We are living in a world, in which people perceive achieving every big success with connections and dirty plays. However, behind each great figure there is a tremendous amount of work and effort that has to be put into development. It is an inseparable attribute of every personality of an entrepreneur who has built a consortium that counts on the market. Maye Musk was a Masters&Robots 2021 speaker. She spoke about the bumpy road to success, creating attitudes that can overcome the difficulties of fate and the strength that lies in women in an interview with Olga Kordys-Kozierowska.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: In your book, you mentioned your father’s quote, “Live dangerously and carefully.” How did these words affect your approach to life?
Maye Musk: My parents made many breakneck decisions in their lives that required risk from them. However, they never forgot to keep a safe border in what they did, and they taught me and my siblings the same. People face many difficult situations in life, but they should always have a plan on how to get out of such a situation. Fate will never change by itself. That is why it is worth moving away from bad people, acting destructively on people, but also believing that there are people and new situations that can change a bad card. So live boldly but carefully.
Olga Kordys- Kozierowska: You often repeat it’s the woman who makes plans. Every day I run my own foundation that supports females. Many of them lack self-confidence. How can we change that?
Maye Musk: Self- confidence is difficult especially when life experiences a person strongly. But each of us is good at something. You just need to believe in it and talk about it. Nowadays, social media are very helpful in advertising your own talents. There were difficult situations in my life, but still I did not give up and continued to pursue my goal. I knew I was a good nutritionist and took a number of steps to inform the world about it. There are many opportunities around that are worth taking advantage of. At the beginning of my career, I went to doctors’ offices and informed them what I was doing. Today we don’t have to walk anymore because we have the Internet. This is a great resource for sharing your skills. It is worth constantly improving your competences and becoming an expert in your field. The Internet helps a lot in achieving this goal.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: You emphasize that the more you work, the happier you feel. Is your job a hobby? What gave you the strength to reach the point you are in today?
Maye Musk: I’ve always worked a lot. I was involved in dietetics and modeling, at the same time running the house and raising children. I like to work, but my motivation was to ensure a decent existence for my children. Although we have had a difficult period behind us, I did not give up and consistently pursued my goal. Work – if it is our hobby – will certainly be easier and more pleasant to do, but it will still require effort. When I achieved a goal – I set another one for myself. For example, when my book was published in another country, I asked – why not publish it somewhere else? So I was shifting my boundaries and constantly pursuing new goals. Thanks to this, I am constantly developing and feeling fulfilled.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: Many psychologists highlight that the most important factors on the way to success are attitude and commitment. Would you like to add something?
Maye Musk: Definitely persistence. It is indispensable in the daily life of people who want to achieve something. The road to success is not easy and we often have to deal with ignorance. But persistence allows you to overcome difficulties.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: How do you cope with rejection?
Maye Musk: In my life, I have encountered rejection and ignorance many times and that taught me humility. But I was persistent and pursued my dreams. When I visited doctors and asked to refer patients to my dietary office, mostly they didn’t agree to do it. However, those who trusted me over time verified my competence on the basis of the results and noticed that I had a talent for guiding patients. Appreciation was my greatest reward for all the rejection I have experienced.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: You have experienced many crises in your life. How did you learn to benefit from difficult situations?
Maye Musk: First of all, I had the willingness to act. If I found myself in a stalemate that was not comfortable, I worked harder to overcome the crisis. I was also constantly broadening my knowledge and skills while developing. People are afraid of change, which was perfectly exposed by the lockdown. I used this time to discover new passions and learn to use new technologies. During the pandemic, I devoted a lot of attention to social media, where I published my activities and explored their possibilities, and got to know how to use them in business development. It’s never too late to learn!
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska: You talk a lot about womens’ independence. How to discover your independence and face huge expectations and stereotypes?
Maye Musk: I believe that women are still being repressed in the male world, although they often have much higher competences to occupy higher positions. That is why I believe that women should fight for themselves and support each other. Are you being underestimated at work? Go to the boss and ask for a change of position. Of course, putting everything at stake is risky, but only taking the risk can give a woman a chance to grow. We must fight for an equal division of responsibilities and equal treatment. Self-confidence, consistency in pursuing a goal and courage can disenchant the world and show that an independent woman is strong and can do anything! So let’s not be afraid to fight for ours and compete with men.
Maye Musk – a world-famous model and certified dietitian, giving lectures all over the world on health, nutrition, business and aging. Author of the book “A Woman Makes A Plan“, which has been published in over 70 countries. She is the Representative of the South African Diet Advisers; President of the Council of Consulting Dieticians of Canada and the Chair of Nutrition Entrepreneurs of the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition. Winner of the Outstanding Nutrition Entrepreneur Award in the USA. An activist who lectures on entrepreneurship, aging, gender equality, single parenting, overcoming challenges, trust and health for corporations, associations, hospitals and universities. Ambassador of the non-profit organization Big Green and Dress for Success. Mother of three children Elon, Kimbal and Tosca.
Olga Kordys-Kozierowska – the founder of the first Polish organization supporting women in achieving their economic potential, equipping them with resources, tools and knowledge platforms, and promoting diversity, inclusion and equality by involving both men and women as advocates. Together with Paula Wojciechowska – Australian ambassadors – she founded the Champions of Change Coalition in 2019. An economist and violinist that graduated from MIAB at universities in Great Britain and the Netherlands. She has over 27 years of business experience, including 12 years in managerial positions in international corporations in the CSEE region. In 2019, she received the European Award of the University of Women of Women.