Meet Valentina Maggi

We were lucky to catch up with Valentina Maggi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Valentina, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

My optimism comes from realizing that I’m the one who creates my life — through my point of view and my attitude. For so long, we’re taught to look outside ourselves for answers, for signs, for someone to tell us what to do… and we forget that the real power sits within us. The moment I understood that everything is a choice, everything shifted. I stopped waiting, I started creating. And that’s where my optimism lives now — in the knowing that I get to design the life I want.

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?

I’m a children’s book illustrator and storyteller, and what I love most about my work is that it allows me to be a bridge. There are so many stories floating around in the world — living inside people’s minds, their memories, their hearts — and turning those stories into something real is an act of bravery, autonomy, and deep self-honoring.

I help authors, first-time writers, and anyone who feels called to share a story bring their book to life. I guide them from the very first spark of the idea all the way to publishing on KDP. It’s a full, hands-on process: illustration, art direction, layout, emotional support, professional guidance — everything they need to feel held and confident as their story becomes a book.

What excites me the most is being able to support people in the vulnerable moment of saying, ‘This is what’s in my heart.’ Creating a book isn’t just a project; it’s an act of courage. And it means everything to me to be the person who walks beside them as they take that step. That’s the essence of my brand — helping stories be born, and helping the people behind them feel seen, supported, and celebrated

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my journey the most were my decision-making, my attention, and the narrative I choose to tell myself in every stage of my life. Those inner skills have been more impactful than anything external.

I’ve learned that what we tell ourselves — the posture we adopt internally when something feels challenging, exciting, or uncertain — matters more than any strategy or circumstance. Our inner dialogue becomes the foundation of everything we create.

My advice for anyone at the beginning of their journey is simple:
Choose yourself with love, without labels. Pay attention to what feels true for you. And create not because you’re trying to reach a specific destination, but for the joy of connecting — with your art, with others, and with the deeper parts of who you are.

When you build from that place, everything else naturally aligns.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The biggest area of growth for me in the past 12 months came from taking a course called Avatar by Harry Palmer. It was truly a before-and-after moment in my life.

The tools, the self-awareness, and the emotional clarity I gained through Avatar helped me understand myself in a deeper, more intentional way. It shifted how I make decisions, how I show up in my work, and how I relate to my own inner world.

It wasn’t just personal growth — it directly transformed how I create, how I support my authors, and how I lead my projects. That experience expanded my capacity to hold space for others while staying grounded in who I am.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @maggiflavor
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-maggi-024a4618a/