Today marks a bright new season for Thoughtful Human — I am so proud and excited to be joining forces with Maya Enista Smith and introduce you to her as the new President of Thoughtful Human.

Maya is an absolute force — by this I mean a lifelong change-maker, community builder, kindness champion, political, social, and mental health advocate and — lucky for me — a greeting card fanatic. She offers a robust background in leadership roles across non-profits, technology, and social entrepreneurship, most recently serving as the Executive Director of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation for over a decade, where she led initiatives to support youth mental health and empower young people to create a kinder, braver world.

Join Maya and I as we get to know each other, as we reconnect with you, and as we start to build the future of this company.

In this episode:

[00:21]: (Re) Introducing Thoughtful Human

[6:05 / 19:31]: Maya’s background and personal mission

[27:25]: Mental health and misconceptions about Gen Z

[32:25]: How to create a movement around a social issue

[25:20]: How one comes to work with Lady Gaga

[48:43]: Grief – what people are getting and right and wrong

[1:09:52]: What lead Maya to send 524 greeting cards in 2012

[1:05:10]: Who dumped a jug of orange juice on Maya’s head and why

[1:16:16]: Maya’s beef with Thoughtful Human

[1:22:26]: Where we’re heading and what we need from you!

Resources:

• The JED Foundation
• Bring Change to Mind

If you want to follow along in our journey or check out our products, find us at our website thoughtfulhuman.co, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.