Exploring Life & Business with Maria Nicolacakis of Act One College Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Nicolacakis.

Hi Maria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a professional actor, writer, teacher, and independent college consultant from a Big Fat Greek family in Ohio. I’m a fun-loving and fiery mom of three, an outdoor fanatic, and wellness enthusiast. I love cooking, kale, and California!

Like most working artists, I have had the privilege and unique challenge of constantly reinventing myself throughout my journey as a performer; at times exchanging one passion for another depending on where I was in the country or in my personal life. I began my career at the Chicago ImprovOlympic and store-front theatre scene and ended up in LA for graduate school at CalArts with the intention of leaving after graduation. I swore I’d never live or work in Hollywood, yet, I kept getting work here and I love it, so never left! I’ve written and performed solo shows in LA, toured the US performing in repertory, and performed internationally. I’ve played opposite Hollywood veterans, co-founded the first theatre company in LA to provide full equity contracts for all mainstage productions, and recently, performed in my first globally streamed Zoom play, Strange Fruit, via The HowlRound Theatre Commons. I’ve also worked as a voice over artist on several long-running t.v. shows like Elementary and Arrow, and even had the fun of going into labor with my third child on the soundstage for CSI:New York! Currently, I’m on faculty at Emerson College LA (my other alma mater) where I teach a class on content creation and professional development within the context of social responsibility.

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?
Part of social responsibility includes understanding community values and how one contextualizes them. I experienced my own shuffling of values firsthand when I became a mother. I had to reflect and realign my priorities; grapple with how to continue the momentum I had achieved with my performing career while still teaching and raising three children–all while my husband was out of town for work each week. Some days I had to have four different babysitters to cover a last-minute gig. This was a challenging time because I was trying to reconcile how to find fulfillment as a mother without feeling invisible and obsolete as an artist. I remember feeling completely humiliated when I’d have to pump breast milk during work breaks and sneak it into the freezer when no one was looking, or when people would make assumptions and say, “Oh, you probably can’t (fill in the blank), since you have kids.” Because of this, I initially resisted incorporating anything to do with motherhood into my work. Little did I realize it has provided me with some of my richest material, especially when it comes to comedy!

I try to share this valuable life lesson with my students– that if one wants “to do it all” they can, but probably not all at the same time. For example, while I never stopped performing, I took a career break from teaching so I could lay the foundation for a rich family life. I may have had a different kind of career if I hadn’t chosen to do this, but now that my kids are teens on the brink of adulthood, I feel blessed I had this time with them.

I bring all of my consciousness, curiosity, and creativity to my work. My experiences both as a mother and as a professional have defined me and have made me who I am. My hope is that the next generation feels empowered to self-reflect, and to know that it is ok to take a career break if needed, and that they can choose to be part of a culture that empowers and supports women’s choices– whether at home or on the job.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I got into educational consulting because I’m a writer and research fanatic. Friends were always asking my advice regarding school or curriculum choices or if I could proofread their resume or child’s college essays. I literally had to create a folder on my Google drive called “Other People’s Writing and Resumes” to keep everything organized because of how often people were coming to me for guidance. Finally, a dear friend said, “You know, people get paid for this!”

I consult a variety of students from those who don’t know their field of interest to those who do— from those seeking Ivy League schools to arts conservatories or those transferring from community colleges or taking a gap year. I am equally proud of each one of them. Some families want help navigating a comprehensive journey, and others need help with individual pieces like their essays or arts applications. I love all of it, and my absolute favorite part of college counseling is helping students develop exceptionally authentic essays.

I have a subspecialty in navigating the complexities of visual and performing arts applications–which if you don’t know is double the work, travel, and preparation due to the audition prescreen and portfolio requirements! Artists are being called to action, to pair their voices and talents with social responsibility and across new media and unchartered territory. (Due to automation, other “traditional” careers are not as safe as one may think, many will be outsourced to robots!) Artists have brilliant and unconventional creative minds and are being hired more and more to work at corporations to solve problems. It’s imperative they have the proper training and framework to do so, so yes, an arts education is valuable and needed.

I differ from other college consultants in that I’m a working professional in multiple fields. As a college professor, I know what is happening in higher ed instruction and what students should explore to ensure school offerings fit their needs. As an actor, I know how students need to train and prepare for a professional practice and what makes for a successful transition from college to career. When a student demonstrates incredible work ethic and outstanding character, I am incredibly generous with my network and find great joy in connecting students to working professionals. As a parent and education consultant, I’m up to date on high school course pathways, social stressors, activities, and how to facilitate open communication between students and families to balance them. I understand the challenges institutions face, as well as what the students are clamoring for in the classroom.

The different spaces I inhabit require different skills, yet several that overlap and inform each other. The flexibility between my logistical and artistic “brain” is what allows me to create a unique and highly individualized experience for each student.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I had this false notion when I was a starving artist out of college that someday I’d “grow up and have a real job” and only one W-2. Now, I finally accept and celebrate the fact that I love to do many different things, I’ll always have a ton of W-2’s, and that I’m lucky to have such a variety of experiences! I think there’s a false narrative happening with young adults right now that tells them they have to find their passion–as if they can only have one. We can all have many chapters and multiple careers! In fact, even though I’ve been working as an education consultant for almost eight years, I decided during Covid to go back to school and learn a little more. It was quite a doozy to be a student again for the first time in 20 years, AND with a fully online class experience, but I’m happy to say I’m just about to finish my graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA!

Returning to school has deepened my knowledge and passion for working with families as they navigate a student’s transition to college. Fear surrounds this process because many think there is a scarcity of opportunity and that “brand-name” schools are the only ones that matter. The fact is there are almost 4000 amazing higher education institutions in the US, and most students could thrive at several of them. We have to open our minds and hearts and end the college application frenzy. Together, we can make it a fun, self-reflective, and rewarding journey!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.ActOneCollegeCounseling.com Click ” Your first 20-minute consultation regarding “Act One” of your college, career, or gap year journey is FREE! Set up a no-obligation Meet & Greet and gain some helpful tips!