Influential Woman · CoachingConsulting
Nicole F. Smith
Published Author 20 Golden Leadership Nuggets: Refined By EQ IMPACT™️, Self-employed
Charlotte, NC
Her Story
About Nicole
I jumped into the corporate space when I was young, starting as an assistant director in a children's facility while still in college. I was leading teams at a very young age and was also a facilitator in our computer service center when email first came to our university. After graduating with degrees in psychology and criminal justice, I moved into training and human resources. I became a human resources director at Family Dollar corporate office here in Charlotte, North Carolina, leading teams and reporting to presidents at a young age. I moved throughout corporate spaces doing instructional design and learning development, working across different industries from government to professional sports teams. I focused on creating leadership development programs in Fortune 500 and Fortune 50 companies. I reached my ceiling in 2019 because I was focused on the people and how they showed up in the workplace, but corporations only wanted to focus on the task. My philosophy was that if you lead the people who manage the task, you'll see the results you desire. I saw people roaming in and out of the corporate space, unhappy with leadership but not their pay. That's when I decided to jump out and do this on my own. I launched JMS Creative Leadership Solutions and now work with B2B clients on leadership development, fractional consulting, executive coaching, speaking, and authoring. I work with companies in any industry from government to nonprofit to manufacturing to higher education. As a woman and a woman of color navigating as a young leader, I faced obstacles like being passed over for promotions and being told to wait my turn. When 2009 crashed the economy, baby boomers decided to stay, and as a Gen Xer, I was asked to train millennials to take positions I should have had. I dove into emotional intelligence 20 years ago and human behaviorism, really focusing on my psychology degree to understand how people move and show up, and understanding the reason for behavior in the workplace. I help people change their mindset and not let their past experiences show up before they do. I sell transformation, and while people would rather buy a box of pens than focus on transformation, I feel like this is my purpose.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm very focused and very disciplined, and I want to say that's probably two of my strengths. I'm able to see the big picture in things, so when I'm working on something, I can see the big picture. That ability to stay focused, maintain discipline, and keep that broader vision in mind has really been key to everything I've accomplished.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received, though it wasn't said to me in these exact words, is that if you don't manage your self-leadership and understand how you lead, how can you lead someone else? I take that principle into everything I do at home, at work, and in the community. People always tell me I manage my emotions well and seem to show up very well, and while I might be screaming on the inside, I believe that if you can't lead yourself, how are you going to lead other people? Much less be able to teach other people leadership if you don't understand how you lead and how you can show it to others.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
They're gonna talk about you if you do it, they're gonna talk about you if you don't, so just do it. If I didn't worry about what everybody was thinking when I was growing up, oh my gosh, I'd probably be flipping this globe over. That's probably the best thing - they're gonna talk about it whether you do or you don't, so just do it. I'm always one to say at 51% pull the trigger, because sometimes we overthink. If you're at 51%, go ahead and pull the trigger and just go. A friend just told me the other day that having fear doesn't mean no or stop. People say 'oh, I'm afraid to do that' and they don't do it, but fear doesn't mean stop or no. It's just a feeling. What we don't realize is that whether you're excited or whether you're fearful, your body's gonna feel the same - it's your mind that's driving it. Whether I'm nervous or excited, my body feels the same. It's my mind that's going to change everything, so which emotion are you obeying? I'd obey the excited one.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my life, my order is God, myself, my husband, and my children. It's not that my children come last, but if everything above them is in working order, they will truly benefit from that. My husband and I focused on each other throughout our 28 years of marriage, so when the kids left, we weren't like 'and you are, what's your name again?' We focus on each other, because when you have that foundation right, everything else falls into place. I also believe strongly in not just labeling people as bad employees. We need to be curious about what's driving their behavior, whether it's past experience or upbringing. I focus on sparking that curiosity for people to get to know other people and how they move. When we don't manage our self-leadership at home, at work, and in the community, it shows up everywhere.
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