Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayra Farret.
When it comes to being a woman, Mayra Farret is as real as they get. Born and raised in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, as a young girl she had the best of both worlds: constant interaction with nature and close access to a great schooling system.
As a child, she was extremely active and continuously involved in activities like sports, cheerleading, dancing and academic competitions. At a very young age she was introduced to the wonders of traveling, and to this day, remains an addict of this wonderful hobby.
Her mother was a true advocate for education, being a teacher herself as well as a published author with a doctor’s degree from Michigan State University. Having such a strong woman as an example and being part of a family of great achievements, growing up Mayra became aware of the big shoes she would one day have to fill.
However, instead of seeing this as a burden, she saw it as something to be grateful for and a challenge to conquer. Thus, at 17, she moved to Monterrey, Nuevo León to begin her studies in Finance, from which she graduated with honors from TEC de Monterrey.
Throughout different stages of her life, due to her mother’s passion for education and Mayra’s growing curiosity, she attended different schools around the world, such as Yago School in London, Montrose School in Boston, Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, the University of Technology in Sidney and Texas A&M University in Texas.
Being exposed to the freedom and responsibility of independence as well as to so many different cultures, helped her develop a broader vision of life and to be more open, tolerant and empathetic with people, turning her into the woman she is today.
Thirsty to prove herself in the business world, as soon as she finished University she began her professional career at Sterling Fluid Systems and was in charge of the Treasury Department. Later, she entered Home Depot, where she worked as an Assistant.
Her proactive attitude earned her a position in the Financial Planning Department and grabbed the attention of British American Tobacco, who hunt her down and made her Financial Planning Analyst. At BAT, Mayra traveled all over the world and climbed the corporate ladder fast and effectively.
During her time in Home Depot, she met her husband, Fernando. When Fernando got allocated to San Antonio, Texas, it was the perfect moment to start a new life. What started as a radical and somewhat difficult adventure, became a true blessing and what Mayra herself calls ‘the proudest stage of her life.’
After being part of a frantic world for many years, Mayra is finally giving herself the opportunity to live a peaceful life where she focuses on being a mother, a wife, a friend and above all, herself. She is the mother of two young boys, who she wants to raise to be strong men who contribute to the community. She practices yoga every day, which has helped her to let go of the need to control everything and be perfect.
Since she has always loved fashion, art and décor she does social work for important art, education and altruistic institutions of the San Antonio community like CASA, American Heart Association, Battered Women and Children Center, McNay Art Museum, World Affair Council, ArtPace and Make a Wish, promoting, planning and decorating events.
Being a Mexican woman living in the United States of America has being a challenge, as well as a great joy, but no matter the difficulties, she has always managed to share her Mexican values such as hard work, warmth, and kindness to the people she meets along the way. Mayra feels extremely lucky to be a part of San Antonio, a city that truly values what Mexican Americans have to offer to the community and that understands that diversity is what makes a city great.
As someone trying to find balance between the beautifully hectic role of being a mother and her own self-worth, Mayra strives to be an example to women everywhere. She wants to let them know that there is no harsher stereotype than the ones they give themselves and encourages them to be kind to one another, to stop trying to reach the impossible standards society has set up for them and to enjoy each stage of their lives fully.
While living in San Antonio, Mayra was approached by the Fashion Group International, and she was overwhelmed by their sense of community and integration. And, even though her major is Finance since she was young, she has always loved fashion, design, and art. She wanted to study fashion design but, back in those days, fashion in Mexico wasn’t propelled as it is right now. I love how you can create art and express yourself on a daily basis. Finding a group of amazing people like these who to share my passion with was a dream come true!
Being Mexican raised, she has met a lot of Mexican designers, editors, and stylist that also inspired her to pursue her dreams. She started attending events organized by FGI San Antonio and finally felt like she belonged with them. Their sense of “community over competition” and teamwork to support and excel San Antonio designers and artisians was contagious and applied to be part of their team ASAP. She loves the Mexican-American culture and would love to bring FGI San Antonio and FGI Mexico work together. There is so much that we can learn and share among each other!
A year ago, Mayra was approached by BBC Global and was about to be featured new reality TV Show “Texicanas.” This show focuses on the Mexican Community that lives in San Antonio. The show will premiere this May 7th.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing that is worth it in life is easy. Being a woman has it is own set of challenges and struggles in our society. I have observed that women are more occupied on competing against each other instead of becoming the best version of ourselves. Society has placed many expectations on us, that sometimes we get lost in reconciling what we want to become versus what others want us to be.
It has taken me many years to understand that life is a journey and not a destination. We all go through different phases in our lives, and it is important to enjoy every sweet and sour moment. All of them have helped us become the person that we are today. And as long as you are proud of yourself, the rest is just icing on the cake. Focus on your dreams and chase them no matter the cost.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a philanthropist and a fashion lover. I have always loved being involved with nonprofit organizations and being able to capitalize my love for fashion to promote and benefit them is a dream come true. I believe that fashion is art. You can express yourself everyday by putting an outfit together.
And if that makes you feel better about yourself, promotes self-confidence and inspires other women to pursue their dreams, then it is a win! Being able to help others through doing what you love is the best feeling in the world.
I have always been very driven and always achieve what I aim for no matter how much work that means. I am extremely passionate, and when I commit to something, I make sure I give it my 100 percent. I believe in teamwork and community over competition.
Plus, I try to always surround myself with people that inspire me and help me become a better person
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Self-confidence.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mayrafarret.com
- Email: mayra_farret@hotmail.com
- Instagram: mayrafarret
Image Credit:
Alejandro Seyffert and Essential Creatives
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