Do you want to learn about the television industry?
Do you want to know what skills it takes to be a great TV personality?
Then stay tuned for Maya Fasthoff of Salsa TV and Restaurant Traveler as we interview her about her educational and occupational journey.
By Set on a Hill
HOUSTON, TX- Have you ever been thrust into a new country, had to learn a new language, and experienced culture shock? Have you ever triumphed over all adversity and used “life tests” as workplace strength? Let’s meet someone who has accomplished all of this, Maya Fasthoff. Maya Fasthoff is a Television show Host for Salsa TV and Restaurant Traveler.
Maya was originally born and raised in Colombia where her first language was Spanish. She came to Houston when she was 17 years old, but she already had a working mindset. In Colombia, High school ends around age 17 and most students have already started working at 16 to contribute to their families needs. When she arrived in Houston, she realized most of the students were treated more as children and often did not have regular financial responsibilities at home. She learned English in 2 years, but during that time her Mom, Step Dad and 2 siblings moved to Saudi Arabia for work during the Gulf War. Now Maya not only had work and school to deal with, but also having family living far away that she was worried about. While she finished high school in Houston her parents helped her with rent and her car, but she had to pay for everything else.
She started college by finishing her basics at Houston Community College (HCC). She paid for school on her own while working at Randall’s and Fiesta as a sacker. She worked hard as a sacker and gained a lot of tips. She then moved into working in the Bakery, where she learned how to deal with customers, take multiple orders, answer the phone, package foods and decorate cakes. She handled the front end, and allowed the bakers to handle the back end. Maya said, “The job didn’t seem too fancy, but I learned 1). To be patient with customers 2). To have a great attitude with customers. Focusing on those two areas, I saw a lot of customers come back, because I took the time to make every interaction, special.” This helped her gain necessary management experience that then launched her into her next job.
Maya became and filer at a construction company, but moved into an administrative assistant position very quickly. Her motto was, “I never limited myself to my job description. I did whatever was asked of me, even if it was someone else’s job. People who don’t want to help the company in all aspects, have never stayed at the companies that I worked in for very long.” These words rang true throughout her life as she saw other employees come and go, but instead on her end, she continued to be promoted.
But how did Maya get into the Television industry? She landed a job at Barbozon School of Modeling, as a Model, Administrative Assistant, and Instructor. “I believe young people need to learn how to multitask and to take on many different roles while having a strong focus on each,” said Maya. Maya got her taste of doing commercials, being in front of the video-recorder and modeling. This was such a memorable experience that it prepared her later to become a Television show host.
Later Maya gained her first professional upper level job at ITC now Staffmark as a Desk Administrator. The job was intense to say the least. “I had to answer 15 phone lines, verify documents, check people in, and ensure they were filling out the application correctly,” said Maya. Her hard work paid off and she was moved into a Bilingual Staffing position where she used her native language, Spanish and her 2nd language, English to help clients.
After a few years, Maya went to the Art Institute of Houston where she earned her Associates of Arts in Graphic Design. She paid her way through college and also took out loans. The great news is that she graduated. The bad news was that she had 10 thousand dollars in debt and her husband who was a lawyer had 4 times that amount of debt. But while working one of her employers purchased a Dave Ramsey training manual for all of the employees. This was a God-send as Maya and her husband got out of student loan debt in 4 years. They looked at their receipts and realized they spend an large amount of money eating out and on other items. They changed their budget and got out of debt!
Maya’s competitive hard work did not stop there. She overcame stereotypical mindsets that others had about Colombians, without arguing, but by being the best, that she could be. “A lot of times, people don’t realize the stereotypes they have about certain cultures, but she would recommend to any young person or minority to instead of fighting in school due to stereotypes, just prove them wrong by being the best you, that you can be,” said Maya.
Maya also overcame the struggles of being a single parent and being in school. While she was finishing up her basics at HCC she was 7-8 months pregnant. She was so tired and could hardly stay awake for most of her classes, but she finished and passed all of her classes that semester. When she got married to her amazing husband who is a lawyers she also ran into the issue of work home life balance. She was a hard worker at the Art Institute of Houston and although took only 3 months off for maternity leave. When Maya came back to work, she still met and exceeded her sales goals for the year. Maya won the 2004 Presidents Club Award which came with a trip to Disneyland. “The best thing about my experience was finding a husband that had similar interests and who loved to travel. I have had a lot of fun with my husband and that catapulted me to being a Travel blogger, ” said Maya.
Maya started a blog around 2009 and was approached by Fox 26 News to assist them for their video Travel blog. This was an amazing experience where she got to use her hobby to work with a major television station and the show increase her exposure online. “If you want to get on TV, get ready to do a lot of work for free. I was not paid to be a Travel blogger, but it really helped increase marketing for my blog and my experience as a television show host,” explained Maya.
Maya is also a host for Salsa TV. Maya has gained the opportunity to interview on television, Juanes, Twilight wolf pack actors, Lou Ferrigno of the original Hulk, and Donnie Dunagan who was the original voice of Bambi. “Working as an interview Television Show Host can be very rewarding, but you have to be comfortable talking to strangers, be very self aware of your facial expressions, and maintain your speaking ability by taking a public speaking class,” suggested Maya.
Maya believes in encouraging youth to reach for their dreams occupationally and educationally.
Do you have any questions for Maya? Ask them below.
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