Meet Sherri Nourse of La/Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherri Nourse.

Hi Sherri, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, with a passion for creativity, building businesses, and finding new ways to do things better. My journey has taken me through several industries, but the common thread has always been my belief in hard work, innovation, and the importance of building genuine relationships.

One of the most defining chapters of my career was co-founding Ambition Media with my husband, Jerry. I recognized early on that social media was transforming how people connect, discover brands, and make purchasing decisions. Traditional advertising and media exposure were no longer enough. After experiencing firsthand how a feature in a major publication didn’t necessarily translate into sales, I realized there had to be a more effective way to help businesses grow.

I began building and growing Instagram communities, each with its own distinct identity and audience. Today, those pages include @motivationmafia, @positivevibesquotes, @luxquotes, @thewomansrulebook, @gentlemenshealth, @agentsteven, and our newest addition, @audreynicolediamonds. Each serves a different niche, from entrepreneurship, motivation, and empowerment to lifestyle, men’s and women’s interests, and fine jewelry. What connects them is a shared purpose: to inspire, educate, entertain, and encourage people to be the best versions of themselves.

I set out to create a marketing company focused on delivering real results, not simply generating impressions or spending advertising dollars. I built relationships with influencers, developed engaged social media communities, and studied what truly connects with audiences. Over time, we established an extensive network of social media pages and influencers generating more than 300 million impressions per week, sharing knowledge, experiences, inspiration, and lifestyle content with audiences around the world.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that successful marketing isn’t about telling people what you want them to hear. It’s about understanding what matters to them, what inspires them, and what makes them feel connected. Authenticity, creativity, consistency, and trust are everything. Those principles became the foundation of Ambition Media and continue to guide how we approach every brand we work with.

At the same time, I’ve always had another passion that began when I was a little girl: jewelry. I’ve loved drawing, designing, and creating beautiful things for as long as I can remember. I even studied jewelry making in graduate school and began designing engagement rings for people long before launching my own jewelry company.

But sometimes your passions have to wait until the timing is right. I spent years building businesses, pursuing my career, and raising my three children before I was ready to turn that lifelong love into a company of my own.

When I founded Audrey Nicole Diamonds, I wanted to challenge the traditional jewelry industry. I saw an opportunity to offer extraordinary fine jewelry without the excessive markups and impersonal experience often associated with luxury retail. I began establishing direct relationships with diamond cutters, manufacturers, and suppliers around the world, allowing us to source exceptional diamonds and gemstones while eliminating unnecessary middlemen.

Just as importantly, I wanted the experience of creating jewelry to be as special as the finished piece itself. We take a highly personalized, concierge-style approach, working closely with each client to understand their vision, lifestyle, and story. From initial hand sketches and watercolor designs to detailed CAD renderings and final fabrication, every piece is thoughtfully created. To me, jewelry is never just jewelry. It represents love, milestones, memories, and stories that can be passed down for generations.

The company itself is deeply personal to me. I named Audrey Nicole Diamonds after my identical twin daughters, Audrey and Nicole, two incredibly strong and inspiring women. I wanted to create a brand that celebrates women, embraces individuality, and stands for something beyond beautiful jewelry. Giving back has always been an important part of that vision, which is why we support organizations that help women who have experienced trauma rebuild their lives and move forward.

One of the things that continues to motivate me is finding ways to innovate in an industry so deeply rooted in tradition. Our patented Stretch & Stack collection is a perfect example. I wanted to create fine jewelry that was elegant and luxurious, yet comfortable, versatile, and effortless to wear every day. I love the idea that women can enjoy beautiful jewelry whether they’re in the boardroom, traveling, exercising, or simply going about their daily lives.

We’ve also been fortunate to experience some wonderful milestones, including having our jewelry featured in major fashion publications such as Marie Claire. Those moments are incredibly exciting, but what means the most to me is seeing someone fall in love with a piece we’ve created and knowing it will become part of their story.

Today, I continue to run both Ambition Media and Audrey Nicole Diamonds. While they may seem like two very different businesses, they’re actually built on the same philosophy: understand people, build trust, embrace creativity, and never stop looking for ways to improve.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my career, it’s that success is rarely a straight line. There are setbacks, unexpected turns, and moments when you question everything. I’ve had to reinvent myself, adapt to changing industries, and constantly educate myself along the way. I believe success requires hard work, resilience, curiosity, and the determination to keep moving forward, even when things don’t happen as quickly as you’d hoped.

I also believe it’s never too late to pursue something you’re passionate about. Sometimes you need to build a career, raise a family, gain life experience, and discover who you are before you’re ready to take that next leap.

I’m incredibly grateful for the journey that brought me here. The best part is that I still wake up excited to create, learn, and build something new. I have so many ideas and things I still want to accomplish, and in many ways, I feel like I’m just getting started.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced growing my businesses has been navigating industries that are constantly changing while trying to find ways to stand out and do things differently. Building a business is never a straight line, and I’ve learned that what works today may not work tomorrow. You have to constantly adapt, educate yourself, and be willing to change direction when something isn’t working.

With Ambition Media, one of the biggest challenges was understanding how quickly social media evolves. Algorithms change, consumer behavior shifts, and trends come and go almost overnight. Building large, engaged communities takes an incredible amount of time, consistency, and creativity. It’s one thing to attract followers, but it’s another to build trust, maintain engagement, and turn that audience into meaningful results for clients. I’ve also had to educate brands on why traditional marketing strategies don’t always translate to social media and why authenticity and understanding your audience are so important.

With Audrey Nicole Diamonds, the challenges have been very different. The jewelry industry is incredibly competitive and deeply rooted in tradition. Breaking into that world and establishing credibility takes time, especially when you’re trying to challenge the traditional business model. Building relationships with diamond cutters, manufacturers, and suppliers around the world, sourcing exceptional stones, and maintaining the highest standards of quality while offering more accessible pricing has required tremendous research, patience, and persistence. Creating innovative designs and introducing new concepts into such an established industry comes with its own set of obstacles.

Another challenge has been balancing the demands of running two very different businesses while also being a mother and having a personal life. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel like you need to do everything yourself, and learning when to delegate, trust your team, and focus on the bigger picture has been an important part of my growth.

I’ve also learned that not every idea is going to work, no matter how much you believe in it. There have been setbacks, financial risks, difficult decisions, and plenty of moments when I’ve had to rethink my approach. But I’ve never viewed those experiences as failures. They’ve been some of my greatest lessons.

I think one of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship is having the patience to build something meaningful. We live in a world where everyone wants immediate success, but real growth takes time. Sometimes you move forward, sometimes sideways, and sometimes you feel like you’re going backward. The important thing is to keep learning and moving.

What keeps me going is that I genuinely love what I do. I love creating, solving problems, and finding better ways to do things. Every obstacle has pushed me to become more resourceful, more resilient, and ultimately a better businesswoman. I’ve learned that success isn’t about avoiding challenges; it’s about how you respond to them and having the determination to keep going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work with Audrey Nicole Diamonds is incredibly hands-on, and that’s one of the things I love most about it. I’m involved in nearly every aspect of the business, from designing new collections and sourcing diamonds and rare gemstones to working directly with our manufacturers, overseeing production, and collaborating with clients on custom pieces. I spend a tremendous amount of time researching stones, studying new techniques, exploring innovative designs, and finding ways to bring something fresh to the fine jewelry industry.

One of my favorite parts of my work is sitting down with clients, getting to know them, and understanding exactly what they’re looking for. I love taking an idea, sometimes just a feeling or a photograph, and turning it into something beautiful and meaningful. I’m very detail-oriented, so whether it’s selecting the perfect diamond, refining a setting, or making sure a finished piece is exactly right, I stay closely involved throughout the process. I’m also constantly working on expanding our collections, developing new designs, and building relationships with suppliers around the world.

With Ambition Media, my days look very different. My work focuses on developing creative strategies for brands, identifying new opportunities, building influencer partnerships, and understanding how to reach audiences in ways that feel authentic and engaging. I’m constantly studying social media trends, consumer behavior, and how content performs across different platforms. A big part of my role is bringing together the right people, ideas, and audiences to create campaigns that generate real results.

I also oversee our network of social media communities, work closely with our creative teams, and help shape the direction of campaigns for clients across different industries. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what makes people connect with a brand and how to turn that connection into meaningful growth.

Balancing the two companies means that no two days are ever alike. I can go from reviewing diamonds and jewelry designs in the morning to discussing influencer campaigns, content strategies, and marketing partnerships in the afternoon. It can be a lot to juggle, but I love that both businesses allow me to be creative, think strategically, and continue learning.

What I enjoy most is being involved in the actual process of building something, whether that’s a beautiful piece of jewelry or a successful marketing campaign. I’m not someone who likes to sit on the sidelines. I love being part of the creative decisions, solving problems, working with people, and seeing an idea come to life. That’s what makes my work so rewarding.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I have always had to work hard for everything, so I am not so sure about good/bad luck.

Contact Info:

• Website: www. ambitionmedia.com, www.audreynicolediamonds.com
• Instagram: @audreynicolediamonds, I listed the rest in my articles prior
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherri-n-1a181769/?isSelfProfile=true

Image Credits
Steve Slor