Maja Kazazic
Maja Kazaic, CEO of Vela Business Solutions, Palm Harbor captivated our Tampa Bay Think Tank (TBTT) members, as guest speaker at our second quarter meeting (April 21, 2011). Maja currently has a creative and thriving company that offers business solutions, including website and software development, branding and BPM. That’s already an accomplishment in today’s economy. English wasn’t her first language though. She learned by watching the Cosby Show and other American television programs during her teens.
Those of you who know Maja, or who were lucky enough to be in attendance know that a language and culture barrier were not the largest hurdles to success in her new homeland and in business. The biggest key to her success and in her life is her positive outlook, and the fact that she allowed others to provide help. I’m jumping to the end of the story a little, but her message is really what she would want you to focus on while reading.
Maja always had an interest in playing soccer and being independent. She was raised in Mostar in Bosnia-Hercegovina until age sixteen, two years after the Bosnian genocide and the start of two wars. On July 14, 1993, a mortar shell fell in her courtyard, critically injuring her and killing six of her friends. Her legs were shattered, her face and arm were peppered with shrapnel. Cared for in a makeshift basement hospital, her left leg was eventually amputated below the knee without benefit of anesthesia. Without proper medication, her other injuries, including the massive injuries to her right leg festered in the mid-summer heat. She lay close to death when she was selected to be one of three children evacuated to Croatia, then Germany and eventually, to the United States. One year later, as a resident of a small Maryland town, Maja taught herself English and was enrolled in high school, determined to pick up the remnants of her shattered life.
She provided some staggering statistics such as 279,000 people killed (6.3% of the population), horrifying stories such as daily cutting away of infected skin, fear for the lives of her friends and family, and needing to say quick and painful goodbye when opportunity came for survival. What struck me most was that she never lost hope and never thought about how close to death she came until an adult. She presented her story to provide perspective, but stressed that she doesn’t consider herself a hero – just a person who embraces life.
Maja has had over 100 surgeries and could not walk for two years. She progressed with her artificial legs from rails, to walker, to cane, to a marching band. Her story also involves another local survivor, Winter the Dolphin, who lost part of her tail in a crab trap. Maja enjoyed visiting Winter at the Clearwater aquarium and observed that with her prosthetic, she swam perfectly. Using her resourcefulness and initiative she contacted Hanger Orthotics and Prosthetics, the company that designed for Winter. Within ten days Maja had a comfortable, great fitting prosthetic which let her be pain free. She ran her first marathon (Gasparilla) earlier this year.
Maja gives back to many individuals and organizations who have provided help to her, and who provide opportunities to others who are living with amputation. Just that evening, TBTT members donated an unprecedented $650 to Maja’s chosen charity – Camp No Limits. NoLimitsFoundation.org, their website, was re-designed by Maja’s company, and includes more details on the mission - To educate and empower young people with limb loss to discover and develop a healthy, happy and independent lifestyle.
Read Maja’s full story in her own words. It is truly amazing. She never gave up, and always considers herself lucky. Her family is also safe and now living in America. Her lesson on any success or project is threefold. 1) Break it down into small steps; 2) Maintain a positive attitude; 3) Ask for help.
We reviewed Maja’s presentation during our roundtable discussions and felt that the hardest of the three is to ask for help. Maybe it’s pride, independence, lack of trust or any number of reasons, but Maja is an example of the benefit. She continues to receive mentorship on her business from friends and colleagues, and hires outside contractors and employees who are expert in their field.
TBTT appreciates the story, lessons, and friendship of Maja Kazazic. Visit TampaBayThinkTank.com to learn more about our group, and to join us at future meetings.
