We recently had the chance to connect with Nicole L. Turner and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole L. , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Absolutely. When I worked for an employer, As a manager, I often stood up for others and addressed issues that impacted employees in the organization. Doing so, put a mark on my back. I wasn’t treated fairly. I was denied promotions. Those in my chain-of-command made it their mission to try to break me. None of that stopped me from being a voice for employees.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nicole L. Turner, founder of The Culture Pro®, Turner Training Institute™, Detox For Your Life®, and The Next Act Academy™. Across all of my work, I help individuals and organizations transform from the inside out.
What makes my work unique is my Inside-Out Transformation™ approach. I believe lasting change doesn’t start with external fixes, it begins within. By addressing the mindset, emotions, and inner patterns that shape behavior, I help individuals unlock their full potential in a way that’s sustainable and soul-aligned.
Through The Culture Pro® and Turner Training Institute™, I partner with organizations to strengthen leadership, improve culture, and create workplaces where people thrive. With Detox For Your Life®, I guide individuals on a journey of personal renewal, helping them shift the way they think so they can change the way they live. Through The Next Act Academy™, I empower midlife professionals to design their next chapter through entrepreneurship, pursuing purpose, freedom, and growth in a new season of life.
I’m committed to unlocking human and organizational potential. My own story is proof that transformation is always possible, and my purpose is to help others experience it from the inside out.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
That’s an interesting question, one that made me pause. Truthfully, I’ve never really let the world define who I should be. I’ve always walked to the beat of my own drum, trusted my inner voice, and carved my own path, even when it didn’t make sense to others. So who was I before the world told me who to be? I was already me, just less aware of how powerful that was.
Now, I’m becoming even more of myself. With each year, I’m shedding the need for validation, releasing outdated expectations, and embracing the fullness of who I am. People often think life slows down after a certain age, but I feel like I’m just getting started. This version of me is bolder, freer, more aligned, and more on purpose than ever before. I’m not becoming someone new, I’m finally becoming fully me.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I last changed my mind about the belief that I needed to have it all figured out before making a move. For a long time, I let the need for perfection stall my progress. I overthought, over-planned, and held back – waiting for the “right time” or the perfect conditions. But I realized that clarity often comes after the step, not before it.
Now, I live by the philosophy of “building the plane as I fly it.” I trust myself to figure things out along the way. That shift has opened up more momentum, creativity, and courage in both my life and business. Sometimes the most important change isn’t in what you do, but in what you believe is possible without having all the answers upfront.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is absolutely part of the real me, but not the whole picture. I’m a multidimensional person, and what I choose to share publicly is just one layer of who I am. My core, my values, beliefs, and purpose, remains consistent no matter where I am or who I’m with. That part of me never changes.
But like most people, different environments bring out different facets of my personality. I may show up more composed in one space, more playful in another, more reflective in another still. It’s not about being inauthentic, it’s about honoring the fullness of who I am while choosing what parts of that to reveal. So yes, the public me is real, but there’s always more to the story.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
The light I’ve been dimming is my own. I’m still figuring out why, but I think a big part of it comes from how I was raised – to be humble, not boastful, to downplay accomplishments rather than highlight them. So when others speak about how “great” they think I am or list all that I’ve done, it honestly makes me uncomfortable. I’ve never been someone who seeks the spotlight, and yet, I’m learning that it’s okay to stand in it.
I now realize that dimming my light doesn’t serve me, or anyone else. I have to be willing to tell my story, share my wins, and celebrate what I’ve overcome and achieved. Not from a place of ego, but from a place of ownership. The truth is, I can inspire others more by being visible than by shrinking. And that’s a light I’m learning to let shine, unapologetically.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theculturepro.com, https://www.turnertraininginstitute.com, https://www.detoxforyourlife.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theculturepro
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