“If you don't get out of your comfort zone then you won't be able to move forward...” | Insights on Advocacy, Resilience, and Success: Meet Ayomi Sama

After 8 years as a management consultant, working across the UK, Middle East, and US, Ayomi discovered her passion for the Creator Economy during the pandemic, when she joined TikTok 's Communications team and went on to become the Global Head of Internal Communications.

She is now a full-time founder building in the Creator Economy space and is a part-time TikTok Creator, who has been featured in Business Insider 5x as both a Founder and Creator.

Ayomi is a committed Diversity & Inclusion advocate and provides free career mentoring calls, focused on Women of Color, to her global TikTok community.

Miss EmpowHer: What does women's empowerment mean to you? Why is it important?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Women empowerment means to me the right and ability to speak up and advocate for yourself and be heard, the right to have access to opportunity, and the ability to carve out your own path on your own terms.?

Miss EmpowHer: What advice would you give to other women looking to succeed in your industry? What qualities are the most important and what skills should they focus on developing?

Ayomi Samaraweera: You have to speak up and advocate for yourself - you can't rely on your merits speaking for themself and waiting for someone to notice you. You are your best advocate, always, so bet on yourself and take up space. Life is a relationship business and it's important to invest time in building relationships both personally and professionally, not because you think they will immediately lead you somewhere but because building a network is important to long term growth and access to opportunity.?

"You have to speak up and advocate for yourself..."

Miss EmpowHer: How do you handle work-related stress and pressure, and what techniques or practices do you use to maintain your well-being while pursuing a successful career?

Ayomi Samaraweera: First, unless you are quite literally a medical profession, just remember you are not saving lives as a day job so it is always going to be OK! This may sound obvious but early in my career as a management consultant I used to think things were "life or death" when in actual fact they were not. This change in mindset has been my biggest technique in managing work-related stress and realizing that everything will always be OK - yes there will be obstacles and challenges along the way, and it's in those moments where you learn the most so just enjoy the journey.?

Miss EmpowHer: Can you share any lessons or insights you have gained from failures or setbacks in your career, and how you have turned them into opportunities for growth and learning?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Building a startup from scratch as a non-technical, solo female founder has a lot of systemic obstacles, especially when it comes to fundraising. My superpower is not being discouraged by getting a "no" and instead using that as fuel to keep going to prove them wrong. Turning a no into a yes is the best feeling and this recently happened with an investor, who is now on my Cap Table which I'm really proud of. Also, I try not to see anything as a "failure." Life is about taking risks and learning along the way. If you don't get out of your comfort zone then you won't be able to move forward, and the risk of not moving forward is far scarier to me than the risk of failing.

"If you don't get out of your comfort zone then you won't be able to move forward, and the risk of not moving forward is far scarier to me than the risk of failing."

Miss EmpowHer: Can you share any strategies or tips for building a successful network and fostering meaningful professional relationships that have helped you in your career?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Remember the little things! Building relationships takes time, it isn't a one and done investment. Be thoughtful and be timely when it comes to sending out calendar invites, sending follow up notes, and reaching out. Don't always take from people, instead proactively give. If you see a news article or a job opening that might be relevant for someone else, share it with them and 9 times out of 10 they will remember that small act of kindness. LinkedIn is a great place to start a conversation - I've been able to grow my professional network through consistently posting on the platform. Also going to in person events when available and meeting up for coffee is great because putting faces to names always makes a difference.?

Miss EmpowHer: What strategies or tactics do you use for setting and achieving your career goals, and how do you stay motivated and focused on your objectives?

Ayomi Samaraweera: I used to be obsessed with goal setting, every year, every quarter, even sometimes every month. But this year I've taken a different approach - no writing down goals. I have learnt since becoming a founder that things come up in life that you can't plan for or predict so you need to remain agile and open to change. This year my goal was to not set goals and see where life will take me and be open to embracing this new direction.?

Miss EmpowHer: What motivated you to choose your current career field, and what do you find most fulfilling about your work?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Entrepreneurship is not easy, in fact it has probably been the most challenging time in my professional career to date. However, building something out of nothing and seeing your product vision brought to life is incredibly fulfilling. Recently I met a few creators who I didn't know personally and they were talking about Canopy and how it has helped them negotiate better rates and provide support and that was a really special moment to hear that type of feedback from real users of the app.

"Entrepreneurship is not easy..."

Miss EmpowHer: Can you discuss any specific trends or changes in your industry that you see impacting careers, and how you are preparing to adapt to these changes?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Invest in building relationships. If you work in corporate America it is a really tough job market right now given so many mass layoffs across companies, there is a lot of top talent out there competing for opportunities. Rightly or wrongly this is where leveraging your network is going to really help you get your foot in the door.?

"Invest in building relationships."

Miss EmpowHer: What advice do you have for individuals who are starting their careers or looking to make a career change, based on your own experiences and lessons learned?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Your career is most likely not going to be a linear path and be open to that. If I could go back and do things again I would have tried so many different career paths early on and experimented more vs. diving into consulting and staying there for 8 years before pivoting into tech. Rather than picking one specific job title or career path, focus on what you are interested in and enjoy doing, continue to experiment because building richness in experiences is going to set you up for success long term.?

"Your career is most likely not going to be a linear path and be open to that."

Miss EmpowHer: How do you approach professional development and continuous learning to enhance your skills and stay relevant in your industry??

Ayomi Samaraweera: I try to have an always learning mindset - and that means being open to learning from anyone at any time. I try to stay up to date on trends in my industry, and follow specific reporters who cover my industry which helps. I also feel like a lot of entrepreneurship is learning on the job and learning from other founders who are ahead of you.?

"I try to have an always learning mindset - and that means being open to learning from anyone at any time."

Miss EmpowHer: Can you discuss any significant achievements or accomplishments in your career that you are particularly proud of and what you learned from those experiences?

Ayomi Samaraweera: I have been fortunate that I've been promoted in record time throughout my career, in consulting I was promoted 4 times in 8 years and at TikTok I was promoted twice in 2 years. My biggest learning is that yes hard work is important, but that is almost table stakes. In order to move up quickly in a corporate setting you have to be willing to put your hand up, step in and step up when you see an opportunity and ultimately create your own opportunities to shine and demonstrate how you are already operating at the next level. While I am very proud of these professional achievements, I also learnt a lot from these experiences and my biggest learning was that self-care is so important. I unfortunately got burnt out from my corporate career and I think that could have been avoided by managing my time better and striking a better balance between work life and home life.?

Miss EmpowHer: How do you balance your career ambitions with other aspects of your life, such as family, hobbies, and personal well-being?

Ayomi Samaraweera: I try to protect at least one day of my weekend for self-care which means spending time with family and friends, going for a hike, cooking a meal, watching my favorite Netflix show (Drive To Survive). Ultimately, if you are happy in your non-work life, that is key to success in your work life and beyond.?

Miss EmpowHer: Are there any specific books, podcasts, email newsletters, thought leaders/influencers, or training courses/programs that you would recommend for personal or professional growth?

Ayomi Samaraweera: Read the Startup of You by Reid Hoffman - that's what kicked off my journey in entrepreneurship.

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