Nicki is a public speaker and consultant who helps people navigate diverse environments with confidence and understanding. She takes a practical approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues in companies and organizations across North America. Nicki talks about community building, confidence, self-awareness, and inclusion with companies like NASA, Girls, inc., Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and over sixty colleges and universities.
Everyone has a superpower, and Nicki’s is being able to break down socially complex topics in a way that is both digestible and actionable. She is an award-winning entrepreneur and prides herself on her ability to think and act congruently. People have described her as energetic, bold, engaging, knowledgeable, and relatable, and she is most known for her radical candor and practicality as an educator.
Nicki has earned two degrees and two certificates in relevant fields of study and is a graduate of both Central Michigan University and Ball State University. She is a self-taught and community-made entrepreneur and will be forever grateful to those who have invested in her as both a speaker and a business owner. When she’s not speaking, Nicki enjoys dancing, volunteering, and spending time with people she cares about.
SPEAKING TOPICS:
Community building is all about bringing people together in a way that allows each person to achieve their fullest potential. At our core, we all want to feel like we matter – and building better, more intentional communities helps us achieve that goal.
Focusing on the interconnectedness of intention and advocacy, these sessions will unpack how we create a sense of connectedness amongst people and why it matters.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understanding the Power of Intention: Discover how intentionality forms the cornerstone of effective community building and how it fosters a sense of purpose among individuals.
- Exploring Advocacy as a Catalyst: Explore the role of advocacy in nurturing connected communities and its impact on amplifying voices within diverse groups.
- Creating a Culture of Belonging: Learn strategies to cultivate an inclusive environment that nurtures a sense of belonging for every member, fostering a supportive community.
- Unleashing Personal and Collective Potential: Gain insights into unlocking personal potential within a communal context, recognizing the symbiotic relationship between individual growth and community development.
- Amplifying Impact through Collaborative Action: Understand the transformative potential of collaborative efforts, identifying pathways to leverage collective action for meaningful societal impact.
Prepare to delve deep into the intricacies of intentional community building, recognizing its significance in empowering individuals and fostering a connected, impactful society.
Inclusion is both an art and a science – it’s a series of choices that prioritizes the needs and wants of others. When people feel included, they are more likely to stay around longer and contribute more.
As leaders, we know what we want to do, but oftentimes, we struggle with how to do it, especially when it comes to inclusion. These sessions will teach you practical strategies you can use to be more practically inclusive.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understanding the Essence of Inclusive Choices: Explore the nature of inclusion as a series of deliberate choices that prioritize diverse perspectives and needs, fostering an environment of acceptance and mutual respect.
- Navigating Challenges in Inclusion: Identify common hurdles in implementing inclusive practices and develop strategies to overcome these obstacles, promoting a culture where everyone feels valued and heard.
- Fostering a Sense of Belonging: Discover actionable methods to create a sense of belonging for all individuals, nurturing an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
- Empowering Leadership through Inclusion: Uncover the correlation between effective leadership and inclusive practices, learning how inclusive leadership drives engagement and productivity within teams and communities.
- Translating Theory into Action: Gain practical tools and techniques to apply inclusive strategies in real-life scenarios, fostering environments that maximize individual contributions and long-term commitment.
Prepare to embark on a journey of discovery, exploring the practical dimensions of inclusion and unlocking its potential to empower and drive collective success.
Confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic. It’s a skill that can be acquiredd and improved overtime. Believing in yourself is important, yet we all have moments – days, month, or even years – when we are unsure of our ability to tackle some of life’s toughest challenges.
These sessions will discuss what we can do to instill and maintain a high level of confidence so that we can reach our fullest potential.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understanding the Nature of Confidence: Delve into the concept of confidence as a skill that can be developed and nurtured over time, exploring strategies to cultivate enduring self-assurance.
- Identifying and Overcoming Self-Doubt: Gain insights into recognizing and addressing moments of self-doubt, equipping yourself with tools to navigate uncertainties and challenges with resilience.
- Cultivating Self-Awareness: Explore the significance of self-awareness in bolstering confidence and learning to harness self-reflection as a catalyst for personal growth and authenticity.
- Embracing Vulnerability as Strength: Discover the power of vulnerability in fostering genuine connections and enhancing self-confidence, transforming perceived weaknesses into sources of empowerment.
- Practical Techniques for Sustaining Confidence: Acquire actionable strategies to maintain a high level of confidence in the face of adversity, ensuring sustained personal growth and achievement.
Prepare to embark on a profound exploration of confidence and self-awareness, uncovering the tools and insights necessary to cultivate unshakable confidence and unleash your full potential.
Nicki will design an interactive training session based on your organization’s specific needs and objectives.
TOPICS OF FOCUS INCLUDE:
Panhellenic Recruitment Counselor Training
Recruitment Counselors play a pivotal role in how potential new members feel about the process. This session will unpack the complexities around inclusion through the lens of a Recruitment Counselor. We’ll talk through how to get really clear on our intentions and what we need to do to be more informed.
DEI Chair Training
Are you a newly elected DEI Chair but aren’t sure where to start? Then this session is for you. Having a DEI position is one thing – but doing the work is another. Join us for a crash course in developing a DEI strategy for your chapter or council that has both short and long-term impact. We’ll discuss intention, ideas, and accountability – and we’ll share a TON of free resources.
Inclusive Recruitment Training
The Panhellenic recruitment process is one of most complex systems that exist within fraternity and sorority life. Lately, we’ve focused on adding things to our processes to enhance inclusion – but what about all the things we need to take away? This session will explore our organizational context, our intentions, and systemic barriers that exist in the Panhellenic sorority recruitment process. We’ll talk through tangible things you can do to remove these barriers and curate a culture of inclusion.
Inclusive Event Planner Training
Do you want your events to be more inclusive but don’t know where to start? This session is for you. Inclusion is both an art, and a science – it’s a series of choices that prioritizes the needs and wants of others. During this session, we will unpack why inclusion matters most in membership-based organizations, discuss what to do as event planners, and provide practical advice *how* to do it.
Accessibility Training
Accessibility is a key element when curating inclusive student organizations and communities. This session will discuss the importance of accessibility in the college landscape and talk through our intentions when it comes to inclusion in this area. We’ll dive deep into mental, physical, and emotional accessibility and provide tangible advice on how to combat the challenges we face with curating accessible environments for everyone.
