Before Nichole Marie began photography and her career as an entrepreneur, Nichole was a trauma ICU RN. While working part-time and raising 2 children, Nichole learned how to use her camera (self-taught) and launched her boudoir photography business from home. 6 months into working from home, Nichole was pregnant with her 3rd child, she quit her job as an RN and dived in head first to owning her own business full time.
There were a lot of naysayers, and so many people including Nichole’s husband never thought she would be able to make it in this niche, especially living in a retirement community in Florida.
If I had to describe the energy at Nichole Marie Boudoir, I would say it was a “Lady in the streets but a freak in the bed!”
Nichole knows all about the exhaustion and hustles it takes to get to where you want and need to be.
Many people will say it’s impossible, but the difference is YOU know it isn’t!!
Nichole also knows what it feels like now, to attend a local event and see TONS of people she knows and loves because of her desire to empower so many women with their own confidence. 8 months into Nichole’s business, she quit her job as an RN and jumped head first, scared shitless but excited as hell! Just 2 years later, Nichole’s business has grossed over $200,000 this year and guess what, she is aiming to double that in 2019! Now that’s what we call being a Boss Lady!
Inspiration to start Nichole Marie Boudoir
The first time I photographed a woman in a “boudoir” type niche, I saw the confidence she lacked in herself come to life right before my eyes. The squeals she let out as she saw sneak peeks on the back of my camera during the shoot were life-altering for me. Once I knew what I could do for someone, how special and unique I could make a woman feel, I wanted to give that gift to everyone I could get in front of my lens. I wanted them all to feel that excitement for their own body. That is the driving passion behind everything I do in my business.
Tell us about your photography at this moment, how do you come up with tips to help your clients feel comfortable?
Authenticity and education for your audience are the keys I’ve found to a successful business. Being YOU around your clients will allow them to connect with you and to feel at ease, as if you’re their friend, not just a business person. Also, giving them PLENTY of resources in order to plan out their experience has helped tremendously! We provide pre session checklists, posing/wardrobe guides, and questionnaires weeks in advance to help our clients arrive at their session as prepared as possible.
Tell us about a time when a client didn’t like your work, what did you do about it?
Although extremely rare, occasionally clients come to their session hyper focused on wanting their body looking “perfect” as an end result. Unfortunately, most often these women are the ones we’d walk by on the street and feel envy for their seemingly flawless appearance. In instances where these women give off a tense vibe or are unhappy with their results, I explain to them that each of us is flawed and imperfect in our own ways. In my opinion, my job isn’t to remove flaws or manipulate women’s bodies during the editing process in order to make them look perfect.. my job is to motivate them to love who they are AS imperfect as they are.
Did you create Nichole Marie Boudoir all by yourself? How?
Yes, from the ground up! Without any background in business or accounting, I took an online course about how to create a profitable photography business. While continuing to work as a nurse part time, I hustled my booty off on my nights off after my kids went to bed (which meant lots of late nights spent learning on the computer). I would do shoots 1 weekend day each week, and any money I made went back into my business (marketing, upgrading equipment, etc). I never took out any loans or borrowed money to build my business, but kept putting my profits right back into it. Once I had enough buzz going about the business and some bank roll, I opened my first studio. Eventually I was too busy to keep up and hired an office manager, second photographer and within the last week an in house editor/graphic designer.
Explain us how your goal to help women (re)gain a priceless confidence, and appreciate their beautiful, imperfect, unique body through the experience of boudoir works?
At NMB we know that confidence is a woman’s most powerful weapon against life’s greatest challenges. Unfortunately, this confidence is hard to find and especially hard to hold onto. Age, babies, medical conditions, psychological issues and SO much more play a huge part in diminishing a woman’s confidence in her unique body. Our experience helps women to see that you don’t have to be a size 0, super fit, young, flawless, or perfect to be beautiful. We encourage all of our clients to love their unique bodies at every stage in life, no matter what season they’re in by providing an uplifting, non-judgemental, fun atmosphere. The experience they have is truthfully the most important part to us.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
Freedom and the desire to help women love themselves. Who wouldn’t want the freedom to make their own rules, create their own schedule, and to live life according to their own desires?? Once I knew I had a gift, one that was rare and special, it became a passion I couldn’t suppress. All I wanted to do was work more and harder.. to show women what I could do for them…. and as you can tell, I just keep finding more and more ways to spread the word about this amazing life experience!
What sacrifices have you had to make during life as an entrepreneur and a leader?
I had to sacrifice the idea that some sort of “balance” between home and work existed, because it just doesn’t. If you’re slaying at work as a boss babe, or traveling the country to promote and expand your business, you can’t also be a wonderful mom at the same time. And if you’re at the top of the PTA list for the month in volunteer hours at the school, chances are your business duties may have suffered. I stopped thinking I could be a boss while I was “momming” and vice versa. While you’re doing one, you have to lessen the grip on the other.
Tell us about a time when someone disliked your decision of starting a (new) business, how did you handle this situation?
When I decided to quit my job as an RN (which was secure and guaranteed income) and take a risk on a new business, I actually didn’t tell anyone for 3 months after I quit! I knew that there would be naysayers (and there were, even though I had already taken the leap and quit my job). The best thing I did for myself was to focus my energy on people who believed in me, in person and also online in social media communities of other entrepreneurs. I tried to ignore the negative advice or comments coming from people who didn’t believe in me and surrounded myself with people who had been through what I was going through instead.
What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree/ disagree with? Why?
I totally and fully agree with the statement “You have to spend money to make money.” That is 100% true, but I don’t think people always completely understand what it means. Spending money doesn’t mean financing yourself to the hilt and taking on debt that will take years to pay off. For me, “spending money” in the early stages of business meant hiring additional help when I knew the workload I had on my shoulders was going to stress me out and eventually affect the service I was giving my clients. It also meant spending the extra money on nicer marketing materials versus using the cheapest options I could find, and elevating my brand to a place where clients expect only the BEST when working with me.
What is the best advice you give your clients, that you would like to share with Women On Topp Readers?
Be authentically you and love yourself for everything you are. Let go of the idea that you have to be perfect or fit into some sort of mold. Instead, embrace the things that make you, YOU! If you’re a 34 year old mom like me and like to listen to gangsta rap, guess what??? There are a lot of others out there too! However, if you keep that detail hidden about yourself because you’re afraid of what others will think of you, you’ll never find the other moms who are listening too! Life is too short to continue trying to be someone else’s “perfect.”