The Place: Dominican Joe’s Coffee

The Cup: Nicole ordered an iced coffee and it sounded so yummy, I ordered one as well.

Background: Nicole and I were introduced by Cup 39, Patti DeNucci via email, suggesting we’d enjoy meeting one another. Nicole shared with me that she’d recently met Patti when one of her sales managers had invited Patti to do some training for her team. She thought Nicole would enjoy it and invited her to sit in. Nicole said normally she wouldn’t have gone – not wanting it to look like she was checking up on the team – but something made her decide to go. Patti presented great ideas and Nicole stuck around for a bit afterward to visit with Patti some more. It was during this chat that Patti told Nicole about me and the Coffee with a Stranger project. Nicole loved the idea, Patti connected us and the rest is history!

Before we get into Nicole’s story, let’s cover some:

Common Grounds

1. What is the last movie you saw? I saw Lincoln on a flight back from Europe. On the same flight, I also saw Chasing Mavericks – a true story about a kid who trained to ride a big maverick wave. I’m at little embarrassed to admit it, but it was great.
2. What is your guilty pleasure? Cheese enchiladas.
3. What would be the worst job for you? Anything that involved calculation or a lot of math all day long.
4. Where is your favorite place to eat in Austin? Matt’s El Rancho (an Austin Tex-Mex institution). I’m a Mexican food freak. I’ve been going since I was five. We go at least once a week.
5. Who has been the most influential person in your life so far? My dad. We are so much alike. He pushed me when I was a kid. I raced bikes and played soccer, back when there were no girls doing either. He gave me that incredible winning spirit to compete and be ready. It’s translated well for me professionally. And my partner Jeanne – she was the first person who came into my life and made me feel OK to be me. She believes in me which makes me more confident.
6. What was the best gift you ever got? The day Jeanne said, “I think we should spend forever together.” We were at Lake Austin Spa when we came to that agreement and it was a beautiful gift for me. Also, the birth of my niece and my nephew. I cry when I see them – for no reason. Something about them – they just touch me.
7. What is the best compliment you ever got? When I was coaching, I had a kid who came from a rough side of town, who wouldn’t have made it to practice or games if I hadn’t picked her up sometimes. She graduated and got a full ride and she hugged me and said, “You’re gonna make me actually have a future.”  That moment in my life was a “wow”. I realized I can influence people in a positive way.
8. What is a food you can’t live without? Cheese. Any cheese. Give me a Kraft single, and I’m happy.
9. How did you make your first buck? I mowed yards when I was eight. I wasn’t actually allowed to use the mower, so I did the weed-eating and raking while my dad mowed. I made $7 a yard. I know this, because I remember it took me two yards to be able to buy my first cassette tape: Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach.

How Did You Get Here

One of my favorite stories is the one people share about how they ended up where they are – both professionally and personally. For Nicole, that story begins in Austin, TX where she was born and raised.  With the exception of her four years of college and a few years working in East Texas, she’s been in this incredible city the entire time.

Growing up, Nicole was very athletic and enjoyed playing sports and racing bikes. Her skills in basketball got the attention of college recruiters and after graduation she was off to play ball for Louisiana Tech University. Nicole played point guard and a couple of times during our conversation she made reference to herself as a typical point guard. I had no idea what this meant.

On Point

I too, played basketball – on a team coached by my dad at the YMCA when I was in middle school. My greatest claim to fame was getting knocked down by a girl as she went up to make a layup. She was cited with an offensive foul (charging) and my dad was so proud of me that I soon learned that if I planted my feet and stood between the goal and the girl with the ball, I could be a rock star at causing offensive fouls. It worked, for a little while anyhow. But getting knocked down isn’t the sort of thing that gets the notice of, well, anyone other than my dad probably. So needless to say, I never made it to the “understanding the roles of the players” portion of my basketball career.

A quick Google search revealed some interesting information about point guards – more specifically, the characteristics the best point guards share. Here they are:

1. Point guards are quick decision makers. They have the ball to start and need to quickly assess what’s going on with the opponent, her teammates and on the court. They have to determine, quickly, if they are going to take the ball down the court or pass it off to an open teammate. 
2. Point guards have great ball-handling skills. All players have to be good with the ball (expect the girl who’s waiting to get knocked down, I suppose), but the point guard needs to be so talented that she doesn’t even have to think about it. This allows her to concentrate on all the other things going on on the court and not spend a moment focused on dribbling the ball.
3. Point guards must be cool under pressure. They can’t get rattled by what’s going on and since they are calling most of the shots on the court – directing where the ball is going, they need to remain cool and mindful of all the factors – the time clock, the shot clock, the number of fouls they have, etc. This takes a level head to be able to make plays based on the big picture.
4. Point guards need courage. Typically, a point guard is a smaller player. Often, they need to drive down the court if the opportunity presents itself, and rush past or into players much bigger than they are. This takes a level of fearlessness.
5. Point guard need to be leaders. They need to be able to communicate effectively with their teammates so they can make the big plays. Her teammates need to trust her when she signals to them to take action or make a move. We all know it takes strong leadership skills to be someone who moves people.

I found this list both interesting and revealing. I’m curious whether you’ll draw the same conclusions as I did after hearing Nicole’s story.

Where Next?

Nicole spent summers during college clerking at the law office her mom worked at. When graduation was nearing, Nicole made the decision that she’d pursue becoming a trial attorney. She applied and was accepted to Baylor Law School.

As she was getting ready to begin law school, her family got news that would change everyone’s lives. Nicole learned that her mom, just 53 years old, was terminally ill. She deferred her seat in law school for a year and stayed home to be with her family. When Nicole was 25, her beloved mother passed away. A few months before she died, Nicole’s mom sat her down and said, “You’re too happy and too positive to become a trial attorney and spend all day arguing. You’d be great, but you’d be unhappy.”

This conversation was jarring. She had no idea her mom felt that way and she had a hard time coming to terms with this opinion. She’d been focused for so long – taking classes, clerking summers and gearing up for her life in law. Now she had a choice to make.

Tough Decisions

Nicole recalls the day she decided quite vividly. It was about a month after her mom died and she was getting ready for a soccer game when her teammate asked, “So, when are you going to start law school?” Nicole found herself answering, “You know, I don’t think I’m going to law school.” She then ran onto the soccer field. She says, “In that moment, my life changed completely.”

Nicole opted for a teaching and coaching position at a high school in East Texas with a terrific athletic program. She spent three years there and loved making an impact on the lives of the kids she taught and coached. But she missed Austin dearly, so when she found out Round Rock was looking for someone for their women’s athletic program, she moved back to pursue that.

Who You Are Matters More Than What You Know

Then one evening, she was having margaritas with some friends when her career, again, was taken in a whole different direction. {I’ve noticed tequila has that affect on decision making. Things that once seemed impossible are suddenly achievable.} Nicole’s friend worked at Dell, and she told Nicole she really needed to work there. “What?” Nicole thought, “I don’t know anything about technology.” Her friend explained that what she did have was a competitive, winning, positive nature and that’s just what Dell looked for. Her friend said she’d set up an interview and let Nicole decide from there. Nicole figured she’d work there for the summer to make some money, and twelve years later, she’s still there. And not just hanging out, either. Nicole was recently named Executive Director of Sales

Nicole describes her career as “coming up through the ranks”.  Her first job was as a sales rep, where she answered the phone, “Thank you for choosing Dell. This is Nicole, what can I build for you today?” From there, she was promoted every few years and eventually was put into leadership roles where she really shined. Again, her experience as a point guard came up as she talked about having natural leadership ability. “At Dell, I am a light. People look at my career and see that if you’re good, they will move you up.”

A Life In Balance

Nicole says that losing her mom at such a young age gave her perspective about balance in life that also helps her be a strong leader. She says, “I always tell people, ‘Don’t get wrapped around the axle. Don’t spend time trying to change what you can’t change. Just focus on what you can do and do it well. This is just work.'”

Nicole seems to take her own advice and makes sure she takes time for herself and those she loves. I ask her about something she does every day that contributes to her overall success, and she talks about something she fairly recently started doing, saying, “I try to have some downtime every day. On the commute home from work, I never take work calls. Sometimes I just pop into Academy to look around for a little while. I’ve learned that making time for myself isn’t selfish and I’ve learned to do it without guilt.” She’s also head over heels in love with her Border Collie, Roo, so she makes time to play with him every single day.

Surprise!

I want to know what Nicole thinks people might be surprised to learn about her. She says she’s pretty open about her life and not much would surprise people. She is a confident, extroverted person in her professional life, but, she says, “at a house party, I’m a train-wreck. I just tend to go where I’m comfortable. I’m much more of a shy, introvert than people might expect.”

Lists of Lists

What’s on Nicole’s bucket list? First of all, she’s a huge fan of lists in general. {A girl after my own heart. I adore lists!} She tells me that she made New Year’s resolutions for her and Jeanne, and that they both signed them and she has them hanging in her office. Wow – she is serious! She’s got personal lists, lists for house projects, list for the lake, travel lists, on and on.

Three things she’s set on accomplishing are: 1) Learn to play the guitar. 2) Travel around the US to places she’s not been yet such as Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park and Redwood National Park. 3) Open a boutique hotel near the water somewhere and be a fishing guide. She describes the vibe of her someday business as a place where people can come to be happy. She will cater to busy people who just want to get away, wear flip-flops to dinner and relax. Sounds so nice, I’ve already booked my reservation for opening week.

Busy, But Mindful

What’s something Nicole would change about herself? “I’m hard on myself,” she tells me. “I wish I could just go with the flow. I’m a planner and a contingency planner. I could do a better job of just being still and enjoying it.” But to that she adds, “I stay busy. I’m always doing something, puttering, crossing stuff of the lists. I find peace in that.”

Nicole did mange to find time to read a book recently and it’s one she names as a book everyone needs to read. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Nicole says it’s a book that will make you question whether you are really mentally tough. It will give you perspective, ground you and make you remember what’s really important. I’m downloading the book tonight because based on the reviews on Amazon, it appears at least 3,715 people agree with her and give it a perfect five-star rating.

No Do-Overs

If Nicole had 30 seconds to make a speech to the world, this is what she’d say: “Be nicer to each other. Be happy and look around you. Realize you are only here once; you don’t get a do-over. Wake up every day and think of something you can do that will mean something to you or someone you love. And never, ever take a day for granted, because you just never know.”

Nicole embodies those point guard characteristics I laid out earlier. In her career, she’s had to make quick decisions and be nimble and willing to pivot. She’s proof that when you know what you’re doing and you prove yourself capable, you’re better prepared to look at the big picture and make plans based on that knowledge. She’s cool under pressure – managing hundreds of people all over the globe by empowering them to make good decisions and trusting them to be the professionals she knows they are.

Nicole has displayed ample courage and she’s obviously a well-respected leader. She’s a beacon of light to those who are answering the phones today, like she did a dozen years ago, and is proof that if you work hard, dedicate yourself to being at your best and give your all, you will find opportunity. And when you’re nice to people, you teach them the importance of work-life balance, and never take moments or people for granted, you’ve earned the title of leader. The proof is the hundreds of people who are lined up behind you, ready to go where you’re headed.