Interview With Career Consultant and Author Nicole Williams

Nicole Williams is a girl on top. No, I’m not talking about someone’s favorite sexual position. I’m talking about the author the new career guide for women Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules Into Career Success by Nicole Williams. In her third tell-it-like-it-is book for woman looking to get ahead, Williams uses the rules of dating to steer women to success in their careers. After reading the book and seeing Nicole speak at a book signing event sponsored by The Limited, I realized Nicole had valuable insight worth sharing with VenusVision readers, particularly for those looking for the right motivation to take the next step in their careers.

In Girl on Top, we learned that Nicole became very aware at an early age of the toll a job from hell can take on someone as she watched her mother go to work every day to a job she hated. Nicole was determined not to end up in the same position and took on the role of career investigator with every new person she met, assertively asking questions like “What do you do? What did you study in school? How much money do you make? Do you love what you do?”. Because of her inherent curiosity about people’s careers Nicole began looking for career resources that were not just pro-women, but also fun and entertaining — much like Nicole’s personality. Finding a shortage of books, web sites, and businesses that met her needs, she realized that no one was perhaps better suited for providing this information than she.

Taking on any one of the achievements Nicole has to her name — three published books, a career reality TV series called Making It Big, guest appearances on network televisions shows like The Today Show and Good Morning America,  a frequent contributor to Elle, Self, Glamour, and more, and founder of her own company, Works, just to name a few — it seems like she’s always shooting for the stars, and that’s just what Nicole did. I wanted to know how she was able to make the leap to start her own business, and she reminded me of her mantra: “To achieve the marvelous, think the unthinkable.” And so she approaches each endeavor in life by asking herself what her “unthinkable goals” are. Reflecting on her dreams and accomplishments, it was unthinkable to publish a book (let alone three). It was unthinkable to create her own television series. It was unthinkable to build a highly successful business from the ground up. But ultimately she said “the dreams that give me shivers are the ones that become my goals,” and with a lot of hard work, focus, and the ability to expand her horizons to open herself up to new opportunities, Nicole seems to be capable of achieving the marvelous. Perhaps the best part is, part what makes her dreams so marvelous is that she is helping other women achieve their dreams.

I wanted to know if there were some common factors among the women she counsels that were holding them back in their careers. While she addresses a variety of issues with her company, she sees a lot of women who just “want it now”; they are impatient. Though Nicole sees impatience as a virtue because of the drive that often accompanies it, she is quick to point out that success takes time and effort. She works to dispel the myth of overnight success because it leads to people expecting it too soon and then giving up too early. Nicole said she also sees a lot women settling, and she challenges them to “have big dreams and have high expectations for yourself because that’s directly proportionate to what you are going to get in life.” They are underestimating what they can do with their lives and at far too young of an age, they think this is as good as it gets.

Since Nicole spends a considerable amount of time addressing the importance of appearance, particularly as it relates to one’s career, I wondered if her own sense of style was one that she was born with. Though Nicole has always loved fashion, she said that her own sense of style has required a lot of trial and error. She explained that growing up in a small town exposed her to some more flamboyant styles and her response was to go in the opposite direction, seeking out conservative looks. With the benefit of  a personal stylist Nicole now has, she is able to think a little more outside the box in terms of fashion. When I saw her at The Limited, her look was stylish, sexy, and powerful resulting in the look of total confidence that reflects her personality.

For someone who has achieved the success that Nicole has, I was surprised at how open and approachable she is. I asked her about her divorce, and she admitted that “it shook me to the bone”. Having seen her own parents go through divorce, she was convinced she would never allow it to happen to herself. But in the end, she new that it was something she had to do, and while it was the hardest experience of her life, she had a vision of where she wanted her life to go and she remained focused on that vision, creating goals, and putting one foot in front of the other. She also admitted to, at times, putting on rose-colored glasses and wondering if she had done the right thing in leaving her husband, particularly after she started dating again. But ultimately the answer was the same, and she kept moving forward, taking stock of what she learned, and working towards creating the life and success she desired.

While Nicole’s career is obviously a huge part of her identity, and something she likely won’t set aside anytime soon, she places a lot of importance on developing a personal life — one well outside the bounds of work — and for herself, this is where her efforts are most focused for the near future. Professionally, Nicole has no regrets but she can’t say the same about her personal life as she laments not investing in the relationships she most values. Moving forward she plans on starting a family, devoting time to herself and her personal relationships.

Reading Nicole’s book, Girl on Top, and talking with her personally made me have little doubt that she means what she says when she states “anything is possible”.

Review of Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules Into Career Success

Last night I went to a fabulous event that was part of a book tour for Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success, the new career guide by Nicole Williams. The invite-only event, hosted by The Limited, was a chance for Williams to showcase her book to the backdrop of fantastic styles.

Girl on Top is not your ordinary career advice book for women, just as Nicole is not your ordinary career woman. Founder and owner of Works, a company focusing on career development for women, Nicole has a tell-it-like-it is approach that you might liken to a career-consulting version of What Not to Wear’s Stacy London. Sometimes Nicole’s advice and choice of wording can be harsh, but it is only in the interest of bringing out your best. Using the most common rules of dating, Nicole delivers a witty, accessible, fun read on how to succeed in your career much in the same way you might try to snag a man.

Like Stacy London, Nicole rolls eyes at the notion that your brain and/or personality is all you need to get ahead. While conceding that it would be terrific to be acknowledged for your brains even though you have hair growing on your chin and a wort on your nose, ultimately she points to the inevitable truth that first and foremost we are all judged by our looks. That’s not to say that looks alone are the key to success, but there is something to be said for playing up your assets and Girl on Top coaches you on how to do just that.

For example, chapter 5 is entitled “If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It.” If you are asking what “it” is, good. She has the answer, and it might not be exactly what you are thinking: “What I’m talking about is an intangible energy. It is a stand-up-straight kind of confidence. It is a lightness and ease. It is a sense of humor that comes from not taking yourself too seriously. It’s captivating and commands attention.” Whether you’re Catherine Zeta-Jones or Susan Boyle, we all have ‘it’ — it’s just that some of us are better skilled at tapping into “it” than others. Ultimately it’s an art anyone can learn and Nicole will teach you.

Girl on Top goes on to tell you about etiquette, work-life balance, navigating social functions with colleagues, and more. And of course, woven throughout the book is advice on work-place style. There is no checklist for each item of clothing that belongs in your closet. Instead you will find guidance in helping you choose a wardrobe that enhances your assets without making you look like Julia Roberts in Pretty Women. I think most people ultimately agree that “less is more” when it comes to feminine wiles and this book gives the proverbial “hear hear” to that notion.

Ultimately Williams’s book is about empowering women to bring out their best, and learning how to work it to their advantage. Sure much of the advice may seem like common sense, but it serves as a good reminder of what to do and what NOT to do in the professional world. Coming from someone who has made a career of teaching other women how to succeed, her advice is worth listening to.