We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Maya Faison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Maya, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

I have always been an overachiever, used to being at the top, I typically received very little criticism because I excelled at most things I did. Until I went to work at NC State University as their recruitment strategist. I was charged with creating a strategy to increase the number of highly qualified candidates of color for their education degree program. I used data in new ways that created a targeted approach to outreach; crafted new events and initiatives to build excitement about our degree programs; and built authentic relationships with potential new students and their families. Again, I was excelling. I remember creating a brochure for one of the new initiatives and sharing it with my supervisor, the Dean of the college. She gave it back to me with red marks everywhere– edits where as small as “you have an extra space here” or “this line is slightly more indented than the previous”. Instead of celebrating the innovative content I had created, the Dean was giving me feedback on the tiniest of details. When I asked her why, she said because “everything communicates”. She told me that the smallest of details matter and communicate whether or not we care enough to present our best to our stakeholders. When constituents see that we care enough to demonstrate excellence in the smallest areas, they can be assured that we also will take care to execute with excellence at a macro level. And when people see that you care enough to give them excellence at all levels, it makes them feel important and valued.

Although my supervisor at the time may not have realized it, she helped craft the mantra by which I live my life, run my business, and interact with people across the world: my goal is always to make people feel important and valued. I want them to feel the joy radiating from me and know that I am genuinely excited to share space with them. This has become critical for my work as a consultant and executive coach. My favorite quote from Dr. Maya Angelou (my namesake) sums up my approach to living based off of those red pen notes in the margins from my Dean over 20 years ago: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am in my Joy Era and I actively work to spread joy wherever I go. Specifically, I convene women while curating spaces of joy, impact, growth & vulnerability. I also host Coaching Circles for female executives & leaders: it’s a combination of 1 on 1 coaching and coaching within a community of other female leaders who are looking to learn how to (re)claim their rightful space, amplify their voice, navigate transition, re-prioritize their personal lives and/or lead with both confidence and grace. It is a community of values-based leaders who understand your unique challenges of leadership/ entrepreneurship and celebrate your uncompromising brilliance.

I want women to know it is not just “ok” but it’s actually essential to invest in ourselves, our growth, development and peace. This goes well beyond a spa treatment or a girls’ trip. Some women are afraid to invest in leadership coaching because they don’t think they deserve it. Part of my mission is to help women know they earned this, they deserve this AND they are well worth the investment.

As the founder of Faison Advisory Group, over the past several years I have provided consulting to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, helping leaders and organizations move past challenges, uncovering growth opportunities, cultivating joy, and fostering innovation through strategic solutions. We create mission-aligned, values-based strategies and initiatives that propel impact, facilitate growth and accelerate your organization’s reach. I’ve worked with organizations such as Tory Burch, Kate Spade, IDEO, Farmer’s Dog, United Way, Redlich Foundation, FedEx Office, CHIEF, Family & Children’s Aid, U.S. House of Representatives, Shine Early Learning, National Center for Youth Law, Surfrider and dozens more.

I am also an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University; I teach courses such as Advanced Organizational Theory, Change Management and Public Policy. I also serve as a guest speaker and panelist across the country, speaking on concepts of leadership such as women in leadership, organizational strategy, entrepreneurship; and concepts of self-care/ wellness such as faith, work/life “balance” and relationships.

Finally, I work to create a beautiful and loving home for my best friend and husband, Dr. John Faison, Sr. and our 3 daughters. And I am recently settling into my newest role as the First Lady of Watson Grove Baptist Church.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I recently read a book called The Gift of Rejection by Nona Jones. This gem outlines the concept of rejection as divine redirection: meaning, we need not mourn what we perceive to be a loss when we are rejected by someone we love, by a client, an employment opportunity. Instead, we should receive the rejection as a redirection to the path that we are meant to walk and the purpose we are meant to fulfill. Of course to consider “rejection” a gift can be difficult in the moment, however, I have internalized this message of rejection as a gift and it has greatly impacted how I approach work and relationships (both professional and personal). So as an entrepreneur, rejection is simply a part of the job— we typically get more “no’s” than “yes’s”. If I were to dwell in the rejection, I’d not be able to sit in this place of joy I currently occupy. And it is critical that I remain in my joy because part of my work is to coach individuals on how to reclaim their own joy while redefining what excellence professionally and personally means in their lives. I am inspired by knowing I am responsible for choosing and sustaining my own joy. Once I realized that no one else held that power, my life changed. So now I try to live a life that exudes joy so as to inspire others around me to choose joy as well.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

You’ve climbed the ladder, broken barriers, earned the respect, secured the bag—and yet, you’re exhausted. Somewhere along the way, the work became your identity, and “rest” became something you only do after burnout.
If you’re a high-achieving woman of color like me, chances are you’ve been taught that excellence is your ticket to safety, acceptance, or even survival. But over the past several years in C-suit positions and coaching leaders, I’ve come to learn that the truth is: you don’t have to lose yourself to win professionally.
Here are 5 things that I had to learn in order to replace what I had been taught throughout my years as professional. I believe every successful woman of color should know these 5 things if she’s ready to stop grinding herself into the ground and start prioritizing rest, joy, and the people who matter most:

1. Your Worth Isn’t Tied to Your Productivity
You are not a machine. You are not your email response time or your calendar full of back-to-back meetings. Your value was never meant to be measured in deliverables.

2. Rest is a Form of Resistance
In a world that profits off of your over-functioning, rest is radical. Choosing to pause, breathe, and be still disrupts a culture that never meant for you to thrive—only to survive.

3. “No” is a Complete Sentence
You don’t have to explain, overjustify, or offer a “better time.” Boundaries aren’t rude—they’re sacred. Protecting your peace is just as important as closing that deal.

4. Busy is Not a Badge of Honor
The “booked and busy” lifestyle looks glamorous, but underneath is often loneliness, anxiety, and unmet needs. Fulfillment doesn’t come from hustle—it comes from alignment.

5. You Deserve a Life That Feels Good, Not Just One That Looks Good
From the outside, you’ve made it. But the real win is waking up rested, loved, and present. Give yourself permission to choose softness, joy, and the kind of success that nourishes you—not just your résumé.

I had to learn that you can be both wildly successful and deeply cared for—by yourself and by others. So I hope that you will let this be your reminder that you were never meant to carry it all alone.
Take off the cape. The world will still spin.
You’re allowed to rest. You deserve joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayafaison.com
• Instagram: @mayabfaison
• Facebook: Maya Martin Bugg Faison
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayabfaison
• Other: https://www.isurvivededreform.com

Image Credits

“Elle Danielle” is the photographer for the photos