Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nadine Collins.
Hi Dr. Collins, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
If you told me a few years ago that I would be traveling worldwide as a paid international speaker, meeting and impacting the lives of thousands of new people every year. If you told me that I would be reaching millions of people globally every year via International TV networks or that I would be selling hundreds of copies of my books every year to people all over the world, I would think that was somewhat impossible because I was a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Administrator for Higher Education Institutions; I had prior training in the area of Psychology in my undergraduate and Master degree programs, and prior experience providing administrative support in the corporate world, it seems as if, my natural trajectory was to take my place as an Administrator, making my unique impact at some university in the corner of the globe.
I grew up on a small island in the Caribbean where the traditional careers were to be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, and a nurse—the “normed” jobs. Anything else was thought to be a hobby that could not create success.
I worked in the corporate world for nine years after graduating from high school, while some of my friends left home for college. Some returned to work as lawyers, nurses, and teachers, while others furthered their studies in medicine.
Based on the norm, I was convinced that my road to success, my road to financial freedom and fulfillment, was to get a good education and then secure a well-paying job with great perks.
But inside of me, I always felt that there was something more that I was called to do. I felt that God was speaking to me, and there was a place for me, a global stage for me. Even though I was on a small island, I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family that could fund my university education, and even though I worked at a financial institution at the time, I was not qualified to apply for a loan because I did not have someone to guarantee it for me, did not have a scholarship or any other form of assistance, and didn’t even know how I was going to get off the island to do a first degree much less reach as far as earning my Ph.D.; that greater calling was strong.
I later took a leap of faith to head to college, and not only managed to get off the island and find my way through undergrad studies at university after four years of working and studying full time, but I was able to enroll in a two-year masters degree program, and work and pay for it at the same time. I later acquired tuition assistance to help me work and complete my Doctoral studies. All because I had decided to step out in faith and make one move toward what I believed was my road to success at the time.
Before completing my Doctoral studies ahead of the planned schedule, I had what I would call my dream job offer to work at a higher education institution as an Administrator in an area that I love and was great at. Two years later, I got another call from another university offering me the same “dream job” position.
I had declined that first offer because of a pact I had made with God to do full-time ministry for one year if I finished my Ph.D. studies one year early. But, this second time around, I had to turn down the offer because I was convinced that God was not leading me on the regular route of success; the route that I had learned for my entire life was the natural avenue to success. Instead, right there on that call, I chose purpose over prestige.
That is when I intentionally decided that I was going to pursue my passion, live out my “true purpose,” and live in my calling, regardless of what I had been taught about taking up traditional roles and jobs. I had to rewire my mind to undo the programming that had me believing that success would only come with a well-paying and prestigious job at a university. And that is the only way I could impact the world.
I REALIZED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO TURN YOUR PASSION AND PURPOSE INTO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER.
I had to begin rewriting the codes I operated from before that awakening because I had bought into the idea that if I got a good education and later a prestigious job, I would make good money and have great status, and therefore, I would be successful.
What I discovered was that when you align with your true purpose and God’s calling, and you decide to follow what He places on your heart, it really has the power to transform your life, and your passion can genuinely become your success story.
I remember the very first official international call to speak at a church. Before that, I had masterfully planned and executed many great programs in the background. I had also taken up small speaking engagements from time to time when I presented to different groups, but this call was different.
I was on vacation in London when a pastor friend asked me to speak at his church for a significant service. What? I thought, had I heard correctly? Me? Speak in London?
I did not feel confident taking up that appointment because I felt I was not trained in that area.
In my mind, I had already declined the invitation a thousand times. But the Holy Spirit pressed me, and I knew that this was my calling, and despite the fear, I had to say yes.
Sometimes, God calls you, and you may not feel like you’re adequate; you may not feel like you even are qualified to do it. But answering the call is the first step to the beginning of your journey to unfolding the bigger picture of what God has planned.
So far, I have traveled to almost 90 countries (and hundreds of stages), empowering Christian women to step into their greatness without fear and live boldly the lives God destined for them, the same way He did for me.
I am not saying that life has been a “bed of roses” and that living in God’s destined purpose for me has been without challenges. In fact, I had a lot of mindset work to do along the way. I had to undo some of the false and unconscious coding and programming that previously and unconsciously sometimes hindered me from living boldly in my true purpose.
I knew, for example, that I had to change my mindset not to allow my finances and what seemed like financial limitations to stop me from stepping into where I knew I was called to be.
One day, I woke up to the understanding that it was nothing external to me that would allow me to begin living my dreams, but instead, it was this Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling ™ that was living in my subconscious mind and was messing with my success and where I desired to be. This Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling ™ was preventing me from accessing and living the life I desired. It was the one thing blocking me and living right inside me.
Even though I realized that I found that for a long time, I could not break through that Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling ™ unless I was intentional in how I made decisions, dealt with fear of any kind, mainly the unknown, and chose to act in faith and depend entirely on God by trusting that He was with me every step of the way.
That Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling ™ was messing with my success, hindering my growth and crippling any chance I had of living in my calling…that is until I shattered it!
I also realized I could not wait for the opportunity to come knocking as they had come with prestigious, well-paying, and well-established jobs. I knew that for me to experience the success that God had already destined for me, I not only had to believe in His leading, but I also had to develop a fierce mindset that I would step out in faith, not look back, have no regrets, not entertain fear, and that would be some of the steps that would lead to my success.
I also realized that I had to create a brand that incorporated my passion and purpose (and aligned with God’s will and leading for me), something that married my academic training in the area of Psychology and Education, passion for empowering women, which culminated my doctoral research, and God’s call on my life to focus on prayer. And there we had it (God and me), the winning formula for my life of growth, expansion, fulfillment, and great success!
I knew that Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling ™ allowed me to accept certain norms as truths, such as my role and place as a woman had to go! I knew I did not need to fight to have a top position or sit at anyone’s table—company or organized institution—because my calling demanded that I create my table.
I knew that I could dream big! I could do anything and experience it because I was destined for it by God and did not have to entertain the false teachings and indoctrinations that blocked me from dreaming in the first place.
I knew I did not have to contend in a job where I felt devalued and overlooked, struggle to get promotions and recognition, or raises in salary, because I would, with God, create the exact life He has destined for me to live.
I knew that I did not need to be validated by anyone. I did not need their approval or support to live in alignment with God. I only needed to ensure that I was ready to live the life I was created, destined, called, and purposed for.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been. At every junction of my journey, I never had the finances to do what I wanted. I generally say to my clients that I have never had the finances to do anything I wanted to do, but that did not prevent me from doing everything I ever wanted.
I remember a critical time when I struggled to bring out the phenomenal woman in me. I had already attained my Doctoral degree with distinction, had significant academic and administrative leadership experience, was experiencing a good measure of success professionally, had already published a few books, appeared on an International TV station, and was doing some international travels, but I knew that something was missing.
I knew that even though I was doing “great” to the world, I was not living my WOW life. I knew I was not positioned yet where I was meant to be. I knew I had not yet crafted my niche and expert positioning in my calling. In some ways, I knew that I was betraying myself because what was inside of me was much more significant than anything I had accomplished or experienced.
And I knew that I needed to find a way to bring all that I possessed together in one beautifully wrapped gift, tied with a big bow so that I could offer the very best version of myself to the world while experiencing personal peace and fulfillment that God had created me for.
I remember clearly the day I made a decision that would change my life and position me to deliver my gift to the world. I was between speaking engagements on a drive from Austin to San Antonio in Texas.
I had this overwhelming thought that this was my time and moment to take action. The urge was so strong that I tried to get a coach I had recently spoken to on the phone during traffic stops.
After a few failed attempts, we finally connected, and I immediately felt a sense of relief. I had just taken a giant leap of faith by making that call. My following few words to her: “I need your services immediately.”
I did not have the financial resources then, but I knew I had to take a leap of faith and make that decision, as I have made many other decisions on trust. I knew that just making the call was taking action. Making the decision was taking action. Saying “I need your services” was finally finalizing my decision, which was bringing me closer to living out my true purpose.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I serve as an International Speaker, Women’s Leadership Expert and empowerment Coach, Prayer Counselor, and Author.
I have traveled extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, inspiring and empowering faith-based women to deepen their connection with God and live more intentionally by uncovering their Divine purpose and building successful lives around it.
Because of my interactions with 1000s of women globally, I recognized a gap in the work women were doing and what many were called to do. Some of these women contended with external visible and invisible structures hindering their advancement to top leadership. But the primary struggle is that they lived with fears that served as internal barriers because of their beliefs about themselves, their roles, and their “place” as a woman.
Some of these fears include the fear of failure, fear of being vulnerable, fear of judgment, fear of being criticized, fear of rejection, fear of being in the spotlight, fear that their family and friends would not support them, fear that they are not qualified, lack proper resources, direction, or guidance, and even the fear of success.
Because of that, I am on a fearless mission to empower women to break through indoctrination and the Mentally Constructed Glass Ceiling (TM) that is hindering their advancement from uncovering their Divine purpose and building successful lives around it while experiencing personal and professional fulfillment and peace and making their unique impact on the world.
Through my one-on-one and group coaching programs, I help women become go-to experts in their field by helping them build fierce confidence and mastery in their calling to rise above the status quo and live fully liberated. I do so in my Speaker Mentorship Program, which helps Christian women establish themselves as Masterful Speakers to get in front of the right audiences to spread their message, and PUBLISHED—The Elite Book Coaching Experience, where I coach, mentor, and support women to write and publish their first book in world-class style.
I also have ongoing programs on two international Christian TV networks, am the author of nine books, have published numerous academic and theoretical articles on marginalized groups, especially women, and continue to contribute to the educational setting by serving as an Adjunct faculty member and peer journal reviewer for a notable Higher Education Institute in Asia.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If people want to work with me, they can email me at nadine@nadinecollins.com for either.
Pricing:
- Speaker Mentorship Group Program come January 2024 is $7k
- PUBLISHED (done for your services) is 20K
- Runway to Soar $997
- Certified Prayer Counselor Class $497
- Prayer, Purpose & a Plan $97
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nadinecollins.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnadinecollins/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/NadineCollinsAuthor/?business_id=289397895124480&ref=bookmarks
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/drnadinecollins
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLLeZrkCgGze0sCu_1IRIZw
- Other: Facebook women’s group https://www.facebook.com/groups/WOWWomenLeadershipandEmpowerment/
Image Credits
Most of them were taken by my photographer, Kimazing Photography (except the two in the white dresses and the red dress)
