What is the change that you would like to bring to the world?

CORE Alignment. Can you imagine a world with the right people in the right places? Women walking around poised, powerful, and effective because they know their God, know themselves and are walking in the fullness of that truth? No pretenses, not trying to be what mom and everyone else wanted. But aligned with who they really are at their CORE. Demons tackled and closets clear of skeletons. Showing up whole in their relationships, on their jobs, in their communities, in their churches fully aware of their strengths, reconciled with their limitations. Not changing appearance like it's a fashion show depending on the spaces we occupy. I'm convinced that more than half of what the world is aching for is locked up in woman whose strengths and true gifts to the world are buried beneath our disease to please and the fear of being rejected for who we really are. 

What change do I want to bring to the world? The gift of Clarity & Authenticity.

What drove you to start this?

Lack. Lack of authentic mentors (not enough at least), freedom to say out loud, "I'm struggling" is where my story begins. I didn't feel like I had permission to be my self growing up. I never felt like I could bring all of me to the table. I especially couldn't air my "dirty laundry". I had a few key women in my life and I thank God for them, but who I was didn't fit into the neat contemporary box of those around me and as an adult, I wanted to be to other women what was lacking in my own life. When doses of my real self started spilling out, it felt so free, light, and powerful. Those leaks lead to me finding the most powerful version of my voice that meant not only freedom for me, but to those I would encounter as well.

Has anything changed since you started? 

I'm always changing. My whole platform is about self-awareness, and that's a lifelong commitment. Every day the work that I do, not only in my business but at home too, is being fine tuned as I come into razor sharp focus. Then the game changes lol. And I have to dig a bit deeper. Those experiences inform the framework for my coaching so I can give these ladies the best version of myself. Not a perfect version, just one that is closer to the image of God and aligned with His original blueprint for my life. That's when I'm most effective. My faith is not only my foundation, it's the roof, walls, windows, and the door. 

 There's not enough women equipping other women for the changing of the guards. It's not just about the young woman but, grown women are crossing over into spaces we were never effectively equipped for and had very limited hand-over-hand support to stand in those spaces as our powerful authentic self.

I guess a lot has changed in the world, but that issue, or challenge, hasn't changed enough for me. So that's what drives me to continue the work I'm doing.

How do you think being a woman of colour has impacted your journey?

Being a woman of colour has fueled my resiliency. I was a teenage single mother, and right out the gate, I was determined not to live up to, or into, any of what that meant for those judging my life from the outside. I wanted to be a success story, not an "I told you so".

It meant that I had to find my powerful, self-controlled, brilliance and let her respond instead of who "they" expected me to sound like. 

 Being a woman of colour birthed my mandate for authenticity. After a while, I had to have enough courage to show up to interviews, and make business pitches for important contracts with my natural tresses instead of running a hot comb through my hair. My kinks make me feel powerful! Those subtle choices to not cover up my melanin made room for my God-given gifts, and those gifts began to make room for me (Proverbs 18:16). 

 It meant that as I owned positions of leadership, being passed over, or being confused for the admin when I was the department manager, or being asked if I was here to sing when I was the keynote, or the preacher began to inform pages of rich curriculum for training. It was in my DNA to succeed and I had to make it look sexy. I was a representation of the kingdom in the market, and I had to be a caveat for His awesomeness. I didn't do it perfectly, but it was a challenge God gifted me to rise to, rather than lay down and roll over for. It served as the backdrop for a lot of the executive coaching that I do today.

Have you had a remarkable breakthrough or a win that you would like to share with our readers? We all love hearing success stories! Tell us yours!

I was a young single mother. So they didn't expect me to finish school, or go on to be much. My mother passed away from Cancer when I was 18. That meant from the age of 17 I lived on my own. 

Not many people know this, but I was diagnosed with a learning disability, and would soon struggle with bouts of depression that I couldn't accept, or make sense of. 

 I wasn't supposed to complete my undergrad with a 4.0 and be called into ministry. Not me. And maybe it was my insecurities, but I got the sense that there were a few folks who would have been happier if I lived out their presumptions of defeat. God had other plans (doing perched lips, shoulder dance). 

I didn't get up quickly. For years I made terrible life choices and figured it was probably easiest to avoid any more future humiliation by laying low and being ordinary. But the shoe didn't fit. And God kept redirecting me as I found my self hard pressed, nose to nose with purpose. Purpose chased me. And I ran like it had the cooties. 

I remember one of my mentors telling me that everything I was going through would help me to help other women one day. I wanted to punch her in the face lol. The pain at the time wasn't benefiting me, much less to think of how it might benefit others. The pain produced something powerful. But it doesn't have to be everyone else's story to triumph. Especially if I'm honest enough to tell mine.

💜

Wow! Powerful. Passionate. Purposeful. So inspiring! Thank you for gifting us with your story Nicole.

You can reach out to Nicole at www.nicoleosalmon.com.

Images: Jonathan Productions Inc