Story & Lesson Highlights with Maya Irons of North Hollywood

Maya Irons shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Maya, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’ve recently felt drawn to community building, which is something I always assumed I wouldn’t be good at! Luckily, I was able to overcome this fear and put together an event series over the summer. I met so many new people from all over LA who were excited to participate and make new friends. It was really fulfilling to bring people together and support local businesses in the process!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Maya and I run LALA Guide–a website all about Los Angeles hospitality. For the past four years, I’ve been writing blog posts, reviews, event listings, and creating social media content about LA’s best restaurants, nightlife, events and hotels. At a time when LA’s hospitality landscape has been struggling, I enjoy getting to support the community through introducing people to their new favorite venues. Whether it’s an up-and-coming hot spot, or a well-known classic, I love recommending destinations to those looking for fun things to do in LA.

We recently did a summer events series featuring social mixers at different bars across the city. I’m looking forward to doing more events soon, and eventually expanding the website to include recommendations for destinations to visit throughout California!

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad set the standard for what it meant to be a hard worker. He ran his own business for 44 years, sometimes working 16-hour days to get everything done. As I child, I remember it being explained to me that “Dad is his own boss,” which made a huge impact on my perspective of work.

You don’t have to do a job where you take orders from someone else–you can be the one in charge. You can make all the decisions and spend an entire day working towards a goal you enjoy. He’s always encouraged me to follow my heart through my work and I couldn’t have gotten this far in my business without him!

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I’m the type of person who appreciates stability, so being hesitant to take risks has held me back in the past. When I find a comfortable place to land, I usually figure out how to stay there and coast as long as possible.

Luckily, I’ve recently been learning the benefits of taking more risks and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. There’s a lot to be learned through a bit of struggle, problem solving, and shaking the table a bit. I’m taking it slow, but I’m getting there!

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is such a small slice of the real me! As someone who’s been active in the nightlife scene for so long, that’s probably the first thing people associate with me. However, much of my life has revolved around creative pursuits–especially writing. I’m actually quite the homebody and spend a lot of time working on copywriting projects, writing for my website, creative writing, or journaling. But don’t get me wrong, after a full day of quiet introspection, I do love to go out for a good cocktail!

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I think I look at my time differently than others, and it’s been that way since I was a little kid. I don’t feel particularly rushed to get in step with the people around me or to do things because I’m “supposed” to at a particular time in my life. I’ve allowed myself to dictate my own pace regardless of what else is happening around me.

Today isn’t just one day out of the week, it’s one day out of your life. Our days shouldn’t be rushed or taken for granted–they should be celebrated! When I look back on my life, I think I’ll be very happy with how I took advantage of so many opportunities and lived by my own timeline.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lalaguide.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala.guide/
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@lalaguide
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