Meet Nicole Nelson

 

We recently connected with Nicole Nelson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I was born prematurely and had many health issues my first few months as a child. Looking back, I realize that, like all of us, my tenacity to live a good life was innate, but my capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties, that is a skill which evolved over time. What worked for me in my twenties to ‘bounce back’ is not what I know works for me today.

When I was a young professional, my resilience came from pride, willfulness and ego. I viewed setbacks as failures, or worse, life being cruel or difficult with me. I thought resilience was about pushing through pain or forcing ourselves to “get over it.” There was little respect for the natural flow of life.

If I had a bad day in sales, I would just work myself harder and spend hours trying to figure it out. No matter the obstacle, pulling myself up by my own bootstraps was the answer for bouncing back. Until a winter car accident in 2003, starring yours truly and a tractor trailer truck, helped me realize then that ego and pride puts us at a deficit when in a recovery process. Forcing things into place only gets us so far.

Despite the body shop man’s shock that I wasn’t hospitalized (I wasn’t – a total miracle!), my ego ignored the accident’s severity. The next day, I forced myself to drive, only to have my nervous system rebel. I would black out, unable to remember how I got from point A to B.

This experience taught me that resilience isn’t about forcing recovery. Resilience is a skill about making self-honoring choices. It comes from self acceptance. I must meet myself where I am at during any given time, while lovingly and compassionately helping myself get to the other side. It’s about creating space for both our strength and vulnerability.

In 2008 my father had a near fatal accident and I learned, then, how to do this. There were days I was a bad ass coach, performing well and helping others. Then, there were moments inside those days where I was on hands and knees sobbing during my grieving process.

These experiences taught me that resilience comes from trusting my body’s wisdom, respecting my internal boundaries, and remembering that growth isn’t linear. I’ve learned to make space for my strength and vulnerability, celebrate small wins and view challenges as teachers rather than obstacles. This approach has allowed me to build a thriving practice while maintaining my own balance and peace – the ultimate result of sustainable resilience.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Are you a 6-figure salary corporate or entrepreneurial leader whose work and world are colliding? Are you a driven, ambitious, self-critical or perfectionistic professional wanting to finally feel content and at peace with yourself? Well, hi! I’m Nicole and I lead individuals and teams to start again stronger through strategic coaching and nervous system support.

Whether you are—

►an entrepreneur tackling the mental toll that entrepreneurship can take, needing help to transition and find balance

►a corporate professional dealing with the demands of personal and professional responsibilities

►a business owner selling (or have just sold) your business causing you to think “Who am I NOW?”

I’m known for creating clarity out of inner chaos and consulted incredible professionals across 2 continents and 6 industries for over 15 years. Each has entrusted me to provide compassionate and practical solutions to heal what holds them back.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the most critical skills I’ve acquired include self-awareness, compassionate boundaries, and energy medicine mastery.

The skill of building self-awareness has been foundational. Early in my career, I pridefully pushed through challenges without understanding their impact on my wellbeing because I feared perceived weakness. Learning to tune into my body’s signals and my mental/emotional state transformed how I approach both personal and professional challenges. For those starting out, I recommend starting small – take 5 minutes each day to check in with any of these 7 questions:

1. Am I thinking about things that do not matter? Am I under pressure to answer other people’s questions or live out their expectations?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to build boundaries around mental stimulation so that you do not feel so much pressure to figure things out.

2. Am I trying to convince others/myself that I am certain when I’m struggling to makeup my mind or feel confident in my decision?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to build systems of self care around how to get wise about ideas and beliefs, but not necessarily adopt them so that you don’t get confused so easily.

3. Do I feel pressure to speak? Am I trying to get attention so that I can be heard?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to tune into your inner authority before speaking so that you save your words for the right people who can truly value them.

4. Am I struggling to find direction, question my lovability, or taking on other people’s personalities?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to improve your heart coherence so that you can increase the quality of your Self-Love and Self-Acceptance and attract into your life things that match that elevated state.

5. Am I forcing myself to do something I really don’t want to do because I feel like I have something to prove? Am I questioning my worth? Am (materially) under-valuing myself?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to build a system for self care that helps you make promises and commitments very carefully and deliberately, and according to your inner authority.

6. Am I avoiding truth and conflict so that I can keep everyone happy?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to learn about emotional energy and become wise about feelings because not all negative
emotions are destructive and can actually catalyze important change.

7. Am I always in a rush to get things done so I can be free of pressure?

If yes, this indicates an opportunity to build better boundaries and mindsets so that you can set realistic goals, breathe and relax knowing there is an abundance of time to get the right things done.

These self-awareness practices lay the groundwork for deeper transformation, but I discovered they weren’t enough on their own. I needed to learn how to honor the awareness I was developing

Once I built the skill of self awareness, I needed to build more compassionate boundaries. This emerged as crucial when realized the destructive impact of my voice of self-criticism. Setting boundaries is not about being weak or less than – it’s about honoring your wellbeing above ego-driven pressures. In fact, I once walked off a small plane ready for take off on the tarmac when faced with an anxiety-inducing flight with uncertain weather conditions. I knew a panic attack was rising and I had a decision to make: suffer through it for 2+ hours or set a compassionate boundary. While it felt embarrassing to rent a car and drive instead, I knew prioritizing my wellbeing over others’ perceptions was the right choice. For those developing this skill, practice recognizing when self-criticism is driving your decisions. Check-in: Do I even know what the compassionate alternative looks like? Make a list or ask a friend.

While compassionate boundaries helped me honor my needs, I still needed tools to address the root causes of my challenges. This is where Energy Medicine became transformative.

Energy Medicine mastery has transformed how I navigate life’s challenges. Understanding that every difficulty has an energetic component has given me powerful tools for maintaining balance and clarity. When we address challenges at the energetic level, we create profound shifts that support both emotional and physical wellbeing. For those interested in this path, start by learning about your body’s energy systems and how they influence your daily experience. Simple practices like energy exercises or meridian tapping can make a significant difference in managing stress and maintaining equilibrium.

These three qualities create a powerful foundation for sustainable success. Self-awareness illuminates what needs attention, compassionate boundaries give us permission to honor that awareness, and energy medicine provides practical tools for creating lasting change. When integrated together, they form a comprehensive approach that addresses both the visible and invisible aspects of our wellbeing. This combination has not only transformed my own life but has become the cornerstone of how I help other high-achieving professionals find their path to peace without sacrificing success.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is the high performing corporate or entrepreneurial leader whose work and world is colliding. Often times they are experiencing burnout from either their own internal pressure put upon themselves and/or an external situation like a layoff with little explanation, divorce or account-loss that redefines their sense of self.

The characteristics that make someone an ideal client include:

– High professional achievement paired with persistent self-doubt
– A pattern of prioritizing others’ expectations over their own wellbeing
– A readiness to go beyond traditional coaching approaches
– Openness to exploring both strategic solutions and nervous system support through energy medicine and energy psychology
– A desire to maintain their success while finding inner peace
– Recognition that their current coping strategies aren’t serving them well

Most importantly, my ideal clients are ready for change. They’ve reached a point where they realize that pushing harder isn’t the answer, and they’re willing to explore new approaches to create lasting transformation in their lives. They’re tired of feeling like enough is never enough, and are prepared to do the inner work necessary to finally feel content and at peace with themselves.

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Image Credits

Miranda Kelton | Headshot & Branding Photographer

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