Inspiring Conversations with Nicole Villani of Visionary Ventures

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Villani.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
My father was a small business owner specializing in luxury home renovations, who frequently took me to work with him. From an early age, I was exposed to elevated living and became enamored by the process of expertly crafting products, the charisma, credibility, and visibility it took to sell them, as well as the work ethic it took to deliver on promises. My dad instilled in me an entrepreneurial spirit, and I found myself eager to earn my way, selling everything from Girl Scout cookies to babysitting services to high school yearbook ads to designer shoes and more. The sales process came naturally to me — build trust and rapport rapidly, understand what the client wants, deliver an option that makes them feel good. 

For the better part of a decade, I worked for various luxury brands, growing their distribution and revenue by millions through developing my own personal brand and applying that to their client experience and strategy. I was respected and trusted in meeting with C-Suite Executives and business owners from renowned national retail stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks to independently run specialty stores across the US by the age of 25. I had a brand of selling $100,000 off my neck without the bat of an eye. 

Over the years, to combat the pressure that came from closing high-ticket sales and working with some of the most discerning clientele, I leaned heavily into Eastern practices like yoga and meditation, incorporating manifestation and mindset techniques into my professional life. As a result, my sales skyrocketed without having to do more work, and I knew I was on to something that every business owner needed. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road or a linear path in my entrepreneurial journey. The first business endeavor I had traction on in 2014 and was in the process of raising money for fizzled after my business partner decided to move across the country in pursuit of love. We kick ourselves now, as we were true disruptors in the yoga space and could have been huge. But the truth was, while I was building this business, I had let go of my yoga practice and felt like an imposter as we pitched investors. When my friend pulled the plug, it felt like a sense of relief at the time. That’s when I learned to succeed, it’s important to be fully aligned with the project I’m working on. 

In 2017, when I had settled back into the idea of climbing the corporate ladder and had finally obtained my executive-level dream job working for a prestigious brand, my father suddenly passed. The grief of that loss shook me to my core and provided me with the opportunity to assess how I was working, what truly mattered, and the greater purpose for my life. It was during this time that I learned the importance of setting boundaries with clients, colleagues, friends, and family and not settling for less than I deserved. 

When I launched my coaching and consulting business in 2020, after three years of creating my exit plan from corporate, I simultaneously decided to move across the country during the pandemic. Even though I am no stranger to change and love the pursuit of growth, I completely underestimated what those big life decisions would do to my nervous system. Although I was gaining traction and had coached hundreds of people to successfully pursue their passions, increase their revenue, build personal brands, secure promotions, etc., I began to fall out of alignment with what I had originally set out to do. This is where I learned taking a step back isn’t a failure if you use it to see the bigger picture. 

Launching Visionary Ventures makes everything else I’ve done feel like practice for the big thing. What makes me stand out is my relentless thirst for knowledge, growth, and reinvention. I am an expert when it comes to sales excellence, communications, and client relations. 

We’ve been impressed with Visionary Ventures, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Visionary Ventures’ strategic branding and publicity campaigns will unlock your next level of growth and impact. We operate at the intersection of visibility and conversion, creating campaigns that drive business results. Whether it be a personal brand or corporate brand, we guarantee media coverage in every campaign. 

We bridge the gap between PR, branding, and business development, and our experience spans growth stages from startup to IPO. 

Our team will uncover your story, craft compelling brand narratives to build your audience and community, and secure press to leverage in your sales process, driving your overall business goals. 

Our track record of success has earned the trust of remarkable entrepreneurs, executives, and brands across the wellness, entertainment, finance, SaaS, health tech, venture capital, and luxury industries. We have consistently delivered results that have propelled our clients to new heights. 

Contrary to popular opinion, a personal brand is not about you. Only when you show up from a place of service and helping others can your personal brand become profitable enough for sustainable growth. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The conversation of which coast was the best coast, East or West, is a conversation that was pervasive in my family, having a favorite uncle who relocated to California, never to return to New York again. I was primed from an early age by popular television shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, and the OC to want to live in California. After years of visiting and visualizing what life would be like when I lived here, I finally made the move during the height of the pandemic. 

The view as you drive west on California in Santa Monica, as the ramp merges with the PCH with the backdrop of the mountains, palm trees ahead of you in the distance, and Pacific Ocean on your left, is one that never gets old. What I love about living here is the proximity to nature and, as cliche as it sounds — the weather. The healthy lifestyle, from the food to daytime activities like rollerblading from Will Rogers beach to the Venice boardwalk or hiking Mandeville Canyon, it feels amazing to enjoy the outdoors year-round. I also love the widely accepted wellness and woo culture, which has always been more of my vibe and harder to find in New York. 

The two things I don’t love as much are the walkability factor of the city and the passiveness of communication amongst most people. While there are pockets of towns that you can walk through, it is rare to see people walking on the street, which can feel isolated at times, in a different way from New York, which makes you feel anonymous. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.visionaryventurespr.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thenicolevillani
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/visionary-ventures-pr

Image Credits
Jamie Love Lynn

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