Living Intentionally After Loss: Maya Manseau’s Journey to Guide and Inspire
An Interview by Natalie Ruiz
As part of my Powerful Women series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Maya Manseau, a grief guide and the visionary founder of She Creates Peace.
Maya’s narrative is not just about navigating personal loss but transforming it into a profound catalyst for helping others rediscover purpose and live intentionally. In this enlightening interview, Maya shares her evolution as a leader, transitioning from a directive approach to one focused on teaching and embracing the diverse paths to success. As the force behind The Small Business Path, Maya guides her clients to create businesses that bring both success and joy. Her mission goes beyond conventional boundaries, seeking to guide those grappling with their souls' calling to impact the world positively. From addressing challenges for women leaders in 2024 to navigating change and prioritizing diversity, Maya imparts invaluable insights. Join us as Maya Manseau shares her wisdom on aligning passion, purpose, and prosperity, leaving an indelible mark on leadership and empowerment.
Maya Manseau is a grief guide, and the founder of She Creates Peace, a platform that aims to help others learn to live intentionally again after loss. Becoming an expert in grief was not a path Maya would have chosen. In 2013, her 23-year-old daughter died from leukaemia just three months after learning she was ill. The grief completely overwhelmed her, but the experience inspired her to help others make the most of their lives and find their true purpose. To achieve this, Maya also works as a small business coach and is the founder of The Small Business Path where she helps her clients create businesses which bring them success and joy. Her aim is to help people tap into their inner dreamer, find their passions and put them into action. Maya is also an author and has written books on both business and grief. You can find Maya at http://www.TheSmallBusinessPath.com and www.SheCreatesPeace.com
Leadership Style and Vision:
How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the years?
My leadership style has evolved in two key areas. First, I have moved from ‘telling’ to ‘teaching’. While I can give someone the answers that they are looking for, if I teach them what questions to ask themselves to find their own answers, they have a better foundation for long-term success. Secondly, I fully embrace that there are so many ‘right’ ways to do any particular job. While I can often think of a very efficient way to work through any situation, it is not always about getting there in the fastest way possible. The side roads that we go down along the way to success teach us as much, if not more, than if we had done things quickly.
Can you share your vision for your organization or industry in 2024? What key goals are you working towards?
I truly believe that when someone can align their profound purpose with the right problem, their passion for solving that problem, and a realistic plan of action, they can do what they love to earn their dream life. I am all about helping people live intentionally after a loss, whether that be the death of someone they love, the loss of a key relationship, or an opportunity to live the dream life that they expected to have.
My mission statement is: “Guiding those seeking to unearth their profound purpose, Maya Manseau intertwines intuition, timeless wisdom, and actionable lessons, empowering every soul to transcend boundaries, find clarity, and build a fulfilling, prosperous life.”
Challenges and Opportunities:
What do you see as the main challenges for women leaders in 2024, and how do you plan to address them?
The biggest challenge I see for women leaders in 2024 is how to create equanimity in this world. I define equanimity as “I am not more than you, and I am no less than you.” We live in a world where separation based on just about any characteristic of an individual appears to be justified. To truly be a leader in 2024 is about creating community and goodwill between all, where basic human rights exist for all. I personally am stepping up to help those struggling with that calling of their soul that they are here to have a specific, positive, and unique impact on this world.
Are there specific opportunities you believe women leaders can leverage in the coming years?
Change begins at home. As corny as it sounds, be the change you want to see in this world in a really intentional and meaningful way. What brings you contentment? How can you create contentment for others? What joy can you create for yourself and others? How can you facilitate meaningful connections in your own relationships, within your community, and within your world?
Navigating Change:
How do you plan to lead your team or organization through uncertainty in a rapidly changing landscape?
It is said that the only constant in life is change and I believe that to be true. Everything in life is a three-step process: Create, try, adjust. First, be bold and create something new or rediscover something amazing that remains true today. Then try it. So many people are scared to fail and never act. It is only when you take action that you find out if something works. I heard a great phrase recently, which is when you try something and it does not work as expected, you receive valuable negative information that will help you in the future. This leads to the last step: adjust. Figure out what didn’t work the way you wanted and change things up. Then, repeat the cycle. If doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, then create, try, and adjust is the definition of sanity.
Can you share a specific instance where you successfully navigated a significant change, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?
In 2013, I lost my 23-year-old daughter to leukemia the day before my 30th wedding anniversary. Fifteen months later, my husband and I split up, as happens to so many couples who lose a child. Like an unwelcome mantra running through my head, I kept asking myself, “Why am I here when she is not?” This led to deeply personal work around the need to create peace in our lives and why living intentionally and aligning with our profound purpose is so important. As I work with others now who have been through loss and trauma and are feeling that same calling of their soul, I continue to learn about how resilient we are and how, through our own healing, we can help others.
Diversity and Inclusion:
How do you prioritize diversity and inclusion in your leadership approach, and what steps are you taking to promote a more inclusive environment?
I strongly believe in equanimity. I am not more than you, and you are not more than me. To me, this is different to equality because the world has created such a story around equality. Equanimity acknowledges that we are all unique and that what our purpose is, who we are, and what we want is completely unique and we all should have the right to follow our own paths.
In your opinion, why is diversity important for the success of an organization, and how do you ensure diverse voices are heard?
I work with people worldwide who come from different backgrounds, religious beliefs, and everything. While I am good at many things, it is only through collaboration that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Mentorship and Leadership Development:
Have you had mentors or role models who have influenced your leadership style? How has mentorship played a role in your career?
My two greatest mentors in my life were my dad, who always told me I could be anything that I wanted to be, and my daughter, who passed, who showed me how to live life fearlessly.
Mentorship of others has been a huge part of my leadership style for about the last ten years. When I have found others who could benefit from what I had to share, I have taken them under my wing and spent time teaching them everything about business. The more that I am willing to teach others everything that I know, the more value I have in this world.
● How do you prioritize leadership development within your organization, especially for women aspiring to leadership roles?
The majority of people I work with are women, and my goal is to help them create their own businesses so that they can truly do what they love and earn their dream life.
Legacy and Future Generations:
What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader, and how do you hope to inspire future generations of leaders?
I would love my legacy to be that I helped future generations walk the path where passion, purpose, and prosperity intertwine, ensuring they live every day fueled by meaning and driven by impact.
In what ways are you actively working to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders?
This is what my profound purpose is!
Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! This interview was inspirational, and I wish you continued success!
🌸 About the Author:
Natalie Ruiz is the CEO of AnswerConnect and often says that her path to success has been unconventional, which fuels her to continue to challenge assumptions about what work, success, and the concept of balance in life look like.
Natalie is an award-winning executive recognized as Female Executive of the Year and for Women Helping Women by the Stevie Award Association and a Woman of Influence by the Portland Business Journal.
Outside of her day job, she volunteers as an executive board member at PDXWIT, speaks on international stages, lends her voice and words to podcasts and publications, and seeks in all that she does to leave people and places better than she finds them.
Connect with Natalie here: on Medium, on LinkedIn, and Instagram
Please share + give this article some love ✨💖✨ so others can find it too. Thank you! 😎
