There is the old saying, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach." The real treasure is the teacher who has “been there, done that" and now uses the hard won experience to change and impact the lives of others.

So Nicole embarked on a new mission. To spread the gospel. And with that, she left her very comfortable corporate situation, and created a company of her own that would give small and medium sized business, as well as start-ups and non-profits, access to the kind of expertise usually only available to much larger organizations.

“My corporate responsibilities had always circled around aligning business strategy and execution, but inevitably it extended to leadership coaching, team building, and employee skills development." She also became intimately involved in refining corporate mission, and culture development.

“I saw first hand how my work was positively impacting all concerned. I knew that small and medium sized businesses faced the same issues, and wondered how they groomed their leaders and managers, built high performing teams, and put in place scalable operating systems and processes."

The answer is that many did not.

“I spoke to some small and medium sized business owners and there was a constant echo. They were too busy running their organizations to pay proper attention to these areas of development, even where long-term business strategy was concerned. Many were focused on next week or next month, and not on the big picture, and that became their company DNA."

Nicole Mills, Founder of Surviving Corporate

The prospect of making a difference—and in some cases, maybe the critical difference—at this level intrigued her.

“The thought that I could make that kind of value to smaller companies wrestling with the same big issues was very appealing to me as a professional, and a person."

Always ready for the next personal challenge, Nicole developed a menu of services to address this gaping need among smaller businesses. And so her own company came into being. And the marketplace responded.

Offering premium consulting services that address the critical and wide ranging areas of growth and development—at affordable prices, has been a hit.

Nicole often works with company founders and CEO’s to map out a course for the future, identifying internal obstacles and barriers that get in the way of success. At the core of the many services she offers is creating an environment where employees can flourish. She believes that is the greatest untapped area to explore.

“Having strong managers and motivated employees is a choice. Creating an environment where they can thrive is the gift that keeps on giving," she says. “A company is as good as its people. When they shine, the company shines."

Nicole’s process is fluid, and is customized to the situation. Sometimes a client has identified a weakness in the organization and will call her in to remedy it. Often a company is faced with a series of challenges and isn’t sure where to begin. And sometimes an owner or CEO just can’t put their finger on what’s wrong. In all cases, Nicole is mindful that an immediate solution is not enough. She develops and provides the tools for the organization to sustain the progress into the future.

“My greatest gratification is observing the cause and effect between my work and a client’s performance. I enjoyed my work with large corporations, but it’s like watching an ocean liner change course. You know you’ve made a difference, but there’s an impersonal aspect to it. Working with smaller organizations, their success becomes a very personal matter to me. Their success is my success."

That sounds like another win-win for all!

Visit Nicole at www.survivingcorporate.com​