Career Conversations with Maya Lombarts

Janice Chaka [: 00:00:04

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the traveling introvert career conversations. Today, I am here with Maya. Hi, Maya.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:00:11

Hey, Jenna. It's nice to be here.

Janice Chaka [: 00:00:14

Alright. So we are gonna get started. And the question I ask everybody, And I haven't had the exact same answer once yet, which is wonderful, is what does introversion mean to you?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:00:25

Oh, interesting how you never get the same answer. Right?

Janice Chaka [: 00:00:29

Uh-huh.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:00:29

Yeah. I have a good friend who's an Introvert. So I think the difference between us is that explanation where I start the weekend with, a full Energy tank. And as I see people in half social life, it I kind of finished the weekend with an empty energy tank, and she Has the opposite. So she's been working the whole week. She has an empty tank, and she wants to fill it up. And when she sees people, she gets energy. Right.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:00:57

So I refuel my my energy really recharges when I'm alone, and her energy recharges when she's around people.

Janice Chaka [: 00:01:05

Alright. Thank you. And it's interesting that you mentioned the weekend, not the week, because some people were, like, yeah. Start of the week. I start work, and blah blah blah blah. But you started at the weekend, which is really interesting. So can you tell me a little bit about the work that you do?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:01:19

Yeah. Absolutely. So I work online. I'm sort of a virtual assistant slash coach. I never know what to call myself. Really, what I do is I help creative entrepreneurs to structure their business a bit better, take off those linear tasks off of their plate. That's like the management part of things. And I help them have more work life balance, you know, in that online business life.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:01:44

Trying to disconnect, trying to recharge because we know Having a business online is can be a lot and working from home can be it can be difficult to separate work from life. So I use my management background and my coaching background all together now in 1 package. And, yeah, I'm really enjoying it. And I'm also a singer here in Cusco, Peru. So that's more my in person, no laptop involved Kind of evening activity, right?

Janice Chaka [: 00:02:15

Yes, that's great. And so you mentioned that you're using your previous background, so I have 2 questions. I'm gonna start with the first one. Are there some misconceptions that people have about your current role or industry?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:02:30

Yeah. Absolutely. Because I was even confused of how do I combine the things I'm doing. Right? How do I put this in one name. Like a virtual assistant, for example, is purely executing and taking tasks and and assisting in that. And then a coach is more having sessions and just having the person get to their own answers, you know? So I'm like but I'm a bit in between the 2, you know? I used to work In businesses, in office management, operations management. And then I shifted to health coaching and got certified in health coaching. And so then I was purely doing that and helping people listen to their bodies and balance their lives.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:03:10

And then somehow along the way, my coaching clients needed a website and a blog, and I started helping them in their business. And then my business clients We're really burned out and needed coaching. Right? So it started, combining and mixing, and I love it.

Janice Chaka [: 00:03:27

Yes, I think there is a definite need there. And so, you mentioned that you are still not sure what to call the work that you do and When did you sort of make that change from corporate life to, like, having your own business?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:03:44

Yeah. That was right before the pandemic hit. So immediate. Yeah. Right? Well, in some weird way, it was because I remember I was in my health Coaching, training in functional medicine. And it was all through Zoom. So it was all, coaching people through Zoom. I had a cohort and and Other students, we were all in 1 Zoom room, and that was before COVID.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:04:10

Right? And then COVID hit, and we all started living in the world of Zoom. And so people got really used to this life and and trusting people and being in touch, by video calling. Right? So in that sense, it was It was good. But, yeah, it was weird how that business life brought me to health. And someone said, hey. You know, I was struggling with my own health issues. And I did look for functional medicine practitioners in in Belgium. And I know a health coach told me, hey hey, Maja, you would actually be pretty good at this.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:04:45

You know? You know so much already. You really value your health. You're good at working with people. Haven't you thought about a career switch? Right? And so I changed careers, and then I combined the 2. So, yeah, it all came kinda together afterwards.

Janice Chaka [: 00:05:03

That is awesome. And so with the work that you did previously, how did you go about balancing your need to recharge with the work that you were doing, especially so, like, with humans.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:05:16

Yeah. What I love is that as an introvert, I can choose the time, let's say 4 or 5 PM. I can close my laptop And no one will reach out to me. None of my clients will bother me in the evening. I see people here working in tourism, for example, and they get messages Any time of the day. Right? Whereas I have my work all online. I set my boundaries with my clients. An example of that is no one has my phone number.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:05:47

No one I have no clients on WhatsApp. Because I'm like, I need 1 app To be for personal use, just for my friends. Right?

Janice Chaka [: 00:05:55

Yeah.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:05:55

So that on my phone, I only have notifications on for WhatsApp. Nothing else. Not my Instagram, nothing else. I might go in there once a day and see what's happening, but I don't get the notifications. So that's the great part about setting those boundaries and like, Hey, business clients, if you want to reach me, email or Slack, let's just Keep it there, and that's it. Right? And I'm not available after 4 or 5 PM.

Janice Chaka [: 00:06:20

Do you work across different time zones?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:06:23

Yeah, I do. I do. So I let them know which time zone I'm in, which is central time for 1 half of the year and then eastern time the other half of the year, because So to the, we don't have daylight saving in Peru, so I kind of switched between the 2. But yeah, I mostly have clients in the US so that's pretty convenient.

Janice Chaka [: 00:06:42

Mhmm.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:06:42

And then I do have clients in Belgium, but they know that our time zone, there's like a 6, 7 hour difference. It's fine. You know? We we we manage for sure.

Janice Chaka [: 00:06:52

Okay. That was great. Can you tell me something that you do regularly that has improved your business or your career?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:07:00

Yeah. Interesting question. I think one is setting those boundaries. Right? But then the second thing is that curiosity. Study. I'm always so curious to figure out new systems and new tools and new softwares that I never stop learning. So I never stop. Right now, for example, I'm really diving into the world of ClickUp.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:07:20

Just one of those tools that, you know and it's a whole universe, so I can get So caught up, and I see you nodding.

Janice Chaka [: 00:07:27

Oh, yeah.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:07:28

Yeah. You know the feels. And and now today someone said, hey, we should start using HubSpot. And I was like, In another tutorial, right, looking at that. But so, yeah, just staying curious, keep learning, and keep, personalizing also the approach to my clients. Like, I never say, here's the template, here's the systems you should use, here's how you should use it, And we're gonna do it this way with all of my clients, period. Right? I really like using those coaching skills to know what works for them And to see how they want to organize their business or what they want to feel or how many life calls they wanna do with their clients or members, right, or not, You know, and just find a way around that without just going with a a one way fits all. I guess that that was, like, 2 answers to your 1 question.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:08:17

But

Janice Chaka [: 00:08:18

yeah. And And I think when you're talking about clients and then how many live calls they wanna do, is it because they're running memberships?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:08:26

Yeah. Also. Yeah. Or some of them are, let's say, consultants, coaches. Some have a membership. But again, they're me as an introvert. Right. I can really I know that not everyone can do 8 calls a day.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:08:40

I know if anybody can can. There are people who can. Right? But I know my limits in terms of how how many calls and meetings I can do and my balance between how often I just wanna be In my pyjamas on my couch doing work on my laptop. Right?

Janice Chaka [: 00:08:56

Yes. Right? Yeah. Okay. And so Are there well, you mentioned boundaries. Are there is there something specific that you say no to?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:09:08

I say no to so you know I say no to WhatsApp. Right. Okay. And I say no to very last minute work, because that is very overwhelming to me too. I like to have some sort of idea, When I will be available in the day, what how many hours I will do for each client. You know, just having that. Because then some sometimes something pops up, And I always try to tell my clients to allow 24 hours, 48 hours so that at least I could move something to tomorrow. And that lee gives me the space to listen to my body because I think that's so important to not just fill up 8 hours a day.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:09:47

Let's say fill up my office hours with, like, time blocking and adding all the tasks and assigning an hour to every task. Right? I really learned how to just flow with my body's energy levels and know that one day I might be super productive, and the next day I might Not do that many hours of work, you know, and just, disconnect a bit more.

Janice Chaka [: 00:10:07

How what process did you use, or how long did it take you to learn Your body's needs and how to work within that.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:10:16

Yeah. It's funny. It's actually something I learned at a very young age. Because I when I was 15, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. And so I had a tiny, tiny energy bucket, and I really had To learn how to I couldn't go to school. For 2 years, I went to school part time, and I had to catch up on the rest of the classes. So I had a tiny energy bucket, and I had to learn how to make the most out of the little amount of energy I had. So really from a young age, having to focus on what's important and not getting sidetracked or distracted by urgent things, but not important things.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:10:55

Really going into, okay, what do I wanna do with my life? And how can I use my small energy bucket, Divided my energy over all the things that are important to me, which at that time was graduating, you know, and studying, and just Being able to go to school and maybe have a little bit of social life as well, but that was really hard with the little amount of energy I had? So I do feel it's it's a skill that I learned from such a young age that now really comes in handy, in everything I do, and also So to assist my clients in balancing that energy and listening to your body.

Janice Chaka [: 00:11:33

And so, roughly, how many hours do you work per day or per week?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:11:41

I would say per day, it could vary between 4 to 6 hours. I wouldn't say I do more. I don't reach 8 hours a day. Because I might you know, as you work online, I might have a long lunch. Living in Peru is how Peruvians take a long lunch break. They have their soup and their main dish and their drink and their dessert. You know, that's the main meal of the day. Mhmm.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:12:04

So often Peruvians meet up for lunch, and I find it really fun to just, I'm quite productive between 9 and 1 or 10 and 1. And then at 1, I just go for lunch with a friend, disconnect. I sit in a beautiful patio in nature and just try to Calm down. And then in the afternoon, I guess I'm more flexible. I go more with the flow of my energy. In the mornings is more like, okay, I sit at my desk And I get in the work. And then after lunch, I sort of tune in with myself, and I see, do I feel like getting these things done, or Does my body need more rest? Yeah.

Janice Chaka [: 00:12:40

And what is your favorite way of recharging?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:12:46

It's turning off my Wi Fi, getting a a foot bath with Epsom salts. I don't have a full bath, so I just do it with a bucket and some Yeah. Turn on my kettle and just, you know, hot water and Epsom salts. Just put my feet in there, a blanket, wrap my journal, some relaxing music, and write it all out.

Janice Chaka [: 00:13:09

Oh, okay. So why is writing it all out important?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:13:14

It's always been a way of mine to Process the things that happen in my life and process my emotions. To just put it on a piece of paper without thinking too much about it. I literally feel like I put things from my heart and my brain onto that paper, and it I feel lighter afterwards.

Janice Chaka [: 00:13:35

Okay. Alright. So with the work that you do and how you help your clients in setting your boundaries and building your business, even though you mentioned 6 hours. And you said only 6 hours. 6 hours is a considerable amount of time Right. To do any focused Focused on on focused work, but still a large chunk of time and probably more than people do if they are in an office anyway. Like, it's it's something to to note that even though you said only, like, 6 hours is and and you created your business in that way on purpose.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:14:11

Yeah. I guess I still compare myself to the 8 hour office Chop. You know? They're the 9 to 5. You know? The classic, we work 8 hours a day. You know? And then you have entrepreneurs who are Hustling hard and do, like, 10, 12 hours a day. So I'm not that. And I remember during the pandemic, because we had the curfew And I was waking up really early. I would work I would start working sometimes at 7 AM, sometimes 8 AM Until 1 PM, and that was my workday because that's already 4 to 5 hours.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:14:46

And it was done. And I loved it actually because the whole afternoon was just free, did my own things, and then I felt like I had a huge space between 2 workdays.

Janice Chaka [: 00:14:57

Yeah. So what changed?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:15:00

More work? Waking up later? Sleeping later?

Janice Chaka [: 00:15:07

I I only ask because you mentioned how wonderful it was. So I was like, what? Well, if it was wonderful, why'd you change it?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:15:12

Yeah. Sometimes we have, And I always try to work on that with my clients too. Like what worked for you, what works for someone else doesn't work for you. Right? But also what worked for you Last year might not work for you today. Right? We also move through phases, and sometimes we get frustrated. And I sure was in the beginning when I Stopped having that 7 AM rhythm. I was frustrated because I was setting alarms, and I couldn't seem to wake up. And I was like, why? You know? Why can't I just Set an alarm and wake up and start working.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:15:47

Until I had a day where I was like, you know what? I should just be gentle with myself. I should just stop setting an alarm. Why? No. Why do I need to? I built my own business. This is why I have my own business, right, to have that freedom the flexibility for myself and to listen to my body. So I said, you know what? If this is going to be my rhythm right now, if I'm just going to wake up a bit later And work more in the afternoon? Fine.

Janice Chaka [: 00:16:13

Yeah. Good. Alright. So final question for you. And the question is, in your opinion, is a hot dog a sandwich? No. And your reasoning is?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:16:29

My reasoning is, at least for me being a Belgian person, a hot dog is that little bread with that sauce sausage in the middle And ketchup. That's all the ingredients. You know? That's all it has. Maybe some mustard, I guess. Yeah. But then a sandwich Could have everything. Could have the salad or chicken or different sauces. That that in my mind is a sandwich.

Janice Chaka [: 00:16:51

Awesome. Alright. Thank you so very much. Can you let my listeners know where they can find out more about you and the work that you do?

Maya Lombarts [: 00:16:59

Absolutely. So you can find me on Instagram. That's where I mostly hang out. Or on my website to find more information. Both are Maya Lombard. So I will spell that because it's not an English name. So it's m a y a l o m b a r t s. So .com for my website, and then Instagram is just that.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:17:22

And, yeah, on Instagram, you can Find fun reels and videos about my life in Peru. Also being an introvert in a very extroverted culture is also a challenge.

Janice Chaka [: 00:17:33

Yeah. I'm fine. In Mexico.

Maya Lombarts [: 00:17:36

Oh, yeah. So you know the feels. You get used to it, but also I feel like I have my cocoon And my apartment is extra peaceful just to balance out the outside chaos. Yeah. So, yeah, I love to hang out with you all, and this was such a lovely chat.

Janice Chaka [: 00:17:53

Thank you so very much. This is Janice at the career introvert helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.