Maja Kazazic

Bosnian Genocide Survivor, Entrepreneur and Mental Health Advocate

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Palm Harbor, FL

Maja Kazazic
Biography

When she was 16 years old, Maja Kazazic's life changed forever. In the summer of 1993, two years into the Bosnian War – a genocide that killed 250,000 people and injured millions - a rocket propelled grenade exploded in her courtyard destroying her home and killing five of her friends. Her legs were shattered in the blast, and her face and arm were peppered with shrapnel.

Maja was treated in a local makeshift basement hospital that lacked medical supplies and antibiotics. Her left leg became infected and over the next couple of months flesh was cut from her leg until she eventually underwent an amputation – all without the benefit of anesthesia.

Kazazic lay close to death when she was selected to be one of three children evacuated for treatment. She left her home and her family with only a teddy bear, a t-shirt and a rock. As people in Maja's new hometown of Cumberland, Maryland learned of her story, the community volunteered their time, money, and effort to make her whole again.

Maja was determined to succeed; she had the will to overcome any obstacle. Despite the challenges presented to her as a below-the-knee amputee, she was able to build a new life beyond anyone’s expectations. She learned how to walk again, finished high school and college, and eventually started a very successful software company whose clients included Fortune 100 companies. She has since learned to windsurf, play tennis and golf, and even run. She completed her first 5K in 2009.

As a result of the tragedy she endured, Maja was left with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which left her living through constant panic attacks and night terrors, rendering her unable to function at times. On the recommendation of her clinician, Maja adopted Rosie, an amputee Great Dane, and they have been an inseparable pair ever since. With Rosie’s help, Kazazic's PTSD symptoms have abated. Kazazic and Rosie have given hope and inspiration to countless people with limb loss and those struggling with adjustment and depression.

Kazazic has been featured in Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s World, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, CTV, BBC News, and on the Discovery Health Network.

Maja Kazazic
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Maja Kazazic
Featured Keynote Programs

A Mile In My Shoes

The Power Of Empathy

In this keynote address Maja helps attendees harness the power of empathy to teach corporations how to cultivate and build positive and healthy work environments that thrive on teamwork—how to become better leaders, and create and foster healthy and meaningful relationships with coworkers, employees, and customers. The tools learned during this keynote are easily applicable to personal relationships.

Turn Obstacles Into Advantages

Maja was ecstatic when she got her first prosthetic leg, but she was shocked to realize that she forgot how to walk. So she had to re-learn first with a walker, then crutches, then cane. No matter what we do in life or in business we will face obstacles and failures, but the key is to get up, learn from our experiences, improve each time and implement our knowledge to reach any goal!

Extra Effort Leads To Loyalty

On her Lufthansa flight to a speaking engagement Maja needed privacy to accommodate her injuries. She realized that the gate agent went an extra mile and upgraded her to first class. Often, it doesn't take too much extra effort to serve our customers better which can result in lifetime benefits, business, and loyalty otherwise we wouldn't be able to get.

Change = Growth

Maja's childhood dream was to become a professional athlete - that all changed when she lost her leg. Instead of fighting it, Maja embraced the change. This inevitable change led to Maja motivating and inspiring people around the globe. It is only when we embrace the change do we experience growth and reach heights that often change the world.

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Your Actions Speak Louder Than Words

To learn how to walk again Maja joined a marching band. Following her bandmates who became leaders, Maja learned the proper way to walk again following their actions. If you want to be a good leader make sure you are an expert who understands your staff, your group so you can lead by example. Because when it comes to leadership, your actions will always speak louder than words!

Embrace Innovation

Severe war injuries made it extremely difficult for Maja to run and play sports without experiencing excrutiting pain. However, new technology and innovative approach led to development of new materials for a dolphin, her Great Dane Rosie, and allowed Maja to run and play sports pain free. Embracing innovation and technology, however simple it may seem, changes lives daily!

Positivity, No Matter What

When Maja was severely injured instead of being a victim she changed her perspective and turned a negative experience into a positive one that helped her not only to survive but also to thrive. Having the ability to change your perspective allows you to turn any situation into a positive learning and growing experience.

Teamwork Makes You Grow

During the genocide Maja and 60,000 other civilians had no electricity, no food, no water, no medicine, no outside contact. To survive, they became one - like honeybees. Whether it's collaborating with different divisions, departments, or just coworkers, team work will allow everyone to reach staggering growth and results!

Pandemic and You

Finding Purpose in Chaos and Uncertainty

Keynote addresses the questions we all have during these challenging times: How should we be feeling? What should we be doing? Maja offers her insights on how to make sense of the chaos, live a purpose-driven life, and lead purpose-driven organizations and teams.

From Genocide to Pandemic

Parallels, Lessons, and Our Future

Keynote addresses Maja's time in the genocide and draws parallels between the two eerily similar scenarios, while offering lessons from the genocide that helped her community survive and thrive.

Because Business And Life Go Together

During the genocide, Maja learned the importance of positivity, resilience, team work and overcoming obstacles at a very young age. This helped her to achieve great success as an entrepreneur, athlete and as a person in general.

In today's economy it's crucial for corporations to build a loyal and effective workforce which is motivated and adds value to the company, while individuals achieve their personal goals. This is exactly where Maja can help you!

Inspire Your Audience

Maja believes that there are no "one size fits all" solutions, when it comes to keynote presentations. To have the greatest impact at your event, she studies the overall culture and needs of your audience. While telling her shocking and touching story how she survived the genocide, lost her leg, and was still able to thrive and remain positive, she helps your audience to:

• achieve their personal and professional business goals
• overcome obstacles in life and in business
• be positive and resilient
• become better team players
• become better leaders
• become more effective and efficient in their roles
• have plans for the future

You Can't Win If You Give Up

After 15 years, over 100 surgeries and trying different prosthetic legs Maja never gave up on her dream to run again. With her tenacity Maja ran a 5K marathon, but it also revolutionized the prosthetic industry which changed lives for countless war wounded veterans. Showing us that, regardless if it's in business or life, winning solutions come in many different forms. But if you give, you will never win!

Listen To Sell

Despite her difficult circumstances, Maja’s ability to listen to others was the catalyst to building a successful software company which generated six figure, yearly retainers. As a leading sales person in her own company Maja learned how to develop long lasting relationships with her customers, understanding their problems and then offering a solution.