Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carmen Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dr. Carmen, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission unveiled when I was around 12 years old serving my grandmother, who was an entrepreneur, a designer of women’s image from the inside out. She was a beautician, fashion and interior designer who loved God and family. I spent every moment I could with her watching and listening to the women she served and how she loved family. She always took care of family and community with a smile and a grateful heart. As the oldest granddaughter in my family, I was blessed to spend a great deal of time with my grandparents, and I embraced every opportunity I could to be with them. I’ve always enjoyed taking care of everyone and helping them to succeed.

Today, I find that encouraging women to believe in themselves, identify their gifts, and execute them with courage is my why. In my late 20’s, I was a single mom divorced with two daughters’ beautiful daughters with no formal education, just wisdom, knowledge and God on the inside to try and figure out life. I couldn’t afford a place of my own, and I didn’t want to ask my grandparents for help, so I lived with a relative until I could save up for my own home. My two daughter’s and I slept on a twin side mattress on the floor, but it was home for a short time. I worked most of young adult life in Real Estate/Property Management, which afforded me the opportunity to expose my daughters and I to different cultures and a better life. I read lots of books and magazines. I started volunteering in places to support teen moms with pregnancy and parenting. Helping them helped me to not focus on what I needed, but to believe that all things are possible when you visualize and trust your faith. My faith is very important to me. In my Real Estate Career, I loved making sure women and families had a safe, clean, secure place to live.

Fastforward to the last 10 years, I’ve finished a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Studies with a specialization in the Self-Esteem of Women, and a Doctorate’s Degree in Transformational Leadership with a specialization Developing Women Entrepreneurs. While I was studying and working on a consulting business my focus has always been empowering women with education and resources to create systems, legacies and to live a recession-proof lifestyle.

Today, I operate a nonprofit, Transformation GEMS, GEMS, stands for gifted women entrepreneurs with millionaire status, and we have an office space in the community that has been open for 5 years serving 100’s of women with resources, free popup space, grants, partnerships with credit unions, and other important resources. Our organization was blessed to receive a 5-figure grant for two years to support the women.

My day world is filled with me utilizing my skills in an executive career with the government, developing relations, and supporting individuals with professional development and more.

Every week I have an opportunity to meet new women and encourage them to keep going and don’t quit. I did it and my mission is to continue supporting more women all over the world to identify their gifts and live their best life. I take all the seeds sown from my grandma and continue to live out loud and share the gift that I had the opportunity to receive.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My world is all around transformation! In my day career I am the Chief Government Relations Officer for a nonprofit organization. My team and I oversee a multimillion-dollar budget that supports human services. It is fascinating, challenging, and phenomenal all at the same time. I lead daily with our core values of Servant Leadership, Quality and Excellence, Authentic Relationships and Health Equity & Social Justice. In this space I coach leaders, brainstorm with leaders for solutioning and solving problems and staying on the cutting edge of innovation for the organization.

In the nonprofit business, Transformation GEMS, I meet with banking entities and funders to identify opportunities to support more women with starting and accelerating their businesses. Our team meet with women monthly to assist them with resources, office space, popup space opportunities and trainings. Often times we hear women state their challenges are funding, but often times the greatest challenge is a Mindshift and emotional intelligence for decision making. I am certified in Emotional Intelligence, and I have a Green Belt/Process Improvements. The nonprofit has been sustained over the last 5 years with businesses and private individual donations and grants, which are used for the women of color to grow their businesses. Our mission is to create chapters in several states and communities in Michigan. TransformationGems.com

I am the founder of Unstoppable Women’s Empire a women’s group that provide women with connections, education, networking, teaching, workshops, monthly meetings, and a quarterly magazine to promote their services and goods. We are women who empower women. UnstoppableWomensEmpire.com

I do private group coaching and training in several topics: Career/Entrepreneur, Day Job to Entrepreneur Life, Getting Unstuck, Managing Your Time to Live Again, Confidence & Powerful Self-Esteem and more.

Education: Bachelor’s Management & Organizational Development, Master’s Family Studies, Doctorate’s Degree in Transformational Leadership,

Roles: Wife, Mom, Grandma, Divorced and remarried for 30 years in blended family, servant leader, love celebrating women!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I owned a Real Estate Company in 2003 and during that time Real Estate was really great. I had four Realtors who worked in my office and we had a Mortgage Company sharing space with us. It was all so great! My husband and I owned about 7 Real Estate properties and we build a 5,000 square foot home. When it looked as though everything was going well all of a sudden a message started forecasting that foreclosures were coming due to the mortgage loans that were being processed. It didn’t appear to be a problem for us in Michigan, so we thought. But as soon as you were comfortable with buying Mercedes, building elaborate homes, vacations, designer, stuff etc. It happened to Michigan.

The market started slowing down with sales, mortgage lenders were in the newspaper for fraudulent transactions and unfortunately a few of the individuals were some of the people I knew. Shortly after that I had to figure out a plan to sell some of my Real Estate. I put a sign in my yard a year and a half later, which was a little too late. I had almost a million dollars’ worth of Real Estate in my name. Ugg! Some we were able to sell, and a few went into short sales which made a negative mark on your credit report. I had several friends that filed bankruptcy and I could not because that meant any credit, I had connected with my husband would have to be placed in bankruptcy and he was not sold on doing that, so, I weathered the storm, liquidated everything I could from my Real Estate Practice.

My Pivot: I had a Bachelor’s Degree and applied for a government job, they hired me, I had a paycheck back in 2009 starting from the bottom making $38.000.oo a year. I continued to create confessions, staying focused on taking care of all my credit responsibilities and dug my way out by 2010. We had purchased another home on one person’s income. We had paid off almost all our debt. I started advancing in my government career to leadership roles, then started another business. Now we have 3 businesses, investments, paid cash for Real Estate, our income is in the 6 figures, and we learned a lesson to always remember that a recession cyclical and never live above your means. Always have multiple streams of income and now we have 6.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Consistency: Being consistent in my image, brand, contact information, communications and listening to my customers and providing excellent customer service has proven who I am.

I’ve had the same phone number from my fist business in 2000 and same email from 2004. I’ve added another phone number to my business as well as new emails, but I have kept the same ones from my beginning. This has helped individuals to always know how to contact me and know that I am a businesswoman who has weathered the changing climates.

Integrity:

Whatever I say, I must follow through or share when I need to make a change. Only teach what you know and mastered. People are always watching you even when you don’t think they are. This helps build trust and a great relationship with your customers and then your customers will send you referrals. Always remain authentic and stay away from the imposter syndrome, it will eventually unveil your true identity.

Always ask for testimonials from your customers it used to be written now it’s in a quick one minute or less video.

Consistency: Being consistent in my image, brand, contact information, communications and listening to my customers and providing excellent customer service has proven who I am.

I’ve had the same phone number from my fist business in 2000 and same email from 2004. I’ve added another phone number to my business as well as new emails, but I have kept the same ones from my beginning. This has helped individuals to always know how to contact me and know that I am a businesswoman who has weathered the changing climates.

Contact Info:

• Website: Transformationgems.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/transformationbycamren
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/Carmenthomas
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/Carmenthomas