Camille Thomas is a woman with a passion for helping others find their vision, then taking their careers and lives to the next level. Originally from Minneapolis, Thomas is the founder of The Vision Investment, a coaching and consulting firm that curates powerful experiences for fierce and powerhouse female entrepreneurs and corporate executives. A self-described visionary and entrepreneur, Thomas practices what she preaches – whether it’s forging her own unique career path or inspiring others to make their vision a reality.
Tell us about yourself and your work.
I own a coaching and consulting firm called The Vision Investment where I work primarily with powerhouse women (mainly women of color) to help them to take their lives and careers to the next level. These are the type of women who look like they have it all together on the outside, but deep down they know they’ve been playing small and in order to get to the next level they’ll have to make some changes. Whether they own their own companies or work in the corporate sector, these women typically have the same issues: confidence and visibility. I help them get clarity on their vision for the future. Then I work with them to create and implement a strategy to get there. I do this one-on-one as well as in a group mastermind setting or workshops.
What drew you to the work you do?
Honestly, I feel like coaching called me. When I was an undergrad at a small school in the UW system in Wisconsin, I was asking my professors, “What do you know about this life coaching thing? I really want to help people.” At the time I was studying community health education. This was the early 2000’s and they had no idea what I was talking about.
After completing my undergraduate degree, I returned to Minneapolis to pursue a master’s degree at St. Catherine University. However, I never forgot about life coaching. I thought about it day and night and knew it was something I really wanted to do. In 2009, I completed a personal and professional life coaching certification through the Alfred Adler Graduate School.
Is there a specific goal you have achieved or change you have led about which you are particularly proud?
I am proud to have started my own business. Despite what it looks like on social media these days, entrepreneurship can be challenging. So I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve continued to go after what it is that I desired. I had a vision that I wanted to work for myself and I went for it.
I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to spread my message on multiple platforms, whether through print, local media, or even national and international media. Last November, I was interviewed on Bloomberg. It went very well, so I’m very proud of that. I think it’s important to not be afraid to continue to spread my message in multiple ways.
As a woman of color, I’m proud that I am able to be an example and to inspire others who want to go after something in their lives. Perhaps they are afraid, but see me doing it and it gives them a little more hope and a little less fear to go after their own goals.
In your view, why is social equity, diversity and inclusion important? What strategies have you used to incorporate these values within your professional and volunteer work?
This is the human experience. To make anything successful– a project, initiative, business, family, whatever – every voice and perspective is needed to move things forward. Being diverse in our thought, being diverse in the way in which we show up, being diverse in who’s in the room is necessary if we’re going to have true success in this country and in this world.
If we want to be heard, it’s our responsibility to position ourselves in a place where we are around different people to get a variety of perspectives. For instance, making the choice to serve on certain boards of directors. The Black Chamber of Commerce is the first board that I’ve been on that’s specifically about black people. Other boards that I’ve been on are more generally focused on projects, initiatives and organizations. If there is something I value, I position myself to be included at those tables and take action to ensure that I am part of the conversation.
What is your vision for the future of your organization?
The vision that I have for my company is to continue to grow and expand, but in a slightly different way. I’d love to continue down the path of doing more mastermind kind of group coaching that I’ve been doing on a smaller scale, but doing it on a larger scale. I’d love to do this work on a much more international stage by having our coaching sessions and meetings at different places around the world on a more consistent basis. I do a little bit of that now, but I’d love to do it on a more consistent basis.
I also gather women of color who are also entrepreneurs, so really ensuring that I’m curating powerhouse spaces for powerhouse women to ensure that they’re continuing to be inspired, motivated and feel like they have a support system.
What tips do you have for other leaders looking to spark motivation?
My first tip would be to get crystal clear on their vision. It’s so important that we know where we want to go. So really being crystal clear on that and not wavering. The other thing would be self-care – making sure they’re engaging in self-care. A lot of times leaders of any organization, whether they own the company or work in the company, often forget to take care of themselves. And they forget that our work is only as good as we are. So we have to definitely take care of ourselves before we can give of ourselves in the workplace.
The other thing is just be good to others. When we are putting out that type of energy, we tend to attract absolutely amazing people who are also good to us. So, I would definitely say be good to others.
Self-care is a leadership skill that is often overlooked. What advice to you have for other leaders for reducing stress and maintaining energy and enthusiasm?
Absolutely. First of all, I take a step back and remember that these are things that I prayed for. So it’s important to not get stressed out about things that we asked for and to really get some perspective around that. The other thing is that I travel. That is a hobby, it’s a love, it’s a passion. I’ve been traveling for years, since before social media existed and people were plastering it all over. Traveling is a form of self-care for me, being able to go somewhere else and engage in someone else’s culture and/or to sit on the beach and do nothing.
I also have a morning routine that I engage in: prayer, meditation, journaling and exercise – and it’s non-negotiable. I also have a team of people that I work with for body care, including a massage therapist, an energy healer and a naturopathic doctor.
Also, I love getting my eyebrows done. That’s self-care for me. Things like that are really important for me and I make them non-negotiable.
