We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nemiah Hobbs. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nemiah below.

Nemiah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Project NEMIAH is an Advocacy Organization, primarily focused on serving the families of students with disabilities. Growing up, I was a student who had multiple disabilities and there were those who advocated for me, including teachers, counselors and many others. I vowed that once I had an opportunity, I would pay it forward. So the idea was born in my mind during my adolescence, and upon graduating from High School and entering College- I launched Project NEMIAH.

Nemiah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up, I’ve had to be resilient and learn how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Everyone, imagine having epilepsy, an uncontrollable muscle spasm causing you to literally drop your head on the table and bruise your forehead.. Imagine having hearing loss, having constant testing of the ears and eventually wearing hearing aids. Imagine having astigmatism, constant itching and burning eyes, eye drops, and eventually wearing glasses. Imagine being a late walker. Even as a baby, you feel left behind by your peers. Now everyone, open your eyes. That’s me, that’s my story from three months to six years old.

My challenges during my childhood set the stage for who I am today as an Advocate for Children and Youth with disabilities. As an Inspirational Speaker, I use my voice to bring awareness about the challenges children and youth with disabilities face. I use my voice to mobilize individuals to be servant leaders and volunteer for causes they are passionate about. My passion and advocacy led me to create Project NEMIAH, which is a non-profit organization that provides educational and career/job readiness resources for students with disabilities during and upon graduating from high school. In addition, I use my social media as a vehicle to bring about change and improve the lives of students with disabilities.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Because of my obstacles, I had to be resilient and learn how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping-stones. Facing these obstacles was not easy; oftentimes, I would feel discouraged and feel like I wasn’t capable of success. Most of my childhood was spent either in surgery, speech therapy and with several doctors due to my various medical issues. My youth has set the stage for my future; it has helped me realize how important it is to stay determined to be great and make a difference in the world.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I built my audience by utilizing my social media as the catalyst from “Idea to Execution.” I began sharing daily tips and videos to inspire and empower students with disabilities and their families. I used social media as a primary tool, as there were no start up costs, other than apps used to enhance my videos. In addition, I partnered with agencies, schools and organizations and provided information to parents that greatly assisted them in aiding their children, who had disabilities. Overall, I essentially transformed social media into “advocacy media,” where my followers joined me in my efforts overall.

Also, I’ve participated in podcasts with ” Don’t Let The Disability Fool You” and ”Lawyers Making Sense of It All,” and I participated in other virtual speaking engagements that have allowed me to continue to inspire, inform, and educate parents on how to assist their children who have special needs within their education. I not only speak about special needs, I also speak on things such as mental health, educational tips, PTSD, etc. My overall goal is to assist many, whether you have a special need or not, I want to essure many are staying encouraged, motivated, and lifted up throughout their daily lives.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @projectnemiah
• Facebook: @Nemiah Hobbs

Image Credits
Owner of Visionary Media Group, Jasmine Norwood My mother, Doris Hobbs