Nicole Johnson

I attribute my success to my passion for design and my genuine desire to keep learning. Design has always been at the center of my career, from working as an interior designer to now working in marketing within the tile industry. That foundation gives me a different perspective on marketing because I’m not just interested in selling a product. I’m interested in understanding how it can be used, what makes it special, and how to communicate its potential for the ways it can transform spaces.

The best career advice I’ve been given is that there isn’t one right way to build a career. You don’t have to fit yourself into a specific mold or follow a predetermined path. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my career have come from being open to something different and allowing my interests and strengths to shape what came next. I think there’s a lot of value in creating a path that feels authentic to you, even if it doesn’t look like the traditional one.

My advice would be to find the part of marketing that you genuinely enjoy and are good at, and really pursue it. Marketing has become such a massive umbrella, with so many specialties and constantly evolving platforms, tools, and technologies, that it’s nearly impossible to be an expert in everything. Trying to keep up with all of it can be overwhelming. Find what you're truly interested in and master it. You can always expand your skill set from there, but you don’t have to be everything to everyone.

One of the biggest challenges in marketing right now is rate at which things are changing. There are more platforms, tools, technologies, and ways to reach an audience than ever before, and AI is accelerating that even further. It can be overwhelming to keep up, but it also creates opportunities to work smarter, experiment more, and spend more time on being creative and strategic.

For me, the challenge is making sure technology doesn’t come at the expense of authenticity. In a design-driven industry, there is still tremendous value in human perspective, creativity, relationships, and storytelling. The opportunity is figuring out how to use new tools to enhance those things rather than replace them.

I’ve learned that I’m happiest and do my best work when I’m intentional about where I put my time and energy. I want to do work that matters to me, be someone people can count on, and still have enough space in my life for the things that make me feel like myself. Getting outside, moving my body, stepping away from work, and having time to simply think are part of what keeps me healthy, creative, and engaged.

I want to be someone who shows up, helps when I can, and makes the people around me feel supported. For me, that’s what these values really come down to: doing work I'm proud of, being good to the people around me, and not losing myself in the process.