Naya helps people feel empowered to take action on their ideas and create things they believe in
I help people feel empowered to take action on their ideas and create things they believe in. I think the most effective way to feel empowered is to not just know how other people had success, but to clearly see how you can take the right steps for you to get what you want.
I show people how to do it for themselves.
As a Brand Therapist, I help small and large companies build, or rebuild, brands that help them meet their missions and reach the right customers—while being more of themselves. I also help individuals strengthen their personal brands so they can attract more of what they want in life and/or help them to change or elevate their careers without falling down the ladder.
As Founder of Side Hustle Business School, I show aspiring entrepreneurs how to start making their own money before quitting a stable job.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted to have?
I have always wanted a life that allows me the flexibility to do things that I want or need to do, while maintaining control over my time.
As a child, I imagined having a home office “when I grow up” so that, when I had children, I wouldn’t have to commute to work and could be more present for them. As I got older, I found that I still wanted that same flexibility—even though I don’t have children now.
I always thought that having my own business was inevitable. As a kid, I always had a side hustle to make a few dollars. It never occurred to me that as an adult I wouldn’t still be finding multiple ways to make money. I was always an entrepreneur.
How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?
For a lot of my life I’ve been in the business of empowering other people and helping both individuals and organizations position themselves to attract great opportunities. It’s a pet peeve of mine to watch people underperform and live smaller than they desire to. I’m not talking about having a fancy house or a crap load of money. I’m talking about living less than your dreams.
I hate when we downplay our abilities and talk ourselves out of opportunities and experiences. I hate that we convince ourselves that we can’t have what we want because, for whatever reason, we believe that we’re not capable.
Everything I’ve done in business, since I’ve become a full-time entrepreneur, has been in efforts to empower people to create what they want to see in the world. And, if what they want to see in the world is more of themselves, then I help them figure out how to do that.
What were you doing before this? How did it prepare you for the entrepreneurial life?
My last formal job before I stepped into full-time entrepreneurship was as a web developer. My career path leading up to that job was in the advertising industry. I was really intrigued with how printed words, websites, and any other polished marketing materials could influence people to make decisions and spend money.
So yes, the work that I did before this absolutely prepared me for entrepreneurship.
Do you have a fixed work routine? Is it important to have one? Any tips for our readers?
No, not exactly. My work routine fluctuates every few months. But what remains the same is that it centers around me working when I’m my most productive self. I don’t wake up very early. I don’t skimp on my sleep. I try not to work and eat at the same time. And I actively try to add leisure to my day.
I think that if you’re considering entrepreneurship, you should have a good idea of how you work best. I am surrounded by early risers who do some of their best work in the morning. For a while, I felt inadequate because I was never good at doing my best work in the morning. So when I’d read articles and listen to motivational talks about getting up at 5 AM—telling me to start work before the sun comes up—I’d feel like a failure.
But, my reality is that I work very well in the evening and very late at night. I’m super creative when it’s late. Once I learned and accepted what worked for me, I was much more productive and enthusiastic about myself and my work. Learning to operate at my best hours, without judging myself for not operating during other people’s best hours, has made me a more confident and productive entrepreneur.
What is one thing you find to be true that most people disagree with?
I believe that most of us know what we truly want.
I think we tell ourselves, and the people around us, that we don’t know what we want when, actually, we just don’t know how to get what we want.
I think there’s an exception: those of us who haven’t been exposed to exactly what we want. But, even if we don’t have the words to identify and articulate what it is we’re looking for, I think we know enough to take steps in a direction that makes us happier, leading us to what we want.