Woman Entrepreneur, Michelle A. Nicholas’ on a mission to empower other women entrepreneurs

Feb 19, 2023 News

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By  Vanessa Braithwaite-Moore

Kaieteur News – Award winning female entrepreneur, Michelle Nicholas, who is a Lindener by birth, has taken her journey as an entrepreneur to not only empower herself, but to be a vessel in the lives of others who are trying to do the same but may not have the same advantages, opportunities or knowledge as she does.

Nicholas who lives in New York and owns the NICO Consulting Firm which is a Business, Public Relations and NGO Management Company, recently copped two prestigious awards in New York: She was featured by 914 Inc. magazine in their Women in Business spread in acknowledgement of her outstanding achievements, in the November/December issue of the magazine. Ms. Nicholas was named as one of 24 Women in Business in Westchester County and she was accorded the prestige of being featured on the magazine’s cover, becoming the first Guyanese to grace the cover of the magazine as the solo feature. On the same day, she was also awarded with the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Champion Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Mid-Hudson Valley.

While she is no stranger to accolades, she said she felt very honoured to be a recipient of these two awards as they reminded her of her mandate to serve. “I am truly honoured to be selected for these honours – and particularly for doing what I love – making a difference in people’s lives. Every award, every recognition tells a story and always serve as a reminder of my focus, people, culture and community,” she said.

Her deep sense of community building was inspired by her father and the way he started his construction company. After serving as a security guard for years, he made a decision to start his own business without the funds or the know-how, but allowed his dream, determination and the needed skills to pivot him. “After migrating, working and saving for a long time, he launched his company, Nico Construction. A one-man construction company, that grew into an employer of many fellow Guyanese in St. Maarten. Through it all, my father remained focused on building respected relationships with his clients. This is why creating sustainable partnerships is not just the tagline of my company, The NICO Consulting, Inc. It is at the core of who we are,” she said.

Irrespective of her client’s budget, social status or magnitude of the project, she believes that each one should be given the same respect as she believes lasting relationships are the lifeblood of a business. NICO Consulting provides knowledge and expertise on various areas including diversity, equity and inclusion, strategy, operations, marketing and public relations as well as nonprofit management.

Despite building a successful company, doing so as a woman, was no easy task for Nicolas, but she rose above every stereotype and systematic sexism to prove that women can achieve greatness in the corporate world as well. While facing external mountains, she also had to face the internal fears and had to water daily her ability to believe in herself. “That was one of the first steps for me. It is wonderful to have others believe in you but it really starts with you believing in yourself and being kind to yourself. We are our worst critic, and though self-examination is essential, we must take time to smile with ourselves,” she said.

Believing in herself has led her to hold several roles and led organizations toward success in growth, development, revenue, community, people and culture. Being a successful woman entrepreneur and seeing how being recognised for same has positively impacted her, inspired her to recognize other women locally for their contributions to entrepreneurship.

She collaborated with Lyndell Danzie-Black, Managing Director, Cerulean Inc, to execute the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award (25ILWA), which is an annual award aimed at championing women for their talents, achievements, values and contributions. Since launching in 2019, 75 women leaders have been awarded “This year, being our fourth year, we are looking forward to honouring another 25 women leaders, on June 10 at the Pegasus Suites, marking the honoring of one hundred Women Leaders across Guyana.”

Additionally, the two creators have also created the Women’s Leadership Programme in 2022, which aims to support women at all stages of their leadership journey. “Leadership is always about contribution, and work that we do must be intentional and not only focused on advancing ourselves, but the inclusion and advancement of others.”

As a daughter of the soil of Linden, the two have also partnered with We Lead Caribbean in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy and Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to provide Region 10 with the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) programme that equips women with the practical tools needed to create investable and sustainable businesses.

Additionally, several training opportunities for Lindeners will be held including Nonprofits 101, Women in the Workplace, Your Business/Your Why, The Process of You, and more.

In addition to her business related consultations, Nicolas is also a major contributor in the area of social welfare, and in 2022, she launched the Nicholas Counseling Services, to provide a virtual option for individuals, couples and families seeking to transform their greatest challenges into opportunities for growth, empowerment, and fulfillment. In 2015, she launched the Sexual Assault and Family Education (SAFE) Guyana to provide services and resources to victims of gender-based violence and those struggling with mental illness in Guyana.

 

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