Maria Segura shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Maria, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I would say that… the more life experience I have, the less concerned I am with building something that responds to popular criticism, as I am concerned with creating the best possible version of myself. I would dare to say that this has been one of the most challenging constructions I have undertaken in my life, as it lacks a defined direction, a desired style, or a deadline. It is simply living each day to the best of my ability, following my instincts, and doing what I am passionate about, which makes me feel proud of the limited-edition version of myself that I am building, day by day. This version includes prioritizing habits that make me feel fulfilled, satisfied, at peace with myself, and healthy. Some activities that I cannot miss are daily exercise, sharing quality time with people who support me emotionally, acting with transparency and honesty, eating healthy, and some moments of rest and disconnection, trusting how my body and mind require it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My story is about a Design dream that came true and proves that everything has a reason to be. I believe nothing is impossible and everything is possible if you work hard to accomplish your dreams.
I love describing myself as a tropical beauty, a dreamer born in a small paradise, Costa Rica. Like many immigrants with an exotic mixed background, one day, I decided to pursue my dreams and moved to Miami in 2018. I am the result of a Cuban dad and a Nicaraguan mom who taught me that everything is possible when you work hard for it.
After a risky open-heart surgery, I am living a second life opportunity, where creativity, resilience, and persistence have become my main friends. Since I was a child, my curiosity about how to design and create spaces motivated me to pursue a career in architecture, and some years later, in 2018, I became a Register Architect in Costa Rica. Later in 2019, I decided to move to Miami to study a Master’s in Interior Architecture; so, finally, in Spring 2022, I graduated with honors from FIU. However, design, creativity, and environmental psychology were always present, and my leadership and entrepreneurship desires were also present. Still, in 2015, I had to face open heart surgery to save my life. Hence, that moment motivated me to pursue a career in healthcare design, and in 2018, I decided to found my design brand, MS ARQUITECTURA E INTERIORISMO, in Costa Rica. Initially, I was looking to build a design community focusing on interior architecture, wellness, and health, explicitly showing how to use interior design and architecture as a powerful healing tool to enhance living quality and overall well-being. Finally, in 2022, my dream came true, and MS DESIGN, WELLNESS & HEALTH became a reality in Miami. Now, I work as a Wellness Interior Designer, mainly for residential consultancy, designing unique spaces to heal and promote holistic interior tendencies that enhance life quality. However, I have experience working as a Healthcare and Educational Interior designer, especially for kids’ environments. Don’t hesitate to join my design community @msarquitecturaeinteriores on IG and Facebook! Free Tips about how to use Interior Design as a Holistic Wellness approach are given daily!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I believe we are all born with a destiny. Some find it sooner than others, but in the end, life shapes you into who you are destined to be.
In my case, I had a simple childhood surrounded by lots of love in my hometown, Liberia, Costa Rica. My daily routine back then consisted of games and drawings that helped me dream about who I wanted to be in the future. My ambitions were few, but my desire to live was great. However, life taught me that sooner or later, you become who you are destined to be. It is important to learn to flow, to grow with each life experience (whether bad or positive, you always learn something) because every life lesson you overcome prepares you for the next level. Some tests will be more difficult than others, but they are all necessary at the end of the road, even if you sometimes don’t understand their reason for being at the time. I would say the most difficult test I have had to overcome is the detachment from my life and from the most sincere loves a human being can have: their family.
Today, I consider myself a down-to-earth person, with a zest for life and dreams ahead; only now, I prefer to go with the flow and let life take me where I need to be.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
As a human being, I would say the fear of uncertainty. However, life has shown me that everything happens for a reason and never happens before its time.
I faced my greatest fear when I was told I had to undergo open-heart surgery when I was still in my twenties. At that age, you think you’re invincible and assume you still have a lot of life and health ahead of you. Immigrating from my home country to Miami in search of a doctor and determined to have surgery changed my life forever. It taught me that you never know how strong you are or what you’re capable of achieving until being strong becomes your only option. It also taught me that the greatest treasures in life are love and health; everything can be recovered or rebuilt from scratch, but love gives you the strength to build your dreams, and health gives you the energy and time to achieve them.
Today, years after my surgery, I look back and see that what was once my greatest fear has become my guiding light in life. It helped me direct my passion and skill for design toward creating environments that emanate well-being and promote holistic healing.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’m naturally a private person, but I make it a point to be authentic and true to myself. I believe that bringing my real self into both my life and my work is what really matters—it’s what guides my decisions and the way I connect with others.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
Regret is a constant presence in every person’s life. Sometimes, we regret things we did that we shouldn’t have; and other times, we regret things we want to do or put off until later, and over time, we realize we didn’t get it done. My heart surgery taught me that you must learn to love what you have in the present, learn to be happy with what you have, and live each day as if it were the last day of your life. In fact, we don’t know when our last day will be! It also taught me that no message or feeling should be kept to ourselves, that every word must be expressed, and that every dream must have a plan to make it come true. While it’s true that we can change our minds along the way and decide to give up on that dream, we should never be left with that feeling of “What if…”
I’m a person who prefers to suffer because maybe my actions didn’t have the expected outcome, but it’s worse to live behind the illusion of “What if…”
For now, I dream of leaving my mark through my designs, of guiding future generations through teaching, and of inspiring many through my story, that anything is possible if you dream it. I still have a long way to go, but the path I’ve taken has made me the current version of the person I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msdesignwellnessandhealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msarquitecturaeinteriores/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msarquitecturaeinteriores
- Other: E-mail: msegura@msdesignwellnessandhealth.com
Mobile: 786-932- 7692 will be a pleasure to help you!
Image Credits
Main picture: Ethan my friend
The rest were taken by me
