We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Mya LIttle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Mya, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
For a long time, I believed I had a work-life balance because I was managing everything well. I was capable, dependable, meeting expectations, and showing up for everyone. From the outside, it looked like a balance.

But I realized capability isn’t the same as wellness.

Burnout didn’t show up as exhaustion; it showed up as over-functioning. I was productive, but disconnected. Sleeping, but not resting. I had normalized survival mode and called it strength.

Over time, my definition of balance shifted. It’s no longer about how much I can carry; it’s about how sustainably I can carry it. I stopped equating my worth with endurance.

Now, balance means protecting my energy, building boundaries, and measuring success by alignment, not output. It’s less about dividing time and more about staying connected to myself while pursuing excellence.

That shift changed everything.

What should our readers know about your business?
Elite Mind Corp is a mental performance and resilience firm that integrates clinical psychology, sports psychology, and strategic narrative support. What sets us apart is that we don’t just focus on mental health in isolation; we focus on performance, identity, and public presence. Especially for high achievers, athletes, executives, and leaders, success comes with pressure. We help them strengthen both their internal resilience and their external presence.

I’m most proud of building a brand that blends clinical integrity with innovation. As a licensed clinician with over 20 years of experience, I’ve worked in hospitals, rehab centers, community settings, and private practice. But I realized high performers needed more than traditional therapy; they needed a structured mental performance strategy, proactive burnout prevention, and support navigating visibility and scrutiny. That realization led me to expand beyond the therapy room into consulting, authorship, and scalable tools.

It was not easy. The transition from clinician to CEO required a complete mindset shift. I had to unlearn scarcity thinking, learn business strategy, build systems, and step into leadership. There were moments of doubt, financial risk, and recalibration. I overcame those challenges by investing in mentorship, refining my vision, and staying anchored in purpose. I learned that growth requires structure, not just passion.

The biggest lesson along the way has been this: sustainability matters. Burnout should not be the cost of ambition. High performance without mental grounding is fragile.

What I want the world to know about my brand is that we are redefining what strength looks like. Strength is not endurance at all costs. It is clarity, discipline, resilience, and alignment. My story is one of evolution from clinician to founder, from survival mode to intentional leadership. And that evolution is exactly what I help others build for themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were coming in from Philly, I’d give her the full LA experience but the grounded, soulful version.

We’re starting with nature. One of the things I love most about LA is access to the outdoors, so the first stop would be a hike at Fryman Canyon in Studio City. It’s beautiful, energizing, and the perfect way to reset your body clock after travel. After that, we’d walk over to the local farmers market for fresh juices, seasonal fruit, and maybe a good coffee. LA mornings just hit differently.

In the evening, we’re grabbing sushi at Taisho in Sherman Oaks. That’s my spot, the food is fresh, the vibe is intimate, and the music is always right. I’m a foodie, so the week would definitely revolve around food experiences.

I’d also take her to Leimert Park. LA isn’t just palm trees and glam, it’s culture. We’d stop by Nappily Naturals for body butters, oils, and herbs. It’s Black-owned, rooted, and community-centered. That’s the LA I love, creative, diverse, soulful.

And of course, we’re doing Sunday steak on the Boulevard. There’s something about ending the week with good food, good conversation, and a little elevation.

LA has so many layers: beach days in Malibu, art in DTLA, rooftop views in West Hollywood, I could honestly build a whole second itinerary. But for me, the best of LA is nature, culture, and food. That’s the real experience.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely want to start by shouting out Dr. Zimmerman for even recommending the Shoutout series. That kind of support, when someone sees your work and thinks, your voice belongs here, matters more than people realize.

I also have to recognize my two sons. They’ve walked with me through every evolution, the uncertainty, the late nights, the pivots, the growth. They’ve seen the behind-the-scenes of building something from vision. Their presence keeps me grounded, challenges me to keep learning, and reminds me why sustainability and purpose matter.

And I’m deeply grateful to my mentors through Black in Business and the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women in Business program. That experience truly shifted my mindset. It helped me move from thinking like a clinician to thinking like a CEO. It gave me the tools and confidence to expand into authorship, consulting with universities, and building products that extend beyond the therapy room.

No one builds alone. Each of those influences helped shape not just my success, but my perspective.

Website: https://www.elitemindcorp.org

Instagram: dr.mya_elitemind

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mya-little-psy-d-lcsw-aba06516

Image Credits
GRND frame work is created by ChatGPt

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.