Mr. Defy Gravity Himself, Ivan “The Great” Thomas

The most effective way to tap into your gift, calling or even your career is to do the most tedious thing that most aren’t willing to do. And that is the process of self work. Figuring out who you are, what you want, what you believe in and more is essential to having a blissful experience in all areas of your life. About eight years ago, Ivan The Great Thomas, made his decision to become an entrepreneur after digging deep into his own mind. Thomas knew that his goal was to be highly successful, so he led with that. Reading books like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Act Like a Success by Steve Harvey, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell and a variety of other books to learn about leadership and how to doctor a success mindset. That process today has created a fruitful life in success and in leadership.

Jackson: What does it take to be an effective celebrity publicist?
Thomas: Well it definitely takes being someone with exceptional communication skills. It requires you to have a certain level of command and assertiveness. It also requires you to be an expert in your industry. Be resourceful, creative, a visionary. You have to possess the ability to deal with a variety of personalities. But mainly at the end of the day, you have to be someone who inspires you to make great things happen. Because all high profile clients have high expectations. You have to be trustworthy of fulfilling those expectations. 

Jackson: How did you get to this point in knowledge or in your career? 
Thomas: I got here first by working on myself. Naturally when I was growing up, I was a more reserved individual. I wasn’t the most outspoken or vocal then as I am now. And to be honest, me attending Howard University played a big role in that. I learned to make things happen for myself and be resourceful. And at the same time my dad was in the media field who started a PR company of his own. That’s how I kind of got my feet wet in the PR industry. I worked with him in media relations. I was in charge of securing the interviews for clients and interfacing with them. So I learned a lot from him, in addition to other internships and jobs. 

Jackson: What superpower would you choose to have?
Thomas: my superpower would be to inspire. Inspire everyone around the world to recognize their greatness so that they can achieve their goals. 

Jackson: What does your brand slogan Defy Gravity mean? Unleashing Your Greatness Within. Have you defied your gravity?
Thomas: I’m still defying gravity. I’m still overcoming personal battles and weaknesses myself. So the concept behind Defy Gravity is that gravity is something that holds us down, it keeps us centered on earth. When I talk about defying gravity I’m talking about overcoming the odds of anything that holds you down and back from pursuing your dreams, goals and aspirations. Our life is not our own. We all have gifts and purpose and it’s our responsibility to understand that so we can make the biggest impact on earth. Of course we want to realize who we are and live a great life but our purpose is for us to give. It’s for us to leave a legacy and change and improve lives. So I’m defying gravity everyday through my business.

Jackson: Describe each day of the week as your favorite meal or food. 
Thomas: Oh, that’s pretty tough. I would say seafood, seafood, seafood but I’m not going to do that. Let’s say Monday, bake chicken, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Tuesday, I’m just gonna head and say Taco Tuesday. Because I love Tacos. Wednesday is the middle of the week so I’ll say Salmon. I love Salmon. Thursday, sushi. Friday, it’s the end of the week, I might have some wings. I like wings. I’d say a nice cheeseburger and some fries on Saturday. Sunday, pasta. I love pasta. Spaghetti or  seafood pasta. 

Jackson: Leading a global movement, does that become challenging? Being the leader and the one that people call on. 
Thomas: Well there are challenges when you are always needed. And of course I have a couple of businesses so it never stops. But at the end of the day I truly believe that this is my purpose. My purpose is to reach one billion people around the globe. Because especially my people, we need a lot of inspiration. We have talents, gifts and goals and I think that It is time that we really rise to who we’re supposed to be. And because this is my purpose, I don’t want to stop. It constantly pushes me to be better which is what I desired to do. 

Jackson: What’s the most repeated advice that you give?
Thomas: It sounds a little cliché but I always tell people if you can conceive it, you can achieve it as long as you believe. The reason I say that often is because I recognize the power of the mind. The mind is our most powerful muscle. And human beings are the only living species on the Earth that can completely change the trajectory of their lives by changing their mindset. I’m big on that. I see how it’s improved my life. I’m achieving things that I never thought was possible and doing things that I never thought I would do. And making an impact all because I taped into the power of the mind.