beginnings working part-time in housekeeping and dietary in a nursing home, to building and leading successful businesses in home health care, and now, pouring back into the community through purpose-driven programs and mentorship.
But what truly ignited this mission was the loss of my first-born son in a tragic motorcycle accident. That pain shifted everything for me. I knew I had to do more than just exist—I had to help others live with intention. I’ve spent over 17 years mentoring youth and working with underserved communities because I believe purpose is the one thing that can’t be taken from you—it’s the foundation that helps people stand, even when life knocks them down.
The All Purpose Center is more than a nonprofit—it’s a movement. We walk with people through healing, discovery, and empowerment. From youth summits to transitional housing, and workshops to peer support training, everything we do is centered on helping individuals recognize that they were created with purpose, for purpose. That’s why this mission matters so much to me—it’s not just something I do, it’s who I am.
MARIA, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Maria Mock, and I am the Founder and CEO of The All Purpose Center, as well as a business consultant and speaker with a deep passion for empowering people to discover, align with, and walk in their true purpose. My journey into entrepreneurship and community service wasn’t traditional—it was built from the ground up, with grit, grace, and a whole lot of faith.
I started at the very bottom—part-time in housekeeping and dietary at a nursing home. But I was determined to grow. Over the years, I worked in nearly every role within the health care industry, learning the ins and outs of patient care, operations, and compliance. Eventually, I earned my B.S. in Business Management and Accounting, and took a leap of faith to open my own adult day care and home health care business—Hands from Heaven, LLC. I spent over a decade building and leading that business, serving my community and becoming what I like to call a certified BOSS in home health care.
After closing that chapter, I didn’t walk away from the industry—I evolved. Today, I also operate as a specialized business consultant through a healthcare consulting firm, where I help aspiring and established entrepreneurs launch, grow, and sustain successful home health care agencies and elder care businesses. We provide:
Business startup guidance for home health care, adult day services, and group homes
Certification assistance for independent and agency providers
Workshops, seminars, and executive retreats for both profit and nonprofit organizations
Strategic planning and operational support for long-term success
Leadership coaching and keynote speaking for healthcare professionals and organizations
This work allows me to blend my deep industry knowledge with my passion for mentoring and community transformation. I don’t just teach the business—I’ve lived it, and I’m passionate about helping others navigate the path more confidently and successfully than I had to.
Now, back to The All Purpose Center—this organization is my heart’s mission. Born out of personal loss, especially the tragic passing of my first-born son, this center is my way of turning pain into purpose. We are a nonprofit organization focused on youth empowerment, personal development, healing, and community alignment. Our services include:
Youth Summits (like our upcoming Empower Youth: Ignite the Future event)
Transitional Housing Program (currently in development)
Purposeful Pathways Workshops on healing, identity, and vision
Mentorship & leadership training for youth and adults
Peer Recovery Support Certification & Mental Wellness Advocacy
Faith-based sisterhood initiatives like “Moments with Maria”
Strategic community partnerships for long-term transformation
What sets my work apart—whether it’s consulting in healthcare, mentoring youth, or leading purpose workshops—is that it’s always real, intentional, and purpose-driven. I know what it’s like to struggle. I know what it’s like to build something from nothing. And I know how important it is to have someone who believes in you and gives you the tools to thrive.
What I’m most proud of is the impact—seeing people light up when they realize they do have purpose. Watching youth lead, entrepreneurs grow, and families heal. That’s why I do what I do.
If you’re looking for someone who brings experience, heart, and strategy to the table—whether in healthcare or personal development—I’d love to connect.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the most significant pivots in my life came after the tragic loss of my first-born son. At that time, I was running a successful home health care business—Hands from Heaven, LLC—and fully immersed in serving the elderly and individuals who could not care for themselves. I had poured years of hard work into building that company from the ground up, and on the outside, everything looked stable. But on the inside, everything shifted.
Losing my son shattered me. It was the kind of pain that makes you question everything—even your purpose. For a while, I tried to keep going, holding on to what I had built, but God was calling me to something deeper. Through my grief, I realized that I wasn’t just called to care for people physically—I was called to help people heal, discover who they are, and walk in their divine purpose. And not just the elderly—but youth, women, families, and communities as a whole.
That realization led to one of the boldest moves I’ve ever made: I closed the doors of my business and fully stepped into a new assignment—The All Purpose Center. It was a major pivot, not just in business, but in life. I transitioned from running a for-profit healthcare agency to founding a nonprofit dedicated to healing, empowerment, and purpose alignment. We began offering workshops, youth summits, transitional housing initiatives, peer support training, and mentorship programs—all rooted in the belief that everyone was created with purpose.
And as I walked through that transition, I felt compelled to do something else—tell my story. That’s when I began writing my book, The Purpose Behind It All. Writing that book was a healing process for me. It gave me the space to process my grief, reflect on my journey, and remind myself—and others—that even in the darkest moments, there is purpose. The book is my testimony. It speaks to women, parents, business owners, and anyone who’s ever felt lost or broken. It’s for those searching for direction, healing, and hope.
At the same time, I didn’t walk away from the industry I spent years in—I pivoted into healthcare consulting, helping others launch and grow their own home health care businesses, adult day services, and group homes. I use my real-world experience to guide others through startup, certification, compliance, and growth, helping them avoid the pitfalls I had to navigate alone.
That pivot—stepping away from what I knew to walk into what I was truly called to do—taught me that a closed door can be the beginning of your greatest chapter. And now, everything I do—through The All Purpose Center, my consulting firm, and my book—is rooted in truth, healing, and purpose.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: your pain has a purpose, and your purpose has power. You just have to be willing to pivot.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
One of the clearest examples of my resilience came during the season when I was building Hands from Heaven, LLC—my adult day care and home health care agency. I was stepping into entrepreneurship with passion, experience, and a vision, but not a lot of capital, connections, or a clear roadmap. I was doing everything I could to get the business off the ground—juggling staff recruitment, compliance paperwork, marketing, and client care, all while still being a mother, wife, and caregiver myself.
There were moments when the odds felt overwhelming—when payroll was tight, licensing delays held us back, or I found myself working 12- to 14-hour days and still going home to manage a household. I remember a particularly tough season when I had just lost a major contract, and within the same month, faced unexpected staffing shortages. I had every reason to throw in the towel. But instead, I rolled up my sleeves—sometimes literally—and stepped in to cover shifts myself. I reminded myself why I started. I wasn’t doing this just to run a business—I was building something that would impact lives.
But what tested my resilience more than any business challenge was the loss of my son. That was the moment that could have broken me. It didn’t just hurt—it unraveled everything I thought I understood about strength. And yet, even in my pain, I knew I had a choice: I could stay buried in my grief, or I could let that pain transform me.
I chose the latter. I chose to pivot. I chose to find purpose in the pain. I closed my business, not in defeat, but in obedience to the new calling placed on my life. I founded The All Purpose Center, wrote my book The Purpose Behind It All, and began helping others build what I once built through my healthcare consulting work.
Today, I can say with full confidence—resilience isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about rising up with more clarity, deeper purpose, and renewed faith. I didn’t just survive hard seasons—I allowed them to refine me. That’s what I want others to see when they meet me, hear me speak, or experience the programs we offer: not perfection, but perseverance. Not ease, but endurance. And not just healing—but hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allpurposecenter.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallpurposecenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALLPURPOSECENTER
