Naomi Schiff: “Diversity is asking someone to the party, but inclusion is asking them to dance.”
You could argue that she is one of the most well known drivers in the W Series… And to be honest, it wouldn’t even be an argument because obviously, you’d be right.
Naomi Schiff has a reputation for determination that precedes her, but talent alone doesn’t get you noticed, or necessarily lead to success. If you’re anything like Naomi however, your dedication, passion and drive will help.
Naomi recently sat down with us for our podcast to discuss all things motorsport and of course, diversity. (Listen below or subscribe via all major podcast platforms)
She’d never dreamed of a career in racing, but all it took was a birthday party at a go-karting track and it was “something like love at first sight”. From then on, Naomi’s sights were set; she just wanted to drive competitively.
Growing up in South Africa, Naomi quickly managed to climb through the karting ranks, even reaching the national level team. From age 16, she’d progressed onto single seater racing; and at 18, she moved to Europe to pursue her dreams; “Europe was the place to be you know? Nowhere else offered the same level of professionalism and opportunities.”
These opportunities however, were cut short when the European championship she raced just one race in, went bankrupt.
After taking a financial blow (her father *may* have taken out a second mortgage to help fund her career) and finding herself without a seat, Naomi went knocking on as many doors as possible. Claiming she was the next Lewis Hamilton, she was confident in her approach and hoped it would help her find her footing and open up the door to the next chapter in her career.
As a girly girl, Naomi did however find that there were many misconceptions about her image. As a girl who liked to wear makeup and paint her nails, it couldn’t be possible for her to be serious about racing, right? Because everyone knows racing drivers only come in certain shapes and sizes… *insert rolling eye emoji here*.
Since then, she’s had a notable career that’s been steady and only improved as the years have gone on. Now an ambassador for the W Series, Naomi’s advice for others wanting to get into the industry is to simply never give up. “You might get a no the first time, but that doesn’t always mean it’ll be a no. What’s worse than getting a no is not giving yourself the opportunity to get a yes, right?” So, perseverance, perseverance and perseverance. In this industry where everyone is competing for the same thing, Naomi believes that unless you differentiate yourself from the crowd, your chances will be limited.
Her role as an ambassador for the W Series predominantly focuses on diversity and inclusion. “We have hit the nail on the head in terms of gender equality and gender empowerment but obviously we know there’s so much more to do.” While plans to improve on inclusivity may have been put on hold for the time being (thanks ‘rona), Naomi has high hopes for the improvements they are looking to put into place when the world is up and running again.
But as a black woman who is heavily inspired by Lewis Hamilton, what does diversity and inclusion mean to Naomi personally? “Someone once said to me diversity is inviting someone to the party but inclusion is asking them to dance, and I thought that was really powerful.”
So for Naomi, inviting someone to the party isn’t enough. Though she thinks the F1 We Race As One initiative is a great start, she believes “we need to start asking more people to dance”.
To hear Naomi’s full story on her career, the challenges she’s faced and her take on e-sports as the future of driver recruiting, listen to the full podcast below or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.
