We recently had the chance to connect with Karen Moise and have shared our conversation below.
Karen, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
“Are you walking a path or wandering?” That question has a way of stopping me in my tracks. When I take a closer look back at how I have been moving through life, with intention or by default. A path has purpose, a direction, even if it curves, even if it’s slow. Wandering can feel free for a while, but it often leaves us circling, restless, without roots. The real question is to notice which one you’re choosing, and whether it’s carrying you toward the life you’re longing for. Sometimes it is difficult to discern if I am on a path or adrift, and only I can choose if the next step carries me closer to who I am becoming. And by welcoming both the walking and the wandering, I’ll find the clarity that was waiting all along
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My journey in this industry began with Ma Maison, our European-inspired luxury wedding and event venue nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. For over a decade, Ma Maison has been a place where love stories unfold against a backdrop of timeless architecture, sweeping oak trees, and the kind of natural beauty that feels both grand and intimate. What makes Ma Maison truly special is that it was born out of my desire to create not just a venue, but a sanctuary where couples and families could celebrate life’s most meaningful moments in a setting that feels both elevated and deeply personal. We’ve hosted hundreds of weddings and events, and it’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to see Ma Maison become part of so many legacies of love.
Yet, while Ma Maison continues to flourish, my heart has been calling me toward something new, something even more personal. That calling has taken shape in HavenWyld, my most passionate adventure to date. HavenWyld is not just a retreat property; it’s a vision for what healing, connection, and intentional living can look like when placed at the center of hospitality. With Zen-inspired gardens, chakra-themed rooms, and spaces for both stillness and community, HavenWyld is designed as a refuge for retreat leaders, seekers, and everyday guests who crave renewal. Where Ma Maison embodies the art of celebrating love, HavenWyld embodies the practice of cultivating wholeness.
What excites me most about HavenWyld is the opportunity to create experiences that go beyond an event or a stay, it’s about transformation. It’s about welcoming people into a space that encourages presence, growth, and soulful connection. For me, this feels like a natural evolution of my life’s work: first helping people celebrate their most important moments, and now offering them a place to restore, reflect, and rediscover themselves.
At the end of the day, both Ma Maison and HavenWyld are tied together by the same thread: creating beautiful, intentional spaces where people can connect to themselves and to something greater. And that, for me, is the legacy I want to leave behind.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I was unworthy of love, safety, and belonging. Growing up in an environment marked by scarcity and abuse, I internalized a constant stream of negative messages. They became the background noise of my life, voices of self-doubt, self-sabotage, and silence that told me I was not enough. These beliefs shaped me into a people-pleaser, someone who gave endlessly with no boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of my gifts. For years, I thought my imperfections were flaws to be hidden rather than sacred parts of who I am.
But something shifted. Through meditation, self-love, and the ongoing journey of healing my inner child, I began to uncover the truth. I discovered that my worth was never broken, only buried beneath the voices of pain. I learned to sit with myself in stillness, to nurture the parts of me that once felt unloved, and to listen for the deeper calling within my soul. That calling revealed not just a life purpose but a soul purpose: to hold space for others who are seeking love, healing, and wholeness.
Today, I no longer listen to the voice of doubt that once ruled my life. I no longer carry the belief that I am powerless or unworthy. Instead, I embrace my gifts, even the ones I once saw as imperfections, as powerful tools for connection and transformation. I have learned that boundaries are not walls, but bridges that protect love and make space for it to flourish authentically.
This journey has inspired me to create HavenWyld, a sacred healing space where others can come to release their own burdens, reconnect with themselves, and find the courage to walk their own path of healing. HavenWyld is more than a place; it is a living embodiment of what I once needed as a child and what I now dedicate my life to offering: a sanctuary of love, safety, and the reminder that every soul is whole and worthy.
I no longer believe the lies of my past. I believe in my light, my purpose, and the healing power of holding space for others to discover their own.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her this: You are loved. You are worthy. You are enough.
To my younger self, the little girl who carried the weight of scarcity and the pain of abuse, who believed the lies whispered into her heart. I would hug her and wrap her in the tenderness she never received and tell her that nothing about her spirit was ever broken. I would remind her that the voices of doubt were never the truth, that her gifts are not flaws, and that she was always more than enough exactly as she was.
I would tell her that one day she would learn how to heal, how to sit in stillness, and how to discover the depth of her soul’s purpose. That she would transform her pain into a sacred calling, to hold space for others to find love, safety, and healing. And I would whisper gently that all the while, even when she could not feel it, love was carrying her forward to this very moment.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The project I am most deeply committed to, no matter how long it takes, is the creation of HavenWyld. For me, HavenWyld is not just a retreat property or a business venture; it is my soul’s work, born out of both the struggles and the healing journey that have shaped me.
As a child, I believed the negative voices that told me I was unworthy, not enough, and destined only to serve others at my own expense. But through meditation, self-love, and the healing of my inner child, I discovered a deeper truth: my purpose is to hold space for others who are walking their own paths of pain, transformation, and renewal. HavenWyld is the embodiment of that purpose.
I am committed to building HavenWyld into a sanctuary where people can come to release the burdens of their past, reconnect with their own worth, and discover their innate wholeness. It is a place where love, boundaries, and authenticity create the foundation for true healing. Whether through retreats, intimate gatherings, or quiet reflection, HavenWyld is designed to meet the deep human need for belonging, restoration, and empowerment.
This project is not about speed; it is about alignment. I know it may take time, but the timing is secondary to the vision. Because every step I take toward building HavenWyld is a step toward fulfilling not only my life’s purpose, but my soul’s promise to serve others. No matter how long it takes, I am unwavering in this commitment: to create a space where love is felt, healing is possible, and every person who enters can be reminded of what I had to learn for myself, that they are loved, they are worthy, and they are enough.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say, Karen loved. That I didn’t just love quietly, but that I loved LOVE itself. Through our Austin wedding venue, Ma Maison, I created a place where couples could celebrate their love story, seal it with a kiss, and begin their journey surrounded by beauty and belonging. And that through HavenWyld, I built a sanctuary in nature, a place where serenity finds you, where the stillness of the earth whispers healing, and where people could discover not just peace, but themselves.
Most of all, I hope the story they tell is this: She loved me in a way that made me remember to love myself. That my legacy is one of spaces filled with love, weddings at Ma Maison, healing at HavenWyld, and that through it all, I left behind a living reminder that every soul is worthy, whole, and enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: themamaison.com and HavenWyld.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themamaison https://www.instagram.com/havenwyld
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-moise
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ATXMaMaison and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571357116261
Image Credits
AL Gawlik, JBell, Taylor James, Neva Michelle
