Adrianna Moreno of East Bay on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Adrianna Moreno shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Adrianna, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Who are you learning from right now?
Right now, I’m learning the most from women over 50. These women have been through the trenches in all aspects: career, relationships, motherhood, self-discovery- they’ve withstood a lot. I find that their insight, support, guidance and example have given me so much wisdom.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Adrianna Moreno. I’m the owner and founder of Inclusive Therapies Pediatric Center and The CoLab. We are a neurodivergent focused company that provide resources, therapeutic interventions, adult services and support to youth in the Bay Area.

We are unique in that our goal is to support the special interests, hobbies, specialized skills and self-stimulating topics for autistics. We encourage them to niche down into their perseverations and thrive through them. We offer this through The CoLab that offers a makers space, gaming lab as well as other specialized interest and hobbies.

Our aim isn’t to change people on the spectrum but to allow them to express themselves and shine through their creativity and interests.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The people-pleaser that resided in me for decades. She was responsive, quick and solved it all and no one had to lift a finger. A part of me felt powerful in fulfilling people’s wishes. I felt affirmed, in control and seen by those whom I served. This was all to my detriment, in retrospect. The invigorating feeling wasn’t power, it was stress. It didn’t stop the fires from popping up, and only kept people happy for a while before they asked me to give them more of myself, energy or ideas. While I loved everything she did, the connections she made, the teams she built- it wasn’t sustainable. And as they say, it was time to say thank you, I love you and I release you.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
SO. MANY. TIMES. I often joke to people that I’ve lost the fear of entrepreneurship, but it’s more of a numbness to the fear of it. It used to terrify me to think that I could loose my company, go bankrupt, you name it. The first time I signed a lease, payors not paying, the first loan I signed (and the next one), COVID, commercial loans. You name it, I’ve stood at the cliff’s edge, terrified. Something I learned about myself in those moments is that I don’t have quit in me. And if I feel that failure is imminent, I will reorganize, strategies and change it all in order to give it “one last shot.” That last shot has ALWAYS saved me from falling.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. What you see is what you get and I’m also an open book. Some of the best conversations I’ve had have been with perfect strangers. I’m also allergic to inauthenticity and I really struggle keeping secrets! I really like this quality about myself. It’s earnest, honest and real.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
That I don’t aspire to one. I recently read a something from Alice Walker that said we should aim not to be remembered. That ego is what clouds us and causes harm to future generations and that instead we should make way for those coming up from the ground. And she asks “Who are we stepping on in order to get what we desire?” This was so resonant and powerful to me. It was a difficult concept to grasp but one that felt familiar. I’ve had similar thoughts in the past. It’s hard to reconcile our culture of achievement, ego and self, personal accomplishment with concepts of community, pause, and giving. We strive to make an impact and be remembered but ultimately to what end? Is being remembered worth the cost of scorching earth to be all-powerful-famous-renown individual? Not to me. I just want to do good today, with the people in front of me, right now.

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Image Credits
Maria Calderón

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