Verve’s Melissa Somawardana had the pleasure of catching up with Makaia Carr a few days ago and chatted about her latest project, her book, Keeping it Real.
You have made a career out of healthy living. How did you become interested in it?
It was in July 2012 when I started a Facebook page called ‘Motivate me’. It was like a self-changeability tool to motivate myself to lose weight and learn about eating healthy, clean whole food. During that time, I shared a lot of recipes, meals, and workouts, as well as my ups and downs, to the page hoping to encourage other working New Zealand moms who are busy raising a family and trying to tackle everything from their house, to weight and emotional health. I used the Facebook page to motivate myself and encouraging and motivate as many Kiwi women as possible. Because it was in 2012, and not many people were doing that kind of thing, it got quite a lot of followers and that motivated me to keep going.
What was the inspiration behind your book, Keeping it Real?
I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing on social media, public speaking and running workshops for the past five or six years. Often over the last couple of years when I shared a blog post or any other content online I’ve had many people saying things like, “You need to write a book, you’ve got lots of cool things to say”, or, “I could totally relate to you, your journey is so much like mine.” Because I’m quite vocal about women’s health, mental health, starting up businesses, and being a working mom—all these topics that are quite relevant—I was lucky to have publishers contact me to give me the opportunity to work with them on Keeping it Real.
The design of the book really stands out. A captivating read for busy people. What do you feel makes your book different from other motivational reads?
I guess because it’s my story. I think that’s what makes it so unique. It’s got so many insights and tips on key points like self-love and mental health. Then I move into social media and business—topics that apply to a lot of women and men.
The book is filled with a lot of important advice. If a reader had to choose just three things to put into practice over the coming months, what should they be?
I would say focus on the mental wellbeing section of the book and two or three things that are relevant to you in that section. Find a power word like ‘calm’ which was my word last year when I trying to find as much calmness in my life and maintain the same in my mindset.
Where can one purchase a copy of Keeping it Real?
It’s available on all bookstores in New Zealand.
On a personal note, what continues to keep you motivated? Who, or what, inspires you?
At the moment, I’m trying to maintain the great work that I started on mental and emotional health over the past couple of years. Because if mental health goes out the window everything else like physical health, relationships, fitness goes out too. So, a big focus has been on maintaining a positive frame of mind and sharing all of this with other people. That keeps me motivated.
So, what next for Makaia Carr?
What’s next for Makaia is enjoying the fact that I have written my first book. I was excited, nervous and a little bit scared at first, but I have learnt to keep on working through that and be proud. And also, I’ll be sinking my teeth onto my recruitment business called the Recruitment Hub this year.
Mother’s Day is just a few days away Makaia. How does your dream Mother’s Day look?
My dream Mother’s Day is having a little bit of a sleep in, and then waking up to a beautiful brunch cooked by family. Having a lovely day together, going out for a walk with the kids and the dog. Just staying at home together and lots of hugs and kisses!
Any other advice for the fans and readers out there?
There’s a big message there about self-love, which is a great concept, but the biggest thing that changed my life was working on my self-belief. It’s a powerful thing to have, and hard to achieve, but it’s something that we need to be conscious and mindful of every single day. If we have self-belief, belief in ourselves and our dreams, we have the potential to go out there and achieve and succeed what it is that we are actually here for.
To win 1 of 3 Makaia Carr’s book, Keeping it Real simply click here.
makaiacarr.co.nz
instagram.com/MakaiaCarr
facebook.com/MakaiaCarrOfficial
