We recently connected with Anna Mai and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anna, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
“This idea sucks,” someone said. “Why do you want to sell compost bags and donate to help wolves? You should donate to helping a cute animal like the sea otter.” I’ve been talking to random people about my idea and this was the 100th person that said my idea sucked.
Feeling discouraged, I was ready to quit. However, when I reflected and thought about my why, I knew I had to keep fighting.
Growing up in a low-income family with parents that do not speak English, I didn’t see my parents often because they had several jobs. To pass time, I volunteered at a community garden. I grew up playing with rolly pollies and running around barefoot in nature. To me, Earth was my home.
Over the years, I felt disheartened to see our wildlife disappear from the environment one by one because of issues like climate change and habitat loss. I felt helpless.
One day when I went on a hike with a friend, I had an idea. Plastic was such a big problem and if we could find a way to eradicate plastic, that would make a big difference. After doing more research, I decided that I would make compost bags out of corn and donate to restoring our wildlife. The first animal I wanted to donate to was the wolf.
To test my idea, I talked to random people on the streets. Over 100+ people said my idea would not work. I felt discouraged, but knew I couldn’t give up because there was something out there that was more important: our wolves.
Wolves are a keystone species, an important organism that holds the ecosystem together. Sadly many wolf populations have declined due to hunting, trapping, and habitat loss.
If we don’t stand up for the wolves, what will happen to them? The thought of this ignited a fire in me. Because of my burning desire to help our wolves and wildlife, I decided to not give up.
Because I decided to continue my journey, I ended up getting closer to the environmental community in San Diego. They helped me so much in the development of my company from designing the bag to testing the product. Along the way, I also befriended the managers at the Hillcrest Farmers Market who allowed me to sell there even though the market is busy and not accepting new vendors. It has been amazing because many of the vendors at the Farmers Market actually started using our bags and we were able to sell 100 units shortly after launch.
The main thing I learned from this journey is to not give up. If you really believe in something, the fight is worth it. Along the way, you will meet people who are supportive of you and your vision. In order to make your dreams a reality, you need to have faith that things will work out even if you don’t immediately see it. There were many times when I was ready to give up, and if I hadn’t stepped forward in faith, I would not have seen the fruition of my work. You are worth it and if you set your heart and mind on something, you can do anything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
At Wiah, we are on a mission to eradicate plastic and restore our wildlife. We make compost bags out of corn. Our product is unique because they are completely plastic-free and certified compostable, break down in 3-6 months, and extra-strong. We also donate a percentage of our profits to restoring wildlife.
The first animal we are donating to help restore is the Mexican Gray Wolf because of their important role in our ecosystem. Today in the United States, around 241 Mexican Gray Wolves remain in the wild.
In addition to helping to restore wildlife, we are focused on tackling the plastic problem. Today, plastic is a growing problem in many industries including healthcare. In the United States, around 25% of all waste generated by hospitals is plastic. My vision for Wiah is not just to make compost bags, but to eventually produce compostable plastic products for different industries including restaurants and healthcare.
If you would like to learn more about our company, please visit www.hellowiah.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Courage 2. Handle situations calmly
3. Surround yourself with the right people
As an entrepreneur, you are constantly doing things you’ve never done before and that can be very scary. To build courage, I push myself to do something new and scary every day. As you train yourself, you will find it less scary to venture into new things.
Another important skill is to handle situations calmly. Practicing the art of non-reaction can help to build that skill. As an entrepreneur, you might meet people who doubt you and your idea, but if you practice non-reaction, the negativity won’t affect you.
Lastly, there are many highs and lows in this journey, so it is important to surround yourself with people who believe in you and are cheering you on.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
One of the challenges we are facing is getting more people to see the importance of composting. 1 pound of food waste results in 3.8 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, so composting actually helps to fight climate change. Our hope is to continue educating people about the importance of composting, so we can work together to build a greener and more sustainable world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hellowiah.com
- Instagram: hellowiah
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maianna/
