Talia Lopez Is Educating and Helping with Dementia Awareness
Hi Talia! Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a fighter! I live my life by embracing my Plan B. I am a dementia specialist, graphic designer, and course coach. I work full time on my dreams and love everything I do!
How did you get started in your industry?
It all started as a dream I had when I was 14-years-old, volunteering at a nursing home. A resident stopped me to thank me for a party I was hosting for them for Halloween. Tears were in her eyes. She said that she didn’t have many visitors these days. She wanted to truly thank me for coming out to make her day just a little better. Then ten minutes later, she said the same thing. It broke my heart, but I then knew this was the field I wanted to pursue in college.
I continued volunteering throughout high school and college, where I was able to land an unforgettable internship at The Guest House. It’s the most lovely adult day center! I then knew working with those specifically with dementia was a huge goal of mine. In college, I studied social work while working with a number of families and their loved ones at home as a private caregiver and continued to volunteer at different nursing homes.
It struck me one day… This is hard work! There must be a way to make dementia care easier.
I then enrolled in a dementia specialist program and learned so much from awesome professionals. Becoming educated has truly changed the game for me.
Upon receiving my dementia specialist credential and completing my social work degree, I started Dementia Care Advocates! Interning at The Guest House showed me where the dementia caregiving standard should be. They are the goal, and I will make sure other individuals with dementia are getting that same compassionate care they need as well. Throughout my journey, I noticed that some nursing facilities don’t have that same standard. They are doing their job but not being personable. Of course, some facilities do an awesome job at this. But some just don’t.
They are just working with the knowledge or experience they have, but they are not dementia educated. I saw families struggling to care for their ones as well. There is so much you need to know in order to be able to keep your loved one independent or at home. They are often left with just the disease diagnosis and no instruction manual.
My mission is to educate caregivers. I am going to teach them what dementia is and everything that comes with it. I will help them understand dementia-related behaviors better and learn how to properly manage them because we together can make caregiving easier!
Where woman helping women consulting started called Create & Thrive. After launching my dementia course (which was my life goal) I was like now what? That was passive income because it’s an online course. Many women entrepreneurs I found in some Facebook groups said that they loved my graphic work and asked me to help them out. I was making so much money helping women out with logos, flyers, business cards and creating their online courses.
I decided to go full time and help women take their business all online! I save them months even years of searching the “how to’s” on how to create an online course. I teach them how to do it themselves! From creation to launching to marketing I have their back! And I am continuing to do graphic design through that business as well! You can find more on my Facebook page Always Advocating.
I also created two t-shirt lines. One for women’s success and one for dementia awareness.
What keeps you motivated?
Knowing I don’t have another option. Due to my health, I can not work a 9-5. If you are familiar with Crohn’s and IBS you know the struggle! If and when something does not work in my business I never even think of “giving up”. I immediately think of how I can make crap work! Failure and struggle come in the job description of an entrepreneur, so I knew what I was getting into. I know that this is just my growth and it will get better. Also, I never grew up with money, I want to give my future family a life with no struggle.
What advice would you give others just starting out?
Embrace plan b,c,d,e,f,g…. Stuff might not just work out. No matter how much you plan! Don’t take it personally.
What do you look forward to in the future? Where do you see yourself?
I see myself looking back and smiling. I see myself happy for the things that have brought me here and i see myself even more happy and successful.
Find more about Talia on her site, follow her instagram for Always Advocating, her course on Course Coach n Graphic Designer, and her work with Dementia Advocates on the site, their Instagram, and Facebook page.