Early Beginnings
Born in Miami Florida, raised and educated in the rustbelt of the Midwest, and a tech industry trailblazer with a meaningful career footprint spanning the US, Canada, and the UK, Thom Brodeur’s humble beginnings were the least likely to offer him the remarkable opportunities he’s had along the way.
Growing up in Northeast Ohio, Brodeur was a gifted student, a decent athlete, and was nicknamed “Hollywood” by his high school physical education teacher. National Honor’s Society, Boy’s State, Varsity Track & Field, Prom King, and Segment Editor of his high school newspaper, Brodeur honed his skill for communication and leadership early – always leading with kindness and a friendly approach as hallmarks of his personal brand. Brodeur has always been known for his warm smile and easy laugh.
Raised by a single mother who was also a US Air Force veteran during the Vietnam War, Brodeur shared with Fortune how life lessons started very early for him.
Overcoming Challenges
Diagnosed with dyslexia, speech pathology, and audiology issues in the second grade, Brodeur’s mother was told he would need to be placed in learner’s disability classes. Unconvinced, she put him through aggressive learning rehabilitation programs including phonics and mnemonics, and by fourth grade Brodeur was enrolled in gifted and talented classes and offered the opportunity to skip a grade. He didn’t. Not taking shortcuts would become another recurring theme in his life.
“Growing up, I fundamentally understood that my mom and I didn’t have ‘as much’ as other families. We struggled financially throughout my entire childhood. Mom worked multiple jobs, and I started working at 12 years old. While other kids mowed lawns or raked leaves to buy the latest Nike Air tennis shoes or their first car; I dug septic tanks, painted government housing projects, and scrubbed carpets to earn money to help pay our household bills. I grew up fast with a strong work ethic as the centerpiece of my young adulthood. But I also grew up with an abundance of love, support, and a steadfast belief that I could do or be anything I put my mind to.” Leading by example, my mom was at one time a small business owner, and later, for the sake of stability, became a blue-collar assembly line worker for General Motors – I was just entering my senior year of high school when that turn of events came into our lives. Proof that with a solid work ethic, patience, and tenacity, tides could turn, and times could change.”
From Tech Leader to Advocate for Women’s Empowerment
Brodeur went on to fund his college education, earning degrees in Political Science and Economics and later earning a spot in the coveted Executive MBA program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
For the past 30 years, Brodeur has spent most of his time in the consumer tech and ecommerce industries working as the first head of marketing for domain registrar GoDaddy, and in a variety of C-Suite leadership roles at a number of tech media, marketing, and SaaS startups and early-stage companies where he honed his professional skills but also where he championed and advocated for empowering and advancing women.
“I’ve always been acutely aware of the power of women’s minds; how they think; how resourceful they are, and candidly, how often, in my experience, they’ve just been better decision makers than me or my male counterparts were at times. Most of this comes from observing the woman who raised me who had to forge ahead regardless of the forces she faced, and my recognizing there is an intrinsic and inherent value in honoring those unique strengths to build a better enterprise. I have had the great privilege to lead teams and efforts effectively throughout my career because of the great women with whom I’ve been honored to work.”
In addition to his career in tech and media, Brodeur’s personal lifelong passion has been the beauty pageant industry – another arena where his desire to uplift women, has been rewarded and recognized.
A Visionary Leader
As the Founder and CEO of Brodeur Beauty, Brodeur has transformed the landscape of beauty by launching disruptive brands and creating platforms that celebrate the strength and elegance of women worldwide.
He is also the driving force behind Reina Belleza Universo, a prestigious international beauty competition recently rebranded as Queen Beauty. This rebranding reflects a fresh and modern approach to beauty, aligning with Brodeur’s philosophy of innovation and inclusivity. Recently, the Queen Beauty name has been licensed to the New York-based digital media and production company Elizabeth Miles, which recently launched The Queen Beauty Network—a streaming TV network dedicated to beauty, fashion, and pageant content.
Under Brodeur’s leadership, Brodeur Beauty has also expanded into coaching and talent development with sister company – Brodeur Beauties – a business specializing in personal branding, styling, and social media strategy for pageant queens, models, and beauty influencers.
“As with many of us, my early career was spent using my talent and experience to earn a living and build a life. As I enter this, the third and final act of my career, I am mindful of an opportunity to leave an indelible and positive mark, and I want to do that for young women who have chosen pageantry, modeling, and entertainment as their paths forward. Armed with three decades of business experience and nearly four decades of passion for the pageant, modeling, and entertainment industries; I want to leave a legacy that empowers women in these fields to not only accomplish their goals but to become financially independent in the process. These industries are expensive to participate in. Many times, women invest far more than they ever get back, and all for a ‘chance’ at winning or fulfilling their dreams. I plan to change that.”
An Undeniable Generalist: Thom’s Vision
Thom Brodeur’s legacy as a brand builder, advocate, and philanthropist is undeniable. He shared with Fortune that his plans to disrupt and improve the $32B global pageant industry with technology and innovation will completely modernize it and re-establish its relevance around the world. Industry market makers are watching.
Brodeur’s final word to our editor was “there is an old saying: ‘behind every great man, there has to be a great woman.’ Personally? I’d like to flip that on its head. I want to be the great man, behind every great woman who chooses to participate in this industry. Going back to basics, remembering what and most importantly ‘who’ is the center of these industries, and innovating and challenging the status quo is how we’ll get there. Watch this space for big things. They’re coming.”
