A thoughtful reflection on balancing professional ambition with personal fulfillment, exploring how volunteering, self-care, and community connection define true success and impact beyond job titles.
Her Story
About Nicki
Nicki Winum has been in the hospitality industry since 2018. She attended Virginia Tech where she studied business and minored in hospitality and tourism. During college she worked in various hotel roles in Blacksburg including front desk and banquets. After graduation she moved to Virginia Beach and progressed from sales coordinator to event detailing and planning, eventually becoming Director of Catering, a position she has held since 2022. In her current role she handles sales and event planning for the social market including weddings, military balls, reunions, and holiday parties. She is actively involved in community networking through chamber events. Nicki has received the High Achievement Award for both 2023 and 2024 for exceeding sales goals by over 200 percent. She is a member of NACE, the National Association of Catering Executives, and the Arlington Chamber.
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Articles by Nicki
Making an Impact Beyond the Workplace
How volunteering and self-care transformed my understanding of impact and leadership in a new city.
When I moved to Washington, D.C., from Virginia Beach, I knew I was stepping into a new chapter personally and professionally. What I didn’t expect was how much this city would deepen my perspective on what it means to make an impact.
I’ve spent more than eight years building my career in hospitality, a career I genuinely love that has taught me so much about connection, service, leadership, and the importance of making people feel cared for. I’ve also been fortunate to grow quickly in my career, and I credit much of that to being willing to learn, take on new challenges, work hard, and say yes.
But over time, I’ve realized that some of the most meaningful things I do have nothing to do with my job title.
Volunteering has become a really important part of my life. Through organizations like SOME (So Others Might Eat), Ronald McDonald House, Kitchen of Purpose, and N Street Village, I’ve had the opportunity to give my time and connect with people in my community in a way that feels incredibly grounding.
My faith is a big part of how I approach my life and the way I want to show up for other people. It continually reminds me that success is not just about what I accomplish for myself, but about how I use what I have been given to serve others. For me, faith and service go hand in hand because it’s as simple as showing up, giving time, and listening.
That mindset has also shaped the way I think about leadership.
In hospitality, we are constantly taking care of other people. We anticipate needs, solve problems, create experiences, and make sure everyone else is taken care of. But I’ve learned that I can’t do those things well if I never make space to take care of myself.
For me, that means making time for the things that make me feel like me outside of work—baking something from scratch, going for a long run or walk, traveling somewhere new, playing pickleball, or simply spending time with the people I love.
Those things may seem small, but they allow me to come back to my work with more energy and perspective. I’ve learned that rest isn’t a lack of ambition. It’s what allows me to keep showing up with my best.
Moving to D.C. has given me so many opportunities to grow, both in my career and as a person. It has reminded me that success isn’t just about the title you earn or the goals you accomplish. It’s also about the people you impact along the way and the life you create outside of your work.
I’m proud of the career I’m building, but I’m equally proud of the life I’m building around it.
To me, being an influential woman doesn’t mean having everything figured out. It means staying curious, being willing to grow, using your opportunities to serve others, and remembering what matters most along the way.
I want to keep learning. I want to keep saying yes to opportunities that challenge me. I want to keep serving my community, growing in my faith, investing in the people I love, and making time to actually enjoy the life I’m working so hard to build.
Because success, to me, isn’t just about getting somewhere.
It’s about becoming someone I’m proud of along the way.
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