Ten Years, Ten Women: Mai

Before joining, Mai's life left her almost no room to herself. She had two days off a month, and even on those days she often still had to work before she could leave the house. She joined Better Me wanting to learn something new and, just as much, wanting a little more time that belonged to her.

What she learned reshaped more than her schedule. She picked up real saving habits, and alongside them, something less tangible but more lasting: a sense of her own worth. She describes becoming more willing to try new things and more open to improving herself, rather than accepting her situation as fixed.

That shift in self-worth is what she credits with giving her the courage to make an actual change, moving from housekeeping into nanny work, a role with more breathing room than the one she'd had before. She describes Better Me's meaning to her simply, as becoming a better version of herself, measured against who she used to be rather than against anyone else.

What she's most proud of today has nothing to do with her own career. It's her younger brother's education, which she's supported throughout, and she describes the two of them now as both teacher and student to each other, a relationship that didn't exist in the same way before.