Exploring Life & Business with Nicole Wald of Nicole Michelle Coaching

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

Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2010, I had landed a $75/ hour contract to twiddle with the commas and conjunctions of ukulele rockstar Jake Shimabukuro’s press release – a veritable windfall to my teacher salary, which in my 6th year averaged out to somewhere just above $1.26/hour with all the after hours, weekends, and vacation time I had to put in to keep pace.

I was intrigued. Getting to do the thing I loved most …. and being PAID?!? I tucked this moment away in my mind – something to be marveled at but not fully trusted. My future husband and I were house hunting – and the urgency was high.

His dad was battling brain cancer, and one of his last wishes was to see the youngest of his three children “secure” in owning a house. I was vividly aware that one $75 writing side gig did not make for a mortgage payment.

We found the house and were in escrow when a lay off notice plopped into my little wooden teacher inbox, nonchalantly slipped between the Scholastic book orders and faculty reminders.

With Mike’s dad having recently passed, the next step seemed startlingly clear. Life was short, and no second chance was coming.

Pulling on 15 years of direct sales and marketing experience, I began my writing business.
I quickly found a spot at a local EdTech startup, and helped them reinvent their content systems.

Three years in, the money and customers dried up at the startup, and I discovered how great copy without the right story behind it wasn’t so great after all.

With a foot still in the education world, I stepped into directing a writing camp at a local National Writing Project site (this is the largest professional development organization for teachers in the U.S.). I took the lessons learned about great storytelling and was quickly able to 10x the number of students served each summer.

I also began taking on new clients, becoming a sought after content strategy agency for the Santa Barbara area and beyond. Business by business, I kept honing my storytelling skills, leading to big wins – like helping an environmental nonprofit double (and eventually 6x) its 7-figure budget, building up a local festival to attract 30,000+ attendees each year, and supporting a brand in creating a $250k+ launch.

But my agency model left me with no time to bring a second baby into our family, and I was also tottering on the edge of complete adrenal fatigue.

So I began to look at other ways I could use words to make an impact, and realized that I could coach other women entrepreneurs on their content strategy, leveraging my time by creating courses and group programs.

After some initial success, I decided to start marketing in earnest…and felt like I ran into an invisible wall.

My perfectly crafted marketing campaigns sat in my Google Drive, gathering months and years of digital dust. I’d write up a couple dozen pages for a launch sequence. And then implement it only one time before building a whole new thing, not taking the time to actually tweak, refine and monetize. Or not share it at all, spinning out in my own head about whether or not it was good enough to sell. I’d “get too busy” doing client work, prioritizing it ahead of my own marketing, every time.

Hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of coaching dollars later, the truth landed like the 2 ton stones of a pyramid. The problem had nothing to do with my words or my strategy. It had to do with my confidence.

My feelings of unworthiness, of not being good enough, of not deserving all kept echoing in my head. And I – who has never met a stage she didn’t like, who can write up everything for a 14 day launch in a day…realized I was scared of really being seen.

Because asserting that I am worthy of success risked someone potentially calling me out, confirming that I wasn’t enough.
I had built a strong foundation… that no one could see. Because pyramids are made of inherently dark stones. No light emanates from them.
In order to grow my business, I didn’t need a dark pyramid. I needed a lighthouse. The base of the lighthouse was still the content, but the light shining on top? That was confidence.

A sacred redesign began.
I realized I wasn’t on a mission to help women just have the right words, but also to help them shine the light on those words. To shine THEIR light, just like I needed to learn to shine mine.

As one of the paths to building my own confidence, I decided I needed to spend more time with women entrepreneurs, and began to open up my home for a monthly Meet Your Girls Fun Femme Biz Mixer, which recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary, with over 200 women attending over the course of the year.

I also decided to hold a retreat to allow myself and others the space to make the identity shifts needed to go to the next level in business. We addressed mind, body, soul and biz strategy, and just wrapped up in October, with universal demand from 34 attendees that we not wait a full year to hold another one.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was honestly the biggest obstacle in my journey. My self doubt, imposter syndrome, lack of self worth.

I also burned myself out to the point where I was near complete adrenal fatigue…and wasn’t even aware because my system is great at masking … my can do mindset literally had me near death’s door, so I had to burn down the model of business I had been using for my agency and start from scratch to build a new, more sustainable model of coaching, course creation, and event production.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nicole Michelle Coaching?
I help women entrepreneurs build confidence through community — because visibility doesn’t start with strategy, it starts with self-trust.

I’m a former teacher-educator turned content strategist, business coach, and speaker. Over the past decade, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and thought leaders turn their message into momentum — from clearer copy and confident content strategy to full brand and business transformation.

I’m best known for my Copy Confidence Lighthouse™ framework, which blends the structure of strategic messaging with the energy of confidence-building. It’s not just about having the right words — it’s about having the courage, community, competence, and celebration to share them.

What sets my brand apart is that we don’t chase perfection; we cultivate confidence. My spaces — from the Copy Confidence Glow Up membership to the Rise & Shine Retreat — are designed for women to be seen, supported, and celebrated as they grow.

I’m most proud that our brand feels like exhaling — a place where women remember who they are, reclaim their voice, and rise together.

Readers should know: this isn’t just marketing strategy. It’s transformation in motion.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
A short list of favorite books currently (with 100 more right in line behind them): 10x is Easier Than 2x, Happy Pocketful of Money, Power Your Profits, The Four Tendencies, Atomic Habits, Good Inside, Non-Violent Communication, Choose Wonder Over Worry

Pricing:

• Copy Confidence Foundations Course: $1,247
• Copy Confidence Glow Up Membership: $2k Annually or $200/mo
• Rise & Shine Retreat $5-$10k
• 2026 Mastermind $35k
• Copy Confidence Facebook Group – Free

Contact Info:

• Website: https://iamnicolemichelle.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamnicolemichelle
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/nmwald
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nicolewald

Image Credits
Kacie Jean Fowler
Michelle Lee