- 2 hours ago
Maya Galore hustled her way into Spelman, then spent years in the media trenches before the deals and the half-million followers. She talks with Sandy Pierre and Kathleen Newman-Bremang about choosing community over competition, drawing a line between your work self and your personal self when you build with friends, and why knowing your "why" is what carries you through the silent seasons. Read the full article:
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00:00Go Off Sis is brought to you by Target, a proud long-term supporter of Black women
00:04entrepreneurs. From building the dream team to securing her legacy, Target backs her.
00:10Sis, sis-s, we missed you. Welcome back to Go Off Sis. Now, in the last couple episodes,
00:17you heard from our new lead of Unbothered, Erica Chidi, and she had some great conversations.
00:22And now, my co-host Sandy and I, we are back on the mic. Did you miss us? Like I
00:29said,
00:29we missed you. So if you don't know me, I'm Kathleen, the Senior Content Director of
00:34Entertainment at Refinery29. I'm a Capricorn. I'm a Canadian. I am coming at you right now
00:40from Toronto, the T.O., if you will, the six, whatever you want to call it.
00:46And I just got to, Sandy, Sandy, please reintroduce yourself.
00:50Oh, I mean, if we shouting out Zodiac signs, we shouting out cities, you know I'm about to do the
00:552009. Hey, guys. I'm so excited to be here again. You know, my favorite podcast to talk to
01:01my favorite girls. My name is Sandy Pierre. I am the Branded Execution Manager at Unbothered. I am
01:08a Scorpio. I am from Brooklyn, you know, Caribbean, Haitians to be specific. But, you know, I did do the
01:18thing. I want to cross the rivers. I live in Jersey now, but not too much on me. But I
01:23am very,
01:23very, very excited to be here.
01:27Yes, you're a Brooklyn girl forever, even though you're in Jersey now. Even though you're in Jersey
01:31now. It's okay. It's okay. It's nice to cross the river. It's for a better living, you know?
01:37Peace of mind. That's what you do when you grow up.
01:39I understand. We love that for you. We love that you are adulting in Jersey. Okay, so Go Off Sis,
01:46I hope there are longtime listeners listening to us. But if you don't know Go Off Sis, this is where
01:51we
01:51come together. It is for us, Black women, by us, Black women. And we love to go off. And today,
01:59we're talking about how to build the dream team in business and beyond. So whether that's the
02:05foundation you build at school, shout out to the HBCUs, or the people you surround yourself with in
02:11the workplace, we are going to go deep into what it takes to build real connections and community
02:17as you climb towards success and how to keep those connections once you are there and you secure your
02:23legacy. That's what I'm talking about. Sandy, this is a topic that we talked about and we are like
02:30really excited to dive into. Yeah, I'm excited because, I mean, they say the people that you go to
02:35college with are the ones that you start like the longest relationships with, whether it's a partner,
02:40friendship, and like your co-workers are people that you spend the most amount of time with. So
02:44there's so many phases and like that you go through and like how to pick and how to build that
02:50dream
02:50team. So I'm ready to dive in because I done gained some people. I done lost some people. We're gonna
02:56get
02:56into it. Woo! I can't wait to get it. She said I done gained and I done lost. Okay. All
03:04right. So we've
03:05got a special guest joining us on the show today. I'm so excited. Maya Galore started her online career
03:11as a beauty creator in 2017. And in 2020, her Makeup for Beginners YouTube series skyrocketed
03:17her to YouTube stardom. And she now has an audience of almost 900,000 followers across platforms. She's
03:25on her way to that Millie. She's also the host of the inspiring podcast Into the Next. Maya is consistently
03:32showing us how to get ourselves together on the outside, but she's also giving us vulnerability
03:37and advice on how to get right inside and elevate ourselves. And we love her for it. A Spelman alum
03:43and a Libra. Welcome to Go Off, sis, Maya. Woo! And she's rocking that pixie. Yes, my girl.
03:53Looking flawless as usual. Thank you. Woo! Welcome. Welcome. How are you feeling today, sis?
03:59I am feeling really, really good. I'm just happy to be here. Yes. We're happy to have
04:04you. Yeah, I'm chilling. We're happy to have you. And we're going to dive in. We're going
04:09to dive in. So, Maya, just take us back to your college years. Who were you then? What
04:15were you dreaming about? How did you find the people you eventually wanted to build with?
04:21So, like you guys said, I went to Spelman College. I was there from, I want to say, 2008 to
04:272012.
04:28And I was a completely different person. Okay, millennial. Hey, girl. All day. I was a completely
04:34different person then than I am now, you know, prior to all the personal growth. So, your girl
04:40was, I was a little outside, but I was very, very focused on schoolwork because Spelman was
04:46my dream and that's where I wanted to be. I made sure I did everything I needed to do
04:50to get there. And yeah, I was definitely a dreamer, but I think my dream then was a little
04:58bit different than what it ended up turning into. I was actually at the time a singer, so
05:05I wanted to get into music and all of that. And I ended up doing it after college. But through
05:11college is when I feel like I really developed a desire to do more. So, I felt like I could
05:22do something with music, but I felt like it ignited a fire in me to really, like, actually
05:28be a change maker in college. And I met so many great women in college. One thing about Spelman,
05:34it will introduce you to a plethora of different types of Black women. And that was one of the
05:41things, it was low key kind of like a culture shock, which sounds weird when you go to a school
05:45that's all Black women. But especially when you're from somewhere, I'm from St. Louis and, you know,
05:51you're used to your bubble and the kind of people that you see. And, you know, even though I came
05:54from success, going there, it was like, wow, there's so many avenues that I could go down, you know?
06:01So, prior to high school, I was in predominantly Black schools. But then once I was in high school,
06:06it was mixed. But I think really what I mean is just the different types of people and how we
06:13are
06:13brought up, if that makes sense. So, I'm used to seeing, you know, my comfort zone and then to find
06:19out that there's so many different types of us that can influence you in so many great ways.
06:25Love that.
06:25Ooh, I love that. And I think when we talk about HBCUs, which we've done many times on this podcast,
06:31Sandy and I did not attend. I went to a PWI. But I always am so envious when I talk
06:40to people
06:41who went to an HBCU, because it is like just being exposed to that many different types of Blacks
06:48specifically. Like, I feel like we say it so much has become a cliche, but we are not a monolith,
06:54right? And when you are at an HBCU, I can imagine that you really see that. You see,
06:59like, how many different types of people and how many different types of Black folks
07:04specifically, and how smart we are in our own different ways, how different we are.
07:08And that's a really beautiful thing.
07:10And okay, so to bring it back to us, like building teams and building who we are from a young
07:17age
07:17and from being at college, how did going to an HBCU specifically, do you think, created a
07:24foundation in you that you have taken into the rest of your life?
07:28Absolutely. Going to Spelman really opened up my eyes, not only about the types of different
07:36Black people, Black women, but everyone had a thing. Everyone was doing something. Everyone
07:42kind of had a purpose. And even if that kind of developed throughout your, you know, going through
07:47college, I believe that it opened my eyes to specifically from Spelman wanting to help my
07:57community and be a pillar of just hope and inspiration. And I did not, I wouldn't, I would
08:07say I didn't necessarily know what I wanted to do prior to going to Spelman, but I did come out
08:12knowing specifically that I had to do something bigger than myself. And I think just the environment
08:20of an HBCU, the different types of people, the different types of careers, the different types
08:25of opportunities, and just having that environment around you on a regular daily basis is inspiring.
08:32So for me, that is really what changed my mind. And I started thinking a little bit bigger
08:38after going to Spelman. That's so beautiful. So would you say that you don't think that the dreams
08:45that you had when you first walked onto that campus are the same that you walked out of with,
08:50even if you didn't know exactly what you wanted to do, like it expanded how much you could dream?
08:56Yes, absolutely. It expanded it and it, it deepened it. I would definitely say that I had dreams going
09:03in, but they were a little more surface level. They, and not that they weren't great. It wasn't really a
09:09helping type of thing. My purpose was not to help or to inspire or to share. It was, you know,
09:18you can make a lot of money doing this or, you know what I'm saying? Like that's what it was
09:21giving.
09:22And then I felt like Spelman really, it really helped me to see how far I could go. And it
09:32also
09:32made me really love my sister even more because so many of us were there. I developed great relationships
09:41and it was like, yeah, this is, this is what I want. And it really created that sense in me
09:47of
09:47wanting to help women and inspire women and talk to women. And that followed me after college.
09:54I'm so jealous. Every time, every time I hear about like HBCU stories, I'm like,
10:00where did I go wrong? Like, I swear. And like, similar to Kathleen, I mean, I didn't go to PWI,
10:07but it wasn't an HBCU, but coming from like New York and like being so close, like it almost felt
10:13like I did go to HBCU just because like the population was predominantly, you know, people of
10:18color, you know, we had the step team, we were, we had like Caribbean heritage. So like you had all
10:23of that, but like just hearing your stories, I'm pretty sure it was a totally different experience.
10:28And I, I'm always like, I'm so jealous. Like I want that. Um, so it's amazing to hear you even
10:33say
10:33that. And I wonder if there were like some lessons that you've learned early on, like, you know,
10:38attending at HBCU or like early on in career that helped you identify, like, you know, who wasn't
10:43aligned with like your values, who wasn't aligned with like your work ethic.
10:48Yeah, absolutely. Um, I would say in college as well as a little bit after college, you know,
10:53you get in contact with certain people as you start to figure out who you are and what you want
10:58to do.
10:59And you take bits and pieces from people in a positive way and you take bits and pieces of
11:04people from in a negative way because that part. Okay. Cause it's all a learning experience.
11:10And for me, I would say that I learned some big lessons when it comes to
11:16people's true purpose behind wanting to work with you, um, being, you know, a part of your vision,
11:24um, because you'll integrate people into what you're doing and you'll think it's, oh, it's great.
11:31This is wonderful. I trust this person. Everything's cool. But you'll find out that they even been
11:36been talking about you behind your back or they are a little bit more focused on the money and less
11:41about the vision. And in those moments, you learn really, really hard lessons that you have to treat
11:49what you're building like your baby. And sometimes everybody can go with you. And I've learned that
11:56the hard way in some places. Yeah. Talk about it.
11:59I mean, I don't, I don't want you to blow up anybody's spot Maya, but what you're saying, I think
12:03is so relatable. And I wonder if, if there's, if you feel like there's like maybe in a specific
12:11instance that you can share that would give people like a, Hey, this is a red flag. If I, if
12:18I encounter
12:19this person, when I am trying to build, when I am on my path, I need to go in a
12:25different direction.
12:25Absolutely. Um, yeah, I can recall, um, when I had someone who was on my team, um, kind of at
12:35the
12:35genesis of everything, but you know, things was moving and shaking. I was getting a little,
12:40little, you know, a little, a little hot and it was someone that was on my team. And I started
12:46to
12:46notice that we were not aligned in what we were doing. It's like, of course I have my own
12:55vision and I know what I'm doing, building my, my brand as Maya Galore, what I stand for, what my,
13:02you know, thing is. And this person would always push an agenda that was,
13:10I guess, more financially heavy because it would benefit them versus it being in alignment with my
13:18views and my values. And there I have to look and say, okay, why are you really here? Like,
13:24are you, are you actually here for the purpose or are you just here for the money that you can
13:32get
13:32along the way? Because my thing is, yes, we want to make money. It costs money to live all the
13:37things.
13:38That's wonderful. That's great. And that's one of my goals. However, I take what I do very seriously.
13:42I share authentically. Like I have values and beliefs that I feel like if anyone watches my
13:48content or listens to my podcast, you know that I stand for something. So I'm not just going to accept
13:54any deals. I'm just not going to say anything or share opinions about anything or work with just
14:01anyone because I have a brand to protect. So in that situation, I had to, you know, kind of cut
14:08an eye and say, Hey, it doesn't seem like we're aligned. And the more we continue, this is going
14:16to take my brand down a notch. And that's what I don't want to happen because I've built what I've
14:21built and I've worked hard on it. So yeah. Ooh. And that's so that's about like staying true to
14:27yourself and knowing your gut and knowing yourself. But how hard was that conversation to have?
14:32Ooh, it wasn't great. It wasn't when I say it wasn't great. It wasn't great because at the time,
14:40I personally was was struggling with standing up for myself when it is not going to be a great
14:47outcome for someone else. You know, so I in that moment, it wasn't great for me because it was like,
14:52Maya, you got to stand up for yourself. This is your brand. This is your business. This is your thing.
14:56And so it was uncomfortable for me in that moment. But once it happened, it was like, yeah,
15:03they might be a little mad. That might be a little, you know, teed off. But now my goal is
15:09protected.
15:10My values are protected. My beliefs are protected. And now I can level up in that area and get with
15:14somebody who can see the vision and we can build this thing together. So hard, but good for you for
15:21standing on business. Cause I feel like I can relate like as a former people pleaser. It's like,
15:27you know, I kind of don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but now you're like, I mean, everybody's
15:31doing what they doing for themselves. I might as well too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
15:40Like honestly, at the end of the day, it's like, if you don't, who will, right? Like if you don't
15:44stand
15:45up for your own vision, who will? And I'm still learning that lesson. I feel like it's,
15:49it's so interesting. I've definitely had those experiences where you're just like,
15:53this person is not aligned with me. I think the purpose purpose is, is, is one of those words
15:58that if, you know, someone asked me, how do you define what it is? What's your, why purpose is a
16:06word that I come back to a lot because you have to, if you know your purpose, that's your guiding
16:10star.
16:11Right. And so there's going to be a lot of people that maybe don't know your purpose, but my,
16:16I want you to maybe shout out conversely, when you first started building the people who were pouring
16:22into that vision and who maybe saw it before anyone else could. Cause I feel like I have so
16:26many people in my life right now. And Sandy is one of them who like say, I see you, you
16:31can do this.
16:32You can go like, you can do whatever you want. And I maybe sometimes don't see it yet. So who
16:37are
16:37those people who really saw the vision? So the first person I will say is my mother,
16:46my mom, the absolute best. And when I first decided to do what I'm doing, not knowing what it would
16:55turn into, I saw examples of what I wanted to do. So I would go off on my, I'm telling
17:02my mom,
17:02Hey, this is what I want to do. This girl's doing this girl's doing this. Like I see the vision
17:06and she was my number one supporter. Um, and I was a single, well, still a single mom,
17:10but I had a small child at the time. So she was big on helping me in that area,
17:14which opened up so much more opportunity for me. So I would say my mom. And I would also say,
17:20um, shout out to my ex, the guy I was with at the time, he was very much a part
17:26of the genesis
17:27of this. He could see the vision. Um, and that's what I needed was people who could see,
17:32cause I could see the vision. So number one, I was, I poured into myself, which was a big,
17:38big thing because for me, it was like, if I can see it, I can be it. So I saw,
17:44you know,
17:45the Jackie Ines, the makeup Shayla's and the, all these beauty influencers that were doing the
17:49things that I knew that I could do when I was good at. So I was one of my biggest
17:54cheerleaders
17:55myself, even though there were also people in my life that did not see the vision. They're like,
18:01you could do what? Yeah. Making content. You can make money. You can do this. You could do that.
18:05Just, you know, just the pure ignorance of not understanding it and them not seeing it. So,
18:12um, I would say those three, myself, my mom, and my ex. I love that. I mean, that's,
18:18listen, shout out to like the, the healthy ex. Shout out to mom. Yeah. Always. Cause mom
18:24always knows best. And when you think about, I guess, like the worst probably, or the most
18:30challenging time in your career, were those the same people that showed up and like,
18:34you know, having that experience, like, what did it teach you about the importance of like having
18:39community? So in the toughest time of my career, um, I'm not going to include myself. I'm not going to
18:50say I necessarily showed up for myself because I was really hard on myself. Cause it's like,
18:54I'm expecting as you know, a business owner building this brand. I expect myself to
19:00do certain things, show up a certain way, achieve the things regardless of life,
19:04regardless of all the things. So I would say that I was hard on myself during that time,
19:08but my mom, absolutely. I also have a really great friend group, one of which was from college and
19:15some other ones that are from high school that have a habit of rallying around me when I am
19:22really struggling, when I am not understanding why things are not looking the way I want them to.
19:30And they show up by that time that ex was gone. But I would definitely say my mom,
19:38as well as my friend group of beautiful black women that I have collected throughout high school
19:45and college have been there for me and with been an ear for me when I needed to vent and
19:51loved on me
19:52when I wasn't loving on myself enough or giving myself enough grace and props for what I have built.
19:59Um, I would say that was my support system. Shout out to the group chat. I feel like,
20:04okay, shout out to the group chat. What would we do without it? I mute it. I'll mute you guys
20:10sometimes.
20:10I mute the group chat sometimes, but I love you guys. I'm muted to that sometimes.
20:15Not Sandy muting, but like, I'm gonna let you know that all my chats are muted. Not because I don't
20:20want to hear you guys, but because there's always something to talk about. And my phone will be going
20:25off 24 seven. Constantly. If I kept it like on like sound. So that's the only reason why. Yeah.
20:32All right. All right. That's allowed. That's allowed. But, um, okay. So I want to get into like
20:37the granular, like of choosing a team because I think there's probably creators and entrepreneurs
20:44listening right now. Yeah. Sis, you got this, but for them listening, who maybe are like,
20:50I don't even know when I'm, I'm surrounding myself with these people. How do I choose them?
20:56Like what matters most? Is it the skill? Is it the, they, that they believe in me and my vision?
21:01Is it how they just make me feel? Are they a good hang? Like, do I just want to hang
21:05out with them?
21:06Right? Like how do you choose? So I'm going to say a combination of all three. Um, skill is important,
21:14of course, especially if somebody is thriving in a way that we are not, not versed. I want to bring
21:19in
21:20the best people. But for me, it's also about someone sharing the vision and understanding
21:27it. Um, that's a big deal because if you have someone who is on your team that you're bringing
21:33on that don't understand the vision is quickly going to turn into their agenda and not yours.
21:38Now you want collaboration. So you're open to hearing opinions and collaborating on things,
21:44but you're never going to mesh or, you know, anything if you have someone who has a completely
21:50different agenda and purpose of being there. So I would say someone who also is aligned with the
21:55vision and you want to, I don't know, like I'm not a stuffy team type of person. Like I like
22:02to,
22:03you know, vibe and have conversations and laugh when is it appropriate. And, you know, so for me,
22:08it is also about how someone makes you feel while working with them, especially if they're working with
22:12you closely on a daily basis, weekly basis, you want to make sure that you're comfortable,
22:17especially when you're the head of something, you don't want to feel like you gotta walk on eggshells
22:25around your people that you hired, you know? So you want to make sure that everybody meshes in,
22:32in some type of way that would allow you to stay comfortable. And, you know, because some days you're
22:38going to be happy-go-lucky, some days it's going to be a tough day. So that comfortability is really
22:44important.
22:45As you were saying that, I was thinking that because I'm a Capricorn and I love capable people,
22:52like, like, I actually think skill would override certain things for me. Like, I'd be like, hey,
22:57if they get, if they get it done, but they're kind of rude sometimes, I'd be like, I can handle
23:03it.
23:04I got thick skin. I can handle it. As long as you're getting your work done, right? As long
23:08as you're delivering. At the same time, I have also, I think, forgiven a lot if someone is good
23:14vibes. You know, like, if I like them and they're just, they're good vibes, I'm kind of like, yeah,
23:20okay, I'll do it myself. I'll just do it myself. It's okay.
23:23Okay. And that's me. And we can still hang.
23:25And that's, that's my issue. I'm choosing vibes over everything. That's, and that's my issue now.
23:31Cause it's like, I, and we'll get into like delegating and stuff like that. I'm like, okay,
23:36well if you can't do it, I'll figure it out, but at least you a good time. You know what
23:40I mean?
23:40At least like you a good time. You know how to do it a little bit and I can figure
23:44it out. Now,
23:45if you really start messing up and like messing up my money and you have me out here looking crazy,
23:49that's a different story, but positive energy and like just willingness to help for me is like
23:56most important. Yeah. And that's why I said the combo of both, because I feel like
24:00you go too far on any of those. And you're never going to find like that perfect
24:06person. Cause like we're, you know what I mean? Yeah. You know what I love about this conversation?
24:12She pours into everything around her, her business, her family, her community.
24:17This is where target pours back into her. With everything she builds, creates and carries
24:23target shows up for her in ways that matter through meaningful partnerships, opportunities,
24:28and a commitment to helping her grow. Have you worked with, um, someone that has been like close
24:34to you before? To a certain extent. And then we had to, we had to slow that down.
24:44Okay. So I want to talk about that a little bit because like being a, you know, a great friend
24:49and a good business partner is two totally separate things. So like what boundaries did
24:55you have to learn to like put in place when you're working with someone close to you?
24:58Cause it's hard. Yeah. It's very, very hard. And that's why I said I had to kind of back away
25:04from
25:04it because it's so easy for those lines to give word. And the bad thing about that is this is
25:12really,
25:12this is what I've built. This is my job. This is my money. This is my like, and I can't
25:17just let you
25:17slack because you're a friend or you're a family member. But then you start to get the version of
25:23me. That's like boss Maya and not Maya. And then now you mad at me. Like now you don't want
25:34to go
25:34out no more. So it's so easy for that to get blurred. Um, so I would say boundaries wise, if
25:44I am choosing to
25:45work with someone who is close to me, friend, family, what may you, um, I have a thing where
25:52I would be like, okay, this is work Maya talking right now, or this is personal. Let's turn off work
25:59and girl, let me tell you what happened. You know what I'm saying? So I think it's important to actually
26:04make that boundary very clear because if you don't work, Maya can be misinterpreted for friend,
26:12Maya, family, Maya. And it's like, she got an attitude with me, you know, but it's like, no,
26:17there's a deadline. I need this done. I need you to be on top of this, but you can still
26:22say that
26:23sternly and with love as the boss, but that's another thing. You kind of got to be real. Like
26:31Owen, how is my tone? How am I, you know, all of those things so that you don't sever the
26:37relationship.
26:38And so I think that's not for everybody. Some people can do it and they can do it fine,
26:42but sometimes it's some people can't, and you don't want to sever your relationship. So I would
26:48say for me, safety wise, cause I love my people. I love my family. I love my friends. Let's just,
26:54let's just not do that. This is where I'm going. I would say, no, like, I just don't think I,
27:02you know, I don't have a business, but we work in an industry where we spend a lot of time
27:08to
27:08time with each other. I ended up like making so many amazing friends through work. And I think
27:14that's different. I think if we start working together and then we become friends. And so then
27:19you're working with a friend, that's the best case scenario. That's beautiful. But if you are
27:23building a business, like my man right now has a business and he hires friends left, right and center.
27:28He hires, hires family left, right and center. And half the time it does not work out well.
27:34And it's just, I'm always like, just don't do it. I can't, I can't imagine. Cause then the power
27:40dynamic is off too, right? Like, so when you're in a friendship, if it's a good friendship,
27:45there shouldn't be a power imbalance of power, right? Like if you're in a friendship, you are
27:51equals, you are rooting for each other just as hard as the other. There isn't any, you know,
27:56I'm telling you what to do and you're going to do it. Right. And, but then in a work scenario,
28:01that happens. There is a power imbalance. If you are the boss, you do have to tell somebody,
28:06this is how you do it and go do it. Right. And I just don't think that that's healthy
28:10for her friendship or a partnership. People who work with their spouses.
28:16How? I don't know how to do it.
28:19You see me. I'm quiet over here.
28:21Yeah. Sandy and her man work together a lot.
28:24We do. Okay.
28:25It's just, I think it's because we're both in like the creative industry.
28:32So prior to us meeting, he was like doing his thing in, in a creative space. And we linked up
28:40in a creative space. We know the same people. So it just like works. And it comes at like,
28:45you know, if I'm doing something, yeah, let's hire him to come in. That means we're bringing
28:48a money home for us. So that's the way I see it. And look, thankfully, he's not like,
28:56Sandy, don't tell me what to do. Or he's just like, what do you need me to do?
28:59In that sense. So it works. It doesn't work for everyone. But I'm trying to get him paid,
29:04which means because I could get stuff. So why not?
29:08I mean, it is beautiful. I've seen you two work together. And it is a beautiful thing. He is
29:13shout out to Yashama. He's a good man. He's a good man. And he you're right. He is very,
29:17like, just helpful. Like, what do you need? He's not he doesn't have an ego about it. Yeah,
29:21which is part of it. Yeah, I think I would have the ego is my thing to do.
29:30It can work. You just got to know who you're dealing with. Because I feel like people are
29:35different people in relationships, and they are in friendships than they are as like employees,
29:41like, we're putting on so many different characters that like, you just got to know.
29:45Yeah, it's 100% no for me. And I have the most talented, beautiful, amazing friends and family.
29:53And there's somebody in my life, I won't, I won't say which one they are. So I don't give it
29:58away. I
29:59love this person with my whole whole whole heart. I would never hire them or recommend them for a job.
30:09Ever. And I love them so much. I just think it won't be good for either of us. And I
30:15yeah,
30:16I just I don't think I could mix the two. Yeah. Yeah. But I do love working with my friends.
30:23I've
30:23worked with my friends for so long. Sandy is one of my friends. We work together. I love working with
30:29friends. I just don't think I could hire them. And then, you know, it'd be like, if it was my
30:35business,
30:35because I just think there's the stakes are too high. And see, that's what I was gonna say.
30:40Collaboration is different than actually having your friends or family as your team with you being
30:47the boss, like that dynamic, you talked about the power dynamic. It can harm the relationships,
30:52but collaborating. I like collaborating with my people. Yeah. So what would you say, Maya? What's
30:57harder? Is it harder for you to find the right person to be on a team? Or like when you
31:01find that
31:02person like delegating? Because I know for me, I'm the worst delegator. Like, it's like,
31:07I have to force myself to be like, Sandy, you cannot take on all of this. Like you have a
31:12team
31:12or like you have people around you say, hey, can you do this? Because I'm just so used to saying,
31:16like, I can do it myself. Like, I could get it done quicker. So I'm wondering if you go through
31:21the
31:21same. Well, you are me and I am you because that is my problem. I am. Oh, child, I do
31:32all the things.
31:33And it's just like, yes, just because I can do them does not mean that I should do all of
31:41the
31:41things because that is what community is for. That is what help is for. That is what hiring
31:46people who are more versed in whatever is for. But I do find myself wanting to take on the roles.
31:54Now, if I have hired or I'm working with someone who does the job better than me,
32:01I do have to tell myself, Maya, take a step back, allow the people to do their job. You're used
32:07to
32:08doing all of the things, but now you do not have to. So I have to prep talk myself to
32:13step back because
32:14I have been just being a single mom and doing my own thing and creating this business on my own
32:21and just, you know, being a single woman in general. I've had to just do everything on my own.
32:28So I'm used to that. That's my comfort zone. So sometimes it's hard for me to allow
32:34other people to have their, you know, their thing that they need to do. So that's my problem,
32:41but I got it. I have, I've been working on that and allow the people that I hired to do
32:46their thing. And that takes so much off of me. And I'm able to put more of myself into my
32:50brand,
32:51into my podcast, into what I'm building. It's helpful.
32:56Yeah, that's so helpful. And I can imagine that there's a lot of creators in this position,
33:01because one of the things that I admire so much about creators, especially if you are creating on
33:06social media where you have to shoot and edit and post like in the beginning, you're doing that
33:12all yourself, everything all by yourself. Right. And then when you scale and you get a little bit
33:19bigger, you have to bring people on, of course, to keep it going and get the quality up and all
33:24of that. And I can imagine that transition is tough. So the people who help you start and they say
33:30this,
33:30right, that the people who help you start are not the same people who help you scale.
33:34How have you navigated like maybe outgrowing some of those professional relationships?
33:43I've had to have some hard conversations, not too many, but I have had to have some hard conversations
33:51conversations because I noticed the outgrowing. And I think that number one, I feel like for me,
34:00it's always been it's been important to stay professional because one thing about me, I have
34:05always wanted to be good to work with. Like if somebody works with me, I want you to be like,
34:10you know what? I enjoyed that. That's my girl. Like, yeah, we want a personal level, but like,
34:16you know what? Yeah, that was great. I ain't got nothing bad to say. Yeah.
34:19I think pride in that because, you know, this is our life, especially if you work and you get paid
34:23to do something for extended amount of time. I want you to enjoy it and not want to not come
34:28to work or do what you need to do. So I say all that to say with those hard conversations,
34:34I've had to, you know, stay professional, but also keep that in mind because I don't want you to run
34:40off and say, oh, well, she this, she that just because we had to part ways. I really do want
34:45to explain
34:46and for you to understand why this is no longer working. And it's been tough to navigate in those
34:54moments, especially like I said earlier, it's a me thing of me standing up and doing the things I
35:01need to do and having those hard conversations. But it's necessary in order to get to where I'm going,
35:07because I am trying to build something way bigger than myself. So everybody can't go. And I that
35:15sucks sometimes, especially when you are talking about people you've known for a long time or they
35:21helped you start. I'm trying to get that point across without people feeling slighted or feeling
35:29offended. It's tough to navigate, but you got to do it or what you've built will will suffer.
35:37No. And I agree. And like I said earlier, I was like, I didn't gain, I didn't loss. And it's
35:41such
35:41a hard pill to swallow and to know that like people that have watched you grown, like you've gone
35:48through life together with aren't the people that will be on like the finish line with you. It's so
35:54hard because you're like, damn, I want them to be there. But like, as you grow as a person,
36:00and I know for me, like, as I grew, like in my faith, then I'm just knowing that like people
36:05who
36:06are meant to be there will be there. And like, the more you align with your value, the more God
36:11is
36:11going to bring people that aligns with your value as well. So it was hard. But I got to know,
36:16like, if they're not there is they're not there for a reason.
36:19You know what I mean? And it's okay, because no love lost. I can still wish you well. But where
36:26I'm going, you can't come. We can't all fit in the car, you know what I mean? And it's just
36:30cannot.
36:31And there's no room for any hateration up in this Dancery, right? Like you don't,
36:35don't surround yourself with your biggest haters.
36:43I'm just saying, Mary was right. Mary was right. I don't want no hateration up in this Dancery.
36:51I just feel like you, you don't want to surround yourself with your biggest haters. And that part
36:54of growing and part of growing up is realizing that maybe some of those people that you thought
36:58were friends, that you thought were your business partners, were actually your biggest haters,
37:02they actually hated you, and we're not rooting for you. And so yeah, you got to cut them loose.
37:07You do. And I feel like one of the risks there, because I feel like a lot of times when
37:12we don't
37:12say something, it's out of fear that it's going to turn into a big problem, or they're going to talk
37:16about me behind my back, or now they're going to go tell dot, dot, dot, and say whatever,
37:20especially being on social media. It's like, oh, you know some personal things. Like,
37:24are you going to try to make a video about it? And that's the risk. But if I'm being honest,
37:30for me personally, it's worth the risk. Hopefully you chose the person initially that would not do
37:35that on the back end. But if they did, it's worth the risk. Because what's the other option? Keep
37:42them on, and then it stunts your growth. And then you're not going to hit the goals and go where
37:47you
37:47want to go. But at least that person's happy. At least they still got their job. At least they're
37:52chilling. At least they don't feel some type of way about me. You got to choose your heart.
37:58No, I agree with you. And people will surprise you. They will. Back to what you were saying,
38:03and how you always want to be that person that people love to work with. But in that,
38:09how do you create an environment where the people that you work with can challenge you,
38:14or they can disagree with you? Because I know at times, sometimes if you're the people pleaser,
38:19or if you're the person that's so fun to work with, people might not be the most honest with you.
38:24Yeah. So how do you create that environment that people can share?
38:31I would say, for me personally, I am someone who is open to criticism. So I would say,
38:39at that first instance of them bringing something to me, disagreeing, or having some type of
38:44disagreement, it's really all about how I respond. I, like I said, like to keep a professional.
38:54But I'm not, I'm like, I'm not about to go off on you. I'm not about to, you know,
38:58because you ain't got to think like me. I don't have to think like you. We are different. And that
39:01is sometimes a point of bringing on a team and collaborating and, you know, putting our minds
39:07together to get the best outcome. And who am I to say, you know what I'm saying, to have an
39:13have an issue with you bringing something up. For me, it's all about how I respond. Because that first
39:19instance is what's going to set the tone, you know? So that's what I would say. Number one,
39:26creating that environment to where it is comfortable. And I feel like I'm a good person to work with.
39:31But once you do say something, not shifting and making you feel uncomfortable and making your voice
39:36not heard. I don't want people to feel silenced. And even if I disagree with something that they
39:42might bring up, it's still important how I verbalize that and my tone and all of that.
39:50I think that's really important because that's just respect. Yeah. You know, you want to respect
39:53the people that are around you and you want them to respect you. And I never want to come off
39:59as,
40:00you know, well, you can walk all over my because, you know, she's the homie, you know, like,
40:04not necessarily. I don't want that. It's just I want it to be a pleasure to work together.
40:11But when it comes down to it, we can have those hard conversations and there's no love lost.
40:16I love that. I feel like I'm actually job interview questions. Maya, you are hired.
40:24Should we all work together?
40:29It's so interesting, Maya. I want to go back to when you shouted out, you shouted out Jackie Aina.
40:36You know, you talk about and I just know from listening to your work that you talk about being
40:41in community with other people and maybe leaving that competition to the side, like community over
40:47competition is something we hear all the time. I, again, as a Capricorn, I like a little healthy
40:52competition. I think it's good. I think it's good for us sometimes. But I also know, especially with
40:58social media and in the creator space, you can bog yourself down with that competition and you really
41:04need to lean on other specifically other black women and be in community. So what does that look
41:10like in practice? Hmm. To be more about community over competition? Yeah. Yes. So,
41:18number one, I agree. There's a lot, especially influencer in the creator space, there's a lot of
41:23competition. There's a lot of people trying to hop on bandwagons and do the trends and be this person to
41:29make it. And I think that it's so important, especially as black women to number one, learn
41:39yourself because I think that's the number first thing that you need to do when it comes to making
41:43sure you're embracing community versus competing with your sister. Because if you know who you are
41:49and you know, you know what God has for you is for you and you know that you've got your
41:54own style,
41:54your own vibes, your own way of creating, if you locked in on that, you know that what's for your
42:01sister is for her. Yeah. You know, that's for her. What's for you is for you. And it takes away
42:06some of that feeling of, well, I got to have what you have or I'm jealous of you. So I
42:11think number
42:11one, focusing on self and making sure you locked in on you helps you to love your girl or your
42:19neighbor
42:19or your sister, even more to where you can actually have community and support each other.
42:24And there's no jealousy and there's no competition. And I think a lot of the times that comes from
42:29a lack of knowing self and lack of accepting self, a lack of understanding self, wanting someone else's
42:38portion. And I just think that that is not great. So you got to lock in on you. And then
42:43I believe that
42:44from there, you can be a better community member because it's not just about being, you know,
42:49someone being there for you. You want to be there for someone else. And so for me and my girls,
42:54like my friends that are influencers and creators, oh my goodness, we love on each other. Nobody is,
42:59there's no jealousy. We, you know, we collaborate because one of my best, one of my best friends
43:05who was also a creator, she has become my personal stylist. So anytime I get a chance, I put her
43:10into
43:10my videos or she helps me get styled and I'm always shouting her out and vice versa is how can
43:16I help
43:16you? How can, how can we help each other? And I don't think that's possible when you don't have
43:22a very strong sense of self, self-confidence and self-love. And that's my, that's my main message is
43:29self-love and pouring into yourself and becoming the best version of yourself. It's not just about,
43:35like, it's not selfish. It's not about you just being so focused on you. Doing that will elevate
43:40every area of your life, your relationships, your job, your business, your friendships,
43:47every, your children. Absolutely everything is a bit, is a, has a benefit when you are
43:55focused. Amen. Yeah. Amen to that. And before we end, just like, I want to talk about
44:04just the opportunities that you've been afforded and like, as you grow your brand, like, and like
44:11giving back, how has these opportunities afforded you to give back to your community? Yeah. So growing
44:17my brand has definitely opened those opportunities in multiple ways. On a surface level, I'm always
44:25physically giving back to my girl, you know, we talking giveaways and just all of the things,
44:31but I would feel, I feel like for me, um, growing my brand has allowed me to leverage it to
44:38start
44:39something bigger than myself. And for me, that has been my podcast. And for me, it's pouring back into
44:45who has poured into me because I wouldn't be here without, you know, my supporters, my audience,
44:52and being able to like, I always say that I don't think God takes me through the things that I've
44:58gone through just for me. Yeah. Um, I feel like that works in numbers. So I don't think it's a
45:04coincidence that I have the platform that I have, that I have the voice that I have, that I can
45:08reach
45:08the amount of people that I can reach. So I use that opportunity to pour back into my community,
45:13specifically black women, which was started at Spelman like that, that, that urge and that urgency
45:21to help and to inspire black women is my ultimate goal. That is what keeps me going. And that is
45:28how
45:29I've been able to pour into my community. And then also thank God for, you know, the financial part of
45:36growing my brand has allowed me to do it in monetary ways as well, which I absolutely love for me.
45:43Because that means a lot to me. Another, another thing that was birthing me from Spelman.
45:48Yeah. I love all of that. I feel like there's so many things that people can take with them from
45:53what you have said. But one of the biggest things that I think a lot of people might be thinking
45:57as
45:57they're listening to this is just like, maybe they're questioning themselves and they're questioning
46:03their vision and they're thinking, you know, Maya's got it all together. Sandy's got it all together.
46:06Nobody's thinking that about me, but there's social media.
46:14So how do you, how do you find it? Like if somebody, what is your advice? If someone's like
46:19facing a setback and really just can't find their groove or feel like they know
46:24in their core, what they should be doing and they're questioning themselves and their vision.
46:27I think, and you brought this up earlier, knowing your why is really important.
46:32Yeah.
46:34And I say that because that is what's going to get you through the silent seasons,
46:40the seasons when there is no movement, the seasons when you're second guessing yourself.
46:45Because for me, my channel took off, I want to say about two and a half years after I was
46:50in it,
46:50and I was busting in my butt during that time. And there were moments where it felt like, girl,
46:54you're wasting your time, you know? And I think my why was what kept me going. So I think if
47:03you have
47:04a very good handle on why you are doing this, you have got to always revisit that when you are
47:11going
47:11through or you are second guessing yourself or you're trying to figure out, is this for me? Did I
47:16make a mistake? Am I busting my butt for no reason? Because if your why, number one of your why
47:22is
47:22money, you ain't, you probably gonna make it, especially in an influencer, because that ain't,
47:27some people get on here and they blow up and they millionaires in a year. But some people will put
47:31in
47:3110 and 15 years and then blow up. Or maybe in that time, you just, you know, what you have
47:39done is
47:39affected lives, but maybe not numbers, you know? So it's about what are you in this for? Because that is
47:46what's going to keep you going. That's what keeps me going.
47:50All right. This has been such a beautiful, soul-filling conversation. And we have now come
47:57to one of my favorite segments of Go Off Sis, and that is the Don't At Me. And the name
48:05says it all.
48:06You cannot at us. We gonna say what we gonna say, and you gotta leave it at that. Do not
48:12come in our
48:13mentions. Do not, if you find our numbers, do not text us. Do not DM us. Do not at us,
48:20okay?
48:21And I am going to kick it over to my good sis, Sandy, for this one. Sandy, what you got?
48:28All right. Coming in a little closer. This might ruffle some feathers, but stop looking for your friends
48:35and your family to be like your whole support and biggest support system. And when I say that,
48:42I mean, granted, you get a new job, be happy for me. But if you're, you know, you started a
48:47new
48:47business, you're creating content, sometimes that is not your audience. So if they are not liking your
48:53photos, they're not buying your product, do not be calling them, why are you eating like this? Why are you
48:58talking about it? Maybe it's just not for them. Why are you looking for your cousin to repost your
49:02thing when they don't even be on social like that? You know what I mean? Continue to do what you
49:07do,
49:07and you will find your audience, okay? Stop looking for the friends and family to be your biggest
49:13support system. Let them love on you. Let them show up in other areas. But it doesn't always have to
49:18be
49:19in business. And that's okay, because you will find your tribe, love the people that you love,
49:24and leave the rest that don't love you. Don't at me. Your family's not your fans.
49:29They're not your fans. Just let them love you. And the ones that don't, leave them behind.
49:35And that's all I got to say. Don't at me. Hey! Okay, Sandy, coming in hot. I loved that.
49:43That has been Go Off Sis. Maya, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for being
49:50here with
49:50me. Of course. I'mma thank myself, because thank me for being here and showing up.
49:57Thank you. Thank you, Target, for supporting this podcast always from the very beginning.
50:04Yes. Thank you, sis, for listening. We'll see you next time.
50:07Bye. Bye.
50:08Bye.
50:08Bye.
50:09Bye.
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