Own and Back Yourself as a Whole – Maiko Sakai on entrepreneurship and mental health

 

I’m Maiko Sakai, a transplant from Japan living in NYC. I’m a business consultant to creative entrepreneurs.

 

I am a huge advocate for creating & building a Zen business, where multi-passionate creatives build a solid business foundation first before overextending themselves with multiple interests.

 

This is why some know me as a “niche specialist.”

 

 

My Mental Health Story

 

My go-to identity has been a go-getter who embraces the underdog mentality and is not afraid to hustle.

 

Naturally, this tendency causes a large amount of resistance every time I hear the term, “mental health.” This led me to deal with my emotional ups & downs by channeling my inner grit. Over time, I have learned this has to change so that I don’t drive myself to the ground continuously, consistently.

 

As a result, I have made a decision to shift my focus on truly caring for myself. Obviously, this was not accomplished by a snap of my fingers. Meditation & observing myself to spot my emotional patterns and trends have helped me to care for my well-being more without forcing myself to do so.

 

To me, mental health is one of the top priorities to communicate with all business owners I encounter.

 

It matters more than ever to prioritize our mental well being if we are to create a fulfilling life through our businesses.

 

 

 

Meditation & education are my two mental health tools. I continue to learn about different ways of meditating & read up on a wide variety of mental health books without judgement.

 

Generational & cultural beliefs played a big part in building my belief system. I specifically chose past tense because once I recognized this to be a fact, I was able to analyze what they are from a place of neutrality.

The main mental wellness tip I have found useful is: Own & back myself as a whole person, including every flaw and every goodness about who I am.

The one thing I would share about mental wellness with women entrepreneurs:  Free yourself from all the “should’s” that you make up in your mind.

Instead of putting blame on external circumstances, work on owning & backing yourself as a whole person. It’s liberating!

Own and back yourself as a whole person. It’s liberating!

 

Maiko Sakai

W | maikosakai.com

Li | linkedin.com/in/maikosakai

W | airtightconcepts.com

IG | maikosakaibiz

About the author 

Shulamit Berlevtov  -  Shulamit is a culture change catalyst, speaking and educating at the intersection of mental health & entrepreneurship. She’s The Entrepreneurs’ Therapist, working with women business owners to preserve their peace of mind as they ride the emotional rollercoaster of running a business.

Shulamit has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years and has more than 24 years of professional experience applying therapeutic, coaching and somatic tools to support women's mental health and personal growth. She speaks and teaches about the intersection of mental health, trauma, financial psychology and entrepreneurship locally, nationally and internationally.

As an award-winning entrepreneur, masters-level, licensed trauma therapist and trauma survivor, with certifications in the Trauma of Money, Financial Social Work, Nonviolent Communication and Yoga, Shula brings a unique perspective and approach to supporting women in business.

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