I grew up in Cali, Colombia and moved to the States after my mom married my stepdad (an American) in 1988. It was quite a culture shock, but I’ve lived in Houston since and I love our city.

Besides my sunscreen and moisturizer, I would have mascara and lip gloss. They make everything better.

This for me is constantly changing. My first influence was my mom. She was a secretary and single mom of three with a very limited budget, but always managed to look very well dressed. Then, during my modeling days, I learned a lot from the people I worked with at First Models, developed my style a bit and now get inspiration from different blogs/publications like Kayture, Atlantic-Pacific, Who What Wear, and some Columbian designers. I like simple styles with a bit of glamour.

My favorite indulgence is eating all kinds of food, which is one of the reasons I love Houston so much. The immense variety of cultures we have in our city allows us to travel the world through their food. I started my blog Restaurant Traveler years ago to explore different cultures through restaurants. That allowed me to meet great chefs, cooks and learn about their life stories. I put Restaurant Traveler on the back burner to focus on my career, but I still “travel” through restaurants.

A long time ago someone said to me “What is the worst that could happen?” This stuck with me and I still ask myself this question when faced with a difficult situation. I’m actually shy in some situations, and asking myself this question takes the fear out of moments when I’m afraid to ask for opportunities, or if I have to put myself “out there.”  The worst thing that can happen is usually not very bad at all.

I love the shops on 19th Street because of the variety of items they sell and how interesting the mix is. I have many restaurants I really like, but when I’m busy working and only have minutes to eat, some of my favorite places are Himalaya, Marini’s Empanadas on Hillcroft, Velvet Taco on Washington, Ramen Jin on Westheimer, and Samurai Noodle on Durham.

I’ve started my jewelry line Maya Fasthoff Designs, which is something I’ve done for years and finally decided to get serious about. I will continue with real estate, but I’m a creative person at heart and now I’ll have a creative outlet that fulfills me so much

Whenever I have down time, I’m creating jewelry or looking for inspiration. I also love to cook.

There are so many hidden gems in Houston and one of my favorite places is George Ranch Historical Park in Fort Bend County, which is a living museum from a family line dating back to 1824 and it’s still a working ranch. It’s a great place to get out of the city and into another time period and simpler way of life.

Who What Wear is one that I frequently visit, Shopbop, and I love looking for fashions from other countries on Instagram.

My advice is never ever sleep with make up on, sunscreen your face always, and eat mostly clean and healthy. Working out is something I’ve been on and off about, but I try to balance that with eating healthy and eating small portions and light meals for dinner. I would also add no smoking, no junk food and being light on alcohol.

Coffee please! I cannot start my day without my breakfast and coffee.

I have fear of deep and dark water, if I cannot see my feet and everything around me, I’m not getting in the water. I will also not get in river or lake waters ~ especially where there is the possibility of gators swimming around.

Besides going anywhere in my homeland, I love Florida or anywhere with beautiful beaches and beautiful water.

If I weren’t in real estate and jewelry designing, I would probably do something involving animals. I have a deep love and respect for nature.

A movie and a short series I’ve recently loved are Into the Woods and War and Peace. Beautiful productions with gorgeous photography, costumes and excellent acting.

Realtor Associate, Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. Owner, Maya Fasthoff Designs.

You’re over 39 … am I really?? I’m 45 ~ which flew by and doesn’t really matter because I feel much younger.

I mess up English words and popular expressions all the time. My husband gets a kick out of this and I finds it funny when he points them out. Recently I said to him “you hit it on the nail” and he cracked up laughing and reminded my of the correct expression (“hit the nail on the head”). I can’t help but laugh at myself and my ESL mishaps.