Check Out Maris Masellis’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maris Masellis.

Hi Maris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ah to go back to the beginning… I remember being a young girl picking up trash on the beach with my mom, talking about all God’s creatures and how they matter, THAT’S where it all started; in New Jersey. I was an only child of a single mother that worked 2-3 jobs at any given time AND went back to school just to give me a good life. I owe my passion, drive, and bravery to one woman and her name is Mama Lynn.

Since a young age, I have been a compassionate soul. I loved animals and people. My mom always said that she would have to keep an eye on me because at any given moment I would disappear with some random strangers or out adventuring the world on my own. I loved to sing. I would swing from the poles of my bed with a small portable microphone and dance on our living room table to Michael Jackson. I have always loved to perform and I have never been shy.

Throughout my younger years and into high school, I tried everything: dancing, singing, acting, softball, soccer, basketball, writing, speaking, and anything else you can imagine. It was hard to pick one thing and when I had to make a decision on what to study in college, I chose Journalism. I thought.. well I love to be on stage but I also want to impact the world and so, I attended the University of Florida and got my bachelor’s degree. It was grueling. About halfway through I didn’t know if it was really what I was passionate about but I decided to push through and finish.

It was bittersweet at the end, but I knew I had made the right choice and was proud of my accomplishment.

Throughout my life, I had on-and-off connections with my father, who had his own bad habits to overcome. Because of this, I felt like I was always trying to impress my dad. My father is a good man with a heart of good intentions yet his addictions separated us for most of my life. Never really knowing my father to the core, I felt a sense of loss through much of my years as a young adult. My parents were always fighting and created friction since I can remember. It was very challenging figuring out how to love the most important people in my life who were always at odds. But that’s another story for another time.

Moving to Nashville was one of the craziest things I had ever done. I quit my job at the news station, packed up my car with everything I “owned” and got on the road with no particular destination in mind. I had roughly about $700 in my bank account (pretty big savings for me at that time) and I kept moving along until I ran out of cash…right into Nashville Tennessee.

I stayed with friends for a few months, serving tables and singing at open mics in an attempt to make friends in the music industry and keep my head above water. I inevitably found myself back in the realm of drugs and alcohol which sent me into a familiar dark spiral. It was 2013 and I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I felt alone and scared. I was trying to find my voice when all of a sudden I tried to sing and nothing came out. To make matters more intense, I was fired from my restaurant job because I called out a manager playing favorites. My first few months in Nashville were not the most encouraging.

I remember crying in my car, not knowing what to do or where to go. I called my mom who consoled me and promised me that things were going to be ok. She hopped on a plane and helped me pay for surgery to get my tonsils removed (the only solution doctors could come up with for my voice loss). She stayed with me and made me mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving since that was the only thing I could get down. As I write this I’m feeling so much gratitude for this strong woman who always came to my rescue.

Eventually, my voice healed and I got back to work. I found another restaurant job and my second home, HOTBOX Fitness. I learned how to kickbox and eventually started teaching my own classes. My mental and physical health was improving and I was starting to feel like myself again. It was only through this healing that I started to see the world differently, wanting more out of life and seeing the potential of what I could bring to others. I had always felt that I had a bigger purpose and at times felt like I was not doing enough. This vicious cycle stopped me from doing anything at all. This was all about to change…

A few years into Nashville, I was starting to see the uptick; serving tables, kickboxing, working on music, and in a pretty serious relationship. It was not until the separated from my partner at the time that I started to look deep into the mirror. I moved into my own apartment and continued to work on myself. All these years I had been searching to make my mark on the world and I knew there was more I could do. I started digging deeper for the answers and soon enough, the universe answered.

I met Michael and Jess, co-creators of the first content creation group and podcast, Zero Waste Trash Talk, randomly at the recycling center when I decided to take a free class to learn more about our recycling system in Nashville. We teamed up and started making content about composting and recycling, held local meetups, and collaborated with other groups like Turnip Green Creative Reuse and The Good Fill to engage with our Nashville community. The tornado and pandemic stunted the growth of our reusable to-go container business which forced us to pivot through another medium… podcasting.

As we took off running, Michael did much of our production, guiding Jess and me to get the gear necessary and passing on our finished work to his neighbor to edit. It was pretty crazy how everything just seemed to click and come together. I owe much of that experience to Michael. He was a mentor and a friend that really pushed me and showed me what I was capable of. I have had many friends and teachers here in Nashville, just to name a few: Michael Britt, Perry Joseph, Jeffrey Barrie, Silver Johnson, Bob Freeman, Frederick Cawthon, Annmarie Gray, Bobby Rymer, and more. Please know that I am eternally grateful for your impact on my life. RIP to my biggest fan, Matthew Brannon.

The climate of our country was heavy… we were marching for justice with BLM and watching Trump win the election… all of us feeling helpless.. everywhere you looked it was absolute chaos and hope was dwindling. As things got more out of control, it was hard to keep Zero Waste Trash Talk going. All of our lives had changed and we were constantly wrestling with which direction to go until we finally decided to call it quits. I was devastated but knew that we had made some incredible impacts with what we had already done. Yet I was still determined to keep going even if I had to do it on my own.

After the quarantine was over, I was promoted to leadership at HOTBOX Fitness, officially became a local lululemon ambassador, and was inducted onto the board of the Tennessee Environmental Council. It was an uplifting time for me and it lit a flame that started a fire. I was starting to see the fruits of my hard work come to fruition and it felt so rewarding. It was bliss.

With encouragement and support from my peers, I released my first solo podcast project, Critical Root Zone in June 2022. I found an incredible production team at Elm Hill Studios and was given an opportunity to start again. I immediately got to work. This time around it was all up to me: the networking, the researching, the organizing, the writing, the directing, the promotion… everything except production and editing was on my plate. Here we are today approaching 20 podcast episodes in the can and I couldn’t be more proud.

The idea behind this podcast is to tell stories and connect people to information and ideas that support this idea of “sustainability” and “saving the planet”. I believe we have to hear and heal each other before we can solve any of the bigger problems like the climate crisis. Throughout this journey we need to take care of ourselves and each other to the best of our abilities, learning from each other and growing together. Critical Root Zone podcast is a vehicle to highlight people doing the work, highlighting all voices on our journey to a climate-positive planet. We cannot love the Planet without loving each other and if we seek to love one another, we must first love ourselves*

There are tons of details I am leaving out but these are the gold nuggets. Nothing in life is easy if you want to do something big. Something worth looking back and saying I made the best out of what I had been given and more. Never take “no” for an answer. Stand up for what’s right. YOU can make a difference in this world. Keep moving. Keep learning. Keep your head up. Dreams do come true if you believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who also believe.

Thank you for reading my story and I hope you can take something from it and apply it to your own journey.

Peace & blessings.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I look back on my life and on the journey here in Nashville I can’t help but think of how challenging some parts of it were… how dark some of the roads became when I had trouble seeing the light. There were so many times when I felt like I was playing a losing game and nothing was going to be “right” … I clung to substances and toxic people to drown out the noise. I fought with my family. I isolated and lied to myself that everything was okay. It wasn’t until I found a group called Al-Anon that things started to change. If you are struggling please know that you are not alone. This group is specifically for those who are looking for fellowship. For a friend. For a shoulder to cry on. I was able to confide in others that had similar experiences and I started to heal. I started to see my full potential. I started to trust in my own Higher Power. I forgave my parents. I forgave myself. And today I share this gift with others.

I can honestly say that I am so grateful for all the hardships in my life because they made me who I am today. God was with me the whole way even when I didn’t want to believe it and each experience was a lesson to learn. I got closer to the woman I was meant to be by making the right choice for me no matter how hard it was. I can look back today and know that I was always true to who I am and I will never settle for anything less.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been singing to anyone who would listen since I was a little girl. You can ask anyone from my childhood, I was a singer. Growing up I sang for church, the school choir, musicals, and the national anthem before sports games. I loved music and knew that it was a huge part of who I was. It’s what got me to Nashville.

Today I have a podcast that allows me to connect with people. I can confidently say that I specialize in human connection. Whether I’m singing, speaking, talking on a podcast, or leading a kickboxing class, I truly love what it feels like to become one with other humans. I enjoy conversation and learning from others and I think that I have a special talent when it comes to understanding where people are coming from and helping them tell their stories or find their purpose. I love being a cheerleader. In recent years I have been told that I should brand myself as a professional “hype woman”!

Please check out my podcast, Critical Root Zone on all platforms and subscribe! If you like what I am doing, please share it with your peers. talk about the topics and use this information to make better choices in your lives! We can only do this together!

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
To be honest, this is a hard question because it’s the people in my life that have made the biggest impact. I try to listen and learn from people I respect in real life… but there are a few that I can say have given me perspective and lifted me up when I needed it.

Fave book of all time: is Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis. His journey is so inspiring and I love his natural calling to perform. He is unapologetically himself.

Runner up: Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This man is unstoppable and owns his mistakes. #respect.

Podcast: Critical Root Zone… jk, jk… Joe Rogan’s Podcast is what I look up to! This man has taken it to the next level and continues to go up.

App: I AM app gives me motivational quotes and insight when I need it the most.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @themarisvibez
• Facebook: Maris Masellis
• Linkedin: Maris (MarisvibeZ) Masellis
• Youtube: @criticalrootzonepodcast

Image Credits
Jake Matthews