We recently connected with Nicole Zaagman and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?
Believe it or not, I tend to have a more introverted individual! However, that doesn’t stop me from engaging with strangers and speaking publicly. I think one of the key things to keep in mind about communication is that it is relationally based. Instead of being overwhelmed by how to communicate, I focus on the person I am communicating with. Asking questions is important in effective communication. I’d say there have been some key training and experiences in my life that have helped me develop my communication abilities and style over my lifetime and career. Early on, 4-H was one of the ways I learned to communicate. Showing still exhibits and livestock year after year, I was reliant on my knowledge and ability to retain information and share that information with the judges I was working with.
Later in life, I had the opportunity to host my own online radio show for a local women’s entrepreneurship network. This opportunity really opened the door for me to learn how to craft a conversation with a stranger to get to know them on the spot and ask the right questions to have them share their brand, advice and message with my audience. The few years I interviewed other entrepreneurs for the radio show really helped me overcome anxiety of communicating on a public platform and strengthen my skills to communicate with others. In 2023, I went through a life coaching certificate course. What I learned in that course further cemented my communication skills, emphasizing the importance of active listening and asking questions. Listening is a key ingredient in communicating effectively in all aspects of life and business.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an entrepreneur, coach, speaker and founded Parkside Farm in 2021. Parkside Farm is 8 acres and located in Byron Center, Michigan. Parkside Farm was named for its peaceful, “park-like” setting filled with trees, wildlife and natural beauty. Currently, in the spring, I tap maple trees on the property to make maple syrup. My farm features a small, registered pygmy goat herd which is utilized for farm education and the Jump for JOY Program™. The Jump for JOY Program™ has visited senior centers, children’s programs and special events all over Michigan. Parkside Farm is focused on impacting families through agritourism. My farm hosts a 100 year old, renovated farmhouse which families can book for farm stays. My weeks are busy overseeing day-to-day operations, caring for animals and managing bookings.
Parkside Farm is working through a 2024 Expansion Plan to serve families in person and grow cut flowers, pumpkins and squash. Offerings in 2024 will include historical and agricultural farm tours, farm events and agricultural classes. My farm serves hundreds of families a year locally and throughout the state of Michigan through my farm education programs, farm tours, farm products and free events at the farm. Parkside Farm’s mission is: to spread JOY with others and everything I do with the farm funnels through that mission. This year, I am also adding a small farm market where those in my local community can stop and purchase products grown on my farm. I want to impact the next generation and families with family-friendly fun and joy-filled memories through agriculture and agritourism.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I believe 3 qualities that have aided in my entrepreneurship endeavors are: creativity, perseverance and integrity. I’ve always been a very creative person and have utilized my background and bachelors degree with a concentration of graphic design to help develop my own brands and brands for clients over the years. The skills I’ve had as an artist have served me extremely well in crafting my own compelling brand and marketing message. I’ve used my technical skills, artwork and web development capabilities throughout my 10 years of being a full-time entrepreneur. I credit all my creative skills to my parents who encouraged me to draw as a child and pursue a career that would help me express my creativity.
To demonstrate my perseverance, in July of 2023, I received a cease and desist letter (with no prior communication) from local township attorneys stating an unapproved commercial event venue was being operated at my farm. In the months since, Parkside Farm has built relationships, researched, sought council and successfully defended itself as a legitimate farm with operations that fall under the Right to Farm Act of Michigan. I have spent months getting input from prominent organizations such as Kent County Farm Bureau, MSU Extension, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Agritourism Associations and local farmers in support of Parkside Farm’s plans. Thankfully, after communications, legal review, public hearings, the local township has come around and been supportive of my efforts.
Lastly, integrity has always been an important character quality I have admired and worked diligently to incorporate into my personal and professional life. My parents and close family friends really instilled in me values of integrity at a young age. To me integrity means you do what you say you will. It’s letting your yes be yes and no be no. Integrity means being intentional and impeccable with your word and following up your words and commitments with actions. It is about taking responsibility when you need to and going above and beyond in your work and efforts and being the same person in private as you are in public. To me it also means treating others how you would like to be treated. The world can be a mean and cruel place. A little bit of kindness and love can go such a long way. This is what integrity means to me.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal clients for coaching are women who are interested in growing and expanding their businesses and farms or wanting to publish their own children’s books. Being a published children’s author myself and working in publishing for many years, I enjoy helping women bring their storybook ideas to life. I’ve worked with women in the educational, coaching and teaching space along with women who are running farms and animal based therapy programs in their own communities.
My speaking clients range from those getting involved with or wanting to purchase goats, farmers focused on diversifying and incorporating agritourism into their operations and women in agriculture. Parkside Farm’s ideal clients are families, particularly parents and grandparents with young children. Parkside Farm is family-friendly. I want individuals of all ages to engage, learn and enjoy the services and farm education programs that are offered at my farm. I believe agritourism is the future of vibrant communities, sustainable farm profits and a bridge for future generations to be engaged with agriculture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicolezaagman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parksidefarmmi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parksidefarmmi
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@parksidefarmmi/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@parksidefarmmi
Image Credits
AGL Photography / Angela Lawson, Photog. Cr., CPP