A reflective exploration of how wisdom is gathered from imperfect people and experiences, and why authenticity matters more than perfection when sharing what we've learned.
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Influential Woman · Health, Wellness & Fitness
Michele Fuentes
Founder, Goddess Goodies LLC
Bangor, PA 18013
2Years experience
4Articles published
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Success, to me, is having the courage to stay true to my own path, keep learning, embrace life's pivots, and trust that each step is leading me where I'm meant to be.
Michele Fuentes · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Michele
Michele Fuentes is an entrepreneur, wellness educator, product developer, and community advocate with more than three decades of experience dedicated to helping others. Throughout her diverse career, she has served as a preschool teacher, children's program developer, administrative professional, information technology specialist, and business leader, building expertise across education, operations, customer service, and organizational support. Her passion for creating meaningful experiences and solving real-world challenges has remained the driving force behind every stage of her professional journey.
As the founder of Goddess Goodies LLC, Michele has transformed her personal passion for herbal wellness into a purpose-driven business focused on education, community engagement, and natural living. She develops handcrafted herbal teas, functional mushroom coffee, botanical seasonings, and other small-batch wellness products while expanding the company's reach through educational workshops, public speaking, fundraising partnerships, wholesale collaborations, and wellness programs. Drawing inspiration from her own journey with chronic pain and recovery, Michele is committed to making holistic wellness approachable, practical, and accessible for individuals, caregivers, healthcare organizations, senior communities, nonprofits, and local businesses.
Known for her resilience, creativity, and servant leadership, Michele believes that successful businesses are built not only on quality products but also on authentic relationships and meaningful community impact. Her extensive background in education, administration, technology, and product development enables her to bridge wellness with learning and outreach in unique ways. As Goddess Goodies continues to grow, Michele remains focused on empowering others through education, fostering community partnerships, and inspiring healthier, more intentional lifestyles—one conversation, one workshop, and one cup of tea at a time.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michele
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence, authenticity, and a willingness to keep learning. I didn’t begin this journey as an expert—I began it as someone searching for better health. Every challenge has taught me something, and I’ve continued to grow through curiosity, education, and determination. I also credit the customers, friends, and supporters who believed in me and encouraged me to keep moving forward.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to keep moving forward, even when the path isn’t completely clear, and never be afraid to start before you feel ready.
You don’t have to have all the answers to begin—you simply have to be willing to learn, adapt, and keep going. That advice has shaped every chapter of my career, from my years in the corporate world to building Goddess Goodies. I’ve learned that success isn’t about knowing everything from the start; it’s about having the courage to take the first step and the persistence to keep learning along the way.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to never let the fear of not knowing enough stop you from getting started. Be curious, ask questions, and commit yourself to continuous learning. Build relationships before you build your business, because trust and authenticity will always matter more than trying to be everything to everyone.
Most importantly, don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Every successful entrepreneur started as a beginner. Stay true to your values, be willing to adapt, and remember that your unique story is one of your greatest strengths. When you lead with integrity, compassion, and a genuine desire to help others, success becomes about much more than sales, it becomes about making a meaningful difference.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in herbal wellness right now is that more people are becoming interested in taking a proactive approach to their health. They’re looking for simple, intentional ways to support their overall well-being, and herbal teas and functional mushroom coffee have become part of that conversation.
At the same time, one of the biggest challenges is helping people navigate the overwhelming amount of information available online. There is so much conflicting advice that it can be difficult to know what to trust. That’s why I believe education, transparency, and authenticity are more important than ever. I want my customers to feel informed and empowered, not overwhelmed.
As the industry continues to grow, I believe businesses that focus on quality, integrity, and building genuine relationships will be the ones that earn lasting trust.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide both my work and my personal life are authenticity, integrity, compassion, perseverance, and continuous learning.
Authenticity is at the heart of everything I do. I believe in showing up as my true self and building genuine relationships based on trust. Integrity means creating products I believe in, being transparent about what I do, and always putting people before profits.
Compassion has grown from my own health journey and reminds me that everyone is facing challenges we may not see. I strive to meet people with kindness, empathy, and without judgment.
Perseverance has shaped my life. I’ve learned that success isn’t about avoiding obstacles, it’s about continuing to move forward despite them. Finally, I believe we should never stop learning. Whether I’m studying herbal wellness, growing my business, or learning from the people around me, every experience is an opportunity to grow.
These values are the foundation of who I am and the legacy I hope to build through Goddess Goodies.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Michele
Take the Wisdom Leave the Pedestal
Learning from imperfect people who share their authentic wisdom.
Take the Wisdom. Leave the Pedestal.
Lately, I've found myself doing a lot of reflecting. Maybe that's what happens when you start over. Building Goddess Goodies has given me the opportunity to create something that's completely my own, but it has also caused me to look back at the people, experiences, and lessons that brought me here. Writing these articles has done the same thing. As I've started thinking about the book I hope to write one day and the conversations I hope to have from a stage, I've realized I've been collecting more than ideas. I've been collecting wisdom.
Some of that wisdom has come from books that found me at exactly the right time. Some has come from podcasts I listened to on long drives. Some has come from mentors, coworkers, customers, family, and friends. I've even learned valuable lessons from complete strangers I met for only a few minutes. When I look back, I can honestly say that every one of them has given me something worth carrying forward.
What I've also realized is that none of those people were perfect, and neither am I.
There was a time when I looked at successful people and assumed they had something I didn't. I admired authors, speakers, business leaders, and people who seemed to navigate life with confidence. As the years have passed, I've watched some of them stumble, change their minds, disappoint people, or simply reveal that they are just as human as the rest of us. Oddly enough, that didn't diminish the wisdom they shared with me. If anything, it reminded me that wisdom isn't reserved for perfect people. It's earned through living, learning, failing, growing, and being willing to share what those experiences teach us.
That realization also changed the way I look at my own life. When I think about the decisions I've made over the years, I know there are some I wouldn't make today. At the time, though, I made those decisions with the information, experience, and understanding I had. Life has a way of teaching us if we're willing to pay attention. As the years have passed, I've become more intentional and less reactive. I ask more questions now, and I'm not afraid to say I don't know something. Understanding has become more important to me than being right. I hope that ten years from now, I can look back at the person I am today and recognize that I've continued to grow.
One of the things I've learned along the way is that there are usually two sides to every story, and somewhere in the middle is where the truth likes to hide. That's probably why I overthink things sometimes. I want to understand before I react because I've learned that our experiences shape how we see the world. Of course, once I realize someone is simply trying to pull one over on me, the Jersey girl in me politely lets them know the conversation is over. Well... mostly politely.
Growing older hasn't made me weaker. If anything, it's made me stronger because my strength no longer comes from reacting in the moment. It comes from responding with intention. I still believe in grace and compassion and that most people are doing the best they can with what they know. But I've learned that grace has boundaries, too. I can listen to someone with an open mind and still stand my ground. I can respect a perspective without agreeing with it. Kindness, for me, was never meant to be mistaken for weakness.
Authenticity has become one of the values I treasure most. I'm no longer impressed by people who pretend to have all the answers. I'm drawn to people who are honest enough to admit they're still learning. Those are the people I trust because they're not trying to convince me they're perfect. They're simply willing to share what life has taught them, and in doing so, they give the rest of us permission to keep learning, too.
As I've reflected on all of this, one simple thought keeps coming back to me. It has quietly become part of how I want to live, how I want to lead, and how I hope to write.
Take the wisdom. Leave the pedestal.
I don't need the people who influence me to be flawless. I don't need them to have every answer or make every decision the way I would. I simply need to be open enough to learn from their experiences while remembering that they're human, just like I am. I also don't need to wait until I've figured everything out before sharing what life has taught me. My experiences won't be perfect either, but if they help someone else navigate their own journey, then they've served a purpose.
Maybe that's what wisdom really is. Not some finished, polished thing you arrive at. Just years of paying attention, keeping what helps, and letting the rest go so there's room to keep growing.
Discover how Goddess Goodies goes beyond business through Sip & Support—a monthly initiative that honors personal stories while donating proceeds to meaningful causes that have shaped the founder's life.
Where Purpose Meets the Cup
How one herbal tea company is choosing to honor stories and make a difference, one cup at a time.
Building More Than a Business
When I started Goddess Goodies, I knew I wanted to build more than a business that sold herbal teas and mushroom coffee. I wanted to build a business that reflected what matters most to me.
Like any small business owner, I want Goddess Goodies to be successful. I want it to grow. I want to reach more people and build something that lasts.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted Goddess Goodies to stand for something more.
Somewhere along the way, I realized something.
I believe every business has the opportunity to make a profit. I also believe every business has the opportunity to make a difference.
I'm choosing to build one that does both.
That realization became the inspiration behind something I've been quietly creating called Sip & Support.
Sip & Support
When the idea first came to me, it seemed simple enough. Create a featured blend each month, donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity, and hopefully make a small difference.
It wasn't a bad idea.
But as I started matching charities to awareness months, making lists, and checking calendars, something kept nagging at me. It all felt… impersonal. That's when I realized I was asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking, "What charity should I support this month?" I started asking, "Whose story do I want to honor?"
The answer came almost immediately.
That was the moment everything shifted.
I started reaching out to friends and family. I listened to their experiences. I asked which organizations had made a difference in their lives. I invited them into the process because I realized this wasn't my story to write by myself.
That's when another thought hit me.
Purpose isn't something you add to a business.
It's something you build into it.
Every Month Represents a Conscious Choice
Today, Sip & Support is becoming so much more than a monthly fundraiser. Each featured blend will be intentionally created around a story. Sometimes it will celebrate a survivor. Sometimes it will honor someone I've lost. Sometimes it will bring awareness to a journey that deserves to be better understood.
- A choice rooted in compassion.
- A choice rooted in connection.
- A choice rooted in purpose.
What excites me most isn't simply making a donation. It's knowing that every purchase becomes part of something bigger.
- A conversation.
- A remembrance.
- A celebration.
- A chance to let someone know their story matters.
Whose Story Do I Want to Honor?
As Sip & Support grows, you'll see causes that are deeply personal to me and to the people I love. Mental wellness, cancer, chronic illness, diabetes, COPD, traumatic brain injury, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, autism, ADHD, PTSD, suicide prevention, and other journeys that have touched our lives will all have a place in this story over time.
Not because I'm trying to check off an awareness calendar.
Because these stories have helped shape the person I am today.
Each month, I'll share the story behind the featured blend, where your support is going, and how much we were able to donate together. I want this journey to be transparent because I believe generosity is something we should celebrate together.
Sip & Support isn't about choosing a charity each month.
It's about choosing to honor someone's story.
I've always believed there's something special about sharing a cup with someone. Now I'm choosing to give every featured cup a little more purpose.
Sip & Support officially begins in August, and I can't wait to introduce you to the first story.
If you'd like to follow along as each month's story unfolds—the inspiration behind the blends, the people I'm honoring, the organizations I'm supporting, and the impact we're making together—I hope you'll join the Sip & Support newsletter.
I'd love to share the journey with you.
Discover the inspiring journey behind Twin Flames mushroom coffee—a personal story of persistence, creativity, and partnership that transformed a simple health challenge into a meaningful brand built on curiosity and determination.
More Than Coffee: The Story Behind Twin Flames
From a Doctor's Advice to a Passion Project: How One Woman Created Twin Flames Mushroom Coffee
More Than Coffee
The Story Behind Twin Flames by Goddess Goodies
It all started during a conversation with my doctor.
"You should…" he said, "…stop drinking coffee."
I remember thinking, Like that was even an option.
Coffee wasn't just something I drank. It was part of my morning. It was my routine, my comfort, and a few quiet minutes before the day began. I wasn't ready to give that up, so I started looking for alternatives.
That's when I discovered mushroom coffee.
I thought, Perfect! This is exactly what I need.
Then I tried it.
Let's just say... I wasn't impressed.
I loved the idea behind it, but I couldn't find one that I actually enjoyed drinking. I kept thinking there had to be something better.
One summer afternoon, I was sitting on my porch thinking about it when an idea popped into my head.
Maybe I could make my own.
I asked my partner to come outside because I wanted to bounce an idea off him.
I asked, "What would you think if I made my own mushroom coffee?"
Without hesitation, he said, "Try it."
I looked at him and asked, "Am I allowed to do that?"
Looking back now, I realize I wasn't really asking whether I was allowed to make mushroom coffee.
I was asking whether I was allowed to believe I could create something that didn't already exist.
That conversation changed everything.
I quickly realized there wasn't one place where I could find all the information I needed. I spent countless hours researching, asking questions, experimenting, and learning. Every answer seemed to lead to another question, and every batch taught me something new.
Then came the real work.
For the next two and a half months, my kitchen became my workshop.
There were countless tweaks, more coffee than I care to admit, plenty of trial and error, and a lot of "Let's see what happens if I change this..." moments.
My partner faithfully tasted every version I put in front of him—even the ones that, looking back, probably should have never left the kitchen.
One thing I was determined to get right was making sure everything dissolved completely. We'd laugh while I stirred another batch and joke, "After all... no one likes chewy coffee."
People see the finished product sitting on a shelf.
They don't see the countless hours of research, the conversations, the experimenting, the laughter, or the persistence behind it.
Then, one morning, after nearly two and a half months, I made another cup.
My partner took a sip.
I took a sip.
I looked at him and said,
"Oh my gosh... I think this is it."
He smiled and said, "I think you're right."
That was the moment.
Not because everything suddenly became perfect, but because after months of learning, experimenting, and refusing to settle, we had finally created the blend I had imagined the day I sat on that porch.
Where the Name Twin Flames Came From
People often ask me where the name Twin Flames came from.
The answer is deeply personal.
My partner and I share the same birthday, and we're both Geminis. The name became a tribute to the journey we took together. While I developed the blend, he encouraged me, tasted every version, celebrated the successes, and laughed through the failures. Twin Flames is a reminder that some of life's greatest accomplishments aren't built alone.
Today, Twin Flames by Goddess Goodies is much more than a mushroom coffee blend.
It's a reminder that curiosity can become purpose.
That persistence matters.
That asking questions is never a weakness.
And that sometimes the biggest changes in our lives begin with one simple question:
"Am I allowed to do that?"
Looking back, I thought I was creating a better cup of coffee.
I had no idea I was creating a completely different future.
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