Meet Nicole Williams

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Nicole, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I developed my confidence and self-esteem along the way. Because of my life’s journey, it wasn’t instilled in me and was hard for me to accept myself. As I journeyed through life, and began to see my accomplishments as accomplishments, and be invited into rooms that I had never imagined, I began to tell myself, “Nicole, you belong in every room God places you in, and if you are here, there is something in you that brought you here.” As a little girl I would always hear a still, small voice saying, “you have greatness in you.” Now, each time I’m given an opportunity, I remind myself that its the greatness on the inside of me that has brought me here.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I grew up in a very small town, with dirt roads and fields surrounding. The population was only 250 residents and “everybody knew everybody.” In fact it was so small that we had no police station, and for years not even a fire department. I learned about hardship early in life, as we grew up in poverty, and I would begin to experience childhood sexual abuse as early as 2 years of age. I would go through abuse up until the age of 14. I finally had the strength to be open with my mom about the abuse, after my older sister disclosed that information to her. At 14, I would meet someone not so good for me, and became a teen mom at the age of 15. By the time I was 16, I had two beautiful daughters, and would face much shame. That didn’t stop me. I went on to graduate in the top 10% of my class, and my senior year, I was on scholarship to take college courses while completing High School.

I would soon get a job at a childcare center, that I had recently enrolled my children in, and it changed the trajectory of my life. I changed my degree field to Early Childhood Education and have been in the field ever since. I developed a love for that industry and opened my own center at the age of 24 while a senior in college. I did that for about 2 years up until I would write my first book entailing my life story. I closed my center down as I was self-taught in business and felt I had to choose between my center and this new path I had embarked upon of being a published author and empowerment speaker.

I remained in my field as an Early Childhood Educator, as a director for an Early Head Start program, which is what I would do until I relocated to Georgia. I have been in this lovely state for nearly five years currently and this has been one of the best decisions I have made yet. Not without its challenges, I have gained much more knowledge and insight, as well as expanded my growth and reach in the field. I am now a session speaker for one of the largest ECE conferences in the region, Georgia Child Care Association Conference for Owners and Directors. I am a published author of the book titled, Unstoppable, and recently launched my very own training and consulting business, The Elite Training Academy, designed for childcare owners, and directors to receive strategic planning, professional development, and hands on training for their staff.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Belief in self, perseverance, and resilience. These are the three top qualities that I developed over the course of my life that have helped me get where I am today. Because I know who I am, I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength. Because I know who I am, I can believe in myself. Because I know who I am, I can keep hoping and pushing for the best for my life.

Knowing WHO you are, is the first step. It causes you to have an expectation for self, and less of a concern of what others feel your capabilities are, or who they try and tell you you are.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am looking to collaborate with those who have organizations that uplift and empower teens, women, and abuse victims.

I am also looking to collaborate with other ECE professionals, behavior therapists, childcare owners and directors.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theelitetrainingacademy.org, https://www.nicolewilliamsenterprise.org
• Instagram: the_nicolewilliams
• Linkedin: Nicole Williams