As part of our Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day series of interviews we asked Naomi Aharony, founder and owner of Reboot Online, Why we need Women CEOs.
“I believe female CEO’s can bring a different perspective to a business, as they encounter different personal experiences compared to males which can help in the successful running of a company.”
As we mark Women’s History Month and celebrate the annual International Women’s Day in March, we honour the achievements of women breaking barriers and shaping industries worldwide. Meet Naomi Aharony, the CEO of Reboot, a leading SEO agency, who aims to empower the women across each department of her company.
Naomi always found herself drawn to technology and after completing her A Levels, she pursued a Computer Science degree, however she later found herself in a career in project management and law.
Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to co-found a furniture business, where she honed her skills in sales and marketing. It was during this time that Naomi’s passion for tech came into focus as her skills in SEO and digital marketing flourished. This helped lay the foundation for what would later become Reboot.
Why we need women CEOs even in the male dominated industries
In the male-dominated world of SEO, Naomi encountered unique challenges as a woman striving to make her mark. However, she remained undeterred, leveraging her confidence and resilience to carve out a space for herself and her company. Today, Reboot boasts a female-majority workforce — a testament to Naomi’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry.
Throughout her journey, Naomi found inspiration in self-starters like Deborah Meaden, whose determination and resilience resonated deeply with her.
“I put a lot of emphasis on the importance of mentorship and support networks in Reboot,” said Naomi. “It’s crucial female bosses foster the environment for the women in their workplace to pursue leadership roles and navigate challenges with confidence.”
Brining innovation to the way we work is another reason why we need female CEOs
As a mother and CEO, Naomi made the effort to truly understand the importance of work-life balance – for both her own benefit and her team members.
“When my children were younger,” Naomi explains. “I had no choice but to juggle as I was busy growing a business, but I always made sure I was around for important milestone events such as school plays, sports days and PTA events as you cannot get this time back.”
“We later introduced fully remote working and a 4 day week which was a game changer for me and other Reboot employees. It’s one of the best things we did to improve everyone’s work-life balance. I also try to exercise three to four times a week and enjoy running and pilates which are both great for your health and mental wellbeing.
“I believe female CEOs can bring a different perspective, as they encounter different personal experiences compared to males which can help in the successful running of a company. I actively encourage new ways of working, new ideas, innovation and want people to try something new even if it’s not successful, it’s how we all learn.”
Nurturing across departments
At Reboot, collaboration is at the heart of everything they do. Naomi fosters interdisciplinary collaboration by encouraging training across departments and providing opportunities for mentorship and skill-sharing.
“By leveraging diverse perspectives and experiences,” Naomi said. “Reboot has achieved breakthrough innovations and solutions, driving success and growth. I love seeing the different points of view that come from the different teams across Reboot.”
“As we are a female majority workplace, showcasing women’s voices tends to be a natural process. Most of our managers and department heads are female which means junior female members of staff have role models which they can aspire to and learn from.”
Empowering women in practise
Naomi enforces regular one to one chats that allow for relationships, opinions and trust to develop more freely.
Reboot utilises messaging tools such as Slack to communicate within and across teams and Naomi encourages the creation of different channels for both work and non-work which helps streamline and encourage communication both inside and outside of the virtual office. There is even a ‘Ladies Only’ chat that acts as a safe safe for the women within the company to discuss more personal issues.
“We encourage the use of internal mentors from all areas of the business, who can help build confidence in more junior staff,” said Naomi. “Female mentors in senior positions have empathy and provide encouragement/support for more junior females to aspire to.”
“External training also provides additional support across departments. We also encourage female employees to attend and/or carry out presentations or be keynote speakers at women-led events such as Women in Tech.”
Bringing in new voices
Naomi believes that gender diversity is essential for driving innovation and problem-solving. She has implemented initiatives to break down silos, promote cross-departmental collaboration, and empower women within the organisation.
By providing opportunities for personal and professional development, Reboot is paving the way for women to thrive in leadership roles.
Looking ahead, Naomi is focused on further enhancing collaboration and gender diversity at Reboot. Working with Operations Director Zoe Blogg, Naomi is looking at a strategy to improve collaboration and gender diversity even further.
Through collaboration, mentorship, and a steadfast dedication to gender diversity, Naomi is shaping the future of tech and empowering women to reach new heights of success across the tech and marketing industry.
Contact Reboot Online
To find out more please visit rebootonline.com or email hollie@rebootonline.com
We also spoke to Lily Shippen, founder of a specialist recruitment business.
