Meet Farah Allen

We were lucky to catch up with Farah Allen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Farah, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

As someone who has often been the only one in the room who looks like me, I’ve learned that being effective starts with owning who I am and understanding the value I bring. It can be intimidating at first, but over time I realized that my unique perspective is my strength, not a limitation. I focus on building confidence through preparation, staying grounded in my expertise, and ensuring that my voice is heard, even in challenging environments.

One of the keys to my success has been creating connections with others, even when they don’t share my background. I focus on finding common ground, whether it’s through shared goals or mutual respect for what we bring to the table. It’s also important to show up authentically and not feel pressured to conform or assimilate. My differences allow me to approach problems creatively and bring fresh ideas to the table, which can often spark innovation.

In the end, it’s about resilience and understanding that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply be present, stay true to your vision, and push forward with the belief that your voice matters. Over time, that presence alone can start to shift the dynamics in the room and create more space for others like me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the founder and CEO of Labz, a no-code platform that helps businesses create immersive, interactive experiences without needing technical expertise. What makes Labz special is how it lets brands engage with their audiences through custom digital environments—combining storytelling, visuals, and interactive elements—on a platform that’s super easy to use.

What excites me most about Labz is how we’re making it possible for anyone, no matter their technical background, to build these kinds of experiences. It’s not just for big companies with large budgets anymore. Whether it’s a business trying to boost customer engagement or a nonprofit looking to create a storytelling community space for donations, Labz helps bring those visions to life quickly and affordably. We’ve integrated features like AI, VR-like visuals, and personalization tools, making every experience feel custom-made for each user.

Right now, we will be rolling out some exciting new features. One of the big ones is focused on mapping out customer journeys and adding email and text responses as user interactions in our customer’s platforms. This will help businesses with lead gen and guide their users from discovering their brand to making a purchase or taking action. We’re also launching more AI-driven tools that personalize content based on user behavior, which really helps brands build stronger connections with their audiences.

We’re also partnering with well-known institutions to offer a college course focused on creating interactive experiences for business and educational purposes. This includes developing immersive learning environments and community-driven digital spaces. It’s exciting to see the progress we’ve made, and I’m eager to keep pushing the boundaries of what interactive digital engagement can achieve for businesses and organizations of all sizes.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I’d say three key qualities have been essential in my journey: resilience, adaptability, and vision.

Resilience was crucial because building something new and innovative comes with setbacks, challenges, and moments where things don’t go as planned. Having the ability to push through those tough times and keep going is what ultimately leads to success. For anyone starting out, my advice is to embrace failure as part of the process. Learn from it, adjust, and keep moving forward. Don’t let setbacks define your path.

Adaptability has also been a major factor. The tech world moves fast, and so do market trends and customer needs. Being able to pivot quickly and adjust your strategy is critical. For those early in their journey, focus on staying open-minded and curious. Don’t get too attached to one way of doing things. Stay flexible, and always be willing to learn and evolve with the landscape around you.

Lastly, vision has been my guiding star. Having a clear sense of where you want to go and the impact you want to make is what keeps you motivated, even when the road gets bumpy. My advice here is to think big. Your vision should inspire you and others around you. Stay true to that vision, but be willing to take different paths to get there.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I believe it’s important to go all in on your strengths, while still being mindful of areas where you can improve. The key is to lead with what you’re great at, but build a team or support system to help cover the areas where you’re not as strong.

Focusing on your strengths allows you to stand out and add the most value in your space. When you leverage what you’re naturally good at, you’re able to move faster, be more confident, and have a greater impact. For me, this has been critical in building Labz. I knew early on that my strength was in the vision and strategy for interactive digital engagement. I leaned into that, which helped me push Labz forward in a space that was still emerging.

However, I also recognize that I’m not an expert in everything—nor do I need to be. For example, I’m not a technical developer, so instead of trying to master coding, I brought in experts who are strong in that area. This allowed me to focus on leading the company and growing the vision, while relying on my team to execute on the technical side. Trying to be well-rounded by doing everything yourself can actually slow you down, and you end up being mediocre at a lot of things instead of exceptional in a few.

A personal story that highlights this balance comes from when I first started Labz. I initially thought I had to be deeply involved in every aspect of the business, from product development to marketing to sales. But I quickly realized that trying to be “good” at everything was stretching me too thin. Once I started focusing on my core strengths—vision, strategy, and building relationships—I saw more traction. And by hiring the right people who were strong where I wasn’t, the company grew faster and became much more efficient.

So, my advice is to go all in on your strengths, build a team that complements your weaknesses, and allow yourself to focus on what you do best. That’s how you create the most impact and drive success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thelabz.com
• Instagram: ceofarah
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farahallen/

Image Credits

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