Yuna Zarai
SINGER/SONGWRITER
Through her eloquent and well-informed words, Maggy Wang aims ‘to be the voice she’s never had’ for anyone willing to listen, covering a range of topics from self-care and social stigmas to women’s health.
“I’ve gotten used to interviews, but I still get nervous,” Maggy Wang begins. At some point during our cover shoot, she discards the bold orange tulle skirt to get comfortable — but her bold lip stays intact as she smiles. “Gotta make sure I know what it is I’m speaking about.”
Maggy is no stranger to speaking. After clinching top finalist in Miss Universe Malaysia 2012, her post-pageant days were spent in radio, where she greeted her listeners on weekday mornings for seven years before bidding the stint goodbye in 2019. “My job as a radio DJ had kind of served its purpose,” Maggy says, about the end of her radio journey. “I felt like it wasn’t challenging me anymore. And I felt there had to be something more, so that was when I took the leap of faith and left to do my own thing.”
On the cusp of the pandemic, Maggy launched her podcast Head Over Heels. And what a fitting time it was to get it started. With the nation clouded with fear and uncertainty, Head Over Heels offered a safe space for real, honest conversations — the subject matters kept secret, the ‘hard-to-swallow pills’ — on things like body image and mental health, sexual harassment, and controversies surrounding work culture.
Speaking of hard pills to swallow, for Maggy, it happens to be the set of our cover shoot. It’s clear she’s a little out of her comfort zone in the tulle skirt (while pulling it off effortlessly), but as soon as she spots the tall podium-like prop she’s meant to be perched on, Maggy exclaims, “Guys, I think this counts as extreme sport!” But the end result speaks for itself: Maggy Wang slays.
On being the ‘voice’ she’s never had (and the one we all need)
As a podcast listener, I spend a lot of time sifting through shows before finding one I can really commit to listening to. Because a podcast is more than just a one-time listen — often it’s about lending a voice to the listener, building an intimacy with them, letting them know they’re not alone. This is precisely what Maggy set out to do when she first embarked on the Head Over Heels project.
“I know the word ‘self-love’ is clichéd, but the whole idea behind Head Over Heels is to remind people to put themselves first which, if you think about it, is the last thing we do,” she says. “That’s why I end every episode of my podcast with, ‘Don’t forget to fall head over heels for yourself, first and always.’ That’s essentially how it came about. It’s not so much that I woke up one day and thought, ‘I wanna start a podcast.’ It was a long journey, and one thing led to another — but I definitely owe it to my radio career, because otherwise I wouldn’t have the skill set that I have today to do this.”
Maggy’s ‘voice’ is perfectly apt for a podcast as personal as Head Over Heels. It’s exactly the thing to listen to on a cosy evening, tucked in with a cup of coffee — or kombucha, if it were up to Maggy — and dive into the pool of wisdom. Equal parts charming and quirky, Maggy navigates tough topics with tact and good grace. It feels like being on a FaceTime call with a close friend. (A favourite episode of mine is the one she recorded after her thirtieth birthday, in which Maggy recounts her last moments of being twenty-nine, staring into space in a pitch-dark room before crying, in a dramatic burst, “I don’t want to turn 30 years old!”)
It’s perhaps this raw and undisguised show of emotions that drew me — and many others — into Head Over Heels. “I’m very grateful for the support we’ve been getting,” says Maggy. “We were able to get sponsors along the way, which helps a lot, because this is really a passion project. It tells me, ‘Okay, I’m doing something right.’ I even get messages from people saying that some episodes helped them in their own personal journeys and struggles. Even if it’s just one person that I reach, I feel like I’ve done my job. Not just to help them find a solution, but to be there for them in whatever they’re going through.”
On being in tune with your own body
Maggy’s desire to provide a safe space goes beyond the speaking. Some five-odd years ago as she started getting serious about fitness, Maggy decided to document her journey to track her personal progress. “It was 2017 and hashtags were a thing, so I decided I wanted one for myself, too,” she says, referring to her #MoveWithMaggy initiative. “At the time, I was about 15 kg heavier — I also really lacked the confidence and love for myself then. So, the #MoveWithMaggy hashtag was really for me to one day look back on, and see how far I’ve come.”
Fast-forward to today, #MoveWithMaggy has grown into a movement and fitness community for women. “Why women specifically?” Maggy anchors the question before it even crosses my mind. “Because I feel like a lot of women don’t have the confidence when it comes to fitness. A lot of them might feel a bit insecure, especially when stepping into a gym full of men. They don’t know where to start. They don’t have the knowledge when it comes to the type of workouts they should be doing, or the nutrition they need for themselves.”
Over time, the #MoveWithMaggy community became self-sustaining, with the added support of adidas Malaysia. “The goal for #MoveWithMaggy is to connect women through fitness, movement and wellness, and to know that as women, we don’t need other people to empower us,” she affirms. “Sometimes we just need a little reminder that we can empower ourselves. So, I let the members do their thing when they meet up. That in itself is empowerment — showing up early in the morning to work out. It’s them showing up for each other, and that’s really the beauty of it.”
On the side, Maggy runs Motion Lab — a fitness studio-slash-strength and mobility facility — alongside her partner, Joseph. And while the gym also centres on development for everyone, #MoveWithMaggy is for women, by women. “I want women to have a safe space to go to for fitness, working out, and wanting to feel better about themselves,” Maggy adds. “Wanting to have a change in their life. And even with Head Over Heels, it goes back to the same DNA. A safe space for women to have conversations and feel like they’re not alone; a safe space for them to just be.”
On the importance of loving and understanding yourself
For someone constantly driven to explore new ways to educate others and have conversations with them, Maggy does set aside time to keep tabs on herself and her own needs. Call it a hunch, or zen energy, or simply a woman’s intuition — Maggy is in touch with her emotions in a way that’s so refreshing to see.
“Every day, I’m giving so much of myself to the work that I do; like with my podcast, I’m sharing so much of myself on there,” she says. I recall an older Heads Over Heels episode on lost friendships, where Maggy’s vulnerability had moved me close to tears. “Sometimes I feel I’m stretching myself thin, like, ‘Am I doing too much?’ Then, I start to fall into a trap of feeling like I’m not good enough, losing the confidence and self-esteem that I have. When I feel that way, that’s when I say, ‘Okay, Mags, I think you haven’t been taking care of yourself.’ Those thoughts are a telltale sign for me to get to it.”
As we talk about the stigmas surrounding mental health, especially within Asian communities, it’s unsurprising to learn that Maggy is pro-therapy. “It was a birthday present to myself four years ago,” she quips, alluding to her first session. “It started off as a little investment — maybe once or twice to see how it goes, this whole therapy thing. But it’s been four years now and I haven’t stopped. That’s how I take care of myself, by facing my demons with my therapist. ‘Cause some conversations are hard to have with people that are close to you. Having a therapist to keep me in check is very important, and it keeps me sane.”
In an effort to break the taboo, her therapist is someone Maggy ‘name-drops’ on the regular. She no longer hides the fact that she goes to therapy, and seeing the way mental health is becoming normalised among the Gen Z, she hopes it can help change the mindset. “A lot of the time, people are the way they are because of trauma that we don’t see — whether it’s childhood or generational,” Maggy adds. “Being able to unpack that is a way we can heal our relationships with people and with ourselves. I’m still on that journey myself, so I can’t say that I’m good at it. But it’s something I want to keep bettering myself at; something I want to accomplish.”
We’re on the topic of accomplishments and Maggy’s eyes light up. Earlier this year, she unlocked a major milestone that many twenty-somethings are still seeking: owning a home. Growing up an independent Asian daughter, Maggy had to learn to be self-sufficient at a young age. She never quite had the support in a lot of things she went through, nor a safe space that she could call her own — it was up to her to learn how stand on her own two feet.
“It was more than just a thing to cross off my bucket list,” she shares, about buying her first home. “There was a point in time where I was homeless, and I told myself that I would not be in that position anymore. It might sound like nothing to other people, but it’s so big for me, the fact that I can afford a house of my own. It gave me a new mindset, and completely shifted my confidence and self-esteem. It’s not just about being able to afford it — it makes me feel like I am really, truly capable of taking care of myself.”
On exploring new ‘voices’ ahead
Congratulating her, I tell Maggy that her story is incredibly motivating — and in that vein, prod her into telling me what, in turn, motivates her. “I no longer believe in motivation,” she says straightforwardly. “What keeps me going is discipline, and having a vision for myself. Like, why am I doing this? I need a purpose. Motivation is great, but it can only get me so far. Discipline, I can switch off. But in everything I do, I always try to find a sense of purpose.”
And when it comes down to it, Maggy’s purpose goes back to being the voice she’s never had. “I’m doing it for her,” she says, “the younger me who probably wouldn’t believe the 29-year-old me if I told her I freaking bought a home. I want to make her proud. And on top of that… I just wanna do good. I want to expand the community at #MoveWithMaggy and Motion Lab. And to grow my podcast, hopefully be international one day — and interview some people I’ve always wanted to talk to.”
In the most recent Head Over Heels episode, as we’re leading up to the elections, Maggy had the chance to speak about politics with Hannah Yeoh, former Deputy Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development — yet another thing to cross off Maggy’s bucket list.
“I would love to bring on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and ask them what happened between them,” she jokes. “I’m just kidding. Brené Brown is someone I would like to interview. She’s an author who talks about courage and vulnerability. I would love to pick her brain on what she does.”
Since getting certified as a fitness coach prior to co-helming Motion Lab with her partner, Maggy is looking to get certified as a women’s specialist coach next. Beyond educating women on mental health and guiding them on the best path to fitness, Maggy’s goal is to enlighten women everywhere about all aspects — but first and foremost, she believes in practising what you preach.
“I am constantly trying my best to improve myself,” she says wistfully, and I picture her speaking to a younger Maggy Wang. “‘Cause at the end of the day, everything that you do flows from your heart. So, before I can invest in others, I must first invest in myself.”
Lifestyle Asia KL introduces LSA 100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwether of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rule Breakers, The Joy Sparkers, The Dreamcatchers, The Rocketeers and The Explorers. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2022, HERE.