Meet Maxine Morency: Writer, Podcaster, and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maxine Morency and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maxine, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk is essential to living life. For me, life without any risks is a life that is not fully lived. I made the risk to step out of the expected life decisions my parents and some family members had for me. Being a daughter of Haitian immigrants, there is an embedded expectation for me to live my life a particular way: black church abiding, with a “good girl” aesthetic that involves straight relaxed hair, a smile, and a “yes” to anything even if it makes me uncomfortable. In my early 20s, I made the conscious decision to return to my natural kinks and embark on my natural hair journey; that means cutting my relaxed ends and starting anew with my 4c textured hair. Though I was becoming comfortable in the fullness of myself, I recognized it made other people uncomfortable that I was no longer wearing my hair in a way that deemed presentable as a black woman in America. In my late 20s, I made the intentional decision to move alone to Houston, Texas as I decided it was time to move from Boston, Massachusetts, and cultivate a life on my own terms. This has been my best move yet, and I have grown tremendously all because I took a risk, betted on myself, and stepped out on faith.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a truth teller. As a podcaster, I speak about real world experiences. I use my platform as a space to talk about a range of different topics that matter to me, such as politics, dating, and self growth. I use my comedic flair to get my message across while giving opportunities to laugh and speak truth at the same time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As soon as my best friend touch down Houston, we are heading to a Daiquiri spot. There are so many Daiquiri spots to choose from in Houston, so I’ll just go to whichever is closest at the time. It’ll be a nice kick start to the festivities that I have aligned for me and my best friend. Next, we’ll embark on two spots back to back and that is Prospect Park and The Address. Hours past and although the night still feels young to us, most spots are closing up, so I take my best friend to The Spot because we are not done dancing and having a fun night. The next day, we’ll sober up and eat at The Breakfast Klub to get our energy filled with some good Southern breakfast before we indulge in the art scene at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Then, we’ll hang out at Eleanor Tinsley Park hopefully running into a festival there. Finally we’ll have dinner at Grace’s and order my favorite in the menu, the roasted chicken!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My former undergraduate professor, Dr. Randall Horton, inspired me since the first day of class. He opened my eyes to the black experience in America. He introduced to me the idea of being unapologetically yourself while being aware of how controversial that is, he still inspired me to be my whole self.