An Inspired Chat with Nicole Patrick of Cherry Hill, NJ

Nicole Patrick shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
This may sound typical but raising my daughter has been my greatest joy and what I am most proud of. Being a mom (and a single mom at that), is a job and one that does not include pomp and circumstance. My little once surprising me (trust me…that alone is a story) has reignited a fire and drive that I seemed to had lost and forgotten along the way. With her coming into my life, the strength that has been reignited has been my “why” with all that I do. I have also created another business for her as well- a cosmetics line called Sophia Nicole Cosmetics. Building and growing alongside her has so much going on behind the scenes that many don’t see. But it is my absolute everything behind what I do from this day forward.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
If there is anything that 14 years in the beauty industry, 2 time business owner and mom of an almost 2 year old has taught me, it’s to close out all the side chatter and noise, always be observant and have a willingness to learn and improve on yourself, listen to your heart and mind and then move and guide with your instincts.

My name is Nicole and yes, I am mom to the most amazing kid who has relit the fire within me and a 2x business owner. The first is The Beauty Bar and Lounge which specializes in beauty and bridal makeup, full body waxing, brow tinting and facials. The second, inspired by my daughter, is a mother/daughter cosmetic brand, Sophia Nicole Cosmetics, specializing in cosmetics for makeup lovers of all levels.

My story is definitely unique as my daughter is and will always be the biggest (and best!) surprise of my life. BUT, the cherry on top was finding out that she was making her way into the world with (unbeknownst to me) only 4 weeks left in my pregnancy. But that story is for another time as I know many have questions (and judgement is not allowed) but one I will answer right off the bat is that this occurrence happens a lot more than people realize and yes, there were factors that prevented me from knowing sooner.

Since my little one made her debut, life has a whole new meaning, drive and motivation. Within The Beauty Bar and Lounge, creating a memorable experience is our top priority with every service we provide. Within Sophia Nicole Cosmetics, it is working on creating a full cosmetic line that everyone from tenured professional makeup artists to someone just trying makeup for the first time can love and feel like the most expensive person in the room.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Having my daughter has been and continues to be such an eye opening experience. Up until that moment, I thought I had an understanding of the world, what was going on, my part in it all, etc. Once I knew that soon enough she would be making her debut, it was no longer about me and instantaneously, everything looked, felt, smelled, tasted, and sounded different. I had thoughts of what the world was and would be through her eyes, who I was up until that point and how I would be and for her.

There was an immediate “mama bear” feeling to protect, provide, nurture and above all, unconditional love for someone so small. The responsibility and, quite honestly, the honor of being her mom is what completely changed it all for me.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was never one moment but multiple moments of wanting to just give up throughout my life. There have been (and even currently) many moments of doubt, insecurity, exhaustion (mentally, physically, emotionally, etc) and I just want to throw my hands up and say “F it”, crawl in a cave and live out the rest of my days.

However, f I had let every “No”, every doubt, every block stop me, I wouldn’t be able to look back and see what I’ve been able to accomplish already.

There’s something within me that won’t ever let me do that. I just can’t give up on myself and what I believe I’m capable of doing and becoming. So I shut out all the extra noise, either from my own mind, the subconscious doubts that infiltrated their way in over time from the outside, say “F it” and get back to work. Success is my birthright and I intend to achieve that thus showing my daughter that persistence and believing in YOU is what matters most.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
One thing my closest of friends will say really matters to me is my daughter and creating the best life possible for her. One day she will be a grown woman and my hope is to show and teach her that she does not take up space, her voice matters, while kindness matters so does standing firm in her truth, that success does come with doubts and tears but to achieve the hard is what separates you from the rest. I hope that she sees what having true friends mean and that in life it’s about the quality of people in her life, not the quantity. My hope is that I make her proud.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
One thing that I can say I understand deeply is that our time in limited. We never know when our last moment will be. While I’m not one to shy away from “aging gracefully”, I also embrace that with age comes wisdom. Being able to have another orbit around the sun is a gift that so many have not been able to have. It’s a privilege to get older and be able to share your experiences and life lessons with younger people and generations. It’s comforting to share what life has taught you with your peers and you realize just how similar in many ways you are.

It is said that time is a thief. While that may be true, I intend to absolutely relish in the day to day as those moments will never be able to be returned. I lean on those who let me lay my truth at their feet (and vice versa) in a supportive and loving way so that we remember that we are loved, valued and matter. I will read the latest book obsession my little one has a million times over, pick her up, snuggle and just watch because I never know when that moment will be her last as she continues to grow and learn.

Time has always been my top love language because time is the most precious thing we have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebeautybarandlounge.com/
• Instagram: @TheBeautyBarAndLounge, @SophiaNicoleCosmetics