We recently connected with Maia Botero and have shared our conversation below.
Maia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I kept noticing the same challenge among people around me: talented, capable professionals who felt overwhelmed by outfit planning, unsure what worked together, and short on time.
Friends, classmates, coworkers, and followers would regularly ask things like, “Where is that from?” or “Can you help me put this together?” I’d share links, suggest alternatives, explain how to style something for different settings, or help narrow down options.
That’s where Curated by Maia began.
I wanted to create something that made getting dressed simpler and more intentional, without losing professionalism or personal style. Curated by Maia does that through ready-to-shop digital lookbooks that you can instantly download.
Each lookbook includes complete outfits, direct shopping links, and clear styling guidance, designed for real professional lives — from workwear and court-appropriate styling to petite-friendly and personalized lookbooks. At its core, Curated by Maia is about saving time and helping women show up confidently as themselves in whatever space they’re walking into.
Maia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m the first person in my family to become an attorney, and my path here wasn’t linear.
I grew up as a dancer, and for a long time I imagined a future rooted in creativity and movement rather than law. Dance shaped how I approach everything — discipline, consistency, confidence, and the ability to perform under pressure. As my interests evolved, so did my goals, eventually leading me to law school and into the legal profession. Entering that world without a built-in roadmap meant learning quickly, adapting constantly, and trusting myself to figure things out along the way.
That mindset has carried through every part of my life. Today, I’m a full-time attorney, a barre instructor, and the founder of Curated by Maia. I believe there’s a misconception that pursuing a demanding career means you have to abandon other passions. I believe you’re allowed to be multifaceted — you don’t have to choose just one version of yourself, and with intention and effort, it’s possible to make space for what matters.
Curated by Maia grew out of what I consistently observed in demanding professional environments. People around me — friends, coworkers, classmates, and followers — were overwhelmed by getting dressed for work. They cared deeply about how they showed up, but didn’t have the time or mental space to sort through endless options or second-guess their choices. Curated by Maia turns that ongoing challenge into a clear, accessible solution.
What sets my work apart is that it’s grounded in lived experience. I understand demanding schedules, high expectations, and the desire to feel confident and authentic in professional spaces. Curated by Maia isn’t about trends or perfection — it’s about simplifying everyday decisions so people can focus their energy on what matters most.
What I’m most proud of is that I never gave up on myself, even when the odds were stacked against me. Through perseverance and a constant drive to grow, I became the first attorney in my family while continuing to pursue my other passions. The main thing I want my clients, friends, and followers to know is that you don’t have to limit yourself to one version of success. You’re allowed to evolve, to try again, and to build a life that reflects all the parts of who you are.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There wasn’t one single moment that defined my resilience — it was built over many moments where giving up would have been easier.
As the first person in my family to become an attorney, I navigated law school, the bar exam, and early practice without a roadmap. I also struggled for years with undiagnosed ADHD and learning disabilities, which made school — especially standardized testing — incredibly challenging. I took the LSAT five times and never scored above a 150, which led many people to assume law school wasn’t realistic for me.
There were moments when I questioned if I could actually become an attorney, especially when finances were tight, and I had no safety net to fall back on. While studying for the bar exam this past summer, I couldn’t work, so I knew I had one chance to pass this exam, and that pressure was overwhelming. But instead of letting fear stop me, I committed fully. I showed up every day, even when I was exhausted, uncertain, or scared.
Graduating law school with honors and passing the bar exam on my first attempt weren’t just academic milestones — they were proof to myself that discipline, consistency, and self-belief matter more than doubt or outside noise. That same resilience shows up in how I approach my career, my business, and my life today. I’ve learned that setbacks don’t disqualify you — they refine you, strengthen you, and prepare you for what’s next.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the biggest pivots in my life came when I had to step away from dancing.
Dance was a huge part of how I saw myself growing up. I trained for years and imagined a future that stayed rooted in that world. But after an injury, I was never able to dance the same way again. It wasn’t just physical — it forced me to confront the possibility that the path I had planned for myself might no longer be an option.
That period was difficult because it wasn’t a clean transition. I had to sit with uncertainty and ask myself what was next, without a clear answer right away. Stepping away from dance meant letting go of an identity I had built for years and learning how to redefine myself.
That pivot ultimately led me toward law. It wasn’t an obvious leap, and it wasn’t immediate, but it allowed me to channel the discipline, focus, and resilience I learned through dance into a new direction. Later on, I realized that pivot didn’t mean abandoning creativity altogether — it meant finding new ways to express it, which eventually led me back to movement through barre and to building Curated by Maia alongside my legal career.
That experience taught me that pivots don’t always come from choice — sometimes they come from necessity. What matters is how you respond. For me, it was about staying open, adapting, and trusting that even an unexpected ending can lead to something meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stan.store/maiabotero
- Instagram: @maiabotero
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiabotero/
- Other: Tiktok: @maiabotero
Image Credits
Image credits to Dreamy Socials.