Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mai Whelan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Mai , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Resilence? Ha!! My husband will be the first to say when I hit a snag, I would throw my arms up and walk away and say, “I give up.” But minutes later, I would get back to the snag, reassess my shortcomings, and rethink how I could make it a success. I did the same thing during the shooting of Squid Game: The Challenge (SGTC). The stress was too much, but I took a deep breath and stepped back in. I asked myself, “What is important to you?”
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
After winning SGTC, I was granted a platform that allowed me to pursue my passion for healing our world one day at a time. Establishing Mother Mai was pivotal in my life for change and the better. Mother Mai is about connecting our resources, like non-profits—“the gems,” I call them—to bring awareness and help enrich lives.
Starting in Swansboro, under Mother Mai, I was able to bring together two incredible non-profits, Ricky’s Retreat (mental health) and Paws of War (training dogs to become service dogs for veterans, active duty, and first responders who have PTSD) to collaborate in helping one another in a mission of saving lives. After acquiring 15 acres of land, we were able to provide Ricky’s Retreat and Paws of War with rent-free space so they could continue working towards their missions.
Outside that allocated space used by both organizations, we are allowing the land closest to the water to continue giving back to Faun and Slora to flourish. Ultimately, our goal is to continue acquiring vital land that can continue to be used to give back to non-profit organizations. At the moment, we are in the process of buying another 10 acres of land for a wildlife sanctuary. It would be a great addition to helping mental health and animals.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Every day is a learning curve for me. What I have learned is to be kind, caring, and respectful. These traits have helped me to reassess my deficiencies and pay it forward with results.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest challenge right now is getting my message out to be an ambassador of the heart. After the Squid Game: The Challenge, I took a five-week tour across the country with my husband and two dogs. We lived out of an RV, stopped in 22 states along the way, and found a non-profit in each state that was a “gem” in terms of their mission, their passion, and the help they are providing to make the world a better place.
My road trip became the premise of my upcoming series, Mother Mai, highlighting all the non-profits we met along the way. We are currently in post-production but eager to share it with viewers soon, bringing awareness and hope. So be sure to keep up with me on Instagram (@iammai287) or sign up for my newsletter at https://mothermai.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mothermai.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammai287/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mothermaishow
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MotherMai
Image Credits
Primary Image: Lindy Lin Photography
Mother Mai Show: Stills provided by Scherl Creative
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