Thank you for chatting with us. We’d love to hear how you got started. How did you first get into event planning?

I’m actually not an event planner per se, but I do love to host dinners and starting The Dinner at Dusk Foundation is an extension of everything I do professionally in the real estate space that will allow me to fill in the gaps financially for those that have a difficult time navigating housing and financial literacy.   

In college, what did you study?

I have a degree in Finance. I learned to count before I could read. 

Are there any challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the event planning business?

The biggest challenge I’ve faced is navigating the sponsorship world.  I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m not accustomed to long lead times, therefore; I’ve had to learn to be patient with their process because it doesn’t take a year to pull off an event!  

Could you tell me more about your business strategy?

How did you know where to start? I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life. I made my first $500 at the age of 10, so let’s just say I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug very early on!  My strategy is I start with the end in mind. I don’t get bogged down in the details. I hire people to do the things I hate and focus my time and energy on the things I’m good at.   

How do you hope your talks and social media will impact your viewers?

Words have power.  I try to share my win and my losses with my audience because it’s by sharing my truth that I’m able to give others the bravery to get back up and try again! I’m a walking testimony to God’s Grace and covering and that’s not lost on me.  

Do you have any advice for other people in the space that want to turn their passion into a career?

Everything is transferable. Your skillset can be used to do anything that you set your mind to! I never saw myself as creative. I’m a numbers girl, but I love beautiful things and great experiences. I started planning my own events because I could always see the gaps and thought, “hmmm,” I would have added this or that. When I began curating, The Dinner at Dusk, I had no idea it would turn into this, but I’m glad I followed my own gut and those dinners have allowed me to expand my reach professionally and philanthropically!

Maja Sly is the founder at Dinner at Dusk started off as one dinner last March to celebrate women in business that not only survived but found a way to thrive in their business during The Pandemic. Maja Sly and a few friends invited entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to a curated dinner where everyone wore white. That one dinner left an impression and at the nudge of her friends they said, “you should keep doing these,” as it was apparent that women needed a place where they could break bread, but also have open, honest, and transparent conversations as it relates to money and finance. For more information, visit: www.thedinneratdusk.com.