Discovering Fulfillment Beyond Career Success
Marcela Hermosillo, owner of Serenity by Design Home Remodeling and Staging. Photo by Jennifer Marquez, JEFAS Magazine.
Marcela Hermosillo-Tarin and her husband had stable jobs, the kinds of careers their immigrant parents dreamed of for them. They owned a home where their children grew up with opportunities and examples the generations before them could only imagine. But one thing was clear: Her husband didn’t feel fulfilled.
Discovering Fulfillment Beyond Career Success
“What does success and happiness look like for you?” She asked him. That discussion changed everything, launching Hermosillo-Tarin into the risk of starting a business they could both enjoy that gave them the freedom to chart their own future.
“I’ve learned that a happy marriage takes two fulfilled individuals working together toward something greater,” she notes. With that philosophy as their guide, they created a strategic plan, we paid off their debt, downsized, and bought a 1908 Sears Catalog home in a neighborhood she believed in—a place that reminded her of her childhood, where you could walk to a coffee shop or chat with a neighbor on the porch.” That was how Serenity Designs Construction and Staging was born.
The business is a perfect complement to the skills they each bring to the venture. Hermosillo-Tarin has an eye for design, having helped stage homes for sale for friends and family, and her husband grew up in the construction business. Together, they fuse their strengths to breathe new life into properties that make welcoming homes for families, while also managing a portfolio of rental properties and an Airbnb. But like all dreams, it didn’t unfold without challenges.
Overcoming Challenges: Work-Life Balance for Latina Entrepreneurs
The biggest challenge proved to be internal: learning to set boundaries. “Before launching my business, I said yes to everything—every board invitation, dinner, happy hour. But I realized that saying yes to everything meant saying no to myself and my future,” shares Hermosillo-Tarin. “Eventually, I had to learn how to start saying no in order to say yes to what truly mattered: my family, my health, and financial stability.”
She also had to embrace getting help for tasks she was programmed to believe should be her responsibility, like housework. Hiring a cleaning service initially felt uncomfortable, but she grew to appreciate the time it afforded her to work on her business and be with her family.
She also learned to scale her business strategically rather than aggressively so she could accommodate her full-time HR career. “Balance in my staging business means sticking to three staging packs. I could grow it more, but I genuinely love my HR work.” To make it all work, even within the parameters she established for her business, Hermosillo-Tarin credits her village.
“I work a lot, and I genuinely love what I do—but I can show up that way because I’m supported by an incredible village: my husband, my parents, and my siblings. If my village is strong, I am strong,” she expresses. This support system is also why she chose to open her business in Des Moines. “My support system is here, and it allows me to thrive personally and professionally.”
While the spaces she creates become places where cherished memories are made, Hermosillo-Tarin is driven by what she’s built. “I love that I get to do this with my husband—he’s the one doing the hard work on the ground, and I’m more behind the scenes,” she explains of their division of labor. While he thrives using his hands to build tangible aspects of the business, Hermosillo-Tarin excels at building relationships.
This collaborative approach helped her overcome another hurdle: embracing a multifaceted identity. “I used to feel timid about sharing that I had a business. I thought I had to choose one identity—HR leader or entrepreneur. But over time, I’ve learned I’m not wired that way. That’s not something to hide—it’s something to celebrate,” she shares.
Marcela Hermosillo, owner of Serenity by Design Home Remodeling and Staging. Photo by Jennifer Marquez, JEFAS Magazine. Illustration by Marissa Hernandez.
Advice for Aspiring Latina Entrepreneurs
For anyone who might feel hesitant to dive into their entrepreneurial side, Hermosillo-Tarin offers encouragement rooted in cultural understanding. “As Latinas, we often carry so many expectations: to be everything for everyone, to be humble, to not take up too much space. But there’s power in choosing yourself, in betting on your vision, and in building something that reflects your story,” she urges.
Her advice is as practical as it is empowering: take the risk, even if you feel uncertain. Rely on your village, and don’t be afraid to nurture all parts of your identity to create a fulfilling and rewarding future.
