Meet Maya Saunders | Nutrition Coach, Veteran & Serial Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maya Saunders and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maya, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I don’t really care for the word “legacy”, It places an obligation on myself that I may or May not want to fulfill. If anything, I rather “inspire” individuals to dream without limitations, love with a genuine heart, & understand when you should be selfish with your time & money. However, I do want people to remember me as someone who was always willing to try something new, charismatic, resilient, loving, selfless, family oriented, vulnerable when needed, who struggled, who cried, who never stop trying, who pursed passion over money, & who is always willing to teach others what I know without ever feeling like my teachings will harm my success. A light that radiates contagious joy & peace.

What should our readers know about your business?
As an owner of a Meal Prep Service Company, I tell people all the time, I’m not a chef, I’m a nutrition educator who’s passion is cooking & creating healthier habits. I value education and learning ways to grow my business to benefit my community, and I’m proud of how I’ve served over 600+ individuals (professional athletes, doctors, elderly, infants, hospitals, veterans, teachers, students), and they all have one thing in common, me of course lol & making an effort to form a healthier lifestyle with balance. I am where I am today because of those people & my desire to learn more, to keep trying, to pursue passion over paper, and of course discipline & intention to my craft. No, it wasn’t easy, but when you find something you love doing, it makes the journey easier. I learned to embrace my journey, the good & the bad. Ask for help. Rest. Reset. & always be willing to be a student. There’s beauty in being able to sit back & not be the leader all the time, because that’s typical what I’m used to. My genuine passion to help others become the best version of themselves makes me different. I see people for what they show me but I also challenge people to see the good in themselves and who they can become. I want the world to know, if you dream so big that it starts to scare you, remove all doubt, surround yourself with people who are on a higher level than you, have faith in your plans, & don’t be afraid to redirect. That’s what I did.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my Bestfriend was in the area, I would take her to a restaurant called Twerk Chicken in Decatur lol it’s the perfect way to show Atlanta’s culture through the food industry without the same food every other restaurant has. The slogan is “Chicken so good, make you wanna twerk” lol the creativity and passion behind the brand is incredible to me. Afterwards, we would head to a sports game, such as a soccer or football game to show how much our city values sports, win or lose. Typically, I prefer the lounges and bars in Atlanta, less chaotic to me, so a nice place for a good drink, LIVE DJ, and good food would be a place called 404 Restaurant & Bar in Sandy Springs. If anyone is visiting here, they should take a drive down Edgewood, where the Atlanta Culture is expressed through art, and also close by to Twerk Chicken.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother, Helen. I know this may sound typical, however our story is much, much different. I’ve watched her fight for her life, as a single mother, multiple times as a victim of violent crime, explosive car accident, & stage 4 cancer. However, she always saw the good in every situation, & encourage me to acknowledge the bad if it makes me feel better. Her love, strength and character radiates in my soul, and is a huge part of my journey. Also, my college Professor Galligan, who was featured in many broadway shows, but honestly deserves an Oscar. When I hit a creative block my freshman year in college, he would constantly challenge me through narrative writing to express myself. I would go to his office hours just to sit and express my thoughts to him, and he understood. He made me feel like I could form my writing in a way that brings out emotion & understanding which plays a major role in how creative I am today.

Website: bodiedbymaya.co

Instagram: bodiedbymaya

Facebook: Bodied By Maya

Image Credits
Studio Photos: @riousshotme