OC Mom Collective

I grew up in Orange County then went to Los Angeles (with a short detour in Santa Barbara) for college and spent the next 12 years there thinking that was home until I met my amazing, now husband on Jdate.com and moved back here to start our life together. After years of helping out with family and friend’s kids I finally have one of my own, a 10 month old active, healthy, happy boy. I take Working Mom to a whole new dimension with a private mental health practice, a part-time hospice social work job, Oh and I blog too! It sounds like a lot but the decision to quit my full time job working for someone else to take my career and family life into my own hands was the best decision I ever made for myself and my family.

Megan Phillips is a licensed clinical psychologist who owns a private practice that specializes in helping women and moms in Orange County (www.cottonwoodpsychologycenter.com). She is from the Pacific Northwest, but she and her husband decided to escape the rain and move to warm, sunny Southern California in 2012. Since then, she became a mom to a smart and funny little boy and an adorable baby girl. Megan enjoys cooking and taking in the local sights, and she is always up for a fun mommy’s night out. 

Heather grew up in Northern California and migrated down to Southern California to attend Chapman University. After graduation, she worked for the Angels Baseball Club, Anaheim Ducks and Quiksilver apparel company.  While working for the Angels she met her husband Aaron and they have one son. Heather stays home with her toddler son, teaches yoga and is co-owner of Purify Sauna Lounge in Anaheim Hills.

Joanne is an OC native, a proud boy mom and holistic wellness aficionado who loves Jesus, good boba and singing. Her passion for holistic health and wellness is rooted in an education in dietetics and emotional wellness through essential oils. She is certified in Essential Oils in the Birth Kit and is a doTERRA Certified Essential Oil Specialist. In her off time she enjoys taking road trips, serving others and cooking. You can find her on instagram @lovejoannemartinez.

Liz McTan is an entrepreneur, blogger, singer/songwriter and above all a mom. On her blog The Redheaded Rambling Mama she focuses on the necessity of connection and establishing our own village. Liz also writes about maintaining a sense of self after children, and beating the illusion of perfect parenting we see throughout social media and keeping a sense of humor to stay sane. She is a proponent of traveling, protesting, and even attending festivals with your kids. Through her battle with post-partum depression and anxiety she has found a new sense of self and purpose in her writing and music with her band Echo Hill. You can read more of her work at www.redheadedramblingmama.blog or on her social media pages www.facebook.com/redheadedramblingmama and www.instagram.com/redheadedramblingmama

Mikaeya is a Kansas City native that recently found her way to Southern California while helping her husband to chase his dreams. She is a woman that wears many hats and is not only a wife and mother to twin five year old girls, but also a pediatric dentist and healthy living blogger. She resides in Mission Viejo where her and her husband and mother in law run a family dental practice. Outside of the dental office, you can find her and her family soaking in the sun and outdoor activities that their new California home offers them. Mikaeya lives by her motto: SMILE, Life Is Good!

Elena is an accredited public relations strategist, specializing in the financial services, mortgage lending, real estate,and water/utility sectors. She is mom to big brother Hunter and baby sister Mekenzie as well as two rescue pit bulls name Jack and Zoe. She met her husband met shortly after graduating from California State University, Fullerton and has bounced around north county with him ever since. As a longtime Orange County native, Elena loves all things OC: The Angels, the mouse, the beach and everything in between. She currently serves as the Community Service Chair on the Public Relations Society of America's Orange County chapter board where she works with nonprofits, public relations veterans and communications students to provide probono services the area’s most worthy causes. In the little free time she has, she enjoys getting outdoors with her family, practicing yoga and catching her favorite bands live in concert.

Born and raised in Orange County from immigrant parents, Allison Melanio is an Xennial (mix of Gen X and Millennial) mom of two young children – Maddox (5) and Macy (3). Her husband and two kids currently reside in Rancho Mission Viejo, CA. Allison’s background includes an Entertainment PR Internship at Nickelodeon in NYC, a Journalism degree from CSULB and 11 years doing corporate communications and events at Altec, a software company in Laguna Hills, CA. Allison ended 2019 by resigning from her position at Altec and now works part time at Canon Medical Systems, USA as a Multimedia Specialist so she can devote more time to her young children. A typical Monday to Friday week for Allison includes two to three work days, a day to take the kids to Pretend City, Disneyland or the Park and a day to volunteer in her son’s PreK class and then them to ballet and karate. Allison loves making lists, exploring new places, planning (vacations, parties, and events) and making the most out of every day!

A Colorado native living in Southern California for more than 20 years, Charla is a trained print journalist (Bachelor of Arts, Literary Journalism from UCI) with an MBA in Marketing. Her passion for communications, creativity and community guides her professional and personal life activities.  Currently, she is Communications Specialist for Cox Communications. She is responsible for external communications and public relations in Orange County, Palos Verdes and Santa Barbara. As a volunteer, Charla is first Black President of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Orange County chapter where she has served on the board of directors for five years and Director of Communications for the UCI Black Alumni Chapter, which is also a board of directors position. In her downtime she likes to dance, practice pilates, walk and listen to music outside, do home improvement projects, read mainly nonfiction books, and hang out with her family and friends. She considers herself a pro power napper as well.  Charla resides in Irvine with her husband Robert, stepson Robbie, and daughter Harper. 

Cheryll is a mama to three little ones and a government leader turned entrepreneur. She is the host of The Mom Boss Motivation Podcast, helping moms pursue their dreams all while raising their children to be awesome human beings. Her passion is to let moms know they can have it all and get rid of the dreaded mom guilt. Cheryll presently lives in Orange and has lived all over Southern California since birth. When she's not busy motivating mamas, she loves to spend time outdoors, date nights with her hubby, and have fun with her kiddos! Follow her on Instagram @mombossmotivation to get started on the pursuit of your dreams today, there is no time like the present.

April is the founder of Unfold Motherhood + Wellness, she is a prenatal yoga teacher and trainer, postnatal fitness specialist, a birth doula, and a childbirth educator. April has been working within the wellness and motherhood community for the last decade and is passionate about empowering women on their journey from pregnancy, birth, and well beyond. She is a mom of 2 girls and resides in Brea. Her favorite pastimes are going to Disneyland, hanging out in Palm Springs, and watercolor painting.

Janell is a mom of two teenage girls and a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and Parent/Life Coach. She is passionate about helping parents learn new ways to address their ongoing parenting challenges through her business, Parent2Parent (www.parent2parentcoaching.com). Janell grew up in Los Angeles and received a BA in Sociology from UC San Diego. After college she moved (with no job!) to Boston where she began a career in public relations and met her future husband on the T (the subway). Now a resident of Mission Viejo, and a few years away from being a full-time empty-nester, Janell keeps busy with her family, her business and as a volunteer for various groups including Lion’s Heart Teen Service organization and Capistrano Valley High School. Janell is an avid traveler, enjoys cooking (more specifically eating), reading, photography, dance and is a musical theater geek. You can follow her at: Instagram.com/parent2parentcoaching and facebook.com/parent2parentcoaching.