Inspiring Conversations with Nicole Santos of Nicole Santos Coaching

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

Hi Nicole , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As someone who experienced domestic violence as a young teen, was kicked out of school, navigated alcohol and substance use, and witnessed bankruptcy in my family, I never imagined I would be where I am today.

I discovered coaching in 2021, shortly after leaving a relationship that looked “good enough” on the outside but didn’t feel aligned on the inside. Experiencing coaching for the first time became a turning point. I realized how powerful it is to have someone truly believe in you—to walk beside you, reflect your potential back to you, and hold space for what’s possible. That realization is what sparked my coaching practice. I learned firsthand that when someone is in your corner, offering belief and support, it can change the trajectory of your life.

Since then, my work has evolved in many ways. Today, I coach and mentor women of color entrepreneurs through both private coaching and group mentorship. I also host in-person experiences in the Bay Area, including healing circles, women-in-business networking events, and day retreats. While I value online work, in-person connection remains important to me. It’s where community, connection, and collective healing truly come alive.

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?
The path to where I am today has been filled with significant challenges that, at many points, made me consider giving up. Even finding the confidence to start my business was difficult. Early on, I struggled with imposter syndrome and had to commit to daily mindset work to keep moving forward. For the first year and a half of my business, I was still working full-time in tech, marketing my services and seeing clients on weeknights and weekends while trying to build something sustainable.

When I finally felt it in my body and soul that it was time to leave my tech job, my dad passed away the day before my last day of work. Stepping into full-time entrepreneurship while navigating grief was incredibly challenging. In the six months that followed, I also lost my dog of 15 years and my grandmother.

As I was grieving and still trying to find my balance in my business, I developed a medical condition that resulted in chronic pain and required six surgeries within a single year. I continued to show up for my clients and my work while living with deep loss, physical pain, and uncertainty about when I would stable again.

Those experiences changed how I approach business. They taught me what it truly means to build something sustainable. Something that can hold you through grief, illness, uncertainty, and change. My work today is rooted in the knowing that success isn’t about constant growth or force, but about creating a business that can support you in every season of life.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Nicole Santos Coaching?
I am a Business Authenticity Coach for soul-led women of color coaches, healers, and service providers. My work sits at the intersection of mindset, intuitive strategy, and body-based approaches, supporting women in building sustainable businesses that expand beyond what they’ve been told is “realistic” for spiritual or healing work.

I specialize in helping women rewire beliefs about worth, leadership, and visibility so they can step fully into their identity as confident leaders in their space. I blend intuition, psychology, strategy, data, spirit, and science because I believe business is not one-size-fits-all. What matters most is discernment: learning to trust yourself, your body, and your inner knowing when making decisions.

What sets my work apart is my emphasis on authenticity as strategy. The number one reason people choose to work with me is my confidence and my ability to model what it looks like to show up fully as yourself. I teach on how authenticity is your brand, and that doubling down on who you truly are is what differentiates you in your space.

As a first-generation Filipina, I take a whole-person approach to business. I understand that our identities, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences directly shape how we show up, lead, and create. I encourage my clients to bring all of themselves into their work which includes the parts they may have been taught to hide or feel shame around. Those identities are often their greatest strength.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the community I’ve built. My clients are deeply devoted to their impact, their people, and creating generational change and wealth within their communities. Through private coaching, group mentorship, and in-person experiences, I support women of color in building businesses built on transparency, sustainability, simplicity, and self-trust.

At its core, my work is about claiming who you are fully so others feel safe to do the same. When women lead from authenticity, they don’t just grow businesses. they create generational change.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
There are a few books that have really shaped how I show up in my work and life.

The first is I Hear You by Michael Sorensen. I read this during my first year of coaching, and it fundamentally changed how I listen. It helped me see where I could be more present, attuned, and validating in conversations. While it’s especially powerful for coaches and entrepreneurs, I truly believe it’s a book everyone can benefit from since it offers tools for being a better listener in any human interaction.

The second is Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. This book reshaped my understanding of rest, particularly as a woman of color. It offered language and permission to slow down, push back against productivity culture, and reclaim rest as both a personal and collective necessity.

Lastly, 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy challenged the ceilings I had placed on myself. It taught me that true growth and scaling often require letting go of parts of your current work to create space for the next level.

Beyond books, one of the most impactful practices for me has been continually questioning and challenging my inner beliefs and narratives. I’ve also learned how vital in-person community is for my nervous system. Attending events, connecting with folks, and doing skill or energy exchanges have helped me stay regulated and grounded as an entrepreneur.

Everyone learns, operates, and performs differently. I always encourage people to experiment and pay attention to what truly supports you, who you feel most resourced by, and what allows you to show up for your community.

Pricing:

• Private 6 month coaching
• Emergence 12-month group mentorship

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nicoletgsantos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoletgsantos/
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-in-your-feelings/id1768913945

Image Credits
Hazel Slusher
Adigrace Riate
Julian Sambrano