We were lucky to catch up with Terrice Thomas, MPA recently and have shared our conversation below.
Terrice, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose later in life. I struggled with my career goals throughout high school and even college. But when I found a mentor to help me learn about other non traditional professions and discover how my gifts and talents can help others; I found my purpose. I now do that for other young professionals, helping them to discover their talents and connect to their purpose filled life. Fortunately for most of us, our purpose and professions can be the same!
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 am excited to announce that I just launched by first company ! I’m Founder & CEO of Bluff City Resumes & Career Coaching, LLC. My business helps clients better tell their professional stories and land greater leadership roles through targeted coaching services. I also work with and nonprofits and businesses on leadership development sessions and effective mentoring for young professionals. To encourage more mentorship opportunities, I’ve partnered with local schools, churches and youth organizations for speaking engagements and trainings based on my book.
My book “Mentor Coaching: Effective Mentoring for the Personal & Professional Development of Young Adults” is available on Amazon, Novel Memphis Bookstores, as well as check out at Memphis Public Libraries. The book was nominated for the Richard Wright Literary Award for nonfiction ( Spring 2023).
During the day, I work as a nonprofit leader. In my current role as Director of Memphis programs at Project Transformation Tennessee, I collaborate with churches, schools and community organizations to offer paid internships to young adults, ages 18-25 . Project Transformation provides afterschool and summer programs that offer literacy instruction and social emotional learning support for children & youth. As the first African American Director of Memphis, I am honored to mentor young adults in the program helping them develop personally and professionally as leaders.
In addition to my work, I volunteer in the community as a high school mentor for Reach Memphis, Friends of the Memphis Public Library board member , and Junior League of Memphis member. I am the social media co- chair for Memphis Chapter of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association, Inc.,
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The Three most important qualities or skills that have been impactful to me are: self awareness, resiliency, and time management . You have to be self aware and know who you are and what motivates you. This will also help with your confidence, because people may try and discourage you. But you have to stay confident and not doubt yourself, even during difficult moments. You must be resilient to succeed as a leader and business owner, because there will be a lot of challenges. And time management is key. There are 24 hours in a day, so map out exactly what you need to accomplish and stay focused so you can get it done, and still have time for you! Don’t burn yourself out.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
It depends on the stage you are in for your business. In the beginning stages, you have to be more well rounded, because it is just you, and you may not have the resources to get the help you need. So learning how to do everything is necessary for survival. But as your business experiences growth, focus more on your strengths and hire additional help in the areas you aren’t as strong in. Every small business owner should look for opportunities to collaborate and grow their network or support system.
Contact Info:
- Website:TerriceThomas.com
- Instagram: TerriceThomas
- Facebook: Terrice Thomas
- Linkedin: Terrice Thomas, MPA
- Twitter: MemphisMocha
