Progress

Hey! Meet Naomi Thomas, she’s the founder of Boss Business Market and a bonafide Tech STEMinist. Naomi spends most of her time creating and managing brands. She runs a digital marketing agency called Boss Business Market (BB Market) and she’s on a mission to disrupt the creative space. Naomi advocates for diversity and inclusion within the tech industry through innovative learning experiences under The STEM Station. In her spare time, she loves to get into anything adventurous, travel, binge on tv-shows and have fun. She likes music that she can vibe to depending on the mood her taste in music ranges from Corrinne Bailey Rae to Cardi. Fun fact: Naomi used to run track and she qualified and participated in the Junior Olympics, Penn Relays, and Nationals. She really cares about collaboration over competition so she tries to support anyone who is trying to spread positive energy in the world. We titled this session Progress based on the expectations that Feel free to reach out to her by checking out her website: www.naomimthomas.com

read below for our short interview session with Naomi!

MV- What motivates you?

Naomi - “My mom has been my biggest supporter and motivator. She is the most hardworking woman I know, so having her in my corner has boosted my ambition and drive as an entrepreneur. I’ve also been discovering that the people I spend the most time with also have an effect on my overall work ethic. It’s important to surround myself with those that I can absorb the right type of energy from!”

What are 5 pieces of advice you would give to your younger self?

1. Never force relationships: Throughout my experiences in business and in my personal life, I’ve discovered that whatever is meant to be will be, and if someone doesn’t want to collaborate with you, be your friend, or whatever, let them be. Show your worth through your work. Stay in your own lane, and those that you are meant to cross paths with will appear, in due time.

2. Inspiration > Imitation: When building a business, or personal brand, it is easy to look up to those in your industry that are absolutely killing it. The thing that you do not want to do though, is copy everything that an idol is doing. Instead, take notes. Observe their strategies, their behaviors on social media, their marketing campaigns, and use your notes as inspiration to mold it around YOUR brand. Stay true to you, or your brand’s identity will get lost just as quickly as you lost your own identity trying to be like someone else.

3. Always be nice to people, no matter what: Thank you, mom. This is the absolute most important rule that I strive to live by because what you put out into the universe will be reciprocated. If you are respectful at all times, people will notice that. If you take a look at the bigger picture during any conflict with friends, clients, terrible drivers on the road, etc… you will realize that the response you give is what matters. No matter how anyone treats you, the most important part of the entire experience is your reaction. At the end of the day, don’t stress over the things you can’t control.

4. Find your brand, be it: Wise words from pops- make an effort to always be authentically, you. Whatever type of person you are trying to portray online, you must also be true to. Don’t fake a brand and portray illusions. For example, I don’t have to hide that I like to party every once in a while because I can balance my business and professional life as well. I try to be transparent about what makes me, me. I don’t like to let other’s opinions really dictate my actions or conform to social norms. I’m only human, and as long as I am not hurting someone or spreading negativity energy in the world, I could care less about judgmental people.

5. The more information you know, the more you become dangerous to yourself: This is not just intended for “know-it-all” personalities, or the jack-of-all-trades. Anyone that has experienced some sort of distraction in their life by the media can relate. Whether it be drama-centered within entertainment, politics, and business, it’s important to have tunnel vision. Focus on your goals, and don’t let external distractions throw you off track. I also keep this thought in mind when I consider how much information I am consuming each day, and how it is affecting my life in general. Not all knowledge is good knowledge. I don’t watch the news on the regular, or cable TV in general because the programming has increasingly targeted negative news more than highlighting the good in the world. If there is anything super important that I should know, I have people in my life that I can count on to keep me informed.

MV - Have you found your Purpose?

Naomi -”Yes, and no. I feel like I’ve been learning more and more about myself. I’ve explored the types of things that I am interested in, what will make an impact, as well as the type of impact I want to leave on my family, friends, community, and the people I cross paths with in life. In general, I feel like I’ve found a purpose and mission revolving around creating and being influential in a positive way. My current endeavors include helping others reach their goals/dreams in business and also helping people discover that they have the power within them to overcome stereotypes, specifically women facing adversity in non-traditional career fields.”

Naomi- “Although our society has made progress with diversity and inclusion in the STEM and business fields, there are many ways that we can improve. In the business world, I believe the biggest challenge that women face in the business world is credibility. Women can often be overlooked or ignored when stating their opinion and giving advice. Associated with the female gender are very biased characteristics like being too emotional, weak, and when in leadership positions, being seen as bossy. Lack of credibility leads to lack of equal pay, rights, and involvement in impactful corporate decisions. If people of a less represented population are aware of injustices within the tech industry ranging from hiring to equal pay, they will be less interested in pursuing a career in that field. Everyone wants to feel like what they are dedicating their time and energy toward is actually attainable. It’s important to address this and to never give up finding solutions to improve.”

MV - As an influencer, what has been your biggest challenge?

Right now, I am struggling with balancing the “never-ending grind” of being an entrepreneur with my personal life.  I take my laptop just about everywhere I go, trying to stay consistent with team management, and social media marketing.  It’s easy for me to get so involved in my career that I fail to separate time dedicated to personal and family time with business.  Entrepreneurship is tough.  Being a woman with interests in non-traditional areas is tough.  I feel like I am inspiring people, but at the same time, I do feel an immense amount of pressure to set a good example and not let people down that believe in me.  I am so grateful that whenever I feel like giving up, I can always rely on my support system to help me push through.