Meet Ivan Thomas

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

Hi Ivan , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by clearly mapping out what I wanted to achieve in life, and by also discovering my purpose. By having a clear vision of where you want to be and merging it with your purpose, it allows you to see that everything is in alignment. You can then be confident that you are moving in the right direction.

Next, I developed it through constant learning. We must always remain a student of life. Knowledge makes you more confident in the things that you know, so you can think, speak and move through life with more assurance because you know what you are doing. People who lack knowledge of self and knowledge of their surroundings cannot function with a high level of confidence.

Finally, I developed my confidence and self-esteem by setting goals and achieving them. Many people do not understand that confidence and self-esteem are directly tied to achievement and success. Once you set goals and knock them off one by one, your confidence gradually increases because you begin to recognize the abilities you possess. This takes your confidence to new heights.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an award-winning entrepreneur, celebrity publicist, author and international speaker. All of my work is centered on uplifting and empowering people to achieve success and to live the lives and lifestyles they desire. I have worked in the PR and Brand Management arena for the last 16 years, and in 2014, I launched my first company, Intrigue Media Group. Through this company I elevate the brands and reputations of major companies, entrepreneurs, celebrities, athletes and organizations, both domestically and internationally. This is accomplished by providing my clients with expert counsel and support that helps them to grow their brands through press, events, and strategic partnerships.

The next company I launched was Credit Savant LLC, a credit repair company. It is focused on empowering people to reach their financial goals, whether it is to purchase a new home, a car, or to launch a business. Many people don’t recognize the power of credit and how it can make our lives simpler and more efficient, regardless of how much money we have. My company has helped hundreds of people over the past 3 years to achieve their goals and improve their lives.

I am also the founder of Defy Gravity International, a movement focused on helping people to overcome obstacles and launch into their ultimate level of personal and professional greatness. Through Defy Gravity, my team and I host events at schools and present at business and empowerment conferences. The movement is about shedding all negative beliefs, adopting a success mindset, and adopting the principles that will allow individuals to achieve whatever they desire in life. My organization is working on implementing programs on the continent of Africa, particularly in Ghana.

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?
1) Accountability and the ability to be truthful with myself. I decided that I was going to blame myself for everything that I was not pleased with in my life or my career. By doing this, I removed the power from people and circumstances, and claimed the power for myself. I decided that if I did not achieve my goals, no matter the reason, it was my fault because I am the only person who could possibly keep me from achieving them. I also was honest with myself. I had to assess my knowledge, my skills, and figure out what I was or was not doing correctly. This helped me tremendously with my mindset and overall success.

2) Vision and Creativity. I have been blessed with the ability to create something out of nothing. I am a true entrepreneur. Where many people may not see an opportunity, I am able to identify one and set things in motion. This has helped me to navigate difficult times and still come out on top.

3) Eliminating Procrastination – By studying business and success, I learned that what separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not that they are necessarily smarter or more skilled. It is that they do not procrastinate and they eliminate distractions. When they come up with an idea, they get to it right away. They figure out what they need to do, or what resources and people they need to involve in order to execute on the idea. When I learned this, I decided that whenever I come up with a great idea, I am going to move on it. This is what allowed me to start my companies, publish my book, become a public speaker, and to take my platform internationally.

My advice to people would be to embrace the process and learn as much as possible about yourself and the world around you. Too often we think that the answers to our problems can only be answered by others, when oftentimes, if we look hard enough, we have everything we need inside of us. It is impossible to constantly put positive and productive energy into the world and get nothing back. Keep going!

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I read a book called Succeeding Against the Odds by John H. Johnson, the founder of Ebony Magazine and Fashion Fair Cosmetics. He was a black man born in the south in the early 1900s during racism and segregation. When he started his business years later in Chicago (where I grew up), he met all kinds of adversity, but instead of feeling sorry for himself, he never gave up, and found ways to overcome every challenge in his way. He had become one of the wealthiest people in the nation at the time.

After reading that book, it showed me that I don’t have any excuse not to succeed. If I wanted something, I just had to go out and get it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Intrigue Media Group

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