This week’s blog post features our client, Nicole Davison, who is the founder of NMDcareers. Nicole gave us insight on how she started her business and important advice to business owners.
The Origin of NMDcareers
“Tell me the origin of NMDcareers." Nicole started her business more than four years ago in March. Before founding NMDcareers, Nicole served as a career counselor and adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University. She quickly realized how critical career counseling is for students at all levels. Many students went to Nicole, asking her to review their resumes and for advice on different career paths. After a lot of encouragement from her colleagues Nicole began to explore the possibility of starting her own practice.
Nicole never thought of herself as someone who would start her own business. Nicole thought that working in higher education was something she was going to pursue for the rest of her life. She began to realize that career counseling is needed for clients at every stage of their career. So, after much research and contemplation, NMDcareers was born.
“What gave you inspiration to start NMDcareers?” Nicole says that just making a difference and being a resource for people is her inspiration. She wanted to help her clients begin their new journey and navigate them to the path they are meant to be on.
What Makes Nicole Standout from her Competitors
“What makes yourself stand out against your competitors?” I asked.
"My life," Nicole said.
She explained, "I am who I am because of my journey." Nicole went on to say that she may not be for everyone, but she has the experience. Nicole worked in the industry for 25 years and has the education to back it up. She explains how she can be the cheerleader that will help you through your life. We all have a story and the biggest thing is to get to know your client’s story. She wants to learn and understand their journey.
Nicole's Biggest Fear Starting Her Own Business
“What was one of your biggest fears when you first started NMD careers?” She mentioned that she was fearful if a client wouldn’t be satisfied with the services she provided them. Nicole’s main goal is to provide a service that impacts someone’s life in a positive way.
One of the Most Difficult Things Nicole Faced When Starting her Business
“What was one of the most difficult things about starting your business?" The hardest thing that Nicole has struggled with, for many years, is charging someone for her service. She believes that the reason is because she was used to giving away sessions for free. It ties back into doing your research and knowing your worth. Nicole mentioned this to her other colleagues who started their own businesses and they said that charging was the hardest thing they had to do as well. Nicole mentioned how this all goes back to knowing your worth.
How did COVID impact Nicole's Business
“How has COVID-19 impacted your business either in a positive or negative way?” Nicole says that the pandemic has definitely impacted her business. She explained how COVID opened her eyes of new communication tools such as video chat sources. Prior to COVID-19 Nicole mentioned how she was nervous about using online platforms. But, she explained now having an online source most of her clients aren’t just from her state now they are nationwide. Many of her clients during the pandemic began to re-evaluate their career path and move forward with her services.
Nicole's Advice to Anyone Starting their Own Business
“What's one piece of advice you can give to someone starting their own business?” The first thing Nicole said was to be patient and do your research. You have to know who your target audience is. For Nicole, she knew part of her target audience would be students who are either in college or just graduating college. She also made sure she did her research to make sure she had the right resources and materials to kick start her business. The last thing Nicole mentioned is don’t compare yourself to other people around you. You are on your own journey.
Nicole's Advice for Businesses that have been Affected by the Pandemic
"Do you have any advice for businesses that suffered during the pandemic?” I asked.
"You just survived a pandemic. What we just went through nobody else went through before in our lifetime," Nicole said, "If you just got through this, you can get through worse."
Nicole finished by saying that people who are struggling should remember how far they’ve come.
Are you in search of career counseling? Want to learn more about NMDcareers? Check out Nicole's website here!