Episode 64: Show Them What You've Got with Naomi Mamiye

Transcript

00:03

Welcome to the Push Or Pivot podcast, a podcast that inspires you to trust yourself and the crossroads of life. I'm your host, Thea Charles. As a life coach, I know that when you put fear aside and trust yourself, you'll know when to push through adversity, and when to stop, reassess, and pivot. I believe magic happens whenever a push or pivot story is shared. And that magic is exactly what you'll find here.

00:41

My guest is Naomi Mimi, founder of Naomi Mimi design firm, she turned her creativity into a successful business designing health care spaces across the US. The road to her career wasn't easy. And she shares how she put faith in herself. Welcome, Naomi to the pusher pivot Podcast. I am excited to talk with you today. How have you been? Okay. Yeah, so you are a designer for health care facilities. And

01:14

I

01:15

your story, when reading it was really interesting to me, like, I just thought, this is gonna be really inspiring. And we can learn so much from you. But before we get into your story about your crossroads, can you give us a little bit of background.

01:30

So when I was 10 years old, my mother was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer, and she died when I was 12. And from there, I went to live with one set of grandparents. And then one of the grandparents there, died from cancer. So then I switched to the other set of grandparents. And then my grandfather died of cancer. And then I switched back. And I ended up in my younger years losing all of my six closest family members to different varieties in the variety of versions of cancer. So I was left at 19, like really alone, and I made this stupid, childish decision of getting married young just to have a home. I just wanted that stability. And it was in a rush, and it was rash decision. So it was to the wrong person. So then I found myself years later, divorced with four little kids, and really stuck with like no family to lean on for emotional support, or monetary support. It was like I was alone alone alone. In this world. That's where I came to my major decision and my actual life changing decisions. I had to decide how to support my family think of a way how to support them. Get out of this, like negative rut I was in. I tell everybody, I spent years crying to air supply songs. And just thinking about like past and what I should have changed and what I I should have said this to my mother and I should have said that to my father. And I just kept on rewinding things in my mind over and over and over again in the past. And I came to the conclusion that it's a total waste of time, because I can't fix anything in the past no matter how many times I rethink it. It's over even yesterday is over. I can't change anything that was said or done yesterday. And then with supporting my family. I had all these people always coming to my house and taking pictures of it and telling me how creative I was. But and I thought I should go into interior design professionally. But I was like No, I'm a mom, I'm I'm I'm not working. I'm staying home with my kids. You know, I just wanted it never even dawned on me to work. I imagined myself like one of those ladies doing lunch, you know, every day with their friends. And that was totally opposite I get I'm driving and eating lunch. Nothing like what I imagined. You know, like, I once heard an article, this is not how my life was supposed to turn out. You know, you just think of that fairy tale some guys gonna come rescue you and you're gonna live happily ever after.

04:29

So I made that foolish mistake. And so at that time, I said to myself, Oh, you know, like, maybe I should try. I should try interior design and try to make money off of it. Like everyone was always suggesting all these years and I brushed it away. So actually, when I told my ex husband, that you know, when I made the firm decision that I that's it I'm going to start a design firm. He he started laughing at me and said Nobody's gonna pay you for your arts and crafts. And then even my closest friend, I went with her. I was all excited. In the beginning, I heard that there was in the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, there was a design show. So I was walking around to all the booths collecting information. And by the end of the day, I was like, with too heavy bags that I couldn't even carry anymore. And she turned to me and she's like, like, what are you doing? Like, who do you think you're going to design for you know, and it really like, it really hurt me that like, my closest friend also, like think thought I was being ridiculous part of my pivot. And I was like, I'm going to show them and I'm going to prove them wrong. I actually took a piece of paper and and my, my good friend, her name was Ricky. Okay, I took a piece of paper with a piece of scotch tape and I put it straight ahead in my closet. So every time I opened my closet door, there was a sign over there that said, Show Ricky show Ricky every time again, I'm taking a helmet I'm getting dressed show Ricky was like, Pump me up, push me, I'm gonna prove these people wrong. And I actually did. Do I am 15 years later. And I think I'm the leading healthcare designer in the United States. I don't think there's anyone else that has as many accomplishments or projects under their name themselves. happened all like, like, in that one year, where I was divorced and stuck and making all my decisions. At the same time, like, everyone was talking about the book The secret, yep. About the law of attraction, the book The secret. So now, my personality, I don't follow the followers that everybody's reading the secret. I'm not gonna do you know, I do. I always want to do, I'm always doing different than the rest. So instead, I opened the book, and every couple pages, she quotes people. Okay, so I want you to see, I don't want to hear what she has to say, I want to hear from her sources. You know, I bought that big, thick book, you know, like all James Allen and Wallace wattles, you know, written like 100 years ago. And, and I read about the power of positivity, thinking positive. And until then, I thought it was all like, nonsense, and a bunch of fluff likes to laugh at these people, you know, but it's actually like, turn my life around, instead of constantly harping on the negative and what I don't have, and you know, how little I have and how unfair My life is, like, it's, it's so unfair, I have, you know, everybody died on me, I have I have no husband, I have no, so instead of just constantly harping on what I don't have, I, I changed it to, to focusing forward and not looking back anymore, and just focusing on all the good I do have and thanking God for all this talent gave me that without a college education, I can actually monetize on I could actually build a business just on my talents. You know, that's, like, you know, that's, that's a big gift. And encourage everybody that like that's in a rut and miserable with the career that they're in. I said, You know, I say all the time, God gave everybody some talents that they can monetize on like, even if you're good at putting makeup, you know, like, you can become, you know, makeup artist, you go to cutting care, you can open up a salon, everybody has something you can so, you know, start doing bridesmaids gowns, you know, everybody has something in them that they could turn into a business and monetize on so everybody I see that, you know, I'm like, get out of that nine to five job that you dread going to every single morning and follow your heart and follow your dream. Because otherwise it's like a miserable, miserable life.

09:06

Have you been inspired by the story shared on the pusher pivot, but feeling a little stuck at your own Crossroads? If only there were a guide to get unstuck. Well, I've made one just for you. six steps to help you recognize what is keeping you stuck and push you out of your rut. You can access it for free on my website. Fira nell.com, slash rut that th e a r e n e l.com slash ru t

09:50

Wow,

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you just did so much. Oh my gosh. I just you know, I just really loved how you explained that mindset. shift from first you're using all these should words I should be doing this I should be going to lunch I should be, should be should be. And then it changed to, well, what do I want? And what can I do? And just putting, you know, trusting yourself in. And this last part here about gifts, this is something that was huge, even in my own transformation was realizing what comes easy to you is your gift, like work doesn't have to be hard. And it doesn't have to be something that everybody else does, like you have something that's for you that you can give to the world. And I think that's such an important message.

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Yeah, there's so many people like at this lesson, actually, I keep learning over and over again, because because what I do healthcare design, so I'm constantly going

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to,

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let's say nursing homes, hospitals, assisted livings drug rehab centers, I am constantly seeing people that are miserable. I'm seeing old people that like, you know, like, just, I get like, tapped all the time. Oh, honey, I love your hair. I always wanted to become a hairdresser. So like, so why didn't you? You know, like, like, there's always there. Oh, you're with some old men will tell me Oh, you with the construction crew here? like yeah, and and it'll be like, Oh, I always wanted to do that. You know, I always want I'm, I'm very handy. I always wanted to do that. But my wife wanted me like with a steady paycheck and a nine to five job and some, you know, some a sure thing. So he was like, stuck his whole life, being unhappy, going doing an office job when he liked to tinker. And he liked it. You know, like, he liked to build that. That was his personality. But so many people, because of their spouses want that steady job because of their, their parents pushing them. You know, like, there's so many people I know, they're, they are doctors and lawyers, because their parents are doctors and lawyers. And that's the way that their parents push them to do. And that's not really their calling. That's not really what's like, what they have inside. They're just, they're just pushed in that direction. Like I I know somebody that some some guy that he was always busy, like creating crafting things with his hand. And he was like, he was like, oh, maybe I'm going to be a jeweler and his his parents were like adding mind. There's enough people on 47th Street in Manhattan, that there's no need for any more jewelers. So the kid is doing something now that you know, like he's

12:31

absolutely miserable. And,

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you know, it's not his calling, because he got swayed by other people. And he didn't listen to his his gut. Yeah, yeah.

12:42

I have a question about how you started with the interiors. I know you said that you went to that show and picked up all that stuff. How did you do the first one? Like how did it start?

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So to prove myself and to get my name out there, and people to see, you know, that what I'm capable of? I had to do that whole first batch of jobs for free. And that and actually now I actually mentor a lot of beginner designers. They called me up, can they come watch me work? They asked me questions, advice. I Invite Everybody over, come on down. Let me let me help you out. You know, even though many people think I'm crazy, they're like, what are you doing, you're training competition, these girls could end up competing with you for the same project. What I've learned over time is that nobody could take a project that's meant for me away from me, whatever is meant for me is going to come to me. So me helping out some other younger designer beginner. building your own business is not going to hurt me in any way. It's just going to bring good to me because the good you put out in the world ends up coming right back to you know, yeah, so I had to do all this first jobs for free. And like a ripple effect. Like if you give people an A and it always believe in this and you give more than what you charge for like you give them a little extra, you know, I'm charging for a project. You know, like a little office $2,000 I'm giving them 20 $500 worth of stuff. That little extra, you know, is giving you your next job, you know, like they like Oh, she did so much for me and she did extra and she answered the phone and she returned phone calls when she couldn't and she was she was quick and I got so much for my money and she tried to save me money here and she tried to save me money there. You know, like all that. You know that good customer service, leaving people with a good feeling. Gets you your referrals gets your next job, your next job, your next job, you know, being stingy with your time is is you know doesn't get you anywhere you have to give that little that little more that will go a little bit above and beyond for everybody. And so I'm doing this for 15 years. And I never once advertised, I never once put an ad in a magazine, newspaper, anywhere, all my work just came ripple effect, like one person referred to the next to the next to the next you keep leaving happy people and and they give out their you know your name and number to their friends that are you know, designing their house designing their office does, you know, like it just keeps on going, going going. That's how I started out.

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That's really awesome. And I love how you said that. You don't have to worry about helping other people because you can't serve everyone and what's for you, you'll find exactly, exactly, yeah. And

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also I tell people that it's very helpful when you're feeling down and, and unsure of yourself to find like a mentor to look up to that doing what you want to be doing and is already there is already successful. So whether it be like, you know, like listening to somebody on YouTube, or finding out about somebody, let's say that you could relate to from your high school, from your town, from your city, from your state, anyone that has made it even not even in just through hard work. That even not in the field, somebody that just like, you know, that push themselves against all odds, you find that person and, and you look up to them, and you use them. So me myself personally, another thing that gave me that kind of boost. Many years ago, I was on Facebook and popped up, you know, you may know this person. And it was somebody from high school that had a professional picture. And we you know, we're posing professional picture and I just added curiosity, you know, I, I clicked on him. And I saw all the things he accomplished. And I was like, blown away. I was like, Oh my god, I cannot believe you know, he did all these things. And where am I? What did I do? I'm like, I'm in the same place and accomplish nothing in my life, like, absolutely nothing. And that really gave me like this kind of push to like, Hey, you know, I'm gonna become as great as him or even greater than him. I I said to myself, I could do this too. You know, I looked at him and I said, if he could do it, there's no reason why I I can't do it, you know. So that kind of gave me that inspiration in the beginning. And still today, even when I'm even when I'm cooking for my family, I have YouTube on I'm listening to some kind of inspirational speech, some speaker that's, you know, pushing me ahead, every you know, everybody has those unexpected curveballs and those disappointments in life. It's always like, you know, they're always going to come those letdowns. So, it's like a constant struggle, you have to keep pushing yourself ahead, forward, forward, don't let yourself get down. So it's not just like a one time thing. It's a lifetime thing.

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Yeah. Yeah, lifetime of learning, and growing and forward momentum.

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Like just constantly be pushing you down, down, down, and you got to, you know, rise above it and, and not let it bring you down.

18:39

So many awesome gems. I can put all your sayings like on a wall, put it in my room. So look at every day. If you could give someone just one more piece of advice, what would it be

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some of my letdowns in the beginning when I was still, you know, raw, in this process is still in the beginning of my of my turn, you know, so many times, like, when I wouldn't get a project, you get that rejection, it's so many times, like, it's just I couldn't, it was so upsetting and I just cry or be down or, you know, you should really hurt and I came to learn that to look at it like that this job or this rejection, I didn't get it because it was meant for somebody else. You know, maybe somebody else needed the money more another designer needed really needed the money more she was in a situation and that's why the job went to her and not to me, you know, I'm not to take it personally. And it's just to look at it that there's something better out there for you. It's not meant for you because something like you get a rejection from a job and if somebody tells you look back now you're like, Oh my god, I got rejected because I this better opportunity came around and you look and you laugh. So, while you're sitting there on the couch with tissues, you know, crying for no reason. You know, if you don't, you just have to trust that journey, you got to trust that the right job and the right opportunity, or the right spouse, you know, I'm remarried. Now, it's going to come, you know, just just, it's a lot of patience, but what's meant for you is going to come to you. So there's no reason to fight. If something is only something better, a bigger and better, you know, if you get that rejection, you know, don't let it drag you down. There's something else that's meant for you that you know, the right exact fit.

20:45

the right fit. That's so true. And I can even think of time for, like how you mentioned, like jobs you don't get like, Man, that was perfect for me. And then the next thing comes like, that wasn't, that wasn't the path for me at that time.

20:58

Exactly. Exactly.

21:00

Yeah. So Naomi, how can people find out more about you and learn about you?

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So I have a website, Naomi made me design. on LinkedIn, Naomi made me design on Instagram, Naomi made me design. So if anybody has any questions or wants to reach out,

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they can do so they're

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awesome. Awesome. I just want to thank you again for being on and this was just really wonderful. I know that someone is going to take away something or a lot of things. From what you just said. Naomi certainly had the odds stacked against her. And I love how she didn't let other people deter her from her dreams, but use their skepticism as a way to drive her. What inspires you to keep pushing? Thank you for listening to the push or pivot podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button. And please leave us a review. To learn more about the show and to access the show notes. Visit our website, push or pivot.com I'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and takeaways with me on Instagram at pusher pivot. Thank you for listening, and join me next time on the push or pivot podcast.