We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maya Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maya below.
Maya, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
One of my favorite movies growing up was Akeelah & The Bee. As a fellow spelling bee enthusiast, I found myself enthralled watching a young black girl navigate some of the most challenging words in the English language at times with ease but also with difficulty. Listening to her recite Marianne Williamson’s poem, during that movie was the first match that struck a fire within me to live boldly and confidently.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.”-excerpt from Marianne Williamson
It was around this time that I also found myself beginning to tower over my classmates and friends as my growth spurt kicked in which would eventually result in me becoming 6’1. Standing out in a way that I couldn’t control honestly forced myself to choose between two options. I could either shy away and listen to the noise of people’s disparaging comments OR I could use this to my advantage and embrace Marianne Williamson’s perspective. Thankfully, I chose the latter, which led me to exude confidence both externally and internally.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder of a faith based gifting company called 3Wise Gifts, which originated from the gifting model of the biblical 3 wise men. Although many people are familiar with the gifts that the 3 wise men brought at the birth of Jesus, most people have never thought to use this gifting model as a guide to show their love and appreciation to others.
The idea of gifting like the 3 wise men came from my family’s Christmas tradition where each Christmas we would only receive 3 gifts: a gold gift (the most expensive item on your wishlist), a frankincense gift (something for the body), and a myrrh gift (something for the mind). Being able to share my family tradition with others truly brings me joy but also allows me to merge my love for God and the finer things in life through our beautiful collection of gifts. Additionally, helping others give gifts in a way that reflects a gift that only the king of kings and lord of lords received is a purposeful endeavor to say the least.
The act of gifting is core to our company. As a result, it was important for us to be able to give back to others while simultaneously honoring the legacy of my father who passed away. Thus, for each of our complete gift sets that we sell, a children’s grief coloring book is donated to nonprofits dedicated to equipping grieving children with the tools they need to navigate through life after loss.
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?
1. Be Resilient, never give up. Being a founder has brought me some incredible highs but also some seemingly unbearable lows. However, giving up would have never allowed me to experience the highs. I urge everyone to keep fighting but to remind yourself that you dont have to fight everything alone, find mentorship programs and communities whether virtual or in person to help you navigate the storms.
2. Stay Focused, dream big but start small.
Having big goals or dreams is vital to the overall success and continued growth of a company but oftentimes going from 1 to 100 can be a daunting thought. As a result, I strongly encourage myself and others to use the advice of some of the best entrepreneurs in the game such as Pinky Cole and Emma Grede who stated that we should dream big but start small because all of those small steps will ultimately add up to your big goal.
3. Remain Adaptable, have a plan but be ready for a pivot.
Just like life almost nothing will actually go to plan. However having a plan creates something tangible to help navigate life but be adaptable because nine times out of ten that plan will change and the longer you resist the slower you’ll move towards achieving the best that life has to offer you.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
They taught me to strive for excellence not perfection. While perfection seemingly would’ve been the most obvious thing for them to demonstrate, given my dad’s legendary career in the NBA and my mom’s impactful career in the corporate world, they fostered a community that empowered me to give everything a try in life.
Taking the pressure off in a world that is focused on making everything literally picture perfect, allowed me the freedom to go after the things that scared me or seemed unconventional such as becoming an entrepreneur. Although I wish I could say it completely eliminated my fear of failure, my natural born Type A personality would beg to differ.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shop3wisegifts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop3wisegifts/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3wisegifts
Image Credits
Kaye McCoy
