Episode 107: Entrepreneurs Who Grew 6+ Figure Businesses With Nikole Pearson

Nikole Pearson is a government contracting strategist for women owned small businesses. She’s a pioneer in the world of federal contracting. Nicole has been awarded seven long term multi year federal contracts worth more than $68 million in a field historically dominated by male owned companies.

Even more importantly, Nikole helps the government solve some of society’s biggest challenges and implement policy that she passionately supports. The events of 2020 shook Nikole to her core, and the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg continue to echo in her head. Women belong in all places where decisions are being made, which is why Nikole is devoting 2021 to getting as many women into government contracting and elected office as possible through her facebook group, Break Into Government Contracting For Women, and her coaching and training programs. Nikole is empowering and educating women to successfully compete for their own contracts.

Inspiration:
Nikole worked long hours in biotech labs where all the scientists were men and all the research assistants were women, and she found it difficult to get promotions. After the birth of daughter, she knew everything needed to change, she needed to work less and she wanted the freedom and flexibility of her own business, especially after her son was born and family grew. In 2007, she quit the 9-5 to do her business full-time, starting as a freelance editor and grew her business to what it is today…

Challenge:
The first challenge was the motivation behind choosing a business and trying many different business ideas. She chose to start a business to have freedom as a mom, as a answer to motherhood problems, but she wasn’t taking it seriously until she hit a fork in the road. 

Overcoming Challenges:
Nikole decided to get serious and evaluate her skill set and stick to a business that was aligned for her. She became proactive instead of reactive. As her daughter graduated high school and her son entered eighth grade, they needed her less and at this point she pivoted to launching her new business that she enjoyed, was good at, and started winning contracts to support the family. In the struggle though, she had a midlife crisis of sorts and spent two years searching for her why, trying various businesses that failed. Until she realized that her why couldn’t be found. It had to come to her. Through the pandemic, she realized she could help others get government contracts as she has done successfully for years.

Passion:
Most of her current contracts are with the Forest Service doing forest restoration and helping prevent the devastating fires that have been happening in the western United States. Nicole grew up in a logging community in northern Idaho where fires were always a problem. She’s passionate about government policies that help prevent fires, help the environment, saves human lives and wildlife, and save and improve infrastructure. She knows that you can always find a government policy connected to your passion and to look to government contracts to find your niche and your way to help. 

Vision:
Nikole’s 5 year vision is to teach as many women as possible how to get involved in government contracts and gain seats at the tables where decisions are being made. It’s a great time to get into government contracting. While the economy is in recessions, the government is a great place to go, since the government spends more during recessions.

Advice:
A fellow female consultant gave Nicole her best advice: Be sure you build a company and not a job. Although you don’t believe it now, you aren’t always going to want to do this. So build something that you can sell, or something that other people can manage without your supervision.

Personal Growth:
Nikole’s biggest obstacle was taking this advice, because she got stuck in the thought that nobody can do this as well as I can. Her biggest personal growth was learning how to set boundaries, gain the self-respect and say no so she could stop sacrificing time with her family. She learned that saying no garnered client respect.

Tools, Podcasts & Books:

  • Office 365 for team collaboration and calls, everything in one place.

  • Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
  • Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
  • Make the Noise Go Away: The Power of an Effective Second-In-Command by Larry G. Linne

Looking Back:

Nicole would tell her younger self to stop discounting her value.

Interview Links:

Find out more about Nikole Pearson by going to https://peaksci.com/

 

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