Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nicole Roberts Jones.
Hi Dr. Jones, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My most vivid childhood dream was working in the entertainment industry. For me, working in that industry represented a way out of the chaotic environment of my neighborhood and into a world that—in my mind—represented massive success. As a child and into my teenage years, I escaped the reality of the drugs, gangs, and drive-by shootings in my neighborhood by watching TV. I had many TV shows and movies that I loved, but the show, A Different World, was one of my favorites. Even though it was only a TV show, it allowed me to see that college was possible and helped me create aspirations beyond my neighborhood. Eventually, I graduated from college with a degree in TV and film, and in the early 1990s, with determination and preparation meeting opportunity, my childhood dream of working in Hollywood became a reality.
Within six years, I matriculated successfully through the industry. I started by working for one of Viacom’s largest cable networks with an outreach to 89 million homes on a weekly basis. From there, I landed a job in casting for the number one television show on the Fox Network. Then from there, I worked with an entertainment group producing TV programming and films that generated 12.6 billion dollars annually. In conjunction with a thriving career, I was going to all the HOT Hollywood parties—bumping elbows with stars. I was living what many might call the dream life. The truth was when the flashing lights stopped in the dark of the night when I was by myself, I started to feel tormented by this dream. It was like I could hear God whispering to my soul, “Nicole, I have something more for you,” but what more could that be when I was already living everything I had ever dreamed of and loving every minute of it? My soul knew there was something more for me and refused to let me settle. What began as a gentle whisper got louder and louder, like a bad weather alert, signaling to me that something was wrong, something was missing! Now don’t get me wrong—Hollywood and all its perks were GREAT. But despite the perks and rubbing elbows with all the stars, I began to feel like every morning a little piece of me died. It appeared that my dream was becoming my nightmare!
Well, I had no idea what to do with what I was feeling or how to move it forward. Little did I know that everything I had been questioning would all become clear in one moment, which I now know is my “for such a time as this” moment. It began when one of my good girlfriends called and asked me to volunteer with her at our church’s youth program. That night as I worked with young women, something in me came ALIVE! Working with them, as I saw their eyes light up, it made my heart light up. I realized then that THIS was what my soul had been longing for. Pouring into these young women helped me realize that I had been assigned and called to activate and align others into their purpose. I also discovered that I was great at drawing out the best in others, and quite frankly, it felt good doing it.
What I have learned over time is that your purpose matriculates. As my Pastor, Isaac Pitre, says, “We grow on levels and live life in stages,” and that is exactly what was happening for me. God was moving me into my next level! And while Hollywood may have been the training ground for me to see the gift in people and the role that aligned with that gift for a TV show or a film. God was expanding that gift beyond TV and film to help others find, define, and activate the role that aligned with their purpose—the role their gifts and talents were created to play. God was calling me to expand my gift for casting and producing to coach teenage girls. Years later, that gift would matriculate again into coaching highly skilled professional women and then again as I expanded my work to include men and, eventually, corporations. I realized I was gifted at putting people in the role that best fit in order to activate their purpose in their business and/or career. I discovered that I was born to help people transform their lives and live as the highest and best version of who God created them to be.
And it all started that night in 1993 as a volunteer in my church. Instantly, I knew nothing else mattered. Watching the eyes of those young ladies lit me up like nothing I had ever felt. My soul awakened, and I found myself confronted with everything I was and everything I had not yet done. I knew at that moment this was EXACTLY where I was meant to be. Yet, with all the joy that I felt, I was also conflicted. This new place where my soul had come alive . . . however, I didn’t know what to call this thing that was lighting me up! Keep in mind, this was 1993, and I had never heard the term “coaching” functioning outside of sports, let alone understanding what that meant for me at that moment. Plus, I definitely could not see how this use of my gift could come with a paycheck! Plus, this wasn’t as glamorous as my Hollywood career, but I could not deny that this was the thing that my soul had been longing for, the thing that was calling me to my next level! I had a decision to make. I’m not sure if you have ever been where I found myself—it was a place where you LOVE what you’re doing; it brings life to you; you know you are called to do it; but you don’t know how to monetize it. You have no clue how to turn your purpose into your paycheck. Your soul is saying yes, this is it! You know what you are meant to do. But all the while, your brain is reminding you that feelings don’t fill a bank account. Without a plan, you will have a rumble in your belly and no income. I don’t know if you have ever had a decision like this to make, but there I stood at a crossroad.
Do I remain in comfort or go after my conviction?
What I have learned is your comfort and your conviction can NEVER coexist. In that moment, I knew I must follow my conviction. I had to trust God and the stirring in my soul. Once I said yes to it, I had a fire in my belly and a message I knew I had to get out into the world. And ultimately, what I would learn is you need both revelation and methodology to move your purpose into a revenue generating business. It took me years to align my purpose with profit, and I now realize that all I went through was so I could stand in the gap. Like Esther stood in the gap for her people, I could stand in the gap for all those who need my help to start a purpose-focused business—to do what I now call marketplace ministry, to get clear on their purpose, to stand boldly in it, and to learn all the ways to make income with impact. Your purpose was meant to profit the world while it also brings back valuable gain to you.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The journey to live out my purpose has not always been a smooth journey. Matter of fact I learned one of my biggest lessons that started with a breakdown but actually lead to a phenomenal breakthrough. It all started with 17 years into my journey as an entrepreneur and from the outside looking in, I appeared successful. At the time, my company had two divisions. I had both a youth faith-based nonprofit component and a for-profit coaching practice working with highly skilled professionals. My nonprofit had 10 chapters of my youth program located in churches in 10 cities throughout the country, and it was continuing to grow. In my for-profit division, I had a 100% full coaching client roster and literally could not take on another client. Because of this, in 2010 I wrote my first book to give others the principles I was using as a coach, and I thought the proceeds from book sales could go toward fundraising for my nonprofit. Once my book came out, I started getting invitations to speak all over the country.
Every single weekend, I was either traveling to start another chapter of my youth program or I was speaking at a women’s retreat, church conference, or entrepreneurial symposium. I had finally gotten my business to the exact place I knew it was meant to be when I started it back in 1993. I was doing the work I was called to do, and I loved every minute of it! But I was only generating $13,000 a year in my business! It had taken me years to get my business to this place, and I knew I was doing the thing I was meant to do. Yes, I LOVED it, but $13,000 just wasn’t cutting it! Shoot, I was generating less than what equates to living below the poverty line! I was not living anywhere close to the abundantly above that God has for each of us!
Well one Sunday evening, matter of fact it was on November 7, 2010, after another long weekend of traveling, speaking and teaching all weekend. I was simply exhausted! Oh, and yes, I did have a job that I was working alongside my business because you know I could not live on $13,000 alone. At the time, I was an adjunct professor at Boston University, and the class I taught at the time was on Monday morning, yes, the next morning at 8am! Plus, I had not written a lecture note, I don’t even think I read the books I had listed on the syllabus for that week! I remember sitting on my couch, thinking that I was too exhausted to continue to do this! I just couldn’t do it anymore! Have you ever been in a place where you know you are doing what you are called to do, but it’s just not working? Well, that is exactly where I was! I was tired; I was frustrated; and I could feel tears streaming down my face! I was ready to quit it ALL. As I sat on that couch WORN OUT, I also felt in conflict. I knew I was doing what I was born to do! This was my purpose, my calling, but doing it like this WAS NOT WORKING!
It was in that moment that I knew I had taken myself as far as I could take myself. So I cried out to God, and I prayed, “Lord if this is really my purpose, I need you to show me SOMETHING!” To make a long story short, all my paths led me to meeting a coach, and in obedience to my calling, I hired that coach. I say obedience because I couldn’t afford her; she cost $30,000, and remember, my business only made $13,000 annually at the time. Even though I could not afford her, I knew I could not afford to be where I was another year! So, with knees knocking and teeth chattering, I hired her.
In my first session with my coach, it was like she held up a mirror to me, and I began to show me parts of me and my brilliance that I had never seen before. I must tell you, even though I had been in business for 17 years, even though at that time I had the top-selling book at the publishing house, and even though I was speaking all over the country, I realized I was still playing small. I realized if God was going to do abundantly above what I could ever ask or think, then I would need to expand my territory and move into a BIGGER reality than I had ever experienced before. To do that, what I realized is I had to shift how I viewed making money. Growing up, I repeatedly heard the Bible verse from 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) that says, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” and in that moment, God began to lead me down a path to shift my mindset around money.
As I dived into my study even further, I looked up the definition of the word profit in the dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster, profit means a valuable return or gain. That made perfect sense! God created me to be a blessing to those that need me, and that would equal a gain for them, and as they paid me for my work, that, too, was a gain for me so that I might serve more people and do more good in the world. Here is what I learned in that time of study: when you focus on money for the wrong reasons, then it is rooted in evil, but when you focus on profit to gain for the kingdom, it is rooted in doing God’s good work in this world! Learning this and shifting any previous mindset and/or viewpoint I had on money (as well as taking my years of experience and creating strategy from it as I worked with my coach) moved my purpose-focused business from broke to bankable (I am talking 6 figures). In doing the work on me, I also realized that I had been feeling guilty for making a living (and a good one) from my God-given purpose.
As you know, we’re big fans of NRJ Enterprises. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
NRJ Enterprises is a premier training and talent development company dedicated to helping you create income with impact.
This is done via both programming for entrepreneurs and corporations. NRJ Enterprises works with entrepreneurs to build programming that generates multiple revenue streams and a greater bandwidth to serve their clients. To help them Take Their Brilliance to the Bank. The signature program here is our Brilliance Mastery Academy that gives purpose-focused entrepreneurs a point a to point b strategy to creating multiple streams of revenue in their business.
Our corporate programs seek to develop high-performing employees who excel at work because they are doing meaningful work, aligning their purpose with their paycheck. To help them create greater momentum in their work and in so doing increasing performance & productivity for the company. This is done via the Corporate Align Methodology created to help employees get the drive it takes to step fully into greater meaning & fulfillment in the work you do for the individual while also increasing productivity for the company!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
NRJ Enterprises is blessed to have a team of technology experts, client relations support and executive coaches that partner with us to serve our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.NicoleRobertsJones.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nrobertsjones/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NRJEnterpriseswithNicoleRobertsJones
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRobertsJones
- Youtube: https://www.NRJNetwork.com
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faith-purpose-profit-fpp/id1606222461
