Name: Founder Friday: From Miss New York to CEO, Meet Iman Oubou
Uploaded: 2017-01-27
Duration: 20 min 56 s
Description: Iman Oubou moved to from Morocco to the United States as a teenager to follow the American Dream.

[ BLANK_AUDIO ] Hi Facebook. My name is Paulina Malanova and this is Founder Friday. I'm here with Imon Ubu. She's the former Miss New York and she i now the founder and CEO of Sway Media. Yvonne, hi, how are you? Hi, thank you so much for having me. Good, thank you so much for being here. So, I wanna start with, you have a pretty remarkable background. You have a Bachelor's Degree in Bio Chemistry and Molecular Biology and a Master's in Bio Medical Engineering, and then you've worked as a cancer research scientist. So, how did you get into media? I'm still trying to figure that out. [ LAUGH ] Actually, But yeah. I started off my career thinking I was going to be a doctor. That was my biggest passion and dream growing up. So, I went to school for that and end up working in Germany as well as a research scientist in biotech field. Eventually I decided to not go to medical school, and do my masters in biomedical engineering, wanting to work more in the R & D side. And so, I still have passion for health care. I still really am interested in the field, but in parallel I was working as a scientist and an engineer for. Travelling the world on medical missions. Helping developing countries we're still a proper health care. I also was participating in beauty pageants on the side doing Miss Colorado and then last year Miss New York or two years ago now Miss New York in 2015. And that's one I really started to Find out the true me. Yeah. It was a great journey to self- discovery and self- awareness. And I realized that I ended up having my dream career. I wanted to work in a corporate world and health care. As a science communications specialist, I wanted to move to a big city like New York. And climb up the corporate world and thinking that's what I really wanted to be as a successful woman. And when I ended up getting what I wanted, I figured out that it was not what I wanted. Why? So the universe The universe has a great sense of humor. Well, I had a great career, but there was a voice inside of me that said this is not where you're supposed to be. Hm. I was Working my nine to five. But I was not fulfilled. I was not happy. And I felt like I was meant for something greater. And I really cared about building a legacy. And again, that's what pageantry helped me discover is what success means to me. And I think that's a lot of, it's a big step that people skip in their career. And I was fortunate enough to take more risks early on in my career and just jump from a job to another, from an industry to another, and explore what really made me tick. So, I would I wanna get back to the pageants, but let's back up a little bit. So you were 15 when you moved from Morocco to Denver, is that right? Correct, yeah. So can you tell me about that transition a little bit, and how your upbringing kind of shaped who you are today? Yeah, so I owe everything I am today to the big transition that we went through back in 2005. So I watched my parents sacrifice everything they had. The successful careers they built for themselves. The great and fortunate life they had in Morocco. Left it all behind to move across the world, because they wanted their kids, my brother and I, to live the American dream. So- The fact that they- And what was the American Dream to them. What was that? So, I don't know that they had an idea of what the American dream is. I think for me, I'm still also Figuring it out as I go. And I still believe in it strongly. But for them, the biggest thing was having opportunities and a better education. And having also greater opportunities that we can seize. That we wouldn't have had back in Morocco, or even in Europe. That's really interesting. And you actually said that your mom turned you on to pageants. How did that happen? Yeah, so after college, I went on to live in Germany and worked as a research scientist for a biotech company and throughout my college career I have been getting invites to participate in Miss Colorado, but I had no idea. What pageantry was, and I didn't think that I was a fit for it. I didn't really grow up as a girly girl. I was an athlete, I was a tomboy, I grew up with a brother. So I was really close to him. I didn't really identify with a lot of girly girls. So for me, the idea of Doing pageantry was, it wasn't anything that I could reach. It was too crazy for me. So my mum encouraged me to try something different because she really saw that I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be and she thought that getting outside of my comfort zone. Would be a great step for me to figure that out. And she was exactly right. So I thought I would do one pageant, and you know that's it. Call it quits. And after that I was hooked. I would just do it one, I think I've been doing it for five years now after that. That's amazing. And we actually have a Facebook question. Facebook, if you have any more questions Post it in the comments and we'll try to answer it. So where do you see the media market going in the future? Yeah, so I mean, we've moved from reading our content, or consuming content from newspaper print to desktop. And now Everything we do is on mobile. So I think the future of it is going to move towards augmented reality. Interesting. And virtual reality. So now a lot of startup media companies are starting to think about how are we gonna be consuming content moving forward. I'm doing that as well. I'm still trying to figure that out. But I think, also, on the other side is the content. I think there's a big, now, user backlash against the whole click bait and also a trying to drive traffic and the expense of women sometimes. And that's It's really where I'm really passionate about it is when I was looking through the media landscape and looking for the right content to empower me as a young woman trying to figure myself out and trying to find the right moves or role models to help me Move through my career, I couldn't find really good, smart and substantial content that is targeting women. And that's where the big gap is. And I think now, more and more women publishing companies Are waking up to that. Great, and actually explain a little bit what Sway Media is. What is it in one sentence? Yeah, Sway Media is a new digital media startup for women entrepreneurs and women leaders. Women entrepreneurs, so we have a Facebook question about was it more difficult to try and start a business as a women and would it have been easier if you were a man? Probably. I've gotten a lot of advice and comments saying that I probably would raise more money or be more successful if I have a male cofounder, for example. I've had certain investors or male advisors that I seeked advice from, telling me that Or ask me why didn't you just stay in the beauty industry? You could use your looks for that- [ LAUGH ] And you could probably make a lot more money. Well, I said the same thing. I could make more money being an engineer as well. So yes, I think Probably, but I don't let that affect me or stop me from really trying to achieve what I want to achieve. We do have it harder as female founders, and I think also sometimes our biggest oppressors are other female founders. Interesting. Can you talk more about that? Or female investors. I mean, I've been fortunate to really find a supportive community of female founders that I really Relied on for my inspiration and for mentorship and that's for part because of the podcast I started. And that's the whole reason behind entrepeneurs in both podcasts that I started a year ago is to seek mentorship and inspiration from other fellow female founders. But I think we need to progress more towards supporting each other as woman and you know Coming together to amplify our voices because we already have to work twice as hard as our male counterparts to even be taken seriously sometimes. Especially when you're pitching a business that is not girly. It's not like- Right. Renting clothes or baby food or whatever. Especially when women are pitching tech savvy companies. It's, I've heard also from other women that it's a lot tougher for them to be taken seriously. And that's the other thing right, like a lot of people would just roll their eyes and a beauty pageant contestant now turned business woman. How do you make sure that people see you as a serious business woman? I think is first you can't really help you know what the impressions will have about you. Especially when they know that I'm coming from the beauty pageant industry. But I think it's really sticking to what you know, and showing that your serious about what your doing, and also that you know what your talking about And the important thing is not just having a great idea. It's having a great idea that is polished enough to become a clear vision, and also even polished further to be kind of your life mission. So nothing and no one can get between you and that business. And really, I've trained myself to develop an unshakable confidence that will allow Need to not care what people think and I think that's the biggest reason why most people fear to go into business or even put themselves out there and build a personal brand is because they're scared of what people are gonna say. Just me doing this interview right now and knowing that people can comment and say stuff. I think five years ago you would tell me that I would think that's the scariest thing I could ever do. Because I don't want people to have the opportunity to talk about me. Or judge me. But I think, going through the pageant industry now, being judged, being talked about Being defined by other stereotypes doesn't really faze me anymore, because that's one of the things that I learned a lot is persistent and dealing with rejection and just challenging stereotypes. That's so interesting. And one thing I wanted to talk to you about is you were actually in the pageant when Donald Trump owned it. Did you ever meet him? What were your impressions? It's crazy because that's the first question I get a lot nowadays. They go you're a Trump girl. But no, I did not. So I guess fortunately I did not now. But I did compete in his system when I was in Miss Colorado, and competing in Miss Colorado USA. I did not meet him and I don't have any personal experience to speak about, unfortunately. But, I know that's one of the first things that people think of me especially when I say Miss New York or Miss Colorado. Right. Where you associated with Trump and what do you think about him and all that? So I try not to get into the whole politic talk. Got it. We have an Facebook comment that says your so classy and confident what is your secret ?>> [ LAUGH ] I don't know if there's a magic Formula. So what are some things that female entrepreneurs in general can do to appear more confident, even if they're not? Self- awareness. Self- awareness. I am so, so big on self- awareness, whether you're a female or a male, to be honest. Okay. And this is again, moving from Morocco, not speaking English whatsoever by the way- Wow. Until about 10 years ago. So I felt like the outcast in high school I had to start over, I love my extended family, I love my life. As a teenager it was one of the hardest. It's huge, it's true. Thing for me. Yeah. So I went through depression, I lifted myself up from it by writing, by finding ways to really express my feelings. I think I was fortunate enough to go through Enough experiences, diverse experiences, where I took a lot of risks to really get in touch with who I am. The fact that I know myself really well and I know where I want to go, I think is really what Builds my confidence and keeps me calm. No matter what, I mean, some of my employees sometimes, and my team, like when we have a stressful day, or a stressful week, they just ask, how do you keep calm because I try to stay positive and. I know where I'm going and you know what the road is not easy. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. But you just really have to be sticking to your strong vision and have self awareness and trust in your own capabilities. I love that. And you've actually talked about that the pageant gave you an ability to be a role model for younger girls right? So we have an question who are your Top three role models. My mother, number one. Yeah? My mother is an amazing woman that has pushed me through thick and thin and has sacrificed so, so much. I would only hope to grow up to be like her one day. And three, top three, here's the thing. [ LAUGH ] You've interviewed so many on your podcast. I've interviewed so many, that's the thing. So for me, I have a new role model every week. Okay. Lucky for me, right? So I interview Few female founders, and female leaders on a weekly basis. Sometimes three women in one week. But then with Sway media we also have different interviews that I conduct, and I do these meetings where I meet other investors, and people saw I try to find role models and inspiration whenever I can find it. So there isn't one or two people that I can name that are been consistent. But I do have to say, if I can relate to one celebrity entrepreneur that I have been looking up to a lot, and this might also sound clich ��, is Jessica Alba. Really? Just because she also had She came from the Hollywood scene being an actress, being pretty and gorgeous and that's what her brand was. But the managed to successfully transit from that to become One of the most well respected multi- billionaire business women out there, even though she was told that she was only gonna be an actress. She's not gonna be taken seriously. For me that's huge, and I relate to that a lot because I have a similar transition from Being a beauty pageant contestant and title holder to now being a business owner. And so we have another a facebook question. What spark ignited your desire to kind of become a business owner after being a Miss New York? I saw white space. And do you know I've Always been categorized in two different corners. Mm- hm. By the media in a way, by people that I talk to. I had my beauty pageant life and then I had my scientist engineer life. Yeah, yeah. And they were two different worlds. And when I try to To explain to people that those two world's exist in one person, it's always been a struggle, I don't get it. So the first question I would get is, how, why? How are you a pagan girl and a scientist? And so, going back to the aha moment, actually my very first questions In my very first pageant in 2012 was by a judge asking me if you had to choose between being beautiful and being smart which one would you choose? The fact that I was even asked that question and we are told that we need to choose between being that or that. And were constantly being painted into tight corners by the media. Yeah. That's the moment that sparked my motivation and inspiration behind creating a publication, a digital content platform that tells women and young girls that that's not the case. That you can be both Stylish, and pretty, and glamorous, and also start a business and be business savvy, smart, and intellectual. So every week you interview these amazing female founders. You write about them. You talk to them. What are some of the most interesting takeaways you've had from those interviews? That I think the biggest take away is that life is not what it's supposed to be. So everyone starts out with having a plan. We all have these crazy dreams and amazing goals and that's great. But the biggest take away that I've seen that is also not covered by the media a lot is that It's not the dreams and the goals that are crazy, it's our time line. It's the expectations that we have on our own selves and our own lives. Like, okay, I'm gonna graduate college and then the red carpet's gonna roll out and I'm gonna have the greatest job Job ever, and be a millionaire. That's not always how it happens. It takes ten years to be an overnight success. I love that. So the biggest takeaway for me, and what I love too about these stories, and that's why I started the podcast, because I actually wanted to dig into The struggles. Yup. What did you have to go through to make it where you are now as the most powerful woman or the top 30 under 30 or Forbes 30 under 30? I wanna to be forty under forty. [ LAUGH ] Yeah. Forty under forty. And so that's the biggest takeaway is that you can't crazy timeline and expectation on yourself and that. You will achieve those goals, but have to give yourself time and you have to be patient, persistent, and you have to have a lot of grit and resilience. Speaking of grit I wanna kinda wrap up with, what's been one of the hardest things about building a business as a first time founder and what advise would you give inspiring few more entrepreneurs watching us right now? Yes. I think building a business is emotionally and physically Physically draining. It's a roller coaster on a day to day basis. So what could be hard for me today might not be hard for me tomorrow. Or might not be hard for the person I'm talking to or whatnot. The biggest thing for me was Of finding the right team members. And it still is, I think the hardest part of building the business, because essentially you wanna hire a team that is an extension of your vision. And that makes it effortless for you to achieve the goals that you have and execute on the vision. Not the other way around. But finding talent that will stick with you in these hard time. When you're starting off you don't have a big budget, you don't have a fancy office or whatever. So finding the right talent that is good at what they do and also wants to stick with you through this hard period and sees kind of The future of the company has been one of the hardest things for me to accomplish. Especially if your trying to raise money while your hiring people, while your executing on your goals and trying to grow the company. So your trying to really juggle everything. So that's the hardest challenge on my end. The biggest advice is to really take it day by day like I said I'm harder on myself than anyone else. I know. Sometimes I wake in a really bad mood or really the press or whatever, and when I dig deep into what is the reason behind it, it's because investors wanted me do something. Or, it's not because I haven't achieved something. It's because how much pressure I'm putting on myself. So taking it day by day and just Really not trying to compare yourself to where other people are. I know my competition in terms of when I'm pitching my business plan and here's who I'm competing against. But they're not people that I watch every single day. I don't care what they're doing, I don't care what they're trying to achieve. I think I'm focusing on really me. In this vision that I have. And that's the only way that I can stay sane, because if you're always caught up in what people are doing, you're constantly comparing yourself, and that's the number one stress you don't want. And it's also about the timeline you were talking about. That unnecessary pressure of I have to do this before I turn 30. Exactly, and I am like that. I have to win this many pageants, I have to make Fortune 40 under 40. You have, but they're great milestones and they're great goals to have. Because you always need to have something to look forward to and work towards. But if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. Maybe there is something greater for you out there. Totally, totally. Well, thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for having me. That was awesome. Thank you Facebook, and we'll see you next time on Founder Friday. [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

Iman Oubou moved to from Morocco to the United States as a teenager to follow the American Dream.