An Inspired Chat with Nicole Sanders

We recently had the chance to connect with Nicole Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day probably looks like most parents mornings. I wish I could say I get up at 4 AM and do a rockstar morning routine, but honestly that’s just not the case. I get up, get myself ready, wake up our kids for school. Get them out the door then I’m off to work typically.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I opened a therapy company that centers around helping children with disabilities. I work with state funded programs to ensure the kids with disabilities and lower socioeconomic status get the therapy that they need to excel. I focus on their cognitive skills and their overall development.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
Probably the relationship that I have with my parents. I think like most adults, we realize that who we are is greatly shaped by where we come from, our parents, and our upbringing. I figured out really quickly as an adult that you either want to be a lot like your parents, or nothing like your parents. I’ve been really blessed to have the parents that I do, so it’s shaped and defined me as an adult in such a positive way. They both taught me really good morals and values that I think you can only appreciate as an adult. My mother was a very ambitious person, always worked through my childhood, a very high achiever, so I think she was a great role model to me as a woman. My dad has always been my biggest supporter, while also keeping it extremely real, and being brutally honest when he needs to be. When I first started my company, he was right there, encouraging me telling me that I could do it. So I would say between having really good role models as parents and parent who really supported me and encourage me to follow my dreams without a doubt has made me who I am today.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In some ways, I really believe you can’t enjoy the successes of life without having failures. One of my biggest failures in life led me to where I’m at today. Most people don’t know this about me, but I actually dropped out a nursing school pretty far into my undergraduate program. And I remember feeling like a total failure because I dropped out of nursing school and had zero direction of where my life was headed. One thing led to another, and I ended up in the best career path that I could’ve imagined.

Another huge failure was working for different companies And not feeling satisfied in those roles, and ultimately quitting a dream job. But again quitting that dream job ended up, putting me on the path to starting my own company and led me to where I’m at today so some of the biggest failures in life end up being the greatest successes.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
God and my family. I’m nothing without either of those. My faith has always been important to me, as it’s shaped every aspect of my life. My husband, my family, (even my dog!) is who I want to be with the most and share life with. I find no meaning or purpose in life without God and my family.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
Luckily, I don’t have a lot regrets to date. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot of goals and dreams early on in my career and life. But I would say I feel like I still have another business in the works. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and I think I’m not done yet in the business world. I may regret that if it doesn’t come to fruition.