Marion Mayes

Name: My name is Marion but I prefer to be called by my middle name Mona especially by those close to me 

Where you are from: I was born in Melbourne Australia, having lived most of my life here apart from 5 years living in Asia and 3 years living in London.

Where you live: I live where I was born by the beach in inner Melbourne , Australia with a secret wish that I lived in the forest. 

This is who I am in the world…. I am first and foremost a mother at this time in my life, that has been my plight, deepest passion and by far greatest challenge for the past 13 years. I have held one value close to my heart all of this time , to be a present mother.   My son is a great shining light in my life, that has called me to be many things I thought I was not capable of, a warrior, a lioness, an open heart, a student, a leader and so much more- he is the one force in my world that can make my heart swell, contract and crack open in an instance. 

Beyond the world of home and family life, I am a business woman having founded Thalia Stanley Group 7 years ago in honour of my mother Thalia and my Father Stanley.  I had always had a dream of empowering women and Thalia Stanley has become the vehicle by which I champion women into economic empowerment and housing security.

From as young as 7 I felt a deep empathy for the plight of humans, experiencing feelings of sadness whenever I perceived another was struggling, this often manifested in me giving away my family’s food, clothing and money to those I felt needed it more.  My parents, whilst not happy at those times my acts of kindness played out, always upheld it was better than pretending not to see the plight of others and doing nothing. 

I believe life puts before us the omens we need to fulfill our dharma or walk our path, for me that lead me to be an official ambassador for White Ribbon Australia for 2 years, I knew I could have an impact in my own unique way on the epidemic we have here in Australia of Domestic Violence, I started sharing the narrative of coercive control and systems abuse before it was a thing and at a time where the concept of  it had no credit, today it is tabled for legalisation in some states of Australia.  From this work, I learnt about the issue of housing security, and it led me to my work with St Vincent de Paul Society.

Just over 5 years ago, I completed my first CEO sleepout, as my understanding and knowledge grew about the true causes of homelessness I took the opportunity to become an official ambassador for the organisation, to this day I feel deeply called to play some role in the solution and prevention of homelessness of women and children.  In my commercial life I am committed to championing women into housing security, one woman, one property at a time. 

By nature I am an introvert, My work and my choice of service to others often require me to be anything but an introvert, so when I am not being a business woman, ambassador or champion of women I can be found living a very simple basic life, nesting in my home, cooking, in a forest, riding my bright blue vintage bike with the wind in my face or spending time with those dear to my heart.  Whilst it may seem like an odd thing to say my son soon to be 14 is my dearest friend, I genuinely like him as a human being and I find his personality more diverse, interesting, and adaptable than most. 

I love the saying that “reality lives in language” so by my own account I say that I am a mother, a businesswoman, a champion for women and I hope by example, I am a leader that demonstrates that Love is stronger than any force in the universe, it always has been and always will be.

This is the story that I want rewritten for women…..

If we look through the ages the story of women has been on a consistent trajectory; and in more recent years we are now seeing mother nature herself give us all a massive wake up call and takestock to remind us of the true power of the feminine.

For me personally there are so many political issues of gender equality, economic inequality, and obvious disadvantages of being Woman, yet the story I would most love rewritten for women is that of their own personal power.  That is, that our belief creates our own limitations of what is possible.

This is not to dismiss that the patriarch exists, that the boys club is real or that in 2021 unbelievably we still have a gender pay gap that could easily be solved by legislation, making it illegal to pay a woman less than a man.  But as we know economic resources are power and the forces that appear to have a deep fear of Women being personally or economically empowered, The why of this fascinates me and is something that continues to hold my attention. What do they think would happen if the majority of women ruled the world, as men do now?

Despite the lack of power women have on a larger scale, I see women turn inwards on themselves when things don’t work out. Asking questions of no value like what is wrong with me, why didn’t they, hechoose me.  I also see the opposite phenomena of what exists in the boys club, where men fiercely stick together under any circumstance and this truly fascinates me.  I ponder the question of what would the world be like if women were so connected to their personal power that they stood in unity with every woman, if jealousy was replaced with loyalty, if clicks were replaced with inclusivity, if gossip was replaced with singing the praises of our fellow sisters.

Personally, I believe to be in our personal power, we must come from a place of 100% self-responsibility for all areas of our life, our health, our vocation, our financial stability, our relationships and the healing of our own trauma but most importantly from a place of self value, self appreciation and then self love.  From this place we have enough self value and worth to stand strong in unity with other women (especially those we fear or who need it most) and then to be an expression of our best selves bringing our personal power to the callings that pull us in the different direction that make up a life. 

This is the story that I next want to write for myself….

If you could hear me now there is a large gulp and I share this answer.  The true story that I want to write for myself next is two fold, the courage to rawly share my work with the world (I have resisted on so many levels to date) and then personally to free fall into deep love.  I have (embarrassingly dodged too many proposals to say out loud) and now I find myself wanting to free fall into that which is unknown and I cannot control.  I have come to a point in my life, where mostly I have all the things I could have put on a bucket list and now there is space, readiness and time to open to this next chapter, a great love story……