Wife, mother of three and telecommunications Marketing Director Nicole R. Coleman shares how a trip to the emergency room was the wake up call she needed to tap into her talents and walk in her purpose. Within 90 days and in ailing health, Coleman seamlessly executed the inaugural Live SuperBOLD brunch where she honored and empowered hundreds of women to live their best lives.
LAS: What situation was the catalyst for you to create the Live SuperBOLD brand?
Nicole R. Coleman: In September 2016, I had a health scare. I felt like something wasn’t right so I asked my husband to take me to the emergency room and when I got there my blood pressure was 186/120 and the doctors and nurses were baffled because I should have been having a stroke. They were trying to keep me calm and not add to my anxiety as they tried to assess what was happening. In that time frame of receiving IVs, being poked and prodded, the news is on and they were counting down, ‘there’s 147 days left until the Super Bowl!’ They reiterate this countdown several times within a short time span and while I should be focusing on my health, I’m more perturbed by the constant mention of the Super Bowl. Fast forward, I had to have a CT Scan on my brain and while they’re doing all of the neurological things and telling me to stay still, I’m in this capsule I heard a voice say, ‘Be Bold’. I have three small children who at the time were two and under. I thought, ‘What if they don’t know me? If something were to happen to me, what legacy am I leaving behind?’ At that moment the seed was planted. Soon after I received my diagnosis, my medication and was released from the hospital. Throughout the next week as I was working from home, I’m continuously hearing the word “Bold”. I’m looking at the news again and they were talking about the Super Bowl and I said, what if I do an event called “SuperBOLD”? While the concept of what I was executing wasn’t necessarily new, it was from a fresh perspective because I now had a renewed since of purpose, passion and drive behind why I was doing this. And because I had such a short window to bring everything together, I wasn’t able to self-sabotage or doubt myself. My focus was, ‘how do I elevate a conversation to a level in which I know women who are like-minded deserve? How do we celebrate trailblazers who are on a path to bettering themselves and the world? I felt that it was my time to do it.
LAS: As a wife, a mother of three infants and a woman with a full time job, how did you make the planning of SuperBOLD a priority within your schedule? And how did you implore other women to want to support your vision?
NRC: In regards to how I balanced and incorporated into my life, I do well with projects; if I have a timeline with a deadline and things that I can pour into, it gives me a sense of focus. I moved forward with this idea as if it were something else that I had to do for work and I interwove it into everything else I had to do. I’m also grateful for the fact that I have an amazing spouse who got it, he said this was the opportunity for me to live in my passion and my purpose and nothing was going to stand in the way of that. However, when I tried to make every conversation around SuperBOLD, he reminded me that it wasn’t the only thing I had going on and because he brought that to the forefront, it helped me to better prioritize my life. Some days SuperBOLD business was number one, other days it was number ten because of family or my 9-to-5 or just self-care…all of those pieces had to be moved around as necessary to really execute on what was the most important thing in that moment and I think finding that harmony was what saved me when it came to executing.
While most people saw a team the day of, there was no team prior to that day; it was me securing the sponsorships and putting my name out there pitching the idea of this event. And God saw favor on me where when I cast out my net, it always came back with many fish. So I’m convinced that the success of the inaugural event was because of God and His divine appointment, for this particular season in my life. At the right time, when God sees fit, if He’s called you for something, don’t hesitate or doubt yourself because He will make the provisions and He’s definitely provided and that’s not just from a monetary standpoint that’s from a physical, mental and emotional standpoint where if you remember to keep him at the forefront, things are covered.
I was able to have great girlfriends come on board the day of to help run the show. I had one particular friend who flew in to surprise me a week before the event and she has her own event planning and management company. Unbeknownst to me, her and everyone involved, I didn’t know that I was going to have to have emergency surgery a week before the event and her being there was the glue that helped to keep everything together because where I was not physically able to move as swiftly as I’d naturally be able to do, she was there. So I know God was there, He listens.
LAS: Outside of the SuperBOLD brunch have you always felt fulfilled with your job or did you feel like something was missing? What advice would you share with others who have interests outside of their jobs but their age, responsibilities or the fear of starting over keeps them from pursuing their passion?
NRC: I definitely felt like something was missing. I love my job and I think I’m good at what I do, but I’ve felt like there were other gifts that I needed to tap into. Ultimately, I want to encourage other people through motivational speaking, I want to write a book, and there’s a plethora of things in this space that I want to do but no one was calling me to do it because they didn’t know me in that arena. So I decided to speak my own name to make other people aware or conscious of the fact that I was being intentional about the life that I wanted to live and the way in which I wanted to impact others.
My advice for people in their 20s or 30s, if you have that inkling of something that you want to do, just do it. I know that’s easier said than done because here I am, about to be 40-years-old and I’m just now breaking out. While I’ve done some motivational speaking in the past–people have called on me within my circle to elevate different conversations, I haven’t taken it past my comfort zone and that’s what SuperBOLD is allowing me the opportunity to do. It’s taken me beyond my sphere of influence to touch other people.
In her book, “Year Of Yes”, Shonda Rhimes said, ‘how many people are you holding back from their dreams by you not fulfilling yours?’ That resonated with me because there may be someone somewhere that receives a message in what I have to say; whether it’s my personal testimony or just simply a conversation that propels people to live their best life, I’m here for it because that’s what I’m meant to do. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, align yourself with people that believe in your vision and are going to challenge you and champion you because they believe that your side hustle or whatever you’re passionate about can take you places that your job can’t. You can always fall back on your 9-to-5 but nothing ventured is nothing gained so I would definitely say pursue those passions and connect with people who can further connect you. Because it’s one thing to have a cheerleader but it’s another thing to have a cheerleader with tickets to the game. So there’s an opportunity for us all to see where we can go and grow.
LAS: Outside of the phenomenal venue, a great cocktail hour, awesome gift bags and inspirational speakers, what did you want people to feel they gained from attending the inaugural SuperBOLD brunch?
NRC: I wanted to curate a dynamic experience from beginning to end. It was my inaugural event but I didn’t want it to feel like that. I wanted people to know that if you spent your money with me, it was an investment in themselves.
From the cocktail hour to the program to the honorees, everything was hand selected because I wanted to be able to speak to each attendee in a different way. Everyone left full. I know what it is to be empty, so my priority was for people to leave with nuggets and gems that they could use and implement immediately in their life. The people that I selected to be a part of this event were of the caliber that many of the attendees have since followed up and built relationships outside of me. If I could be the catalyst to bring that together, that’s how I know, job well done.
To stay up to date with Nicole’s next venture, follow her on Instagram
@NicoleRColeman,
@LiveSuperBold and visit: LiveSuperBold.com