S5:E60🎙️ Live with Nickquolette “The Get Hired Strategist” Barrett (Multi Tracks Audio)

Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation, I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend Bob Fabien Zinga.

Welcome to the Leadership Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ, where we help you lead with purpose and succeed with impact. If you're ready to grow into the kind of leader others want to follow, this podcast is for you. If you're determined to elevate your success and leave a lasting legacy, this podcast is for you. As my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, reminds us, everything rises and falls on leadership. Our goal is simple: to inspire you, challenge you, and equip you with insights that can transform the trajectory of your leadership journey. Welcome aboard to another episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach BZ.

Hi, my name is Nicolette Barrett, and I am also known as the Get Hired Strategist. I am a 4-time certified executive resume writer, career coach, LinkedIn strategist and brander, as well as a salary negotiation and productivity coach. So people ask me, what is your superpower? Well, I not only help you land the job of your dreams, but I also help you create a career that rocks using all of my tips and tricks through my coaching to teach you how to not only survive in your role, but how to thrive. I am again Nicolette Barrett, and I am the Get Hired Strategist.

Bye!

All right, everyone, we have a very, very special guest waiting for us in the green room, and I can't just wait to bring her on the platform. But before we do, as is our tradition here, we do what we call moment of gratitude. Every single time we meet, we want to take just a moment to be grateful because that is so powerful. And part of the reason why we do this is because in the military, it's about 21, 22 service members and veterans who commit suicide in this country every single day. And we believe you cannot be suicidal and be grateful at the very same time. So if you would just take a moment, maybe close your eyes, get to your happy place, Maybe take a deep breath, slow down your nervous system, and think about one thing you are grateful for right now. What is it? And today, I think I am grateful for Women's History Month. We only take a month to celebrate women, but I believe that we would have no society if we didn't have women. And throughout our history, they've usually been mistreated, didn't have the same rights as men, even here in America, right? At the beginning of this country, women couldn't vote. They couldn't even open a bank account on their own. So it is really crazy, but we owe so much to women in society all around the world. And some of the most impactful people in my life, including leaders, were women. For example, my mother, probably the most impactful woman I have ever known. So I am just so grateful for all of women in society and for everything they do. Sometimes I kind of joke, right? Married with two daughters. If we didn't have a family pet, I would probably be the only male in my household. But we owe so much to women, and I'm grateful for that. All right, so let me see if I can properly introduce our guest today. Today, I am really honored and privileged to be speaking to Nicolette, the Get Hired Strategist Barrett. She is an executive career architect, a leadership coach, and author. And entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to helping professionals stop waiting for opportunity and start strategically positioning themselves for the role they deserve. With over 26 years of Fortune 36 leadership experience, 6 professional certifications, and a master's in leadership and organizational development, Nicolette has helped executive directors, senior leaders transform their career through intentional positioning and strategic leadership branding. She's the founder of iROC Resume, president of the Society of Elite Resume Writers and Coaches, and the creator of the EPIC framework, a powerful model designed to help leaders envision their leadership direction, position their values strategically, influence executive conversation, and cultivate long-term career. EPIC: envision, position, influence, and cultivate. Our mission is simple yet very, very powerful. She wants to help leaders like you and me get seen, get hired, and build careers that rock. So without any further ado, please help me welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast, the one and only Nicolette, the Get Hired Strategist Barrett. All right. Good morning, Nicolette. Can you hear me? Good morning, Nicolette. Can you hear me? Nicolette, I cannot see you. Hold on. Okay, let's give her one more minute. We were able to test this earlier. Okay, Nicolette, can you hear me now? Here we go. Okay. Your microphone is turned off.

Okay, I had to move because my Wi-Fi was acting crazy. So I'm like, I have to move from my office.

I don't know why.

So hopefully you all can see me here. I'm going into my library here, my real library.

All right. Very, very good.

Yeah.

So I'm going to sit in my comfy chair and then chat with you all.

Hi, everybody. All right. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, I really love doing these live, but sometimes we do have a little hiccup. But I am so glad you are here. We're talking in the green room. Maybe to get started, what are you grateful for today?

Oh my gosh. I am grateful for my family and for life, being able to wake up this morning and breathe the air once again, and the family who supports me. I am very, very grateful. Oh yeah, that's my family. That's my husband and my baby girl.

My—

still, she's 26, but I still call her my poo. My poo. Yes, there she is. Yes, we were at the Bud Billiken Day Parade in Chicago. That's why I was born and raised.

Amazing, amazing, man. And, uh, People who meet you for the first time, uh, what don't they know about you?

Um, most people don't know until I let it out, out the bag or somehow, is that I have been married to a senior pastor of a church for going on, uh, 32 years. So I am not only a corporate leader— well, actually, I just retired, we'll talk, get into that— a business owner, but I also literally wear the hat of first lady, as we're called, affectionately called in the Black church. So I have been over 31 and and a half years.

Yes.

Wow, that is absolutely fabulous. Actually, I kind of had an inkling. Let me see if I can find the picture.

You probably saw me in the hat somewhere.

Yes, yes, I did. I'm like, this is the First Lady hat.

I know this hat.

Yes, yes, you did. Because I lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for about 15 years before moving to ungodly California.

But yeah, this is the one. Yeah, that's the hat.

Yes.

Oh yeah.

Incredible, incredible.

Very, very beautiful, classic. Yeah, because in California, when we go to church, we have flip-flops and t-shirts and shorts, but in Alabama, you always have to wear your Sunday best. So, yes, yes, I knew that. Fantastic. So maybe to get started, and I know faith does play a very important place in your life and your work, but one of the first questions I had for you is, You've built an incredible career helping leaders, right, position themselves for the right opportunities. What inspired you to become the Get Hired Strategist, as you are known in the industry?

Oh, that is, that's a loaded question. Where it all started in corporate America, um, the company I was working for was going through a major reorganization. And one of the things I've always been very good at, um, and savvy at, not on my own accord, but what they tell me, is being able to help my direct reports get positioned for those next opportunities. I use my writing I've been a lover of writing forever, and my high school teacher actually infused that into me, Mr. Lovelace, who's no longer with us. He was an English teacher there. And so I've always had my writing skills, so I just started using it even more so because we were going through a transition and I needed to help my direct reports get these opportunities. So it became magnified because many of them got new jobs and everything. It was like 11 on my team and 10 10 of them got promoted within a very short amount of time, and 2 of them increased their salary over $14,000. And one of them came back to me and said, well, Miss Nicolette, you're really good at this stuff. My husband just paid somebody a whole lot of money for his resume. He still hasn't done anything. I said, people get paid for this? And I had no idea, Bob. I was like, oh my gosh. And I've been focused on corporate, because when you're in corporate America, you're focused on the ladder, doing what you need to do to get to the next role. And so I just started dabbling with it. I actually did social proof out on Facebook because, you know, Facebook, anything at that time, LinkedIn wasn't that, uh, popular. And then a lot of people start weighing in and say, yes, you helped me for this. And Bob, you know, them jokers never gave me a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks or anything. I said, I help y'all get all this money, y'all never— and I'm just writing up— and I used to even write their performance reviews, get them the highest.

Wow.

And I just did it because I love to write. I know how to use the words to position people show their value. You never thought about it, but I've always had the entrepreneurial bug, so I've dabbled in some MLM stuff. And so then the rest is basically history. After my, um, direct reports told me that, I put the social proof out there that people start inboxing me about, you know, you know, my services. I was like, I don't have any services, and so therefore— and it just started. And my— the Get Hired Strategist actually came from one of my clients a couple of years ago because he said, you know what, you're not just a resume writer, you're more like a Get Higher Strategist, because you help us. I said, what? I said, okay, and then everything was recorded. So I went back, I said, I said, that will be my new name. And so that's what I started, Get Higher Strategist. Because another thing to that strategy point is that my brain works in a strategic manner. Every, um, um, personal assessment, career assessment, my number one strength was strategy. And I can go into another story about how that was first identified me as I was trying to climb the corporate ladder, because my leaders pointed that And as a woman, we think, oh, I'm detail-oriented, I'm going to be organized. But two men came to me, senior leaders over me, and they said, you know, you're very strategic. I've never heard that word before as a woman because of the way I did my work and got the results that I did. So it just made sense. But when he said it, it just kind of clicked. I said, that brings everything full circle. And I just now really enjoy helping people strategically get their next role by being positioned the right way.

Man, I feel so grateful, so privileged that you are here talking to us and my audience. Now, like you said, you spent over 2 decades in corporate leadership before you launched your own company. During that transition, I'm sure most people listening now, they may feel like they have even a call from God or a purpose to really go out there and do it on their own, but they're kind of afraid, right? What if I don't succeed? What if things don't work out? Because when you are in a corporate job, you look from 9 to 5, you get this steady paycheck. It's a sure thing, you know, you have bills and every— everybody does. But when you go out there, you are really exposing yourself and you have no idea, you know, how it is all going to work out. How did you kind of handle that period of, of, of your life from leaving corporate to starting your own thing?

When, when the first thing I would say, I had no intentions to do this business. I just was doing this enough to pay my manicure and pedicure. I'm not kidding, Bob. That's— I said, okay, I got these little extra bills. I said, I'm just gonna do it just because I was so focused on climbing the corporate ladder. What happened, the turning point was when, uh, my clients who— one client found me, um, I don't know how she found me, but she found me and I helped her with two resumes and she was already a VP and I helped her get promoted to Senior VP with a full relocation package and everything. And then she starts sending me her whole team because the company was going through a transition. So she just started sending me everybody. This is some good stuff here.

Yes.

And then it started dawning on me. I said, why can't I— instead of me keep fighting internally at the organization to get promoted to the next level, why don't I promote my own self? So that's number one. So actually making up in your mind what you want to do and really pursuing that. And you don't have to jump out. And that's one of the things I tell people, even when you're looking for an opportunity, if you have a good job and you just want to test the waters, do that, because you never know your worth until you test the waters. So I start testing, Bob. I literally start testing my skill set and what I can do best out in the marketplace. And the marketplace started rewarding me for that. That reward felt very good. When that reward became even better, I— so I went in my boss's office. Yeah, I didn't say it like that, but you know, I was like, take me off that list. And when she just thought I was going to quit, so she What's going on? She started moving things around like, what's going on? And I said, oh no, I'm thinking I'm just going to pursue something else. I love my role. I love what I do. I love the people, you know, like the record boards. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. And that's the whole story behind that. But basically test the water to see. Nobody told you have to leave, but see your value outside of where you are.

Wow, that is powerful. So what leadership lesson from that experience shaped how you coach executives today?

Oh my gosh, the best thing I could tell them— there is life after. Don't get stuck in anything that you don't want to be stuck in because there is life after. When I figured that out, that there is things outside of where I am, outside of the corporation, and I start to interact with people from other organizations to see all the potential, it changed my mindset that yes, I had it good. I, I loved working for the company I worked for and everything. I wouldn't have stayed there that long if I didn't, but there is even a a better world out there. You just have to be willing to go out and find it. And as I also coach my clients, once you find it, if it's not where you want to go, stay where you are. But you have to invest in knowing your value, knowing how to brand yourself and position yourself for those opportunities and get the money if you so desire for it as well. Because I've had clients to go down, I've had clients to go to the side just to be in the job, not not a job, the job that best suits them, if that makes sense.

Wow.

Powerful. Yeah, because you do talk about strategy quite a bit, right? Too many people out there, they really assume that career success is purely about talent and hard work. That's it. But no, again, in your experience, what role does strategic positioning actually play in professional advancement?

It's almost like a puzzle. When you're thinking about all of the pieces to who you are, you have to be able to put them together that presents yourself the best possible way and then bring those opportunities to branch out. So therefore, people do it in stagnant ways. Oh, I need a better resume. I'm gonna keep rewriting it and rewriting it and rewriting it. Then they say, I've got to practice all and everything I'm going to say to every question that they're going to ask me in an interview. Okay, those are just pieces and elements, but what is it do you really want to do in life's where we have to work and spend the bulk of our time working. Why not do it in a place that you will enjoy? And I mean being strategic down to the type of people you want to work around, the type of company that you want to work for. Do they even have an on-site cafeteria?

Yes.

What about around there? You can get that strategic and that minute in what you want, and I'm telling you, you can find it. And if you don't get it at 100%, 75% to 80% is better than nothing where you are now.

Yes.

So it's about being strategically thinking about all the different pieces that you need so you can feel like you want to jump out of bed on Monday morning and not keep hitting that snooze because you just don't want to go into the office or get online. So you have to think about that.

Really, uh, it's like, thank God it's Monday instead of Friday.

That's, that is, yes, that's exactly. And it's so funny, Bob, I had a whole program that I, now that I have time time to do it. I'm gonna bring back out about, you know, thank God it's Monday, because you should want to get out of the bed on Monday to do the job that you love to do and not go in dread. Whatever's going in— toxic environment, not getting— not being seen, anything that's going on in your organization— trust me, there is a better way to do it. And you have the choice to stay where you are, or you can see what's out there. And I always encourage people, you have to go out to see. And if after you see it and you don't like what you see, stay stay where you are.

Yes, yes. Wow, powerful. No, I really love talking about purpose and calling because it does make a big, big difference. What was maybe a defining moment for you in your career when you realized that helping others navigate their professional journey was really your true calling?

The feedback and the— what, what the opportunity they were able to land and how happy they were because they did not know how to articulate their skills. So the, the wow factor of, wow, you capture me perfectly, this is exactly who I am. So getting that instant feedback for me and my role was very powerful because I'm like, I just write, you know. You know, you think about God giving me that gift and really not even knowing how valuable that gift is to somebody else. Because I mean, I could write a million reports in the company. Yes, write some good, good old stuff because I, I just naturally— I'm not— shouldn't say naturally, God gave me the gift. To be able to be a really great writer, but to use it for people. And I'm a people person as well, and I want to see people succeed. It just looks like a match literally made in heaven. And so being able to really focus on that and really help people do that with the skill that God gave me of writing, that is really where it really infused me to say, this is where you are supposed to be. And God just kept showing up, Bob. Oh, he kept— and he still keeps showing up because he just keeps putting the clients in my way that he wants me to help, that I'm I am destined to help. He doesn't present any opportunities. And so I know for a fact this is where he— what he wants me to do and how to use my skills. And not only do I do that, people also have said, you are such a motivator and, you know, inspiration. And that comes through because of the, uh, my Sunday morning thing that I do. It's just part of who I am, being a Christian. And I don't shy about the fact that I am a Christian-based business. Whether you are a believer or not, I'm going to believe for and it's my job to pray for you whether you pray for yourself. I'm supposed to do that for you. And that just brings it holistic for me, brings it all together, if that makes sense.

No, it is really powerful. And I believe this is a picture of your mother, right?

That's my mommy. Hi, Mom. I see you going to make me go cry now.

I was going to ask what role did she play in the way you grew up and the person you've become?

My mom is the biggest cheerleader of her children. That's what I would say. And she left us too soon. She was all of 5 foot 0, 125 pounds at most wet, and didn't know the signs of a heart attack and passed away at 59. And it is kind of scary because I'm 57 now. She passed away when I was 40. So it's about, oh gosh, 17 years ago now. And so, and we grew up in the Chicago Housing Authority, which is called the projects. And she was a single mom raising us. And so she always told us education was the key to get out of here. She was the first generation down there and the last. So we are all doing very well. So she was always our supporting cheerleader. My sister, my baby sister, is a dual master's degree holder and a PhD holder.

Wow.

Older brother— and we're all like 2 to 3 years apart— my older brother is, um, um, one of the high-ranking people in, um, oh, he— I always forget, he's some kind of level in the, um, service. Was, but he was a Navy man and now he does, um, service work and he works, um, for the service. And so we've all done well about that. But she told us education, so we all got our education and that was our ticket to not, um, have the cycle still in the same environment. So she taught us, I said, you don't have to be here now. Well, she passed away. We tried, when we got money, we tried to move her away from there. She's like, oh, you know, this is my family, they know me, they take care of me. But she did not want to move. And, um, but, um, she passed away still being a resident Chicago Housing Authority, actually specifically Dearborn Homes on 29th and State, 2900 South State Street, apartment 4160616. That's where we live.

Wow.

Yeah, she was our hero.

What an impact and what a legacy.

Wow.

Thank you for sharing that. But now you've also written two books, and I understand you are writing on your third book, um, the first one being You Are Hired, uh, Resume Edition Volume 1, 10 Tips to Rock Out Your Resume and Land an Interview. And then a follow-on book You Were Hired Interview Edition Volume 2: 10 Tips to Rock Out Your Interview and Land Your Dream Job. Why did you think these books had to be written?

I kept saying the same thing over and over in so many different podcasts, interviews, and stuff like that. I kept saying the same stuff. So I said, you know what, let me pin this. And I went on ahead and pinned it. And it was funny because those books got released, I think, back in, oh, I can't remember now, 2024, probably 20, at the end of 2017 going into 2018. And that hair, y'all, was a big mistake. That's a long story about blonde hair. That was a little, a beauty shop mistake that left it. It's a long story anyway. I all fell out after that. That's a total different story. Anyway, it's not a good thing. So that was the first, that's how to never again. But anyway, but it was like putting it in the pen and people were saying, you've only been in the, um, the, in this industry for a couple of years and you've already penned two books. I said, well, why? What y'all waiting on?

Yeah.

I'm like, you know, so one lady says, I've been in this industry for 30 years. I keep saying I want to write a book, but I haven't. Why haven't you? And so again, that goes back to me being a natural writer. I love to write. And so therefore I needed to put it, and I wanted to help more people who could not invest in my services because of the price point. I still wanted to be accessible. So that's why.

Powerful. And of course, whenever your third book comes out, it's going to come out this year, right?

Yeah, my— I'm halfway through it and it is going to come out and it's all— and I don't even want to let the title out.

Yeah, okay, let's keep it the suspense. Let's reveal it.

It's going to be good because even my best friend, she said, oh, I like that. It is really good. It's really, really good. And it came from my clients because I'm so frustrated after, you know, I went through a— I did a 7-day, uh, Modern Job Search Challenge, just finished it, and all the comments in there. And I was like, you know what, I just I just picked up my phone and I went to ChatGPT and I just started ranting. I mean, literally ranting about everything. And I said, I need to write a book on solving these things. And just start giving all my thoughts to chat. And I said, give me the outline. So now my daughter says, she said, now you need to go away for about a weekend or just really flesh it out. So I have a whole outline, all my thoughts, and I'm just gonna actually finish it And I'm hoping to do that within the next 2 months.

Wow.

So when you do, we'd like to have you back, even if it's only for 30 minutes, so we can focus on that book and help you get another bestselling book, because what you do is really, really important.

Thank you.

Especially right now, especially for Black people and especially for women. We need to learn this strategy. So based on the 2 books you've already published, let's talk about Executive Career Strategy. So you give a lot of practical insight, right, for senior leaders and executives. One of your core ideas is that many leaders are not underqualified, but they are underpositioned.

Yeah.

Big difference. So what does that mean and why does it happen so often, you think?

They don't know how to take their background and make it speak in value for them. One of the things I have noticed when I'm coaching executives, they start, they don't really own who they are. They start talking about the task. I say, you're no longer a doer. So I need you to understand that you make an impact. So let's talk about the impact. It's the language. They don't understand the language. And I'm a word geek, wordsmith par excellence. It's about how do you talk about it? And you know what I find, Bob? The people who shoot themselves in the foot the worst are women. I don't care what color you are. I've had all— I've worked with all kinds of clients, but the women are the ones who always undersell themselves. And because of that, they're not— they don't know how to position themselves, not only from from the career document perspective, but how do they even say it? They don't even know how to say it. I sent one client, she laughed at me so much. She was working to, she's a senior director trying to get to a VP role. And she, I asked her, I said, okay, well, tell me about the business. She didn't know how to answer that question. I said, honey, in order for you to go to the next level, you need to understand business. I said, business acumen is important. I'm not putting that on your resume just because it's a good keyword. Do you understand the business? I said, I'm not touching your stuff. I said, you go back and you go learn about the business and you come back and we're going to discuss the business because you need to be able to articulate that. She said that was the best coaching and the best advice ever. She never thought about that. I said, to get into a senior level role, they don't care about the fact that you did your role well. They want to know, do you understand the business? And if you understand the business, this is how you can help move the business forward. So they just don't know how to do— they don't know how to do that. They don't know how to take all of the value that they've already done and reframe it really into collateral. Because one of my clients, she said after the interview, the lady offered her the top of the range. And she said because it was so valuable what she brought, not from the documents that got her into the room, but also being able to speak to that. She said, she said, I've— we've never done this before. We're gonna offer you— this is our top thing. I said, girl, we still gonna get some more money. Anyway, so that's the— that's what it was. What you want to do, you want them to automatically think, okay, oh my gosh, I'm not about to nickel and dime this person. Nickel and dime is almost like a testing— let me test this person. No, we're going after the good money. And one of my clients, and I'm hoping she watching this, she— I, I increased her salary Oh gosh, about 75%.

Wow.

Yeah. And she was scared. I said, you better listen to me. You better listen to me good. I said, you better go and say these. And I tell her exactly what to say. And when she came back, she said, I cannot believe they offered it to me. I can't. It was over. Wanted. I said, no, ma'am, we're not underselling. You're not going to do just this. You're going to say this and this is why. And even though just my male clients, I have to do the same thing with them, but it's more so are women than anything.

Yes. Yeah, it's really interesting. No, mine is more anecdotal, but no, my wife and my two kids, I've noticed many times when women try to apply for jobs, at least the women I know, they wait until they are 100% qualified with what the job description says before they apply. But people like me, I only have to be like 40, 45% qualified, I go ahead and apply anyway. Anyway. And see what happens. Yeah. And if you're 100% qualified, Yeah, worst thing, they don't interview me. Best thing, I get the job. So it's like, uh, you know, you don't have to think twice about that. But you know what, that's why I think the work you're doing is so, so important. Again, especially in America, and a lot of Black women really depending on the work in the government, very highly educated and capable. But since January of last year, almost 300,000 of them have been laid off for really no reason. At all. But anyway, and I think what happened to some people is they kind of lose their self-esteem. And I think that's really what's extremely, extremely dangerous. What do you say to your client in order to build them back up and really appreciate the value they bring to the market?

I start feeding into them about the wins that they've already accomplished. I said, we got to remember what you've done. This is a devastating blow. Yes, I understand that and I get that. Let's talk about the wins that you have done and bring those out. And I work with eliminating the word just from their vocabulary. Oh, I just did this, only just did. No, you did it. So let's talk about how, what kind of impact did you make in that role? So I kind of bring them back to a self-awareness that, that you've already done it and you could do it again. Let's just find an opportunity for you so you can do that again. And I'll also tell them, this is the opportunity also to really land the job that you want.

Yes.

Because now you have time to think through it. Now, if there, if there is an urgency, I have worked with clients like that as well. Bob Fabien Zinga, I got my bills paid. Let's get you a gap job. Let's land you somewhere. But we're going to continue to work together so you can land the job that you want. Your bills got to be paid. I'm not, I'm not being unrealistic. So if that's what we have to do, let's hurry up and get you a gap job. And when you get that gap job, get used to that. Come back a couple of months later. We're going to now still position you for the job.

Wow.

And it can happen. So just feeding back into them what they've already done. They need to hear it. They need to hear it and believe it.

Absolutely. Because many executives, they kind of think, okay, let me just update my resume, apply for jobs, and then I will just wait.

Right?

What does that traditional approach really fail for seniors? Leaders.

Yeah, and it does. They cannot— I told a client just last week, so you're not an entry level anymore. You can't just go out to the job board and apply for a job. You need a strategy, and it's more about your relationships. And some of them have worked in their jobs for so long and been tapped on the shoulder, go to the next level, tapped on the shoulder. They have not built that networking collateral. So I have to start coaching them on how to do this, how to be strategic about it, and getting them out of the comfort zone. And that's why the job search— I just did, like I said, the job search challenge, and I'm actually going to be pulling about— pulling all of that content. They were my beta from that church group, and they said, that has totally pushed me out of my comfort zone because I never thought about it from that perspective. And so I'm making them do things they never thought about doing before, but it's helpful, and it's been so rewarding for those who have gone through the process. And they say, yes, I'm making the connections. And one of my clients literally said, I am finally um, um, in an interview for a job. I've been working with this relationship with this lady for 2 weeks, but it's his— the job that he wanted. And he kept that relationship going until now he's interviewing for the role that he wants.

That's amazing. Because there is also something you, you talk about, the Eden job market. What is that, and how do people, uh, kind of strategize their career in order to take advantage of it?

Is it just about it? To me, it's It's more about the hidden job market is more of a marketing word because people, it gets people's attention. But what I'm trying to do is really teach you the right way of looking for a job. That's really what it is. Because the market, there's no real hidden job. So people say that all the time. I'm gonna tell y'all the T.I.

truth.

It's just marketing. But, but what I do is teach you strategy. And so it's all, and even with people in the, by name of the business, I Rock Resumes. Like when I get them on the phone, I don't just write resumes. I teach you strategy. So it's about strategically looking for the job that they want to look for, just changing their mindset.

Yes.

Shifting from the old, uh, spray and pray method, applying for any and everything, to really being strategic. Because people think busy work is being productive. It's not. It's just that you're just being busy. Then that's where the frustration— I've applied to 100 jobs and haven't gotten an interview. Well, 100 jobs with that one resume probably ain't saying nothing. So you're wasting your time. So how do I help them think through that? And that goes from all levels. Some of my senior leaders, they're people just like us. And people think, oh, they're such high position and stuff like that. Don't, don't, don't be fooled like that because they have to put their pants on, skirt on, pantyhose on, just like we do. So it's about they still need help on understanding their value and how to position themselves strategically. To get in front, into the rooms that are meant for them. And that deep coaching, that takes, uh, you know, really get into a person's mind. Because I asked them this really deep questions because I want to get them beyond that surface stuff. I'm, I'm done with tips. I'm done with tips and tricks and stuff like that. Go out to my free YouTube channel. Y'all go watch. I don't even keep that up no more. Go out and watch all that stuff. I am focused on the people who are ready to take that next step, to really do the real work that it takes. And the reward is landing a job that they want to work in and be happy every Monday morning.

Wow.

Salary that they deserve and they can live off of.

That is really, really powerful. Everyone, we are talking to Coach Nicolette Barrett, um, bestselling author of You Are Hired: Resume Edition Volume 1: 10 Tips to Rock Out Your Resume and Land an Interview. And the follow-on which is 10 Tips to Rock Out Your Interview and Land Your Dream Job. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing. Let's talk about your EPIC framework. I kind of mentioned that in the intro. It is so epic. I think it could be really transformational for those who are in the job market, right? Envision, position, influence, and cultivate. Can you kind of walk us through that model and explain how it helps leaders move into their next role?

Yes, it goes beyond resume writing. It's not about resume writing or anything like that. It's actually positioning. And so what I have learned over the years of being a heavy resume writer and career development, um, uh, producer, it's about really beyond that because I go through so many different steps to help them get to that level. I had to put it into a framework. So I'm now to the place that I'm only looking at doing EPIC, and it's about envisioning and getting clear. So that's about what do you really want to do? Have you even sat down and even thought about it? A lot of them don't because they're desperate to find a job, the ones who are just unfortunately laid off, and they haven't even sat down. They just want to go back into the same thing because that's what they do. I said, well, you weren't happy over there anyway. Why do you want to go back? So I work with getting them clear, and then from that clarity is very strategic on how we're going to position them. So then it goes to the P, positioning. Now that we're clear on where you want to go, that makes sense. Now, if you were engineer and now all of a sudden you want to be a surgeon, a brain surgeon, that's probably not the best way. We're not doing that. But I want to be strategic in taking your skill set and making sure— so now we're going to position you. So the positioning is not only on the documents, it's about how do you show up as well. How do you even become visible to be seen as that person that you want to be? And it's so funny, just dropped in my head, because you have have to see what you want to be. That's so true. Yeah, I just thought about that. But you have to do that. So it's about positioning. And then when you get into the I, it's about influence. How can you influence what you want to say? Being a thought leader in your space, you at the senior leader level, you should have some thoughts about something.

Yes, yes.

And they're so scared to put it out there. So I'm like, no, you have a lot of knowledge. You have built this knowledge over years. So you need to be thinking about that. So how do you influence people to say, Yes, I know what I'm talking about. So doing that and also influencing them also in the interview. So when you get into the interview, how do you do that? And then the C is about culminating all of that, cultivating that. Okay, now that I've done all of this work, how do I make sure that I am cultivating these relationships, networking pool, to make my job search even stronger? And then developing a, a 30, 60, 90-day plan that's strategic for that one job or two jobs that you're interviewing for that you know you've got to land. And them that, and then they can use that inside the company. Because once they land the job, I don't drop you off. So I'm like, okay, so now I'm going to work with you for the next 30, 60, 90 days to make sure that you're making a serious impact when you get in there so you can ask for another raise. Oh, I'm giving all my secrets. And that is if you're driven by making sure that you're getting paid for your work. Like, I have one doctor, she said, I want to do this hard work and they're paying me the same. That's what we're going to do. So we went down that road, but it's about those steps and getting clear on what you want to do. So that is also individual, that it's like you got to really think about who you are as an individual, who you want to be, because you can do it. I don't care what age you are. You could be a late, um, 55, 57, 60 and still get that opportunity. Or you 30-year-old say, you know, I need to start doing this now. And what age you are, what stage you are, It can be done.

Wow. That is really, really powerful. Thank you so much for sharing that. And earlier you mentioned LinkedIn. I know back in the days, Facebook was really the biggest social media site out there, but for professionals today, it looks like LinkedIn has definitely taken over. So when we talk about personal branding and LinkedIn presence, how should leaders think about that in a way that reflects authentic leadership? Rather than just self-promotion?

Oh, that is a great question. Number one, their profile has to be their walking billboard to what impact they make. Not braggadocious, because I see people lead out, I'm the CEO of X, Y, and Z. Oh, so what does that mean to me? What impact are you making? So that, that's part of branding. Then it's about if you have something that you can share that's in your industry I'm not talking about industry, your proprietary secrets in your company. Never do that. I always talk about that. You don't want to do that, but you have knowledge. How can you share that knowledge to be seen as someone that's serious in your space? Can you talk about that and what impact? Because that is also softly showing that, uh, presenting yourself for those opportunities that you can get tapped on the shoulder in your inbox. You're not sharing your value and showcasing what you know. For that next great opportunity? How do you even know that next great opportunity is even out there? So to be active in those type of spaces to showcase what they want and not hide. And many leaders put a profile out there because they were told to do it. Then they ghost it. They don't even act, be active with it. They don't do any of those things. And I'm like, you have to be active with that because that's going to show up. And if you don't go, if you Google yourself, and you're not showing up as in your LinkedIn, it's the number one thing that, that Googles you, then there's an issue with your LinkedIn profile. Wow. Because you're not doing what you need to do to strategically position yourself for opportunities. You can be, uh, in a collaboration with someone. You could consult with someone.

Yeah.

You could be an advisor. You could start your own business. It's, you could be a speaker. It's so many different things with your knowledge. It's like, how do you take your knowledge that right in the center and then just kind of break off and do things. What can we do to make sure that you're valuable? And here's another thing, Bob, I know this is not part of your question, but when I position people like that, they should never fear about getting laid off in their job. Never. Because they have built the career portfolio that they need to be marketable to anything. And that's why I make sure I work with them.

Well, we are speaking to the Get Hired Strategist Coach Nicolette Barrett. Wow. So for everybody listening, again, I'm going to plug it one more time. You Are Hired: Resume Edition Volume 1, 10 Tips to Rock Your Resume and Land the Interview. And then Volume 2, once you land the interview, you rock it out as well, and then you land your dream job. Okay, before we go into the last segment, let me ask you about executive presence. Executive presence in your coaching practice? Because a lot of people kind of talk about this, but how can professionals develop executive presence, especially when they are transitioning, right, from a technical role into a leadership role, or even going from director to vice president or C-level executive? What do you tell them?

It's not just showing up. People think, I'm in the room now, I'mma show up. No, you don't just show up. And that means that we want the executive presence. That is a different story. Now it's about now that you are in this role, they are looking for your conversation and your input to be totally different. And it goes back to that business acumen. It's about how do I show up now so that I am a thought leader, a thought leader not only in my industry, but I'm also a thought leader for this organization. So you have to show up with the know-how. The reason it's executive, you have to think like a business owner. You have to become an entrepreneur within that organization. And that's not a bad thing. Understanding all the components to that. So you have to show up with a different language. You have to say things differently. You have to make sure you're mindful of what you're saying and how you're saying it. You have to know the room and the players in the room.. It's so many different components to being present in the room as an executive and those who are aspiring, because that's what I work with, a lot of current and aspiring senior leaders on their way to the C-suite. You need to start developing that muscle now.

Wow.

And it's very individual to that industry and that organization as well.

Powerful. Powerful. All right. For the last segment of the show, we have about, what, 20 minutes or so? So I want to kind of get into your mindset to see what leadership principles have helped you become the woman that you are now. One of the questions I like to ask is, what do you believe is one of the greatest lessons you have ever learned in life, in leadership, in general?

There is an after. There is life after whatever it is. And, and that's what people have to understand, that it's not the end of the world. Yes, things can, uh, you can bounce back, you can, um, be resilient in anything. And that comes with wisdom and age as well, because I have seen things transform for my clients after going through some devastating things, that they are resilient and they can come back and overcome. That's what I have learned. That is the biggest lesson I have learned, is how to overcome, because there is life after whatever devastating thing or So that has happened in my life, lose my mom at such a young age.

Yes.

And, um, it being, being able to overcome that and live on her legacy and even down to job transition, job changes internally, all those things.

Yes.

Wow.

Powerful. And what do you think is the secret of your success, not just in corporate America, but now also as an entrepreneur of what you're doing, helping so many, many people? Successful. Why are you so successful, you think?

I fail forward fast and I know how to get up. I feel— I am not afraid to try something. And I, I like— I teach my coaches and resume writers in my community, I say, y'all, I have spent and wasted money and tried so many things and failed so many things that I teach y'all the way not to do it. So I am, I am a risk taker. I'm huge on risk taking. I am, um, always thinking outside the box. That's again, how my mind works very strategically. Like, okay, I see the whole thing. Let me pull this and pull the trigger and try this. I'm willing to try something. So I think that's one of the biggest reasons I am successful. I'm not afraid to try. I'm not afraid to fail forward because, again, back to my earlier point, there is life after that failure.

Yes.

You just have to be willing to get up. And with a coach like, uh, who like me— not just saying me— coaches, our job is to help them get back up, help them to see a different version of themselves. And so that's what I do for myself. And I am a coach that has had coaches as well, and currently have a, a coach also in a group coaching program that I'm a part of. So it's like, that's what you do. You, you learn how to build that muscle.

That's true. Coaches need coaches too, just like doctors need doctors as well. I, I was going to ask you this later, but let me ask you now. I love this coin. It was given to me by one of my best keepers because one side says success, the other side's failure, right? Success, failure, two sides of the same coin. How has failure shaped your life?

It has shown me that, um, I can, I can come back from something. And it shows me that everything is not easy. Everything is not going to just automatically come to you. You have to put in the reps, you have to put in the time. You— and I just need to do that better with my workout, but it's another story. But yeah, you have to, you have to put in the time and the to really do it. So it taught me how to have a work ethic and a belief in myself that I can do this. That failure may be a pause, a step back, but it's not a no forever. It's just how do I come from a different perspective, a different angle to get it to a win that I'm happy with.

Powerful, powerful. I like that. And, um, is there maybe What is one of the greatest fears you've ever had to overcome?

Oh, let me see. Oh, what's the greatest fear that I had to overcome? I think one of— well, I would say that people try to instill fear of me being an early retiree. Last year was not a great year for my business, for people of course who lost their jobs, who were scared. My business in revenue did literally 50% more than the years before.

Wow.

People were like, are you sure you want to retire? Are you sure? You sure you want to do that? Because leaving that comfortable paycheck— and I was making good, and I have a good— it was a great job, good job. And I was like, I am trusting God. I'm going to step out because I know my capability, and because I have built such a great brand and reputation, I'm going to make it do what it do. So it was about jumping out and doing this 100% on my own in the economy.

Yes.

That we were dealt last year. So I would have to say last year was the biggest test and say, and even coming because I'm as of 12/1/2025, I was 100% full time, but I started working as early as, um, September because I had so much PTO. But I was like, I have to make it do what it do and I have to trust my skill set. I have to trust God. And I have to just trust that I can do this.

Wow, congratulations. That is really outstanding. I believe this picture you took it right after your retirement, right?

Yeah, we went to Greece and that was so out of the box for me. I was like, oh my gosh, and a flying dress. And I almost didn't do it. And the ladies kept saying, this is a great thing for you to do for your retirement. You need to do it. And I said, okay. So I literally signed up at the last minute and I went on and did it and I had so much fun. And the guy, he was so so good. And, uh, the lady was like, I'm gonna go ahead and do this. Yes, out the box for me. And I'm a very jovial person, I'll try anything. But doing that, I was like, you know, I'm not no sex symbol, right? That ain't me.

No, but I think it really takes courage though.

Yeah, it actually did, because it was a lot of courage for me to do that.

So where, where do you think that courage comes Awesome.

You know, the ladies who believed in, who know me, and who were actually— it was just sometimes you got to have the right people around you. And it was funny, as my coachee became my coach, like, you know, you need to do this. That's what it is. So she basically coached me back. I was like, okay, I'm your coach. And so therefore, just her providing that platform for us, and shout out— go ahead, shout her out— Jessica Rich. And that's who I'm going Italy with, because it's all about choosing yourself. And I coached her on how to develop her business and things like that. But that's what it is, you know, I have to choose myself. This is something that's not normal, and I— and I had the right people around me to kind of egg me on, and I signed up at the last minute. I went ahead and did it.

That's really powerful, because even early on you said, uh, many people think you are inspirational, and you are. But I guess in, in a certain way, you have to be inspirational to yourself, right? And then Give yourself the right to do what you believe you are called to do and just take that first step. And like you said, the rest is history.

Wow.

Powerful. Okay. So what are you learning now? I know leaders are learners. What have you been learning these days?

I am— you're going to laugh at this. It's kind of my whole thing now. I'm learning everything I can about AI because I know AI can make me better in helping my clients. And, um, and so I'm learning everything I can so I can get a bigger grasp on how to help them navigate within AI and to make sure that, um, I'm leveraging as much as I can to get even deeper into what, how I can help them, especially when it comes down to matching them up with the right jobs and all those things. So I'm learning more about AI and I've already used it as far as the workflows in my business, but not for what I do, trying to see how I can integrate that to make, uh, myself even more valuable because they want to, okay, you should be using AI. Down. So I'm using— making sure that I'm, I'm savvy in that to help my clients. And another thing, I'm laughing already, I've learned everything about scrapbooking because— so now I'm a big scrapbooker. I used to do it years ago, and especially when my daughter was growing up, but then the business took precedent, so I got out of it. But now that I'm down to one job and not two jobs, I just literally finished my scrapbook shed. And it was a whole shed in this house that we purchased where the guy used to do wood birds, and so we cleaned Now it's my scrapbook shed, my craft shed, and I'm getting back to learning how to do it because I haven't scrapbooked in almost 20 years now.

Wow.

Relearn it. So I watch AI videos and I watch scrapbooking videos, but I am signed up for a UTD course that they offer to their graduates about how to learn AI. So I'm telling you, clients, I'm getting even sharper for y'all.

Wow. So as an executive coach and a career strategist, let's talk about AI a little bit because it's pretty much transforming every single industry across the board. And some people are really afraid AI is going to take away their job. How do you see that? What's the impact of AI in the job search of the people you coach today?

I tell people AI is not coming for your job, only if you don't know how to leverage AI for your job.

Job.

So you have to learn it, just like me. People like, well, what— one of my first interviews, people like, well, AI is writing resumes. Yeah, and they janky too. No. So I said, no, they're not going to replace me because, um, AI, yes, it can write a resume, but it cannot write a great resume. And one of the, um, young men I was working with, and I said, I said, well, I said, we're looking at his resume. He said, yeah, I did it. He was so excited. I did it all with AI. I said, because this resume was written from the '90s. I like this anymore. I said, this objective statement is all about you. No. And so it's about, um, positioning. So I'm telling them in their careers, they have to grasp it. One of the things that is being struggled at the company that I just left, the people are not willing to adapt to AI. And when you're not willing to adapt to AI, yes, your job will be taken away because they want people, even in job descriptions now, they want people to know how to leverage And it's about to make you more productive, to make you better at your job. Just like for me, it's going to make me more productive in what I do and offer to my clients and more, even more impactful. Taking all of my knowledge, just like I just gave an example of taking the AI and dumping all of my knowledge into it to help me organize the book.

Mm-hmm.

You know how long it took me to write those books? It took me forever to write those books from scratch. Now I have a tool that will help me organize my thoughts to make me get this book book, uh, done quicker. Took like 2 years to get done, 2 years or so. It doesn't take that long anymore. So I will warn them, they have to get into learning how to use AI to make them better at their job. It's not going to take it away. Refuse to adapt, just like email, we all had to adapt to that. Just like the computer system and the internet, we all had to adapt to that. Have to be adaptable. Everywhere.

Powerful. So inspiring. So let me ask you this. If you could choose 3 people to have dinner with, they could be alive, dead, or even fictitious characters, who would you choose and why?

The first one would be my mom because she died suddenly and did not get to see how we evolved. That would be the first person. I'd be like, Mama girl, we did this, we did that, just to be able to have have that conversation. So she will be the very first person. Next person will be Mr. Lovelace, Leroy Lovelace, from the Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago, 244 East Bergen Road. I would tell him— he used to call me Peanut, and that because I'm short, and I, I used to, you know, the— my personality was just like that in high school. And I mean, I was walking around the whole high school taking over. And so he would call me, sit down, little Peanut, Peanut. So my name was Peanut, and some of my classmates still call me Peanut. I said, don't call me Peanut. But you know, the fact that he was so, um, influential— the school was a very rough school, and, um, he was— he made a big influence on a lot of us in our writing skills. And so that's how to take our writing to that next level. And so I would want to talk to him and say, you know what, Mr. Lovelights, it worked. And he'd be like, yep, Peanut, I told you it would. But anyway, produce a lot of writers out of that class, and people wouldn't think that from being a school in the hood that he produced a lot of writers out of that class. And I think, let me see, the next person that I would, I'm not sure my third person. It's so many people, it's hard to narrow it down. I probably want to, I think I would probably want to talk to Nikki Giovanni. And it's because she's a writer, she's a poet. I tried my hand at poetry. I was okay. Anyway, nah, I will, because she was also an activist and also really into her writing. So I think I would want to sit down and have a conversation with her.

Powerful. Now, uh, outside of your books, right? We've already talked about, uh, your books, You Are at Volume 1 and Volume 2. What is one book you would recommend to my audience?

Oh, that's a good one. Oh, I have so many. Um, you know what? The book that I have been recommending to everybody is, um, The Compound Effect. The reason I've been recommending that book, because it talks about everything, your whole life. The Compound Effect. I think it's Dave, uh, Henry, um, yeah, I think it is. That is one of my— yeah, book.

You—

yeah, you got it. Oh yeah, because it talks about—

by Darren Hardy.

Yes. Oh yeah, Darren Hardy. Yes, Darren, shout out to you. I recommend that book because it talks about your life, because the more you do those baby steps, they will compound. And I tell people, people look at me and my business now and they, they just marvel. I said, but y'all, I've been doing this, these baby steps for so long. It's just that now people see me as this big deal, and I'm like, no, this is little Nikki over here, the peanut. Yeah, I just took these steps and compounded that. So when people marvel at what I do now, it's, it's not as marveling to me. And I also think about DJs because TD Jakes said this one thing before. People see all of this now, but they don't remember when we We used to set up the chairs in a rented space every Sunday. So people don't understand the background. So that Compound Effects talks about financial habits, career. It talks about everything. So because if you start now, it will compound into something better. And going back to my exercise program, I'm trying to get better, Bob. So I got to compound that strength training so that it's more strong. Because at my age, women, hear me. We need to build muscle. Walking is fine, but you need to build that muscle. But anyway, it helps holistically. So that is probably the number one book that I always talk about. I recommend to people.

And that's very powerful.

Yeah.

Brian Hardy is one of my primary mentors. I'm being coached by him now. He's just awesome. And one thing he really taught me was, you know, the big difference between those who are successful and those who are not. They both know what they need to do. But people who are successful, they do what they need to do. To do when they need to do it, whether they feel like it or not.

And that's what I have done.

Yeah, yeah. They also don't feel like doing it, but they force themselves to. Yeah, it does compound. Wow, powerful. So is there maybe a song, a book, or a movie that would be your life's theme or anthem?

Oh, I don't know. Yeah, I thought you're gonna ask my favorite movie. People crack up about my favorite movie. They still can't believe it's my favorite. You know what, my favorite movie is Wayne's World.

Wayne's World, okay.

And you know why I love that movie? It was so cheesy. Number one, it was filmed in, um, Aurora, Illinois. And of course, being in Illinois, and I know I'm familiar with the area, but it was cheesy because they were cheesily marketing everything.

Yes, yes.

And so therefore, the way they did it, they were like— so I'm thinking, and it taught me also that you have to get yourself in front of people in order for people to know what you do because your impact is powerful and what you say and what you offer needs to be in front of as many people as you possibly can get it in front of. I even thank you for this opportunity because even one nugget that I said, if it can help anybody, I've done my job regardless. And that's what it's about. So I love that movie because I crack up. I could watch that movie so many times. So I guess maybe that could be— maybe I could call it Nicolette's World. I don't know. Yes, that's a good question. Maybe I could look at some themes and try to figure out how could that be my, my theme life, because it's about, you know, doing it that you want to do, getting— and also getting in front of people and going after what you really want. I know he was going after the one that he wanted, but it's about anything, right?

Wow, that is powerful, powerful, powerful. So, uh, if you had one and only one day to live, what would you have liked your final contribution to be?

Oh, wow.

That I could leave a word or a sentence that would take that next person to the next level. I will ponder on what would that statement be to take a person from A to Z so they can get to where they want to go. I want it to be that impactful and that deep, not A to B. I want to take them from A to Z. So I will want to think about what can I say to help that person to get from where they are now to where their future self is calling them.

Wow.

Powerful. So if you had like a magic wand and you could solve any problem in the world, what is the one problem you'd like to solve first thing tomorrow?

I would like to solve people not understanding their value so they can actually do a job that they love to do, and the company benefits because they have a happy employee. So it's, it's twofold. It's not only helping the person land the role, but it's the win of the company landing the person that's going to do them— do right by them because they're happy to be there and doing that job. It's a win-win.

Yes. Now, if you had the ear of every woman, let's say Black woman in America, who aspire to become an executive, uh, what would you tell them to do tomorrow morning?

Start chronicling who they are and who God says they are. Don't listen to nobody else. I— when I built this business, Bob, I put the blinders blinders on. Yeah, I didn't look at my competition over here, my competition over there. And I tell all my, my community, I said, we're not competitors because I can't write all the resumes in the world, neither can I coach everybody in the world. So therefore, there's those for me. So they need to put the blinders on. Don't look at the girlfriend that's getting this over here, that girlfriend doing that over there, that homeboy. I don't care. Put your blinders on and get deep about who you are. Sit with yourself. Sit in silence and let it come to you.

Run your own race.

That's it.

Powerful. All right, all good things come to an end. We've already run out of time. Uh, what can we do to add value back to you, Coach Nicolette?

Oh, that's number one. Um, give me a recommendation to say this was great, you know, comment or whatever. Recommendations are huge because it helps me reach more customers and clients. And book a call so we could talk about your next opportunity. I have free, uh, strategy calls that we talk through and help you think through what you want to do. And if it makes sense to invest in the next step, great. And I'm also running, um, a masterclass, and I'm talking about the— okay, it's marketing, uh, the modern job search, um, uh, market, just trying to uncover the hidden job market. I'm really talking about strategy, so you will want to be there. It's a free masterclass, and it's live only, meaning that that. There's no automatic replay or anything like that because I want people in the room. I want people to actually take notes. I want them to take the information and really apply it. And if they want to go to the next step, I am going to offer a, um, it's not going to be a 7-day challenge this time. People said we need 14 days. They loved it. They said, well, we need more time because I was on them. They said, this is great information. It's a lot, but, but they understood it. They said we— the feedback Okay, let's do 14 days. So I'm gonna offer a 14-day challenge to implement what I, um, teach on the, um, 75-minute masterclass. And there's baby steps and there's low-ticket investments, but I'm really on a mission to really help people. And if they want to just jump past all that, say I only need you, then that's when we can go through the Epic program and even one of the career packages.

So they can go to irockresumes.com and up right now.

And you know, another thing about— we're transitioning to— we're in a major rebrand. So I'll be taking on my formal name of IROC Development Solutions because we offer not only, um, executive, um, the EPIC program for individuals, B2C. We also offer leadership coaching for companies and also fractional talent advisory and consultancy. And so that's going to be probably the the next 30 days, they'll see a new website that's going to be about iRock Development Solutions. But iRock Resumes is still a name and it's already trademarked and branded and worth a lot of money. So it's going to automatically always go back to whatever website that's there. So we're moving into the B2B, uh, realm. So I have more capacity and time now, and I can say yes to companies, uh, wanting me to come out to, uh, do consulting and advising for their talent pool.

That is really, really, really powerful. Here you are, the only Black woman in a room full of—

yeah, yeah, that was it. And that was all C-suite people. They invited me to come and share with them on how to get their LinkedIn and how to position them. And I was like, oh, I didn't expect it. And they're all men. I did not expect that, but I was like, oh, but yep, they wanted me.

And then, and they know, so I was thankful to, um, that's, uh, grace and favor. That's That's powerful. So is there a question I should have asked you, Coach Nicolette, I didn't get to ask before we end the show?

No, I think we've covered a lot. And, um, and, um, just my heart is just— my heart is for, for individuals and the— well, actually career professionals and the companies to hire them to be made matches in heaven. Because yes, and the companies can have better employees if they knew what to look for. And employees knew how— know how to be better employees if they knew what kind of company to look for.

Yes.

So it's out there. She said we got to move people around, if that makes sense. People are working in all the wrong positions at the wrong companies, and that's why companies struggling, and that's why employees are struggling. There's a mismatch. And if I can just multiply myself and get that message out, that's one of the things that I will really want to make sure that people know. It is possible Yes, powerful.

Okay, the last question I have for you, if I may. I normally say 17 years old, but I'm gonna go back to this youngest picture I have of you. I think it's gonna be more meaningful knowing everything you know today, right? If you could go back and give a piece of advice to this young girl right here, I guess, what did they call you? Little P, whatever.

Yeah, Peanut.

Peanut, Peanut, right. So I want you to talk to Peanut, knowing everything you know now and this incredible career you've had in corporate America and now your own business. What would you say to Peanut?

Your teachers are right, because my, my teachers, especially when I was— my, my elementary school was smack dab in the middle of the projects. It's no longer there, they closed now. That's a whole nother story, but it's called Daniel Hale Williams School. They, uh, and so there they told us knowledge was power. And so we didn't have anything, we were poor, you know, uh, we didn't have— most of us didn't have fathers in the home. And so they just told us that that was the ticket. So I kind of had to follow that ticket and believe them. And I just made sure I did my best in school, showed up, tried not to make any, uh, waves or anything. Now when I got to high school, I wasn't a good student, uh, but I had to get myself back together by the time sophomore year came because I wanted to have fun anyway. So, um, but yeah, so just believe the teachers and do what they're— because they have the best— I'm the ones who had the best interest. I didn't— I, I can't say some people have teachers who don't feed into them. I was blessed to have teachers, all colors, to feed into me, said, Nichole, you can do this if you put your mind to it, because knowledge is power. And I took that and I said, okay, Okay, and that's what I did. I leveraged that to be able to even get to me now because I am a book nerd. I love the library, I love learning, and so hence all the certifications that I have because knowledge is power and nobody can take that away from you. And I would tell that little girl, nobody can ever take your mind.

Wow.

They can't take your, your power of knowledge. They can't take that away from— they could take a job, then you lose your home, you could lose all the things, but your mind and your, your knowledge, no one can take that away from you.

Powerful. Get an education. Nobody can take it away from you. Wow. That is powerful. Thank you so much. Okay. All good things come to an end. Maybe one of the last questions I'm going to ask is what inspires you today?

My family. Yes, my family. Yep. And I'm raising a young woman right now.. And, uh, my family, my husband, senior pastor, he, you know, he's, uh, and I don't just say that just because he's my husband. He is a powerful preacher and teacher, has been for years. And, um, he's been pastoring like, oh shoot, he was pastoring when we were— I was a pastor's fiancée, but he got called to pastoring.

Wow.

Only an associate, then all of a sudden he became a pastor. I said, wait, wait, wait, I don't want to, I don't want to sign up for all of this.

Yeah.

Yeah. So yeah, so I would say say that.

Powerful. And, uh, what is something you are feeling optimistic about in 2026?

Oh my gosh, this— the, the job market is opening up and people are being more comfortable. So I'm telling people, I even did a, um, I think of an article, um, one of my newsletters. I said, don't believe— I said there are jobs out there because people— that's another thing I'm going to teach them about, how to find those jobs that people don't think about. So there are jobs out there, you just got to know where to look. So I want people to be optimistic that the opportunity for them is out there. They just got to put in the work. Yes, they got. And people, you can't, you can't look for your, the, your, the job that's meant for you by being lazy. You have to put in the work. And so I want people to be understanding that it's out there for them if they're willing to put in the work. And sometimes it takes an investment to do it. You have to be willing to get— if you want a half million dollar salary and you balking about investing couple thousand dollars into it, you ain't my client.

Yes, yes.

But if you're willing to invest and get that, um, um, salary that you want, it'll come back to you. I've seen it. I have a lot of recommendations people can see too, and they can talk to them at any time and find that out for themselves.

Wow. Yeah, because for a lot of us, we really need accountability, and that's what I like with coaching, right? Because sometimes you talk with your coach and then you set the time in the future and it's like, oh, I'm gonna meet with my coach tomorrow, I better do something Right? So it just keeps you accountable and taking action. And the more action you take, I think the greater your chances of success. So thank you. Thanks. Thanks so much. The very, very last question I have for you, Van, is one word that represents our shared experience on this podcast today.

Absolutely phenomenal. For me to be able to sit back and be able to share my heart, what I want to do, what I'm looking forward to do, and also having people to believe in the next step. You brought that out of me and I appreciate your your whole platform of doing this, because it's about helping leaders get to that next level and showing the value of what we coaches can do beyond the AI. Because AI can only— and AI has already been proven, it's going to tell you what you want to hear anyway. When I get you on the phone, I'm going to tell you what you need to hear. So thank you so much for this platform and bringing that out of me, because some of the things I didn't even think about and start laughing about, even Wayne's World. Like, yes, I'm gonna talk about Wayne's World over here.

Actually, what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna find the trailer for that movie and I'm gonna I try to teach people to watch it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is my jam. I'm telling you, I can watch it over and over and over again.

Fantastic. Thank you so much, Coach Nicolette Barrett, for being one of our master teachers today. And again, for everyone who need to hire her, say LinkedIn.com/NicoletteBarrett, and of course, her website, iRockResumes.com. Thank you so much.

Thank you as well, Bob. Thank you for the opportunity. Bye, everyone.

All right, everybody, this is one for the book. And again, make sure to get a copy of a two-book series, right? You Are Hired, Volume 1: From Resume to Landing the Interview, and Volume 2: From the Interview to Landing Your Dream Job. All right, like everybody knows, we started celebrating Black History Month in February, 28 days only. So we decided to celebrate Black History Year, right? Every single day on this platform, we are going to celebrate Black History because that is American history. So two quick things. So one is I kind of have two vignettes, right? One is that I like to think of a date in the past, like today, right, is March 16th. So what happened in our history? Well, March 16th, 1995, you are not going to believe this. Mississippi. Oh, Mississippi. So 1995, March 16th, Mississippi became the very last state in the Union to approve the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. But then it took another 18 years to ratify it. So it wasn't until 2013 where Mississippi finally ended slavery in the not-so-great state of Mississippi. I used to live in Alabama. One running joke there was, "Thank God for Mississippi." And the reason why we said that as Alabamians Union is because if it wasn't for Mississippi, Alabama would be the very, very last state in the Union. So we can do better than Mississippi. Okay, because of that, I am gonna play just a very, very short clip. I mean, it's really shocking. It's only 13 years ago that Mississippi officially ended slavery. Wow, that is unbelievable. Okay, and then the other thing is I am going to be talking about efforts either in the military or in technology, and today we are going to talking about aviation. So she retired as a Lieutenant Commander, but she is the very, very first Black female Navy pilot. That's Brenda Robinson, the first African-American woman to earn U.S. Navy wings of gold. So I'm going to play a short clip about this. She really opened up the door for a lot of women to get in the Navy and all of the other services and become pilots. It as well. All right, we're going to end with these two quick clips, and I'm going to be back actually in about— it's going to be about 2:30 PM, so in about 2 and a half hours, and I'm going to be speaking next today. I will have the great pleasure of speaking with Delicia Odo, and Delicia Odo is a pathway builder, equity advocate, and a civic innovator, and I believe she just earned got voted in as a council member in the Atlanta area. So we're going to be talking about building pathways, how Delicia Odu is expanding opportunity in education, in cybersecurity, and in public service. So that's going to be in about 2.5 hours live again on LinkedIn and YouTube. So hope to see you there. Bye for now.

For UMC researcher Dr. Ranjan Batra, it started after he saw the movie LinkedIn. It made him wonder about Mississippi's vote on the 1865 battle to abolish slavery. He found an asterisk in the federal record. Mississippi had not officially ratified the vote. In essence, Mississippi had not approved the end of slavery.

And I thought, this is really ridiculous.

He told Ken Dale Sullivan, a coworker at UMC, who started working to change that.

Mississippi did take it up in 1968. 1995. It was, it was voted on with the help of the Secretary of State.

The measure was just officially recorded in Washington. 148 years after the 1865 vote to abolish slavery, Mississippi became the last of what was then the 36 states of the Union to ratify the end of slavery. After lawmakers approved the measure in 1995, the next step was to send it to the Secretary of State's office, and then the Secretary of State's office was sent into the the feds. That's where the problem popped up. Then Secretary of State Dick Mulpus's office didn't send the paperwork to the National Archivist in Washington.

Dick Mulpus said, uh, of anything to miss, this was the one I wish I hadn't missed. And, uh, I think it just fell through the cracks for whatever reason.

Senator Hillman Frazier was the author of the resolution vote in '95. He says it is a bit of an embarrassment that the final work wasn't finished, but it is now.

We have It's history we can't run from. We have to look at our history and learn from it and go forward. It's all over, Dave. What I've done, what Ken has done, is really just dotting an I or crossing a T, but I think it's an important I to dot and an important T to cross. I don't think it was any dark plot or any kind of plan to not get this done. I think it was just an error, and I'm just glad that it's corrected.

Sullivan says it is a piece of Mississippi history Mississippi history we can all put behind us now. And a bit of irony, the measure was recorded by the feds February 7th. The official paperwork arrived in Sullivan's mailbox on Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

Brenda Robinson, the director of Aviation Camps of the Carolinas, is with me now. Brenda, welcome to BNC. We are so glad to have you.

Thank you, Brittany. Appreciate it.

So, Brenda, well, first off, Brenda, you have an impeccable resume, unmatched. First Black woman to earn your wings of gold as a naval aviator, second woman in history to carrier-qualified landing a plane on the USS America, a number of accolades. And Brenda, we truly salute you tonight. You are representing for all of the ladies. What's your career been like for you being a woman of a number of firsts?

Well, it's delightful that you could go to school, study something that you really enjoy, for which for me was aviation, and then be able to— the word I was looking for was allowed— be able to actually do something in the profession that you studied. So aeronautics was a degree that I got. I was able to go into the Navy and become a Navy pilot, but believe it or not, or or maybe it's not unbelievable, that the door was not open to women or even minorities to go into naval aviation. The law had to be changed. We had to take folks away from denial that it was a problem to anger that this is not fair, this is not right, to finally that they would actually make to make this available and happen. So the wheels of progress move very slowly, and I'm not saying that all of those things happened in one year. Those things don't happen for 50 years. Like, it took 20 years for anyone to even know that I got my wings in 1980. So I'm proud of what I achieved. I'm just happy that I was able to move forward in a career that I loved. I already knew at 9 years old that this was the career that I loved and I wanted to pursue that. And it was extraordinary that I was allowed and able to actually do that.

I love that you say able, and that's the magic word there for sure, because we're still making a number of firsts, right? So, you know, talk about a little bit about— you mentioned when you were 9 years old, where did your love for flying begin and how are we as Black women now represented in the aviation industry?

Yeah, at 9 years old, as a matter of fact, my father was interviewed one time and asked him where did I get this aviation desire since there's no one in our family. My father wasn't in aviation at all. No relatives in aviation, but yet, that was my interest. So when they asked him where did I get it from, he just looked at them and says, I have no idea. It just grew out of her that that's what she wanted to do. And then when I was 9 years old, I looked into aviation. Women weren't flying, as far as I knew. And so it wasn't like, oh darn, I can't be a pilot. It was like, no question about it. I wasn't going to be a pilot. Let me see what I could do and get into airplanes. So of course, being a flight attendant was probably the only way that I was going to do that. But because I had the opportunity to visit an airport and go into the air traffic control tower, which is why I have the camp, I went into the tower, I looked around, and it took me less than a minute to decide this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life. Just tell me which way I need to go in order to train for that, because I never even knew that this existed. And that, that's how I got started.

In it.

Now, other women, as, you know, as time goes by and you see that there are women in aviation, women can step from wherever they are into just private pilots, you know, learning how to fly the airplane as a private pilot, which is where everybody starts. So it's just, it's just wonderful that it is not a question or, are you sure you want to get into an airplane? And fly it. You know, if a young woman wants to go into aviation, she'll go and get her private pilot's license, and it's no longer a question, "Are you sure?" It's like, you know, "What do I need to do in order to get to that point?" So I'm very happy to see that.

We are so happy that you were able to do that as well. Were there any challenges that you faced, and any last message you would send to folks who are are other women who are hoping to come behind you and do just what you did?

Well, of course, one foot in front of the other. But I felt as though worrying about the folks that were maybe— I don't know what word I can use for that— that were disturbed that you were there is just a distraction. So what you have to do is just really concentrate on the job that you're trying to do because quite frankly, that's enough work right there by itself. You don't really need to deal with pampering other folks and making them feel better about your being there. Your job is to study and learn as much as you can, and it is doable. I had a chat with someone just recently. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it is so doable. All you have to do is keep moving forward and you can be successful in it, aviation or anything else that you choose to go.

Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.