Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stela Maris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Stela, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
My defining moment is about career, personal life and moving to this country.
Coming to the U.S., with my family in 2012, marked a profound change in my life. At that moment, I was stepping away from my role as a marketing executive at the largest telecommunications company in Brazil and stepping into the opportunity to develop other roles. These roles revolved around being a full-time mother, a housewife, a cook (I didn’t even know how to cook rice – each day was an adventure in the kitchen), a driver, all in a context of deep adaptation for the family to the language, customs, and the cold weather – I’m from a region of Brazil that only has summer, and we arrived here in October. I knew that my priority was my children, who were 5 and 10 years old at the time. Helping them adapt was my main mission, and the second was to support my husband, as the challenge of taking on a global role in a large multinational company was demanding. Despite so many family responsibilities, I still had time to take care of myself, to maintain a physical exercise routine, and to realize how intense my pace in Brazil was. Though I had full household help, a nanny and a maid. I can say it was a period of great learning and personal growth. I felt how much that opportunity was transforming me into a more complete person and allowing me to engage in all my roles. I became stronger in each of them: wife, mother, friend, housewife, and, most importantly, taking care of myself. In this scenario, I had the chance to care for my spirituality in a more conscious way through my encounter with numerology in 2013. The reading of my numerology chart gave me greater inner understanding about my history and actions. It was so impactful that I wanted to learn more about this tool. Initially, I took my first course in 2014 to be able to create charts for my family and to better understand my children.
In the professional field, I also learned to develop other skills. I started volunteering at a Brazilian non-profit organization (Viva Brasil STL), where I still serve on the board. I taught Portuguese at STL Community College and gave private lessons. I worked for a multinational relocation company, where I helped foreign families who came to live in Saint Louis. In 2017, I took a strategic digital marketing course at Wharton University to update myself with the intention of returning to the corporate market. I applied for some positions that I identified with professionally, but I was not selected for any of them. Frustration was present at times, but I continued firmly with my other activities. It was only in 2021 that I understood the universe would not open the path back to the corporate market. Soon after, immersed myself in numerology studies, when I took a professional course as well as the Master course in numerology at the School of Healing institution; it was at that moment in my life that I realized I needed to completely change my professional direction. It was time to change course and work in the field of spirituality and self-knowledge. We must know how to go with the flow of what presents itself to us.
This clarity was so strong within me that nothing and no one could stop me. I knew that numerology, like other spiritual tools for which I am certified, was the instrument for me to fulfill my purpose of helping people to connect with themselves. I created Stellars in 2021, and today, in addition to providing numerology chart readings, I give lectures, facilitate groups, and developed a mentoring program focused on well-being (self-knowledge, mindfulness, spirituality).
It is truly a big challenge to transition from the corporate world to the holistic/self-knowledge world. There is prejudice, resistance, and distrust, but my desire is to transform these difficulties into achievements through my work, my ethics, and my truth. Today, I have already helped over 400 people, and I can proudly say that I have only received positive feedback. My main achievement is to see my clients connecting and acting in their journeys. I am rewarded when I receive referrals from Stellars clients. I hope to show the world the power and accuracy of Pythagorean numerology as a basic tool for any self-knowledge process. I hope to help people connect with spirituality through changes in their attitudes, the power of thoughts, and elevating their vibrations.
I truly feel gratitude and deep joy for having the chance to live this new life, to witness my children’s growth, to make new and eternal friends, and to see that I have learned to cook. Yet, I’m also so grateful for the 18 years I worked in the corporate market. All these experiences contributed to the Stela Maris I am today.
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?
I am Stela Maris, Brazilian, 53 years old. Married for 27 years, with two wonderful children, Beatriz, 22, and Lucas, 17. I come from a family where love, art, and spirituality have always been present. I have one sister and two brothers. As my father was in the military, we lived in several states in Brazil, including the Amazon. My parents have always been inspirational and supportive, each in their own way. From a young age, life showed me the importance of adaptation. New city, new friends, new school, new customs, new foods… and knowing how to deal with goodbyes. I love dancing, listening to music (especially Brazilian music), appreciating art, parties, being with friends and family, working out, doing yoga, meditating, swimming in the sea, in waterfalls, hiking, sledding, and being in contact with nature. I love the moon and the sun! Traveling, exploring new places, returning to places that nourish my soul.
I don’t know how to live superficially. I am intense. Intense in how I experience life, in my personal relationships, in my work, in my truth. My education is diverse: art, communication, business, behavior, and spirituality. I began my professional journey as a classical ballet teacher, which taught me discipline, determination, and overcoming challenges. I taught for six years. During this period, I graduated in advertising and marketing. Upon graduation, I was hired as a trainee at Coca-Cola. It was a rigorous selection: 600 candidates for six marketing positions and two marketing planning positions, the area I applied for. After a year, I was invited to implement the merchandising department in the franchise. And that same year, the franchise won four national awards for merchandising displays to boost sales with the themes ‘Christmas’ and ‘Summer.’ Besides being an executive, I was also a marketing professor in the Business Administration university course. Teaching what I know, and love gives me complete satisfaction. I have always been dedicated to my work, my responsibilities, and with that, I built a professional history that fills me with pride. It is worth highlighting a part of this history. I led the marketing team that developed the first prepaid mobile service in Brazil in 1998. An experience for a few marketing professionals, as it was a new product in a new market. In addition to sales success, the launch campaign won all the awards promoted by advertising entities. I embraced the learning and growth opportunities that each company and each role provided me without fear. Those 18 years as an executive in multinational companies allowed me to learn and apply marketing theories, together with coaching and mentoring techniques that helped me to build highly empowered multidisciplinary teams. Then I embraced the opportunities that American life provided me. Changing from an executive to an entrepreneur required courage and self-confidence, but as I am driven by what my heart beats for, bringing Stellars to life is a daily routine that fills me with satisfaction, joy, and the feeling that I am using my gift to serve. Running my own business also has many challenges: constant discipline, taking risks, exposure. And in my case, breaking taboos and showing the power of an ancient science that, through the decoding of numbers, translates the journey of each individual. It is a science that requires a lot of study, a lot of practice, and a lot of sensitivity in service. These are the pillars of Stellars: deep knowledge, empathy (caring for others with love), and ethics to offer a therapeutic approach in consultations: analysis of the person’s natal numerological chart with their life history, their family relationships, and their impacts. A well-done numerological reading is already very significant for the recipient; however, Stellars clients benefit from the quality of the numerological delivery and the differential of therapeutic guidance. Each consultation lasts about two and a half hours, often reaching up to three hours. It is a learning process of deep interaction and thoroughness, where the client can make their connections and access themselves. With my work, I am also able to help charitable institutions in Brazil. Some of the consultations I provide are turned into financial donations. This exchange is important to me. The Stellars consultation is distinguished by offering a therapeutic numerological reading, which means that in addition to the ‘translation’ of the numerological chart, a guiding diagnosis of emotional issues based on life history and the energies present in the chart is also provided.
Our happiness only depends on us, on how we act, our attitudes, and who we choose to walk with us. The slogan and the entire purpose of Stellars is based on this belief of mine: People are meant to shine!
Stellars Services
🌟 Numerological chart reading with signature analysis
🌟 Annual numerological review focusing on the personal year
🌟 Couple synastry (assessment of the couple’s energetic compatibility based on each one’s chart
🌟 Baby name evaluation and guidance for parents on what to consider in their child’s upbringing, based on the child’s numerological chart
🌟 Professional guidance based on the numerological chart
🌟 Business numerology (evaluation of the company’s name, partners’ compatibility with the business, company’s name compatibility with the business area)
🌟 HR guidance in the hiring and/or promotion process of employees, based on the numerological profile
🌟 Lectures on emotional intelligence, numerology, spirituality
🌟 Group experiences online or in-person (friends, get-togethers, celebration, corporate)
🌟 Individual or group mentoring – monthly meetings focused on well-being, based on the chart and some holistic techniques (mindfulness, meditation, chakra activation, reflections, therapeutic exercises)
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My greatest learning experience currently is my mother’s illness; she is 92 years old and has had senile dementia since she was 88. Dealing with her ‘exit from the scene’ has been and continues to be a very painful challenge. Seeing such a powerful, incredible, and intelligent person (a doctor, pianist, award-winning writer, wonderful mother) lose all her abilities is a very tough experience for those who care for and love her. We have always been companions. We used to talk to each other every day. I miss our conversations, our coffee dates, laying my head on her lap, and getting a gentle head scratch. I am grateful that she saw the beginning of Stellars. She was my biggest reference for spirituality and caring for others. On the other hand, I can express gratitude for having had her by my side for so long, walking with me. Gratitude for God not taking her away from us entirely. Gratitude also for having my father with vitality and seeing his commitment to caring for my mother. These have been years of learning to deal with absence, deal with pain, and accepting what presents itself. The development of my spirituality and the emotional support I receive from various sources, allows me to be grateful and open for the learnings. My greatest strength comes from my faith, from trusting in the divine existence. There is sadness, yes, and it is legitimate, but there is much more gratitude throughout the process. Another valuable lesson from this experience is the preparation for a healthier and more harmonious old age. I believe the key to success lies in taking care of the physical body, nurturing good relationships, and healing emotional wounds. I also know that I am an instrument to help other people who are experiencing or will pass through similar experiences.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
I would do everything the same, the same professional path. Marketing and communication have always caught my eye. I remember as a teenager telling myself: I like to work with emotions. Seeing people being moved by something I created was something that made me very happy. It could be a birthday card (made by me, with collages, decorations, music, poems), a surprise party full of details, a text produced for a special occasion… With that, at the time of choosing a profession, my friends and family said I was very creative and should go into communication/advertising, dealing with people. And there I went. Every class, every subject, every seminar only reinforced my enchantment and my desire to work with brands and their relationship with their target audience based on the emotion pillar. I worked and fulfilled myself intensely through my work as a marketing professional. I see the career transition as something additive, complementary to my journey, and not exclusionary. One day a friend, after she did her chart with me, told me that I had found my professional calling, that my brilliance and mastery as a numerologist were incredible. I thanked her for the compliment but immediately replied that I was never ‘lost’ with marketing. On the contrary, I was very accomplished and experienced so many interesting things. Not to mention that the experience as an executive helped me structure my brand. I am loving and enjoying the transitioning to this new chapter in my story. It has everything to do with me, with that teenager who always liked to work with emotions to see people happy and motivated. The most amazing part of this is that my numerological chart reflects exactly that: to connect, structure, and illuminate souls with love (emotion) through my work.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @stellarsmap
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/stela-tourinho-3b2b54126
Image Credits
Erika Matos Photography