Many people search for the “secret” of success that it takes to be an entrepreneur, but there is no magical panacea that will guarantee success. As accomplished self-made entrepreneur Maya Bernaia can attest, it takes a lot of creativity, patience, and hard work. Launching her business in times as uncertain as they are today is undoubtedly a challenge, but with the right mix of creativity and perseverance, she asserts that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Paving your own path
The best advice that Bernaia ever received in her life came from Joseph Nye, an advisor to Bill Clinton and the dean of the Kennedy School, who told her two important things: “Never believe in coincidences,” and “If you don’t know enough, read more.” In essence, this means that only you are empowered to take action towards your future, and that doing so is the only way to achieve success.
Indeed, Bernaia paved her own path and wants other people to know they can do the same for themselves. Her philosophy is, “it doesn’t matter where you come from — only where you go and where you stay.” As Bernaia explains, anyone can find success regardless of their background. What matters is that you persevere and focus on improvement. The first step in achieving success is setting your sights on it and refusing to back down.
Bernaia is the founder of the IamFuture ecosystem, a company that helps other businesses develop digital strategies and offers creative support to help them navigate the complex world of Web3.0. The venture has seen several successes, including introducing the IamFuture DAO, forming a genuine community around their projects, and launching the Metarollers “Perform2Earn” Metaverse.
“We are amid a new paradigm,” declares Bernaia. “We have an opportunity to improve people’s lives and develop creativity. There is a connection between creative development and income. It would be a shame not to help people find and realize their potential.” Bernaia found this connection herself early in her career, and now her goal with her company is to help others find it as well.
Tapping into creativity
For Bernaia, the most important thing in building a team is not hiring the top talent your industry has to offer, but hiring good souls. “You can help this person learn and develop,” she explains. “People are happy to work with me because I am honest to them. I really participate in their life and make our business part of our lives. We share the mission, and it becomes an honor.”
Much of Bernaia’s success came from her willingness to take a chance, even if it was a giant leap of faith. During the pandemic, she worked every day, nonstop, devoting herself entirely to developing and growing her business. In one of the most chaotic and challenging times for companies to form and grow, Bernaia succeeded by refusing to allow any rules to limit her growth.
While Bernaia’s success is remarkable, she claims that it’s far more important for her to inspire others to take that same leap. “My projects stimulate creativity and make sure people know that to be different is beneficial,” says Bernaia. “We encourage creative people to be brave and try themselves on the edge of creativity and entrepreneurship.” When more people take these risks, the world becomes a better place.
“I don’t have a right to fail,” Bernaia asserts. “I can only go forward, and I can only win. Like many entrepreneurs, it took everything I had to get where I am, so I absolutely must give it my all. There is too much at risk not to be fully committed to my success.” Although this might sound like being afraid of failure to some, it couldn’t be further from the truth. For Bernaia, commitment means diving headfirst into success and refusing to accept anything less.
Bernaia wouldn’t have made it to where she is without creativity and hard work. She refused to fall in line, instead opting to challenge her abilities to realize her full potential. “Some people just perform work,” she says, “but I can not be one of those people. I refuse to be standard and conventional. Right now, everyone is being presented with a choice: accept how things are or step outside your comfort zone and create real, positive change. I want to inspire people to use their creativity to do the latter.”