Ahfeeyah Thomas, Serial Entrepreneur Trailblazing the Path for Women

Screen Shot 2019-09-30 at 7.07.54 AM.png

September 30, 2019

Ahfeeyah Thomas, founder of Lady Corporate Inc., Build. Brand. Design, and The Workroom Boston, a co-working space and ecosystem for women, is a serial entrepreneur passionate about helping women. Graduating from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a degree in Human Development and Education, Ahfeeyah first started her career as a workshop facilitator and motivational speaker. Pretty quickly, she recognized her power in helping other women build their dream companies through deep-rooted insights and strategies. Continuing along this path, Ahfeeyah began to identify the overwhelming need for additional spaces for women to support and work with each other to launch their businesses. And thus, the Workroom Boston was born.

In this feature, Ahfeeyah shares with us her steps in launching the Workroom, how she sees the gig economy evolving, and her advice for women looking to launch their own businesses. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Early career

You classify yourself as a serial entrepreneur; rightfully so as you’ve launched Lady Corporate Inc., a membership and lifestyle community for corporate women, Build. Brand. Design., a strategy and design firm, and The Workroom, a coworking space for women entrepreneurs. In your opinion, what is the #1 aspect of a successful business?
Great question! In my opinion the number 1 aspect of any successful business is its foundation and process. As a Business Strategist I work with my clients to create businesses they love and their clients and customers love to do business with. It’s important for any successful business owner to take the time to understand their target audience’s pain points and how they can best serve them. The next step is to cultivate a process that provides your customers and clients with an unforgettable experience. The success of any business relies on the happiness of its clients and the experience they have that they will in turn share with their family and friends.

The Workroom Boston

The Workroom is a creative and collaborative space for women entrepreneurs to start and grow the businesses they love with the support they need. What inspired you to launch The Workroom?
I was inspired by a few things to be quite honest, one of them being a very challenging time in my life - my mother’s cancer battle. Initially I thought to myself, what’s next for women, accomplished women who want more? Where do they find the support they need when they want to take a leap of faith? Who could they look to to affirm their ideas and encourage them to say yes to that inner voice that dared them to be crazy enough to simply dream. For me I’d made my way to Harvard University, became a published author amongst other accomplishments and thought I had made it. I later realized, however, that there were women just like me who wanted to do more and make a difference in their communities. For some, working in corporate is amazing and at a point and time it was for me as well but for other women they want to be a part of the movement. They want to run their own companies with cultures that promote women and diversity. In addition to identifying this overwhelming need for spaces for women, I saw the benefits of being an entrepreneur when my mother was diagnosed with leukemia in 2017. I was able to care for her in ways I would not have been able to working in corporate. I found stability and freedom that I wanted other women to have. I wanted women to have a choice and to be a part of a space where their needs were considered and they could feel equal. I wanted each woman to have the right to choose to create a legacy for her children and family.

Screen Shot 2019-09-30 at 7.29.06 AM.png

What steps did you take to launch The Workroom?
The Workroom is anticipated to officially launch in January of 2020 but until then I continue to work with women and minorities to grow their businesses and get their ideas out there. Each and every month I bring 15-20 women together to network and support each other and The Workroom also has partnered with other organizations to create awareness about the issues that women face each and every day.

Having flexible work arrangements and cultivating community for business-women is becoming more of a priority in our gig economy. How do you see The Workroom shaping the future of business for women?

The Workroom is a place where women can be supported and can have access to the resources they need to grow. We provide an opportunity for women to run their business without many of the overhead expenses required by a traditional office and more valuable than anything, access to a community of fellow like-minded business women that can support them in business. The Workroom is shaping the future of how women work together and collaborate. It’s like the saying “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together”. The Workroom provides the opportunity for partnerships and collaboration to happen so that women together can finally break through the barriers and go far.

Advice

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?
I wish I knew that I could create my own experiences and that I didn’t have to fit into any particular mold. I now know that I have the power to change things and make a difference on my own terms.

What advice do you have for young women who want to eventually have their own business?

I say go for it. Do your research though, and take the time to think about what’s most important for you, why you are starting the business you want to start and how you can make a difference while making a profit.