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Despi Mayes, a Life and Career Coach, Author, and Speaker, spent twenty years in a career focused on creativity and climbing ladders but was mostly focused on the wrong metrics. She waited with anticipation for the moment that a milestone like a promotion, pay raise, or award would finally make her feel complete. After a devastating year in 2019, Despi discovered a different path to fulfillment that has become the basis of her life and career coaching practice. Tell us more, Despi!
My Maven Superpower is … Metamorphosis —I’m always hatching out of a chrysalis.
Best book I’ve read lately is … “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami.
Self-care habit I swear by … It might be cliche, but I have discovered how much I love bubble baths with an insane amount of dead sea salt and lavender bubbles. And a “Real Simple” magazine.
My first job was … shelving books at the Central Library.
The best career advice I can offer is … redefine success in a way that is personally meaningful.
A purchase I’ve been loving lately is … Peel and Stick wallpaper that transformed my home office. It’s magical. And the first five minutes of every Zoom meeting is spent talking about it!
I feel most confident when … My mind, body, and emotions are in alignment. And, when I’m wearing my favorite pair of shoes.
My favorite local restaurant dish is … The Destroyer pizza at King Dough.
The thing I’ve been binging lately is … Books by and about Carl Jung, shadow work, and dream interpretation.
A fun fact about me is …I love reading tarot cards for friends and clients.
The skill I most want to learn is … How to interpret dreams.
A Maven you should know is … Mariel Greenlee.
My favorite nonprofit to support is … The Drug Policy Alliance. It is so important to me to address the inequities of the criminal justice system and working toward drug policy reform feels like the most urgent issue toward that goal.
What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?
I finished my first book!
What’s next for you? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
My first book, The Big Little Question is coming in January 2024. It is a practical guide for women on the hunt for lasting fulfillment. Here’s a blurb!
“In an age that encourages you to seek an endless amount of achievement and perfection, Despi Mayes nudges you to relinquish those goals. Instead of endless striving, she presents a simple, potent process to uncover a deeper, intensely personal definition of success that will make your life uniquely fulfilling. Despi’s debut book is a powerful self-development toolkit offering pragmatic advice, effective tips, and actionable exercises that will help you: Cultivate feelings of worthiness Stop people-pleasing and start setting effective boundaries Discover what you find satisfying Redefine success on your own terms Envision your ideal day—and make it a reality Feel energized and inspired by your life Informed by her one-on-one coaching clients, dozens of interviews with professional women, and her own story, Despi has packed this book with real-life examples that make every chapter relatable and relevant. If you feel stuck, locked in a reactive cycle of confusion and overwhelm, The Big Little Question will show you the way to clarity, confidence, and lasting fulfillment.”
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