These local moms are thriving in creative fields — theater, music, design and more.
Name: Heather Rae El Moussa
City: Newport Beach
Family: Husband, Tarek El Moussa; children, Taylor, 15, Brayden, 10, Tristan, 2.5 years old
Business: Heather Rae Essentials
Origin Story: It all started with one idea … creating the perfect pink lip gloss. I wanted something clean, non-toxic, and wearable for every day, and I couldn’t find one, so I decided to make it myself. That shade, Perfect Pink, became the foundation for what is now Heather Rae Essentials. My goal has always been to make women feel beautiful and confident while being transparent and honest about every ingredient and detail.
Work-Life Balance: I rely heavily on my calendar and structure my days around dedicated time for business meetings, calls and creative work. I’m grateful that much of what I do can be done from home, which allows me to be close to my family, though it can be challenging with a little one running around. I really prioritize my sleep and my health and wellness. And with Tarek, it’s all about quality time — even 20 or 30 minutes together, totally unplugged, means more than hours side by side with our phones in hand working.
Challenges: Carving out structured time for both work and family can always be challenging, especially when starting something from scratch. Learning the ins and outs of this business and staying hands-on to make sure everything reflected my values took a lot of trial, error, time and patience, but every hurdle has been worth it.
Advice to Other Moms: Follow your dreams, but make sure you’re involved every step of the way. It’s so important to understand the ins and outs of your own business so that you’re never left in the dark. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely possible.
Name: Kelly Marie Pate
City: Huntington Beach
Family: Husband, William Pate; children, Mabel Pate, 12, Willa Pate, 7
Business: Director of Production and Design at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana
Origin Story: I spent the first half of my career as stage manager primarily working on national tours, Cirque du Soleil, and regional theater here in Southern California and in New York. I always knew that working in education was going to be a part of my story, so after having my girls and putting away my touring suitcases, I went back to school in my late 30s to get a master of fine arts in theater education. Now at 46, I am currently in my third year of doctoral studies for a doctorate of education. I am a lifelong learner and I am thrilled to be a part of the Orange County creative education community.
Work-Life Balance: Having a supportive and inspiring husband and wonderful community (not to mention amazing children) helps give me confidence that I CAN do it all, but I don’t have to do it alone.
Challenges: Mom guilt is real. I am also a cancer patient, diagnosed with metastatic thyroid cancer in 2014 and continually navigating those challenges. But I will say, I am a better mom when I am working. I am stronger, more compassionate person because of my cancer journey, and I’m so lucky to be a part of the arts community and in such a meaningful way. My girls love being at the theater and learning about my work. Challenges arise, but with open communication within our family and support system, we are able to navigate those moments.
Advice to Other Moms: Follow your dreams. Whether you do it in small ways or big ways, take baby steps or giant leaps, it’s never too late. Never underestimate your motherhood, it is a superpower!
Name: Diana Farrell
City: Irvine
Family: Husband, Nathan; children, Sam, 9, Sadie, 5
Business: Founding Artistic Director of Lyric Opera OC
Origin Story: I founded Lyric Opera OC in 2017 after years of performing and leading educational outreach for opera companies across the country. I realized that for opera to thrive, we needed to engage younger audiences and show how relatable and relevant the art form is today. Lyric Opera OC brings together world-class artists and accessible storytelling to create something engaging and inviting for our community.
Work-Life Balance: Having a partner who’s fully engaged in our family’s day-to-day life makes it possible. Nathan is incredibly supportive of both my goals and our family’s needs. Our kids see creativity, teamwork, sacrifice and dedication modeled daily, and that perspective has become part of our family’s rhythm.
Challenges: Running an arts nonprofit is equal parts passion and perseverance. Producing opera means juggling fundraising, business partnerships, rehearsal scheduling and artistic collaboration all at once. As a mom, it also means learning to give myself grace when priorities compete. But knowing that our kids have a front row seat to see the effort pay off is incredibly rewarding.
Advice to Other Moms: Build a network that shares your values, stay adaptable and let your kids see you follow-through on your dreams. The best lesson they can learn is that creativity, courage and persistence can shape something lasting.
Name: Brooke Luminelli
City: Dana Point
Family: Husband, Steven; children, Willa, 4, Maeve, 1.5
Business: Tutu School
Origin Story: I felt drawn to provide an outlet to families eager to put their little ones into activities that supported performing arts. The stars aligned for Orange County to be the place where I could grow as an entrepreneur behind a mission that introduces ballet to children and families in a positive and creative way.
Work-Life Balance: I’ve learned that asking for help isn’t a weakness — it’s a strength. Delegating (even when it’s hard) has become essential, and I’ve realized that I can truly rely on others — both in my business and within my family. It really does take a village, and I’m so grateful for mine.
Challenges: The constant tug-of-war between being fully present at home and fully present at work. I care deeply about both, and there are days when one just has to take priority over the other, and that can be hard. I remind myself that I’m modeling something powerful for my girls: building something meaningful, showing up with passion and still making space for bedtime stories and ballet twirls in the kitchen.
It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
Advice to Other Moms: Starting your own business is such a beautiful, bold step and it truly becomes another baby to nurture. Be prepared to share your time and heart between both worlds. It takes patience, passion and a whole lot of grace.
Name: Shannon McCarthy
City: Aliso Viejo
Family: Husband, Lachlan; children, Connor, 10, Logan, 8, Brayden, 5
Business: Endeavor School of the Arts
Origin Story: While working in Los Angeles, I began teaching at a dance studio in Orange County. I quickly fell in love with the kids I was teaching — their energy, joy and wide-eyed excitement for every new step reminded me of why I had fallen in love with dance in the first place. One day, the studio owner approached me with an unexpected offer: to take over the business. I remember thinking of my parents and the way they had always believed in me. I knew I wanted to provide that same encouragement to my students and so, Endeavor was born.
Work-Life Balance: I started Endeavor seven years before I was married or had children so initially, working long hours was easy. As life progressed and I was needed at home, I have been able to create an incredible team that helps me maintain a healthy balance in my personal life.
Challenges: One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced since starting Endeavor has been creating boundaries — finding a way to step away from the studio and fully “switch off” work, so I can be truly present with my family.
Advice to Other Moms: As my husband tells me every day, “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Believe in yourself and don’t look back. Trust your instincts, follow your passion and take each step with confidence. At the same time, cherish your family time — they are your rock.
Name: Katherine Yang
City: Irvine
Family: Husband, Fong; children, Inara, 13, Ronin, 8, Liana, 5
Business: VP of Education & Community Engagement at Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Origin Story: Music has always been my first love. I studied music performance in college, and while I didn’t pursue life on stage, I found my place in arts administration. This path led me to New York University, where I earned a master’s in arts administration and nonprofit management, and to eventually work with professional music organizations in both New York and Orange County. When I became a mom, everything changed. I stepped away from the arts to be more present with my daughter and took a unique opportunity to work in the field of early childhood education. Now, serving as VP of Education and Community Engagement at the Philharmonic Society of Orange County for the last couple of years, I’ve returned to my passion of working to bring the joy of music to children, families and the community.
Work-Life Balance: For me, balance is more about checking in with yourself. How are you really doing? And most importantly, don’t put off your own health. Take care of yourself first, or nothing else works.
Challenges: Sometimes, the biggest challenge is just remembering to breathe. Between work, managing the family calendar, being the mom-Uber and juggling all the behind-the-scenes mental load, it can feel nonstop. Being back in the arts and the creative sector gives me those small moments to pause, to take that breath and to simply listen to the music.
Advice to Other Moms: Allow your children [to] see you happy and pursuing what you once dreamed about at their age. In doing that, I’ve been able to show my kids a different side of me — the creative, musical part I had put away for a while.
Name: Lindsey Russo
City: Brea
Family: Husband, Chris Russo; children, Mason, 13, and Reagan, 12
Business: Co-owner of Stagelight Performing Arts
Origin Story: Soon after going back to work after having my son, I realized that not only was I in the wrong field, but that I desperately wanted a job where I can be around more to raise my son. I was working 50+ hours in retail management and knew that I had to find my way back to the arts. My mom owned the local children theater program, servicing the city of Brea and Whittier as well as many local schools (Stagelight Family Productions). I used to work for her as a choreographer and stage manager in my time off, but always wanted to make that more of a career. Alyssa Gramer and I got together one day and spoke of “pipe dreams” and “what-ifs” and we just made the scary decision to make it happen one day.
Work-Life Balance: Starting the business was such a whirlwind. On the day we opened, I had a 3-month-old and a 1.5-year-old, was painting while I was breastfeeding and staying up late to work on business plans. I also started teaching in the classroom for the first time. So I was getting used to year-long lesson planning and classroom management. Being home during the day to be with my kids was such a blessing.
Challenges: The biggest growing pain as a small business owner was, and still is, learning the business side of things. HR laws, taxes, finances and policies.
Advice to Other Moms: Find yourself a great mentor in the industry. You will have tons of questions and will need a sounding board.
Name: Alyssa Gramer
City: Anaheim
Family: Husband, Rick Gramer; children, Tyce, 14, Keira, 12
Business: Co-owner of Stagelight Performing Arts
Origin Story: I had been teaching in public ed for a few years when I felt a strong calling to open a performing arts studio. At the same time, my friend Lindsey felt there was a lack of quality performing arts training opportunities for kids who didn’t want to pursue the traditional competitive dance route. We put our ideas together, broke the news to our husbands that we were leaving our careers and starting a business, and built the studio from the Marley dance floor up, each of us with two kids under 3.
Work-Life Balance: It’s taken a lot of practice and discipline to learn how to leave work at work and wait to respond to emails when I’m home with my family.
Challenges: The biggest challenges I’ve faced are when customers disagree with or fight our business policies. We’ve learned how to better communicate our principles upfront and to stand firm on our policies to help keep our workflow efficient and our customer relations positive.
Advice to Other Moms: You won’t always know how to do it all before you start, but with focus and the determination to learn, you will figure it out as you go. Have grace with yourself, align your business practices to your business philosophy and remember that this is YOUR business. You call the shots.
Name: Brittney Champieux
City: Trabuco Canyon
Family: Husband, Andrew; children, Chase, 7, Carson, 5, Colbie, 2
Business: Saddle & Script Boutique Marketing Studio
Origin Story: My friend and business partner, Lynzee, and I met while working together on the same marketing team, where we quickly discovered how naturally our strengths and styles clicked. What started as a lighthearted joke about launching our own marketing studio soon became a vision we couldn’t ignore. Saddle & Script was born out of creativity, resilience and a shared passion for helping brands tell their story.
Work-Life Balance: Work-life balance for me starts with remembering my priorities, my family will always come first. I have three kids and a husband who mean the world to me, and I want to be present for those moments you don’t get back. At the same time, I truly love what I do, and I’ve been fortunate to build a business that not only excites me but also supports the life I want to create for my family. One of the keys has been having Lynzee, my amazing business partner. We share the same vision, and we’re able to lean on each other, which makes balancing the highs and lows so much more doable.
Challenges: Learning all the ins and outs of setting up and running a business while also making sure I don’t let the work expand endlessly. That challenge ended up becoming a strength, it taught us how to protect both our time and our clients’ goals, which ultimately makes the work better for everyone.
Advice to Other Moms: Just like having kids, you’re never “fully” ready or prepared, but you just do it and learn along the way. Lean into the fact that being a mom actually gives you incredible skills: multitasking, problem-solving, patience and perspective. It’s also OK to grow slowly and to ask for help, while setting boundaries for yourself that protect your family and your energy.
Name: Sabina Gorelik
City: Irvine
Family: Husband, Ilya; sons, Grigory, 27, Elisey, 16, David, 10, Adam, 7
Business: Creative Costume Designer at Arts & Learning Conservatory
Origin Story: I started in fashion, became a fashion designer, launched my own brand, took part in fashion weeks, and created collections twice a year. Then, suddenly, I dove into the world of theater and shows, and that’s when I started designing costumes for circus and theaters, while still making fashion collections and my own art projects and performances.
Work-Life Balance: At some point, I realized that trying to be a perfect mom is a dead-end road so I decided to just be a good mom — the kind who loves her kids and also loves herself. One of my favorite quotes is: “Don’t raise your children. Raise yourself — they’ll become like you anyway.”
Challenges: I’m a fashion designer and costume artist who can’t draw, but that never stopped me from creating costumes. I try to find joy and do what I love, using whatever life circumstances I have at the moment. After giving birth to my fourth child, I came up with a dress made of baby onesies, with pacifiers on the chest and created a project called Maternity. I love making costumes out of things that costumes are not usually made of.
Advice to Other Moms: Find what inspires you and just start doing it. Don’t sacrifice yourself for your children — they don’t need that. They need to see you as someone who follows her own dream. That’s what will teach them to follow theirs. Pursue your own meaningful dreams — for your children’s sake, too.
Name: Boróka Nagy
City: Costa Mesa
Family: Husband, John Pontius; child, Gabriel Pontius, 21 months
Business: The Academy of Dance (Santa Ana), Reborn Arts, Inc., Pilates on Main (El Segundo & Santa Ana)
Origin Story: My journey began through movement — as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. After years of performing and teaching, I felt a strong pull to create spaces that bridge art, community, wellness and education. The first step was in 2018 with Pilates on Main in El Segundo, where I saw the impact of mind-body connection through Pilates. A few years later, I became the owner of The Academy of Dance in Santa Ana. Eventually, I opened Pilates on Main OC, located inside The Academy of Dance.
In parallel, I founded Re:borN Dance Interactive in 2015, which later grew into Reborn Arts, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to using dance as a form of healing and connection. Together, these three ventures form a holistic ecosystem where art uplifts the spirit, education nurtures the next generation and wellness strengthens the body — all grounded in community.
Work-Life Balance: Balance shifts daily. I’ve learned to be fully present wherever I am, whether in rehearsal, the studio, or at home with my son. Owning multiple businesses while being a mother means embracing imperfection and finding peace in the pivot. I try to merge rather than separate my worlds — Gabriel often comes to rehearsals or the studio, and my teams and clients across all three ventures are like extended family.
Challenges: Balancing the demands of running three interconnected businesses with personal and family life can be intense, and at times the growth of each business has been slower than I’d like simply because there are only so many hours in a day. Yet believing deeply in the purpose of my work has given me patience and willpower to keep pushing forward, even when progress feels slow.
Advice to Other Moms: Start small, but start. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect, and try not to overachieve — build from what you already know and love. Motherhood teaches flexibility and resourcefulness — those same skills make powerful entrepreneurs.
Name: Rachelle Pila
City: Long Beach
Family: Fiance, Corey Saldana; daughter, Charmaine Saldana, 1
Business: Costume Designer at Arts & Learning Conservatory in Costa Mesa
Origin Story: I’ve always been a creative individual. I worked at Universal Studios Hollywood when I discovered my passion for costume design and joined the theme park’s costume department. Around the same time, my partner and I were producing music videos, and I volunteered to design custom looks for the artists involved. That experience sparked further creative exploration, leading me to develop personal projects and unique pieces for my own business — and now, for my beautiful daughter as well.
Work-Life Balance/Challenges: I’m deeply grateful to have such a supportive family. Between my partner and my parents, we’ve found a way to create balance in our work and personal lives. Navigating life as a first-time mom has certainly come with challenges, but it has also been incredibly rewarding. This new chapter has helped me discover parts of myself I hadn’t known before, as I continue to evolve and grow.
Advice to Other Moms: Never give up. The creative path is often challenging, but it’s also deeply inspiring and fulfilling. We may envision our journey unfolding a certain way, but sometimes life manifests something even better than we imagined.
By Magda Hernandez
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