In 2008, while studying psychology at the University of Portland, Maya began cataloguing subtle cues from her classmates' first dates. She recorded what sparked laughter, what lingered awkwardly, and how environment altered chemistry. The notebook grew into a modest coffee‑shop meet‑up series where friends tested quirky activities—urban scavenger hunts, themed cooking challenges, and silent storytelling walks—gathering real‑time feedback that formed the bedrock of her later methodology.
By 2013 Maya launched DateLab, a blog that transformed anecdotal notes into searchable categories: adventure, intimacy, budget‑friendly, and seasonal. Each post paired a concise idea with a psychological rationale, enabling readers to pick concepts that matched their partner’s personality type. The platform attracted over 200,000 monthly visitors, prompting collaborations with lifestyle magazines and a televised segment that demonstrated a midnight rooftop stargazing date, cementing her reputation as the go‑to source for inventive romance planning.