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”.

Turning Hidden Talents Into a Business

Let’s face it: making a go at “it” on your own is scary. Whether it’s consulting work for an area with which you are already familiar, or a hobby you want to turn into a business, there’s no easy way to get a business going. Or is there?

Jacki Rigoni, owner and creator of jacki paper greeting cards is an example of a woman — a stay-at-home mother of three — who jumped in with both feet and came out, not just with her head above water, but floating along comfortably on the proverbial “lazy river”.

VenusVision wanted to know what some of her secrets were and how she managed to go from sending a few cute home-made cards to friends and family to having a name among local greeting card stores, heading towards national brand recognition. Whether you need a spark to light your own flame, or you just want to learn about an awesome woman, this interview is worth reading.

VV: When did you start making your own cards?

JP: I was on maternity leave with my first daughter, Stella. I had always been into my career as an advertising copywriter. But as soon as she came into the picture, I knew I wanted to find something that would allow me to make money without spending the whole day away from her. I think this is the quintessential mom dilemma.

I’ve always made my own greeting cards to send to family and friends. I certainly never considered that it could be a business—until I started thinking about what I was good at and, more importantly, what I liked doing. The question I asked myself, and what I tell other people to ask themselves is: What do I love doing in my spare time? That should give you a pretty good idea of where to look for business ideas. I mean, you’re going to put your whole heart and energy into it, so it better be something you love. And that usually means that it’s also something you’re good at.

VV: When did you realize you could turn your hobby into a business?

JP: There were two inspired moments for me.

The first was when I was meeting with two other moms for a playdate. Both had had successful careers before kids and both were transitioning to small business ventures as stay-at-home moms. They started talking about a guy who had been an advertising copywriter who became successful as an irreverent greeting card maker. I knew the card brand and liked it a lot, so it really hit home when I heard he was a former writer. It got me thinking.

The second moment was when I was telling a friend about my idea and her response was, “Jacki, of all the people I know, if anyone can do it, you can.” That was huge for me, because I knew she was right.

VV: What kind of initial investment did you make? Were you nervous about the investment?

JP: I initially had a run of my first designs printed for about $5k all told. It was a lot of money for me at the time, but not so much that I’d be on skid row if it totally flopped. I just wanted to do enough cards to get them out in the world and see if anybody liked them. I had no business plan. And really no idea what I was doing. I just went for it and figured I’d learn what I needed to along the way if I got a positive response.

I wasn’t nervous about the investment. What made me nervous was putting myself out there for the world to see. I was really nervous to show friends and stores my cards because they might think they were lame.

So the harder investment for me was my ego.

VV: What have you done to expand your business?

JP: I started by going store to store and quickly realized two things. One, I don’t like sales. Two, I’d never be able to spend the time needed to get my cards all around the country.

So I had to find sales reps, which I did a bit on my own. But recently I just hired my first part-time employee—another mom—to help me build my rep base and expand sales. That was a huge step for me—deciding that it was time to invest in someone to help me out. But one important thing I’ve learned, among the gajillion important things I’ve learned, is to focus on what I do best and outsource the rest.

VV: Where do you hope your card business will be in 5 years?

JP: I’ve kind of done things by jumping in the moving jump rope without a plan. Now that I see I have a viable idea for a brand, I’m working on actually having a 5-year plan and beyond. It’s always been in my head, but it’s time to put it down in writing and work toward it systematically. So that’s part of my growth and maturation as a businessperson.

In my head, I have greeting cards in 1000 boutique stores across the country and Canada, as well as a thriving online store. I also plan to expand to other products like t-shirts, but am working on developing other fun products, too. No mugs and magnets. And I want everything I do to support the brand concept of jacki paper and make it into a company people love and admire. So I want to make sure my growth actually grows the brand, not just the sales.

VV: How do you balance your work life with a family?JP: I want to meet the woman who can.

I often work until one or two a.m. But that’s because I have the flexibility to go with my kids to a mommy and me class or the park during the day. I try to fit that in first and make the work fall in around my kids. Which often means working when they’re in bed at night. I work a lot, but I guess that goes without saying for anyone who has her own business.

I do have a Blackberry, so I can work even when I’m at the park, just in case I do need to send an emergency email. But I try not to answer the phone. When I’m with my kids, I really want to be with them.

I also have an amazing mother-in-law who takes care of the kids during the day and a husband who takes them in the afternoon after work. So a supportive family system is key.

And an office with a door. That I can close if I have to get an order out. Or open if I need to kiss a skinned knee.
In jacki paper terms, it’s doing the hokey pokey and never forgetting what it’s all about.

VV: What has been the greatest motivating factor for growing your business?

Two things, really. First, I don’t want to let anyone down. All the people around me believe in me, and I want to prove them right.

Second, I want to be an example to my kids for how to have a family and do something that you create on your own, on your own terms, without having to answer to anyone else.

Oh, and to make a living. I guess that’s three.

VV: What advice would you give to other women who want to turn their passion into a business?

JP: Go outside and play. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and who are also doing their own thing. Seek out those people and get together with them. Go on play dates with them and bring your kids. It’s surprising how many moms are doing amazing things. It’s totally inspiring and motivating. It makes you realize you can do it yourself.

Put your whole self in. Try things, change if they don’t work, and do whatever you need to do to make it work. Know you won’t get it right the first time. Get feedback, constantly, change, and adapt. My first cards were small and horizontal, because I thought they were sweeter and it made sense that they should be the right way when you pull them out of the envelope. What I found out was that stores were putting them sideways on the shelf to save space. So you couldn’t read them as you stood in the store. I started making the cards bigger, vertical, with most of the design at the top third of the card so that you can see it when it’s peeking out on the shelf. But I only found that out after a year from a sales rep I was asking feedback from. I had to drag it out of him. And I had to be willing to change my design to make the cards pop off the shelf.

Also, create a brand, not just a name, service or a product. People want to buy an idea to believe in, not just a product. Try to create a whole brand identity for yourself. If you don’t know how to do that, pay someone who can. That’s the advertising writer in me still talking.

You can be anything you want to be when you grow up, so don’t dawdle. I find the biggest barrier for most people is just taking the leap of faith to go for it. So my best advice is: Wing it.

I did my research and set a short-term, audacious but attainable goal—having a booth at the National Stationery Show with 20 new cards. And I just went for it, even though I could have been way more prepared. I went to this huge convention, sight unseen, and pretended like I knew what I was doing. I then came home with a sales rep and a bunch of orders. I had to really scramble to get a fax machine and shipping boxes and so many other things I knew nothing about. But it was the kick in the pants I needed to get going.

So stop dilly-dallying and make it happen.

And finally, wear your nice underwear in case you get hit by a bus.

Additional comment to moms:

Before I had kids, I thought I’d never be able to do anything once I did have them. I’ve found the complete opposite to be true.

I have 3 kids—Stella, almost 5, Giovanni, almost 3, and Celeste, 1. And they’ve only been an inspiration to get my act together and live my life on my terms. Having Stella really made me focus on what I wanted out of my life and my family. In fact, you can look at my cards (My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are it.) and see how my kids and my own childhood inspire what I do.

So even though the kids make things technically more difficult—I’m juggling way more now and wonder what I did in my spare time as a single person—I’m much more organized, focused, and motivated.

And way more tired.

But then again, happier and more energized than I’ve ever been in my life.

About jacki paper:

It was a time when station wagons were paneled and jello was serious. In the Midwest suburbs, Jacki and her sisters were drinking from the garden hose and playing kick-the-can past dark. Little did she know how useful those experiences would some day become. As a grown-up, Jacki turned them into words letterpressed on paper like skates clamped on gym shoes.

jacki paper is Jacki Rigoni. She freelances as an advertising copywriter until this adventure lets her out for recess. She built a fort in Belmont, California, with her husband, Mauricio, and their young kids, Stella, Giovanni, and Celeste. She hopes to give their little ones a childhood as idyllic as her own.

Except, without wiping dirt off their faces using her own saliva.

Or ever, ever giving them a perm.