Maria Zakrzewska. Journey of Influence.

In this insightful interview, Maria reflects on the diverse influences that have shaped her into the person she is today. From the cherished memories of her childhood, the impact of her profession as a model, to the transformative power of language, travel, and self-discovery, Maria shares her journey with warmth and authenticity. As a co-founder of the sustainable brand MAWO, she also delves into the aspirations and challenges that come with building a transparent and eco-conscious business alongside her partner, Sergiusz. Join us as Maria opens up about her daily rituals, meaningful relationships, and the creative pursuits that fuel her passion for continuous self-development.

What has most influenced the person you are today? Childhood, people, experiences, books, art, music? 

This could be a book-worthy topic! It’s impossible to pinpoint just one thing. In my opinion, every decision you make in life, starting from childhood, makes an impact on you. Parents and their decisions make an impact. Your school and teachers make an impact, as do your friends. Sports, vacations, the places you visit, and the music you listen to — all have a direct influence on you. Some moments are more or less significant. But honestly, I can’t name just one or even a few things. I can try. 

As for my childhood – I think it was a great time. We went on vacation every year; the Polish seaside reminds me of blueberry pastry, beautiful beaches, and setting up beach windbreaks. We often went to the mountains too. In summer, we hiked in the Tatras, and in winter, we skied. I had my group of friends in elementary school; we spent a lot of time together outdoors. We played basketball, football, rode bikes. There were no phones, no internet… I think that’s why I enjoy spending time with people in the real world, not the virtual one.

I owe my strength of character and moral backbone to my parents. But what ultimately shaped me is probably my profession. I have to admit that being a model didn’t always bring me pleasure and satisfaction. As a young girl, I feared loneliness the most. It meant constantly leaving my comfort zone. Please don’t think someone forced me; I really wanted to travel and see the world, but it came with a lot of stress. Fortunately, I had people around me whose support I could count on.

Things changed when I learned English. I began meeting people from around the world; travel became enjoyable, and I could finally explore the world and other cultures. I started appreciating my work and the opportunities it gave me. I consider myself fortunate to have lived in New York, Paris, Milan and London. In each of these cities, I feel at home. I have friends there, I have favorite cafes, restaurants, museums, parks.

I’ve never been a fan of mainstream music. As a child, I listened to various programs and recorded songs on cassettes. Haha, the stress that accompanied pressing the right buttons and whether they’d work, priceless.

In high school, my friend and I started going to music festivals. I have great memories from that time. We were discovering Warsaw (both of us are from Poznań). It was a time of complete carefreeness. No worries. Totally engulfed in the moment.

Once, I listened a lot to Bat for Lashes, The Black Keys, The Knife, Chromatics, and our Polish Kamp! 😉 During college, I experimented with techno and house music. I remain loyal to those genres to this day. But in our daily life, we listen to ambient and classical music, which doesn’t distract us too much during the tasks we have to do every day with Sergiusz. And I don’t hide that he is the DJ in our house, with great musical taste.

What is meaningful for you today?

Obviously, and it has never changed, Sergiusz (my partner), my family and closest friends will always be the most important to me. Regular contact with them is crucial for me. It gives me a strong sense of security because I know that, no matter where I work/live, I always have their support, and vice versa, of course.

Another important thing for me is continuous self-development and acquiring new skills. I find it increasingly discouraging to waste time. Sergiusz instilled this in me. There are so many interesting things to do in life, so much to learn, and so many fascinating people to meet that it’s a shame to waste time on TV series. Of course, we sometimes watch movies, usually during travels.

It’s also important for me to disconnect from the virtual world, social media. I feel like people can’t live without their phones anymore, and because of that, they can’t fully appreciate what surrounds them. Or maybe they can? And I just don’t know how to.

What daily habits or rituals do you particularly cherish?

I have one in the morning and one in the evening. I don’t like rushing in the morning. I prefer to wake up an hour earlier and have time for everything. In the morning, I like to read the news, even before getting out of bed. Then, I prepare us breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. It has good associations with my childhood; my dad often made me breakfast and served it in bed before going to school because he knew I had trouble getting up. ;p

In the evening, I like to take a warm shower and dedicate some time to myself. I cleanse my face with LAST face gel, then apply a revitalizing face mist. After that, I use the LAST serum, which greatly supports the regeneration of my skin, and finish with a moisturizing cream (Embryolisse). Along with a little face and neck massage. The beautiful earthy scent of LAST cosmetics enhances my relaxation before going to sleep.

The breakfast caught my attention. What is the speciality of the house?

Since I’m always cold, I love to have a warm breakfast, haha speciality of the house is porridge. I make it with oat milk. I add chia seeds, spoon of yoghurt (only me, because Sergiusz is vegan), spoon of peanut butter, some walnuts and almonds. We always add banana and kiwi, and after, it depends what season it is: blueberries, passionfruit, apricots, raspberries etc.

What do you prefer together, and what separately?

Honestly, this is an exceptionally challenging question because my partner and I do very few things separately. We enjoy doing a lot of things together – practicing the same sports, living and working together. We cook together, do our shopping together… Haha, it might not sound entirely healthy to many people, but after eight years, we still find it enjoyable. Of course, there comes a moment when we do certain things separately. Like every person, we need to spend time alone with our thoughts, pamper ourselves a bit, find some tranquility.

To be honest, I wonder what I enjoy doing alone, and I have a little difficulty with that. I don’t have an issue with independence, and I like doing some things on my own, but I wouldn’t say I prefer doing them alone. I used to enjoy going for morning walks with the dog by myself.

Any particular book, you would recommend to a close one?

I always go back to George Orwel “1984” It’s a terrifyingly relevant title in today’s world. But recently a friend of mine recommended to me a book called “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Robin. He’s an American music producer who talks about creativity, not only in the music industry. I haven’t finished it yet but it’s a good book for the creative industry. It just says that sometimes it’s good to take a step back and look at some things with a fresh perspective.

What do you wish for in the coming years?

I would like our brand (mine and Sergiusz’s), MAWO, to spread its wings. We invest a lot of energy and time into it. It would be very satisfying for me if we were recognized in the international market, as that is our goal.

Can you tell us more about MAWO? How did your beginnings look like? How do you share responsibilities?

MAWO it’s our first project together and I’m sure it’s not the last one. We wanted to create a truly transparent and sustainable brand. But to do that it takes twice as much effort than in the case of a brand who doesn’t share our values. But we never take easier paths in our lives. No pain, no gain 😛  

Truth be told, we love what we do. It stimulates us creatively and socially. I love that we learn so much. It’s the best MBA you can get.