Wise Women Wednesday: Mae Novak
Q. Who are you? What is your background?
A. Hi! My name is Mae Novak. I have a career background in social work, particularly with non-profits, and a personal background in feeling lost, experiencing failure over and over, and not knowing what in the heck I am supposed to do with my time on this earth! I also have a very strong background in never ever giving up, constantly perusing clarity and alignment with who-I-really-am, persistently showing up for life no matter what, and learning to unconditionally love myself.
Q. What is your work?
A. I own a positive lifestyle company called Yay! Brand (www.yaybrand.com). Our mission is to help those who are on a path of deep personal growth to ground themselves on a daily basis so they can move past their fears and live a life of more purpose and joy. We do this by placing personal affirmations on every day items, such as coffee mugs, yoga tanks, and journals. I also write a Yay! Brand blog, including a “Q&A with Mae” section addressing some of my customer’s best questions regarding breaking through personal and/or mental barriers in order to create the life they desire.
Q. What is one project you are excited to be working on right now?
A. I know you asked for one, but I’ve got two! My newest collection called ‘I Am Love’ just launched two weeks ago on www.yaybrand.com! I am super excited about this because I want everyone to know that not only are they loved by others, but they are actually, physically made of love. And if you are love, and love is what is real, then you are enough, you are adequate, and you always have been. Ahhhhhhhh, that feels so good, right!? The collection features new handmade journals, super-luxe yoga tanks, tees, and summer sweaters, and a new affirmation mug. LOVE IT! The other project I am working on is creating a presentation about self-love and believing in our “self-enoughness”. Specifically, my audience will be identifying where they currently are in relation to true, unconditional self-love, and with to do with that information if they have work to do (ummm, we all have work to do in that department, so not one is getting out without some work to do! Hahaha).
Q. What is one thing you've done recently that's scared you and took courage, but you're glad you did?
A. Ummm, my entire business! It took me a long time to gain the courage to say to my husband and family “Hey, I want to start a business selling affirmation coffee mugs!” I graduated with a Master of Social Work in 2015, and I decided not to become a licensed clinical social worker. Instead, I decided to follow my calling of being a heart-centered entrepreneur. This was very scary and I felt frivolous for shedding an endless amount of blood, sweat, and tears on a MSW I wasn’t technically going to use. BUT I started my business anyway, and I am so glad I did!
Q. What is the work you most want to be doing and are you doing it? If not, why not? What's stopping you?
A. I am so filled with joy to say that YES, I am doing the work I most want to be doing! Whewww, that only took my entire life! Hahahaha! I am not fully finished with what I am creating (are we ever?), as my business is still very much in the expansion and development phase, but I am on my way and am enjoying the journey!
Q. What would you tell your high school or college self?
A. O.M.G., I would tell myself so many things……I would tell myself to quit skipping class and pay attention, because there is no other way to truly get what you want in life than to earn it. I would tell myself that I am good enough just the way I am, I don’t have to be anyone or anything else in order to matter. I would tell myself to give thanks to my body, because it is there to support and love me, not to be a source of pain or negativity. Finally, I would tell myself to be the best version of myself, because no matter what your profession is, if you are the best version of yourself, you will always be a success.
Q. What's one piece of advice or motto you love and use in your daily life that you would like to share with my sweet readers?
A. It’s no surprise that I love and value affirmations, so I consistently chant them in my head and sometimes out loud. Some of my favorites are I am enough, I have everything I need to be extremely successful, and I forgive myself.
Q. What keeps you creating when you don't feel like it?
A. Honestly, when I don’t feel creative, I don’t try to create. I’ve found that if I do, it doesn’t come out right, and I end up having to do/write it all over again. I wait until I DO feel like it, and then I create. I don’t try to push myself, because I trust myself and know that when the idea/creation is ready to be born, it will be.
Q. Anything else you'd like to share?
A. Believing in yourself is a courageous act of self-love, so do it, and if you don’t know how, begin learning how….. you’re worth it!
Q. What's your favorite yoga pose?
A. I’m more of a weight lifter, a runner, and a meditator. I love to stretch, but I haven’t ventured too far into yoga just yet. But if I had to pick one, I would say the one where you lay down, yeah, that would be it!
Q. How do you live a life of abundance?
A. I believe external abundance is a reflection of internal abundance. So I choose to consciously and intentionally think abundantly. I choose to see the glass as half full, the up side of any given situation. It’s all about choosing our thoughts, so why not think abundantly? It’s easy if you try!
