Meet Nicole J. Butler

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole J. Butler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole J., so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I was a precocious child, so nature had the initial say in my wiring, but my family nurtured me and indulged my curiosity. I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where I was loved, supported, and encouraged. 3 generations of elders patiently allowed me to pepper them with whatever questions sprouted from my rainforest mind and answered me truthfully in ways that were age-appropriate. My wins were celebrated, my missteps were corrected, and I learned that trying and failing was better than never spreading my wings. I became confident because the people who mattered most to me never intimated that I had a reason NOT to be.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a Chicago-raised, Hawkeye-educated, curious creative with a tech bent, and I moved to Hollywood 25 years ago with $200. I got stuck on a carousel of inflexible day jobs that I hated, spent money on bad headshots, gave terrible auditions, quit acting, got burned out, went completely broke, and had to move to THAT neighborhood (oh, you know the one)… After years of doing it wrong, I finally started getting it right.

In the past 20+ years, I have worked consistently, both in front of and behind the camera, on stage, and at the voiceover mic. I’ve appeared in over 100 commercials, television shows, and independent projects combined, and my varied experiences have given me a well-rounded perspective of the entertainment industry and honed my creative talents. Press coverage of me includes HuffPost, CNN, Insider.com, The Hollywood Reporter, The Chicago Sun-Times, FOX LA, WGN Radio, and the actors’ trade publication, Backstage.

I’m best known as “She Shed Cheryl” from State Farm’s viral “She Shed” commercial, but I also stand out in other creative pursuits. I’m a skilled visual artist whose artwork has been licensed and sold in various on- and offline boutiques, and I will soon be opening my own online store. I wrote, produced, and starred in “Sister President,” a dramedy series currently distributed by KweliTV. My most recently completed writing project is “Linked By Love,” a drama funded by The Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation to improve outcomes for Black American renal patients, and I have several other projects in various stages of development.

You can find me at NicoleJButler.com, on Linktree, or on all social media at @NicoleJButler.

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?

Curiosity is paramount. Whether in one particular area or multiple, curiosity leads to passion, and passion is premium fuel. Ask the questions that won’t allow you to rest, then go down the rabbit hole to find the answer.

Vulnerability is essential as well, because it keeps you malleable, which is necessary for growth. You have to be open in order to receive the offerings of this earth and those with whom we share it. Any living thing that isn’t growing is dying, and if you ever get to the point of needing to be the smartest person in the room, your ego is driving you straight into a ditch. Never be afraid of saying “I don’t know.”

The bumps and bruises that come from life are inescapable, and they are continually teaching me the importance of grace. Allow other people to keep their dignity wherever possible. Don’t be too quick to judge or to judge harshly – everyone has a story to tell, and none of us can operate above our level of understanding. Be as kind as you can safely be. One day you will need grace and hopefully the seeds that you have sown will yield the sustenance that you require.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I moved out of the country about a year ago and I just moved back a few weeks ago. I thought I was leaving for good, or at least for much longer than a year so I got rid of everything – my paid-off car, my rent-controlled apartment, my belongings, said “goodbye” to my business associates and “so long” to my friends…, but “life be lifin'” and here I am again, starting over.

I’m buoyed by my village of family and friends, and the terrain is familiar, but, as the saying goes,”You can’t step in the same river twice.” We’re all a year older. A year wiser. A year more weathered in some instances. Quite a few things have changed in the past year, including myself. I don’t want to build the same life that I had before, because it led me down the path to burnout. So I’m figuring it out as I go – painstakingly planning in order to rebuild, brick-by-brick. I’m asking myself a lot of difficult questions and seeking advice from loved ones whose perspective I value. I meditate a lot. God and I talk a lot. I try to keep hyperventilation to a minimum, feed my mind and spirit good things, and stay mindful of my many blessings, even in the midst of a challenging time. I am undoubtedly being prepared for my next calling, and in the words of Joan of Arc, “I am not afraid… I was born to do this.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/nicolejbutler

Image Credits

Hal Banfield
State Farm
ABC/Emmys