We recently connected with Tamiko Brown and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tamiko, thanks for joining us today. Along with taking care of clients, taking care of our team is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. Looking back on your journey, did you have a boss that was really great? Maybe you can tell us about that boss and what made them a wonderful person to work for?
I still work full-time in my career. My current boss, Smith, is not only a boss, he is a mentor and dynamic leader. Not just for me, but the entire team which consists of seven (7) of us. A. Smith understands that the team’s performance was not solely determined by their technical skills, but also by their spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being.
Smith regularly schedules one-on-one meetings with each of us weekly. During these meetings, he listens attentively to our concerns, challenges, and successes. He provides a safe space for us to express our emotions and thoughts, offering guidance and support when needed.
In 2022, I loss my dad and I had other personal challenges going on at that time. During one of our one-on-one’s I expressed some things that were going on in my life. He was very supportive of me taking some days off for self-care and to sort out family affairs. I was very grateful for his empathy and understanding.
Work life balance is very important to him. He speaks to us about valuing our time outside of work to enjoy ourselves, families, children, pets, siblings; the entire family dynamic.
Smith has an approachable and empowering leadership style. He empowers us and encourages us not to settle for mediocrity. He is confident in the team’s abilities.
An amazing boss focuses on empowering and supporting their team. A great boss listens, provides guidance, and allows their employees to take ownership of their work, ultimately fostering a positive and productive work environment. Nurtures the spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being of their team members, and creates an environment where the team feels valued, supported, and inspired. This is the type of leader I aspire to be as FROG ABOVE continues to develop and the team grows.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, our names are Tamiko and Talibah Brown and we are the sisters behind FROG ABOVE LLC, ®, which is an acronym for “Forever Rely on God Above.” I am the CEO/Founder, and my sister Talibah is the COO.
FROG ABOVE is a faith-based athleisure wear company that was born out of tragedy, the loss of my infant son. I know how hard it is to move forward in life and have hope when your life has been turned upside down. This was the inspiration to spread the word that with God, you CAN heal, you CAN have hope, you CAN have joy, you CAN dream again, and you CAN see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Our mission is to motivate people to “Frog Above” and not give up, as they work towards whole fitness. By “whole fitness” we mean becoming fit in every aspect of life (emotionally, spiritually, mentally financially, and physically).
My sister and I both have experienced very traumatic situations that could have broken us; we know how hard it is to pick yourself up and do life.
Our biggest goal is to encourage people that with God they can make it through whatever trials they are facing. We want to be the company/brand that encourages people to do just that! There will be ups and downs in your pursuit to overcome whatever obstacle you may be facing. But that little phrase “Frog Above” serves as a reminder that you’re not alone, and that God can and will see you through.
Being active is a proven way to reduce stress, release endorphins, and change your mood/attitude, we chose to spread this message using fitness apparel.
However, we’re practical too, and like to look cute, LOL! So, we focused on athleisure wear. This way out customers can look good, whether lounging around the house, running errands, or at the gym.
We take pride in the quality of our garments. We want women to be confident that they will be snatched, compressed, lifted, and supported, in all the right areas!
We hope that everyone who sees and/or wears Frog Above, will be encouraged and empowered to overcome any obstacle!
How’d you meet your business partner?
My cofounder/business partner happens to be my sister, Talibah Brown. We first met the day our parents brought her home from the hospital. I remember staring at her, in disbelief, “like wow, this is a real baby.”
We formed a bond immediately. I took my big sister roll very seriously. People are usually shocked to discover that we’re actually 12 years apart!
It was Thanksgiving Day, 4years ago, as we were on a family trip, that we both realized we wanted more than our 9 to 5 careers. She was aware of my concept for FROG ABOVE. I said I was ready to launch it as an official business and she was on board!!
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
We are blessed to know a lot of our customers personally or socially. We ask our customers if we can follow them on IG and FB and vice versa. We encourage them to take a selfie in their FROG apparel and tag us! We keep up with our loyal customer’s activities or endeavors! We comment, share, or show up to their events whenever possible!
We will soon launch an Affiliate Program where our loyal customers can earn 5% of all sales that they refer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.frogabove.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/frogabove
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frogabove
- Twitter: https://x.com/frog_above