We had the good fortune of connecting with Terry Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terry, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor in terms of my success is being authentic to who I truly am and not caring about what other people think of me. All my life, I felt like an ant that was always getting burnt by a magnifying glass. I felt like me being myself was always seen as a liability to others and that me embracing my individuality would be a hinderance not only to myself, but to others around me. I always felt that I had to separate parts of myself in order to be seen a certain way and to succeed in life. However, as time went on, I felt that it would be a disservice to deprive and hide myself out of fear, so once I learned to embrace my inner true self, standing in my truth and my purpose, the opportunities soon just started to pour in because once you learn to embrace who you are, it also helps others embrace who they are.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently a therapist/psychologist who just recently received their master’s degree back in July of this year who’s about to start working at a private practice. However, getting to this path was not an easy feat as a first-generation college student and an only child. Back when I was in high school, my fascination with psychology started with a AP Psych class. I was always interested in the human mind, how people function and work the way they do. However, that was not the path I took in college. As a first-generation college student, I felt pressured to take a path that instantly secure me stability, so I decided to major in chemical engineering since I was naturally good at math and science. I did great my freshman year, but it went a whole 180 during my sophomore year because I completely hit a wall. After failing nearly half of my classes twice in a year, it took me meeting my academic advisor to realize that my true calling was psychology. By making that decision, I decided to choose me and do what makes me happy instead of following what someone else’s plan for me is. Within my journey of becoming proficient in my field, I learned how to network, ask for help, and most of all, love and embrace who I am and not be ashamed of owning my individuality.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As someone that has loves to eat, shop, and have fun, I would take them to CJ Barrymore’s because it has everything! From go-karts to laser tag, to a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, bungee jumping, AND an arcade! I would also take them to the Detroit Riverwalk as you can watch the ocean and see Canada from across the way. I would also take them to the Dequindre Cut where you can see this cool walkway full oof amazing graffiti to make some awesome photo ops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my mom for always being there for me and believing in me and even when I was unsure and uncertain of the goals, I was able to accomplish, she always gave me her full support in love that I could do anything I wanted to be.

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Other: TikTok: T the Music Geek (@musicgeek_22)

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