March 24, 2014
Mama Glow Author and Entrepreneur, Latham Thomas Shares Secrets to Her Success
Wellness entrepreneur and author, Latham Thomas defines the title of her book Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy as a “certain radiance that overcomes a woman who is happy, healthy, and feeling fulfilled in her life.†Well that certainly would describe the wellness expert herself, who is crafting an empire around her Mama Glow brand. A self-proclaimed maternity lifestyle maven, Thomas not only advises her celebrity clients during all of their pregnancy stages, she hosts a new web series “Om on the Go†and travels across the country for speaking engagements.
Thomas sat down with BE to talk about how she became a prominent figure in the wellness field and what success means to her.
You seem like you were born to do this. What was the “aha†moment that got you into the wellness space as an entrepreneur?
I grew up in Oakland CA where there was access to outdoors and I got to experience the life cycle of the land. I’ve always felt a connection to the earth and didn’t see things differently until I came to New York. [New Yorkers] don’t live in step with nature and I began to realize I’m needed here. I began figuring out how to bring a little bit of land into the glam of New York.
I was teaching environmental science to kids and I thought to myself “people need to know what I know,†which are the benefits of plant science. I was always an entrepreneur at heart and when I became pregnant with my son, I had an “aha†moment that everything I was teaching about plants applied to my body and the pregnancy process. I found a gap in the market. People in New York are privy to all sorts of conveniences but when it comes to having a baby, there were no vetted sources, or a lifestyle hub that could help guide women though that sensitive period with care. I then decided to merge my own research, my experiences, and knowledge with my entrepreneurial spirit and Mama Glow emerged.
What are some of your recommendations to entrepreneurs?
Make sure your communication objective is clear. If you are trying to serve everybody, you end up serving nobody. Zone in on your message and who you are going to serve. There are plenty of people on the planet that need what you know. For example, I decided to work with a specific capture, targeting women along the pregnancy continuum. There are 6.5 million women who get pregnant every year, so if I focus on that target, I’m always going to have something to do.
Many go into business without having a marketing strategy. What are some of the ways you suggest small businesses market themselves?
1) Get clear on the brand message. 2) Find your ideal client. 3) Have patience because everything takes time. It’s like giving birth to a baby — unexpected things happen and you have to be prepared to for curve balls but you can learn as you go.
Also, social currency is very important. The playing field is level now, as big brands are competing with boutique brands in the digital space. If you have customers that have had really great experiences with products or services, you want to give them the ability to market for you for free.
What is your definition of success?
I feel successful because I have designed a life that allows me to spend time with my son; DJ Fulano, who is a budding entrepreneur in his own right, bringing him to and from school, as well as cooking meals for him twice a day.
Feeling freedom is also a definition. Most people feel some sort of obligation to their jobs. I do things because I want to; it’s less about pleasing others and more about saying yes to myself first. I say this all the time: No is a complete sentence. I’m all about setting healthy boundaries.
So for me, success equals choice, freedom, and happiness. The more time I have to travel and be around people that I love, makes me feel successful.
Do you think there is spiritual component to success?
Yes, when you feel fulfilled, you dwell in the present moment. Success is so tied into finance, accolades and achievement but they are not definitive of your soul’s most complete expression. This “soul voice†speaks through emotions. So when chasing money, we are chasing that feeling of security and stability, which we search for through the acts of achievement, in order to be loved and recognized.
When you do something that you love, that is the spiritual component. You are not tied into the outcome but the goal is to do what comes from within and when you do that, it begets success.