How Amanda Timonere Is Helping Women Prepare for Who They Are Becoming, Not Just the Baby They Are Expecting

Meet Amanda Timonere, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, former Chief Clinical Officer, and founder of Zenful Mamas, a space designed to support women through the identity shift of motherhood. Amanda spent years leading behavioral health organizations across multiple states before burnout and a deeply personal experience of motherhood revealed a gap she could not ignore: the woman becoming the mother was not being supported, only the baby being prepared for. Zenful Mamas was born from that clarity.

Through a blend of therapy, coaching, and structured identity work, Amanda helps women who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or in early postpartum break generational patterns, regulate their nervous system, and step into motherhood with self-trust and intention. She left a high-level executive career to build something that reflects how she truly believes women deserve to be supported, and she has not looked back since.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I’m Amanda Timonere, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, former Chief Clinical Officer, and the founder of Zenful Mamas™ a space designed to support women through the identity shift of motherhood.

Through a blend of therapy, coaching, and structured identity work, I help women who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or in early motherhood understand themselves on a deeper level so they can break generational patterns, regulate their nervous system, and step into motherhood with clarity and self-trust.

My work focuses on the woman becoming the mother not just preparing for the baby, but preparing for who she is becoming 

Are you a mamaprenista?

Yes and I don’t think there’s a perfect formula for it.

What I’ve learned is that trying to “do it all” the way the world expects you to is what creates the most overwhelm. For me, it’s been about getting really honest about what matters in each season and allowing that to guide my decisions.

Some days I’m more present as a mom, and some days I’m more focused on building my business and I’ve learned to let that be okay.

The biggest shift has been learning to work in a way that supports my life, not competes with it. That means being intentional with my time, protecting my energy, and building a business that allows me to be present for my kids without feeling like I’m constantly pulled in two directions.

It’s not about balance, it's about alignment, flexibility, and giving yourself permission to do things differently. 

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

When I first launched my business, my marketing strategy was very organic. I leaned heavily on my existing network, word of mouth, and showing up consistently on social media especially by sharing my perspective on motherhood, identity, and emotional well-being.

I wasn’t focused on going viral or having a perfect strategy. I focused on being real, clear, and consistent in my messaging.

That said, it didn’t go exactly as planned and I think that’s important to be honest about. I initially thought people would immediately understand the difference between therapy, coaching, and identity work, but I realized pretty quickly that I needed to get much clearer in how I communicated what I actually offer and who it’s for.

That process of refining my messaging has been one of the most valuable parts of building the business. It forced me to get specific, build stronger offers, and really understand my audience.

Looking back, I’m glad it didn’t go perfectly because the clarity I have now came from that early trial and error. 

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, I didn’t always see myself as an entrepreneur.

I’ve always been driven and naturally stepped into leadership roles, but I initially saw my path within organizations growing, leading teams, and making impact from the inside.

It wasn’t until I reached a high level in my career and became a mother that something shifted. I started to question not just what I was doing, but how I was doing it and whether it actually aligned with the life I wanted to live.

Entrepreneurship became less about “starting a business” and more about creating freedom, alignment, and the ability to build something that reflects my values.

Looking back, I can see that the leadership, vision, and independence were always there. I just hadn’t labeled it as entrepreneurship yet.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

What I’m most proud of is building something that feels deeply aligned with who I am not just professionally, but personally.

I’ve created a space where women feel safe enough to be honest, reflective, and intentional about the kind of mother they’re becoming, and that’s something I don’t take lightly. Hearing women say that they feel more grounded, more aware, and more connected to themselves through this work is incredibly meaningful.

I’m also proud of having the courage to pivot from a high-level executive role into entrepreneurship and trust that I could build something from the ground up. That transition required a lot of self-trust, and it’s something I continue to build on every day.

For me, success isn’t just about growth, it's about creating work that actually impacts people in a real and lasting way.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

I wish I had known how much clarity matters and that it takes time to build it.

When I first started, I thought I needed to have everything figured out right away: my offers, my messaging, my audience. But what I’ve learned is that clarity is something you refine through action, not something you wait to have before you begin.

I also wish I had known that building something meaningful requires patience. It’s easy to compare yourself or feel like you should be further along, but sustainable growth doesn’t happen overnight.

Looking back, I would have trusted the process more and put less pressure on myself to have it all perfectly mapped out from the start.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

One of my go-to interview questions is:

“Can you walk me through a situation where something didn’t go as planned, and how you handled it?”

I ask this because it gives me insight into how someone thinks, how they regulate under pressure, and how accountable they are, all of which matter more to me than a perfect resume.

From my experience, the biggest hiring tip is to look beyond qualifications and pay attention to emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and how someone shows up in conversation. Skills can be taught, but mindset, ownership, and the ability to reflect are much harder to develop.

I also pay close attention to alignment. The most successful hires I’ve made weren’t just capable; they were aligned with the values of the organization and genuinely invested in the work.

That combination makes all the difference.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Before starting my business, I was the Chief Clinical Officer for a behavioral health organization overseeing multiple treatment centers across several states. In that role, I was responsible for clinical programming, regulatory compliance, staff development, and ensuring the quality of care across all facilities.

I’m also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and my background includes working directly with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, substance use, and major life transitions.

That experience gave me a deep understanding of both the clinical and operational sides of mental health care but more importantly, it showed me how often identity, nervous system regulation, and unprocessed experiences shape the way people show up in their lives.

Zenful Mamas was born from that insight, combined with my own personal experience of motherhood, where I saw firsthand how powerful and often unsupported that identity shift can be. 

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

Honestly, it was a combination of burnout and clarity.

I had reached a high level in my career as a Chief Clinical Officer, but I was constantly operating in “fix it” mode putting out fires, managing systems, and holding responsibility at a large scale. At the same time, I was navigating motherhood, and I started to realize how disconnected the professional world can be from the lived experience of being a woman and a mother.

I knew I wanted more autonomy, more alignment, and more space to do work that actually felt meaningful on a deeper level.

Starting my own business wasn’t just about leaving a role, it was about creating something that reflected how I truly believe women should be supported, especially during such a transformative time like motherhood.

I wanted to build something intentional, not reactive both for myself and for the women I serve. 

Do you have any recent wins?

This past year has been a big one for me in terms of stepping fully into entrepreneurship and building Zenful Mamas from the ground up.

I’ve launched my core offers, including my private coaching container and my Inner Circle membership, and have started building a community of women who are truly aligned with this work. I’ve also begun expanding my presence through content, partnerships, and in-person opportunities within the maternal wellness space.

One of the biggest wins has been gaining clarity in my message and trusting my approach. I’ve moved from trying to fit into traditional models to confidently building something that feels both clinically grounded and deeply human.

It’s been about a year of laying a strong foundation and I’m really excited about what’s next. 

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

I rely heavily on a combination of tools, but I’d say ChatGPT and Claude have become essential for me.

As a business owner, I’m constantly thinking, creating, and refining ideas and these tools help me organize my thoughts, clarify my messaging, and move things forward quickly without getting stuck.

I also can’t live without my reminders and to-do list. They help me stay grounded and focused, especially while balancing business and motherhood.

Together, they allow me to stay both creative and structured, which is really important in this season of building.

Who are your customers?

My clients are women who are entering or navigating motherhood and want to do it consciously.

Most are pregnant, trying to conceive, or in early postpartum, and are beginning to notice deeper emotional patterns surfacing things like anxiety, overwhelm, identity shifts, or unresolved experiences from their own upbringing.

They are typically high-functioning, self-aware women who have built successful lives, but recognize that motherhood is asking them to slow down, reflect, and approach life differently.

They’re not necessarily in crisis, they're intentional. They want to break generational cycles, regulate their nervous system, and become the kind of mother they choose to be, not the one they default into. 

What's your top productivity tip?

My biggest productivity shift has been learning that clarity creates momentum not pressure.

When I’m clear on what actually matters, I move faster and with more intention. When I’m not, I find myself busy but not productive.

A few things that have helped me: 

• I focus on 2–3 priorities per day instead of overwhelming myself with long to-do lists

• I build my schedule around my energy, not just my time especially as a mom

• I create space for thinking and reflecting, not just doing

I’ve also learned that productivity isn’t about doing more, it's about doing what actually moves things forward, and letting the rest go.

What's your favorite business tool?

One of my favorite business tools is Google Calendar.

It sounds simple, but it’s been essential in helping me structure my time intentionally especially while balancing client work, content creation, and motherhood. I use it to time-block my days, protect focused work time, and ensure I’m not overextending myself.

I’ve learned that how you manage your time is how you manage your business. Having a clear, realistic schedule helps me stay consistent, present, and aligned with my priorities instead of constantly reacting to everything around me.

Sometimes the most effective tools are the ones that bring clarity and structure to your day-to-day life. 

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I think of it less as balance and more as integration.

There are seasons where work requires more of me, and seasons where motherhood or personal life take the lead and I’ve learned to stop fighting that.

What matters most to me is that how I’m working actually aligns with the life I’m trying to build. As a mom, I don’t want to feel like I’m constantly choosing between being present at home and showing up professionally.

So I’ve become very intentional about how I structure my time, what I say yes to, and how I protect my energy.

For me, it’s not about perfectly splitting my time, it's about creating a life where both can exist in a way that feels sustainable, flexible, and aligned with my values.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I’ve learned that burnout doesn’t come from doing too much, it comes from being misaligned for too long.

For me, avoiding burnout is less about “taking breaks” and more about paying attention to what’s actually draining me versus what’s energizing me.

A few things that help me stay grounded:

• Being honest with myself when something no longer feels aligned

• Setting clear boundaries around my time and energy, especially as a mom

• Creating space to regulate my nervous system instead of constantly pushing through

• Letting go of the pressure to do everything at once

I also remind myself that I don’t have to build everything overnight. Sustainable growth requires pacing, and I’ve learned to respect that. 

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

My biggest piece of advice is to put yourself in rooms that expand you.

Surround yourself with women who are doing what you aspire to do not to compare, but to normalize what’s possible. Being in the right environment shifts your mindset, your standards, and how you see your own potential.

I’ve learned that proximity matters. The more you’re around people who are building, growing, and evolving, the more naturally you begin to do the same.

And at the same time, stay grounded in your own voice. Let those rooms expand you but don’t lose yourself trying to fit into them.

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Amanda's work is a powerful reminder that the most meaningful businesses are often built at the intersection of lived experience and professional purpose. We are so glad to have her in the Entreprenista community and cannot wait to see Zenful Mamas grow into everything she has envisioned.

Want to connect with founders like Amanda? Visit Entreprenista League to explore our community and discover more stories of women building businesses that truly matter.