The Female Empowerment Series: Maytê Carvalho

This week we spoke with professional businesswoman, TV personality, and best-selling author of Persuasion: How to Pitch Your Ideas and Own The Room, Maytê Carvalho.  As Women’s History Month unfolds Carvalho opens up about trusting herself and finding inner power and motivation to always stay true to who you are. 

You are a best-selling author specializing in strategic negotiations. What does female empowerment mean to you? 

“Female empowerment means having an active voice and being heard, being a protagonist in your life, and leading the way with self-confidence. An empowered woman never thinks, "I hope they like me." She thinks: "I hope I like them." I hope their values and beliefs match mine. I am not seeking validation, and I know my worth. You can use this mindset from job interviews to dating apps. Truly any situation!”

How did you end up choosing this career path? Was there a memorable moment in your life that led you here?

“Absolutely. I won the Brazilian version of the Apprentice special edition and was a contestant in the other edition. That was a pivotal moment in my career when I was exposed to national television. This level of awareness made me realize that my voice matters, and with this responsibility, I should be accountable for my words and actions.”

How important is female friendship to you versus romantic partnership?

“Both are important, and it's not a dichotomy; you can and should have both in your life. Each dynamic and relationship offers different levels and kinds of affection and love.”

Who are your biggest role models? 

“Brené Brown, as a writer and professor, represents the ethos of someone I admire. She is intelligent but not arrogant, eloquent but communicates complex concepts in a digestible way. I would add Kim K to this list, can I? I think she is a business genius. She even co-founded a private equity firm now. Rockstar!”

What advice would you give to women looking to secure a better career path? 

“Number one - Have a mentor! Someone you can trust, admire and look up to when facing a career dilemma. 

Number two - Networking! I know sometimes we are tired and want to Netflix and chill, but we must mingle around and attend industry events. I had great friendships and job opportunities from those small talks around the catering table. 

Number 3 - Keep a curious mind! Study new trends, be the first to suggest new ideas in your office, and don't settle.”

We will send The Million Roses to a woman of your choice. Who would it be and why? Which rose box would you choose for that person? Which colors and style represent her/him? 

“That's so cool! My mentor and writer of my book's preface, Shelley Zalis. Shelley Zalis is the CEO of The Female Quotient, a woman-owned business working with companies and conscious leaders to curate experiences, thought leadership, and solutions designed to achieve gender equality in the workplace and beyond. She is bold and disruptive, but also classic. I would choose a black box with white roses.” 

What do you do on a day where you feel unmotivated? 

“I believe that discipline has to overcome mood swings. I am only free, as Kant says, and my friend Karnal quotes, when I manage to do what I would not like to do. 

I try to use my lack of motivation as fuel, pure rage. Lol. I'm an Aries with a rising Scorpio, so I get up, dress up, listen to Metallica music, and do some cardio. BOOM! Motivation appears. Discipline moves us forward; sometimes, you have to do what you must do.” 

How would you advise your female clients who lack self-confidence? Any tools and tricks to boost their self-love? 

“Mentalize the "I hope I like them" instead of " I hope they like me" mantra and your attitude during a meeting with a new client/prospect, your boss, or your date; you will see the magic happening in front of you.”

What is a lesson from childhood that stood out to you that you still believe to be true today?

“Never forget who you are, I learned from Simba and The Lion King. Sometimes we want to sound clever and grown up and forget our true essence. Our ego should never poison us, never try to be someone we are not. When I moved to the US, I tried to be all American... but I am Latina... I am always going to be a little weird. And that's fine. I won't forget who I am.”

NYC or LA?

“NYC during the summer, LA during the winter! I love both places, I am still a recent transplant to NY (6 months), but I am loving it. I do miss Erewhon and my LA friends of course.”

You can follow Maytê on social media here and read more about her best-selling book Persuasion. Stay tuned for more interviews on feminine power all through-out the month of March, here with The Million Roses.