Meet the Founders

Maria Pou-Feliz

Founder & CEO

Maria’s path shifted when her family received an unexpected diagnosis. Everything changed at once — the roles, the expectations, the mental load. She had to rebuild her identity, resilience, and capacity from the inside out.

“I realized the system I needed did not exist, so I started building it.”

Her work is shaped by lived experience, Positive Psychology, and a clear belief: women deserve tools that support the full reality of their lives, not the idealized version of them.

Lauren Rowlson-Sanchez

Co-Founder, COO & CFO

After two decades in high-pressure roles, Lauren reached a breaking point that forced her to pause and rethink. Without the structure of constant performance, she had to discover who she was and what she needed to feel steady.

“So much clarity came when I finally had space to hear myself.”

She brings operational expertise, strategic clarity, and a belief that women can lead with strength and gentleness without burning out.

Our Story in Our Own Words

Why we built Feliz & Thriving, the experiences that shaped it, and the mission that guides our work.

We Don’t Believe in Burnout Recovery. We Believe in Designing Against It.

About Us

At Feliz & Thriving, we believe women shouldn’t have to choose between ambition and wellbeing. You can build a full life and still feel steady, clear, and connected to yourself.

We have lived the mental load and the pressure to keep going. Real support does not come from pushing harder. It comes from understanding how you are wired, creating mental space, and taking intentional steps that fit real life.

The word Feliz means happy in Spanish. It reflects our founder’s bilingual roots and our hope that every woman feels supported, seen, and grounded.

Our Mission

We help high-achieving women create space to drop the mental load, think clearly, and lead themselves with intention. You’ll learn to:

Make space without guilt

Create room for what aligns with your values and strengths.

Release what is not yours to carry

Release pressure, noise, and invisible responsibilities that limit your clarity.

Lead with discernment, not depletion

Strengthen your ability to choose what deserves your time, energy, and attention.

Our Principles

You Don’t Have to Earn Rest

Rest isn’t a reward. It’s a leadership tool. We build systems that integrate pause, reflection, and recovery.

Clarity Comes From Alignment, Not Hustle

You don’t need to force your way into insight. When your values, energy, and actions are aligned, clarity is inevitable.

The System Should Adapt to You

Feliz & Thriving doesn’t ask you to conform. It meets you where you are and evolves with you.

You Can Hold Power and Ease at the Same Time

You don’t have to choose between impact and well-being. True leadership honors both.

The Mental Load Is Real And Not All of It Is Yours

We acknowledge the invisible work you do. And we help you unlearn the need to carry all of it.

Reflection Without Action Is Just More Mental Clutter

You don’t need more insight. You need a system that helps you move. We translate reflection into real, aligned execution.

Our Pillars

Self-Trust Over External Validation

Strengthen your inner voice so you can make clear and confident decisions.

Mental Space as a Strategy

You are not stuck. You are saturated. Creating mental space brings clarity

Strengths-Aligned Execution

Follow-through becomes easier when your actions fit how you are naturally wired.

Leading with Capacity

Let go of what you do not need to carry. Hold what matters with steadiness.

What We Are

A self-leadership system grounded in positive psychology

Tools that help you clear mental load and think clearly

A supportive space to build self-trust and emotional steadiness

Practical guidance that fits into real, busy lives

We Are Not

A life coaching platform built on trends

A productivity hack or quick fix

Another system that expects you to push through

A place that rewards urgency over intentionality

A replacement for mental health professionals