Maryam Myika Day on Overcoming Insurmountable Odds & Owning Your Story

Most of us have a version in our mind of how life is “supposed” to go—milestones neatly mapped out, expectations carefully placed. But for Speaking of Phenomenal Season 5’s first guest, Maryam Myika Day, that version was rewritten entirely. And in the process, she discovered the power of storytelling, resilience, and forging her own path.

Maryam is an actress, screenwriter, producer, and storyteller whose career began on Broadway in 42nd Street. But even then, she knew there was more for her beyond the stage. “I started off as a performer, and what I realized very early on is that I wanted to tell stories that really represented people like me,” she told host Amy Boyle. “I could talk and complain about it, or I could do something about it.”

That decision led her to screenwriting, where she built her own opportunities instead of waiting for them. Her first film won the audience award at the Reel Sisters Film Festival, setting her on a path that would eventually bring her to Hollywood, where she wrote a screenplay for actress Kat Graham about Motown legend Tammi Terrell. But success didn’t come without challenges. “I was birthing my first child at 40 and my first Hollywood film at the same time,” she shared. “That was the true beginning of me becoming my phenomenal me.”

Finding the Through Line

Maryam’s work has a common theme: stories of women, people of color, and those who have faced insurmountable odds. “I am that person who has overcome insurmountable odds,” she said. Her own story proves that. At 40, after delivering her daughter via emergency C-section, she lost her husband just eight months later. That devastating loss transformed her life once again.

Instead of letting grief consume her, she turned it into purpose. “North of 40,” her podcast and upcoming book, was born from this journey. “Whether you’re tracking toward 40 or already there, North of 40 is a place for you to understand what it means to have a soul shift,” she said. “To have something happen that changes the trajectory of your life.”

The Reality of Grief & The Power of Storytelling

Grief is unpredictable. “Grief takes the time that it takes,” Maryam explained. “And it cannot be rushed.” She describes it as being knocked off your feet, slowly pulling yourself back up. “It may take months, days, years, but at some point, I knew I would feel better. And I did.”

Sharing her experience became her way of processing. “I would just randomly blurt out things,” she admitted. “It was my way of coming to terms with what had happened. The experience itself was the testimony that needed to be told.”

Her storytelling, once movement on a stage, became words on a page, and now a mission to amplify underrepresented voices. “Seeing written by Maryam Myika Day on the screen is a reminder that I’m making my mark,” she said. “My biggest desire is to leave a legacy where people know I was here.”

What’s Next?

Maryam is currently working on Another Country, a non-scripted television show exploring the lives of U.S. expats who have built new lives abroad. “We’ve traveled to Lisbon, Paris, Ghana,” she shared. “It’s about exploring different ways to exist in the world.”

She also teaches screenwriting and offers coaching to help others find their voice. “I want to give people the space, the comfort, and the access to tell their stories,” she said.

Take Action

Maryam offers a 30-minute exploratory coaching call to help aspiring storytellers shape their ideas into reality. “My job is to help you figure out what you want to say, how you want to say it, and where you want to share it.”

And as always, the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast exists to grow our community, lift each other up, and remind you—you are phenomenal.

Who in your life needs a reminder of their strength today? Send them this episode. Drop a note. Show up. Because we are stronger together.