How Tiffany Wong hit a wall, got honest about it, and rebuilt her life and business around self-care that actually works. The story behind Maylay Co.
In 2020, as the world ground to a halt, Toronto-based designer and creative, Tiffany Wong discovered an unexpected silver lining: gratitude.
Small acts of kindness everywhere. People leaving treats for delivery drivers. Pay-it-forward lines at McDonald’s. Friends showing up with food when everything felt fragile.
Coming from a family of printers, Tiffany was already creating patterns and selling stationery when COVID hit.
But inspired by this gratitude, she designed something new. Not just any card. One where you write gratitude to someone, and they get an extra one to pass forward. A chain of kindness in an envelope.
Tiffany founded Maylay Co., a stationery company inspiring, gratitude, connection and intentional living. The focus is to create purposeful and beautifully crafted stationery that encourages people to connect and spread joy in difficult times.
And, for a moment, everything aligned. The gratitude was real. The mission was clear. The products were resonating. She was doing what she was supposed to do.
But then, slowly, her own wellbeing slipped away.
The Turning Point
After her daughter was born, trying to hold everything together felt impossible.
She was doing everything she thought she was supposed to do. Caring for her child. Showing up for her family. Supporting her husband. Building a business that mattered.
But she wasn’t truly happy. She was in survival mode. Running on autopilot. Overwhelmed. Rarely stopping to check in with herself.
“I was struggling a lot,” she says. “I was just kind of forcing myself to slow down, practice more gratitude, journal more, reach out to other women, all these little acts of self care. I really found that to help like the postpartum and just my whole overall wellness journey.”
It wasn’t flashy. No meditation retreats or wellness apps. Just small acts. Writing. Reaching out. Journaling. Slowing down.
That season became the foundation for everything she’d build next.
Tiffany Wong, Founder, Maylay Co.Scaling Up, Without the Burnout
“It’s grown into something definitely more meaningful and purposeful,” Tiffany says.
The products hadn’t changed in essence. But their meaning had deepened. These weren’t just aspirational products for perfect lives. They were tools for people trying to stay grounded.
So when Tiffany decided to move into wholesale after selling direct at markets, it wasn’t about scale metrics. It was about a mission. She wanted to reach more people and the purpose was to spread kindness as widely as possible.
The pay-it-forward feature—two cards in every pack so the recipient can pass one forward—is difficult to measure in spreadsheets.
But Tiffany knows it’s working. In-person, when she explains it, people have an instant, heartfelt reaction. She gets feedback from customers and recipients, both online and in person. There’s no formal way to track it, but those responses mean a lot.
Bloom: Finding Her Village
If Maylay Co. is Tiffany’s way of spreading kindness to the world, Bloom events has become her way of nurturing her community.
“It’s like planning a wedding, which is so much work,” she laughs. But the results are undeniable.
After her first event brought 50 women together, she saw a clear need for spaces that prioritize self-care and authentic connection.
It was a natural evolution of her journey: realizing that self-care isn’t just about journaling alone. It’s also about finding a ‘village’ of other women who just get it.
With multiple events now planned throughout the year, including a big gathering this September, she is ensuring these opportunities for connection are ongoing.
“I don’t want this to be a one-time thing,” she says. “I want women to have ongoing opportunities to connect and take care of themselves.”
The New Definition of Success
As she looks toward the future, Tiffany is staying focused. With the holiday season approaching and plans to expand US orders, she’s keeping the momentum going, but with a new perspective.
She’s learned that it’s okay to let some ideas go to focus on what matters most.
For Tiffany, being “women-led” isn’t just about the title; it’s about the intentionality, the community, and the grace to admit when things aren’t working.
Her story is a reminder that intentional living doesn’t have to be hard. It just has to fit into real life.
We don’t have to choose between our ambition and our well-being. We can build both.
