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Nurturing Positive Change Denise Vasi founded maed to make wellness, health and beauty accessible to everyone PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF MAED
By Kamala Kirk When longtime actress and model Denise Vasi was transitioning to motherhood, the content she shared from her journey on social media with her followers began to shift. Committed to raising her children as intentionally and naturally as possible, Vasi started documenting her alternative choices via social media. She posted about the plant-based clean meals she prepared, detoxing her home, her self-care routine and parenting tips, and in response became inundated with questions from fans who wanted to know about topics such as the best clean products to use and what foods to eat when breastfeeding. “I started to really shift what I was sharing because I was at home with my kids and all of a sudden I realized that taking care of myself was less about vanity and more about how I felt,” Vasi said. “That first year of motherhood really taught me about the importance of self-care. If I make smart choices, feed myself well and keep stress levels down, then I have a much better chance of living a long healthy life. You have to have a holistic approach to health in order to live your life at its best and fullest. People began asking me all kinds of health, wellness and beauty-related questions about my personal life, and that’s when my husband pointed out that there was something there. I realized that I needed to create a platform for my this growing community, they really encouraged me to build something.” This led Vasi to create maed, a beauty, health and wellness website that inspires and encourages women to be the best version of themselves. The literal combination of Vasi’s daughter’s middle name, Mae, and Vasi’s own nickname, D, maed is also a nod to what makes a woman feel like she’s
Venice resident and longtime actress/model Denise Vasi is the founder of maed, an inclusive, accessible and diverse digital platform that features a variety of wellness, health and beauty content.
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truly “made” it. “The idea of being ‘maed’ is something that men and women both strive for and it’s not necessarily about success, for me it’s a lot of different things,” Vasi said. “I wanted to talk to people about what it means to feel ‘maed’ in general. It’s about having a holistic version of life where you are taking care of yourself and you’re still a boss. Whether you’re a stay-at-home home, you work for a big corporation or you run your own business, you still need to take care of yourself, go out and get the things you want and practice self-care. maed really represents the full spectrum of us as women and what we strive for.” The inclusive, accessible and diverse digital platform features content ranging from healthy recipes and parenting hacks to clean products. Vasi strives to offer a place where her audience can be inspired and make a positive change. “Maed is rooted in serving the community,” Vasi said. “We are giving people information, education and aspiration, and providing them with recommendations so that they can make better choices in their lifestyles and ask better questions when they talk to doctors or therapists. Our goal is to be a resource where women can find inspiration to make positive changes in their lives. “The other important thing for me was knowing that I was speaking to Black and brown women. Coming from Brooklyn, I wanted to offer a space that was inclusive to everybody and that catered to all demographics and economic backgrounds.” The website features multiple sections that cover topics like Eat, Nurture, Live, Glam, and Shop. The Eat section includes vegan, gluten-free and kidfriendly recipes, product guides on everything from nontoxic cookware to coffee alternatives, as well as tips for things like how to grow vegetables without
