We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole D. Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole below.
Nicole, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I would say my mom was a huge factor growing up to help me to develop high self esteem. Faced with childhood bullying and loneliness I often struggled with feeling accepted. I also battled with various eating disorders due to low self image and feeling overweight. Over the years my spirituality became a great asset to aid me in developing greater self esteem. Once I saw who I was to God I saw more of my value. It has definitely been a journey of healing and growing in self value but I have come a long way!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an Urban Christian fiction author, blogger and writer. I just released my debut novel When Love Wins which depicts the story of two young female cousins with a rift in their relationship. The story deals with childhood trauma, parent absenteeism, grief recovery, mental health, self harm and so much more. The core of my writing infuses both Black culture and spirituality and it’s my desire to help people feel encouraged and loved and recognize God in their everyday lives. My focus in this season is bringing awareness to my novel which involves a lot of marketing and promo. Most of my time is spent networking, creating content, releasing social media content, doing interviews and collabing with other likeminded people. What I love about what I do is that I can manifest creativity in a way no one else can. I spent a lot of time in my career being administrative and that was great but being in the creative space has brought fulfillment to me in a way nothing else ever has. In addition to my writing career I have a hybrid self publishing company that helps new authors become published! I’ve really enjoyed coming alongside writers and partnering with them to help them grow in the field of authorship. I want to diffuse the intimidation that often surrounds publishing for new authors and I want to help release stories that are transformative and uplifting.
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 would say being fiscally responsible is a huge asset that I have. To be a business owner in any industry you must know how to best utilize your financial resources. My background is in bookkeeping which is a building block for entrepreneurship. Another great skill I have is being administrative and time conscious. When you are your own boss no one is telling you what to do and when to do it. You have to be autonomous and driven internally. I am successful because I have the ability to prioritize and be efficient with my day. Another great skill I have is being a great communicator. I come off professional in my communication skills and as a result people respect me and want to support me.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I’ve been greatly impacted by many books but one that stands out that has influenced my career in entrepreneurship is Kevin Hart’s “I Can’t Make This Up”. I was so encouraged by Kevin’s drive, vision and tenacity. I also loved his transparency in how he missed the mark at certain times in his life but still was bound for success. It showed me that when you are called to greatness, it has to happen, no matter what. What also stood out to me was not just his unrivaled work ethic but it was the strategy he implemented early on with his team. He created a blueprint for success that is similar to the blueprint I’ve created in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: nicoledmiller.com, whenlovewins.love
- Instagram: @htohb, @ndmillerpublishing
- Facebook:facebook.com/htohb
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndmillerpub/
- Twitter: @nicoledmiller
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJYjxF4bwVo6eUao5IMGyDA
Image Credits
Photographer, Steven Jackson of Alien Eyez Photos
