We’re looking forward to introducing you to Maiye Waller. Check out our conversation below.
Maiye, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day? Chaos and calling all at once. I’m a busy mother, a doula, and a nonprofit leader — so it starts with getting my kids ready, packing bags, and school drop-off. But once that door closes behind me, it’s go time. I’m checking my calendar, locking into meetings, showing up for clients, and pouring into my community. My mornings set the tone for my impact — no matter how unpredictable, it’s always purposeful.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Maiye Waller — Founder of The Mace Anthony Williamson Foundation, a published author of the Salted & Still journal series, a full-spectrum doula, and most importantly, a mother. My work was born from the deepest pain of losing my son, Mace, 12 days after his birth to a preventable birth injury. That loss became my mission: to fight for mothers, babies, and families — especially in underserved communities — so no one has to walk through that kind of grief alone.
Through my foundation, we provide free doula care, bereavement support, and advocacy that changes lives. Through my writing, I guide people back to stillness, faith, and healing. My brand is special because it’s not theory — it’s lived experience transformed into action, and it’s proof that tragedy can become testimony.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Before I ever became a mother, life had already forced me to see the world differently. Surviving sexual assault at a young age stripped away my illusions about safety, fairness, and how people can hurt you — but it also planted a seed of resilience.
Then, losing my son confirmed what I already knew deep down: life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised, and the work we do while we’re here has to matter. My worldview was shaped by pain, but my purpose was shaped by what I chose to do with it.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me how to live with my heart wide open. Success can give you a platform, but suffering gives you depth. It teaches you the language of empathy, the urgency of now, and the courage to stand in rooms where your story might shake the air.
Success can show you what’s possible — but suffering shows you what’s necessary. It strips away the surface-level and forces you to dig into your soul, to find the “why” that no setback, no loss, no judgment can take from you. My suffering taught me to lead from a place that can’t be faked and to love people without condition, because I know what it’s like to need that love and not find it.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. What you see is what you get — in the boardroom, in the birth room, or in my living room. I’ve learned that the power of my work comes from showing up fully as myself, unpolished when needed, unapologetic always. If you know me, you know me. And if you don’t? You’ll learn quick — I’m the same in public as I am in private, because authenticity isn’t a performance, it’s a lifestyle.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
I will never regret speaking up — even when my voice shook. I will never regret turning my pain into a pathway for someone else’s healing. And I will never regret giving my all to the work of protecting mothers and babies, even when it cost me sleep, comfort, or my own peace. My legacy will be that I stood in the gap when it mattered most. I want people to say, “She didn’t just live through it — she used it.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.themawfoundation.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maitheexecutive1?igsh=MWw3NGk1bWwzcXVnZw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mai-waller?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A1Go9iLSc/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
KBVisuals Photography
