Our 10th Anniversary Year: An Abbreviated Retrospective
2024 marks a watershed year for Maya Chia. It’s our 10th anniversary. For momentous events like this, it’s always helpful to look back, to take stock and metabolize where we’ve been – and perhaps even more importantly, think deliberately about where we want to go.
In the early days at Maya Chia (10 years ago), we didn’t have a fancy office. We barely had an office. It was four walls, a folding card table, a laptop, an iPhone 5 (maybe one that was earlier, can’t be sure), one filling machine - and very few well-chosen ingredients. That was the only part that mattered. The ingredients. We bought the lowest MOQ (minimum order quantity) we could for bottles from our glass supplier who sells to us to this day.
We launched with one product - our first face oil called the Supercritical Chia Seed OIl. It was a simple start. I can still remember when the first order for our product came through it was a customer whose name I’ll never forget. And a customer who continues to order from us to this day. It was all far from perfect.
We didn’t boast a fancy office or high-tech gadgets we use in the lab today. Our focus was squarely on the ingredients – which remains a core tenet of the company. Each component was chosen with precision and care, emphasizing quality over quantity. To this day, our commitment to sourcing the finest ingredients is steadfast – some may say a tad maniacal. : ) For example, when we purchase an ingredient such as neroli we will not just test one version of neroli, but as many options as we can get our hands on. PS (Our headquarters smells pretty delicious).
It would have been impossible to predict that the launch of our first product (the Supercritical Face Oil) would evolve into what the company has become 10 years later. There was no plan B when we created the company, just an unrelenting passion and a constant refrain in our heads, "If not now, when?"
Ten years have passed since our start, and since that time we've spent thousands of hours formulating in the lab and manufacturing during the weekends. Holidays, weekends have been spent in the studio working, fueled by passion every step of the way.
We’ve launched of over 20 products during the last 10 years - all of which came out of our studio in Charleston, SC. We are reminded of the privilege that we get to do what we love every day – an it’s not lost on us for a second. It may be a hackneyed cliché, but it’s true: when you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life.
We believe our story is a testament to the power of taking a leap of faith. Whether in business, matters of the heart, or creative endeavors, the act of taking that first step is often times the hardest part. Perfection so often can be the enemy of the good, and waiting for an ideal moment in time might mean missing out on the opportunity in the here and now.
So if we may offer any advice from our 10 years in business it is this. Find something you are passionate about, fall in love and most importantly, take the first step and start. Afterall, if not now, when?