Story Series #2 - The Room You Are in - Nicole Hill's Journey

Nicole caught my eye and ear right away in the first meeting we were in together through our shared connection to the Downtown Chico Business Association (I am an employee and Nicole is the chair of marketing on our board). She welcomed each individual warmly and I could see immediately that she genuinely cared about the success of the meeting and how everyone felt. This theme ran strong through the conversation I had with Nicole weeks later. Her story is engaging, relatable, and inspiring but beneath it all, she just wants to make people feel like they are a part of something.

Nicole is a Chico native, she went all the way through college in the area and incidentally never left. She was very close to her parents and said that’s where she got her hardworking attitude. Her mom worked for the same company for many years and she sort of grew up there and watched it change. Her dad on the other hand had a more varied career path and from him, she learned flexibility and how to grow into new workplaces. Lessons she fuses together in her job now. When it came to her own career young Nicole had plenty of ideas but not necessarily a “dream job,” she pondered “Who dreams of working?”. She was a dancer for many years however, and like many little girls, a ballerina career was a dream early on. Through wisdom and age, she realized however, that she simply wanted to “connect with people” a discovery and definition that was harder to come by than pointe shoes and tutus.

Nicole’s maternal grandfather was, as a matter of speaking, one of her first role models in what would eventually become her career path. She told me that he always hosted fun parties with lots of people and she loved meeting and connecting with new folks through him. “He lit up a room and just knew how to make people happy”. Examples like this and inspiration followed Nicole through her college career. She weighed the options of going away for school but in the end, decided on Butte College for two years, and after that, it was Chico State that rose above the competition for schools she could transfer into for their superior program in her major. The lower cost of living was appealing and she could stay close to her family. Again Chico pulled through and kept her close. Though near home Nicole said she engaged in college, had what she called the full college experience, and got out of her shell, a journey she recommends to anyone choosing to go to college.

When I asked her to trace back to an inspirational moment that changed her career, Nicole spoke with a smile about the professor of her InterCultural Communications Class. He taught with real-life examples, using pictures from his own travels, the people he met, and the adventures he went on, to instruct the class. Nicole recounts feeling moved by his stories and lessons. It helped her realize that more than anything she wanted to "connect with people in meaningful ways" like her professor, and that day she went down to the office to declare her major, Communications Studies.

Nicole lit up and gushed on about Stoble and Stoble Workplace when I asked her to explain her current job. She described the daily tasks of the Events and Communications Manager (her official title) at Stoble. Tasks including various marketing for their events and the business itself, social media accounts across the board, the website, and many more. Her initial remark was "It's interesting", she described that in a small business, one can find themselves wearing many hats which has its pros and cons. But Nicole said with Stoble she doesn't need to worry much and she has a strong team. Her proudest professional accomplishment was the 2-day holiday pop-up market at Stoble when she first started. She LOVES the Christmas season and being able to bring people together and help them make connections. She said even the seating chart was exciting and she loved seeing the vendors chat throughout the market. “Human connection and supporting your community is so much more important than free shipping on Amazon,” Nicole remarked. Her pop-up markets have continued on and thrived since then. Nicole is also very involved in the co-working side of Stoble. “It’s like a gym--but for working instead of working out. You can drop in for the day or sign up for monthly memberships. It's made up of remote workers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, local companies, and people who travel. They all come here to work, experience the community here, and hopefully, try new coffee!". It was obvious from her tone that Nicole feels she has found her community here and her purpose in bringing these people together.

Nicole always knew she wanted to do something she could feel good about, this was the main theme throughout our conversation. She believes that the best way to find fulfillment and passion for what you're doing is to truly believe in the company you are working for. Feeling fulfilled is the most important part of any job for her. It's not all about vacation, pay, or all the shiny things some companies offer, it's about being inspired and growing. Nicole told me, and this really moved me, that if you don’t feel like you are doing something that matters, you aren't inspired, or you aren’t growing, then you are in the wrong room. Mr. Rogers was an inspiration to Nicole–his spirit and lessons taught her that it's not just about changing the world, it's about affecting the room you are in, and the people around you, making them happy, and making connections.

When I asked what advice Nicole had for women in the workplace she mirrored the room concept she touched on earlier. Nicole noted that one of the hardest parts of her professional career so far was deciding when and how to leave her previous job. She stated, "I stayed far longer than I should have. I felt like I hit the ceiling of learning and any opportunity for growth long before leaving, but continued to think that that's just a part of a career path. Highs and lows, ebbs and flows." The only problem...between the pandemic and struggles with self-doubt, it was a bit too easy to make excuses to not leave.

Nicole said she sees the same thing in women around her every day. Society often and unfortunately teaches women to find pride in staying in relationships--both personal and professional such as a job, that isn’t a good fit for them or where they feel like they’re trying to fix something fundamentally broken. Taking the leap from her last job was especially hard for Nicole because what was next for her was fairly unknown. The concept of Stoble had popped across her screen one day, and "I immediately wrote down my name and email address on their Workplace interest list and thought, why not? I'd always loved the idea of coworking spaces and was so excited to be a part of it in any way possible, even just as a member." From there, she toured the space and immediately connected with the management and owner team there--quickly finding herself with a job offer. But, it took some bravery and a leap of faith to leave her current job for a 10-hour-a-week position. Luckily for Nicole, she hit the ground running and was full-time within a month. She recognized her privilege in having a strong community and a safety net to fall back on, but nonetheless, it was difficult. She noted, changing the room you’re in can be challenging, but recognizing it, knowing you deserve better, and being brave enough to actually find a new room is what counts. Nicole also touched on the fact that she had to learn to speak up, and ask questions, in most cases, “the worst that can happen is they say no.” She wants women to be able to speak their minds and in their own style--women shouldn't have to adopt a masculine style of communication to be successful. Rapport-building and traditionally "feminine" communication styles are just as important as other communication styles, sometimes, even more so.

Nicole’s advice to her ten-year-old self was to come to terms with the idea of “community over competition” and how to build meaningful friendships and connections. This also falls in line with her mission statement (I’m starting to see how organized Nicole’s ethos is, everything connects!) that everyone needs to choose to be a good human, “it’s a muscle you need to flex” and it may not always come easy but it’s worth it.

In the end, Nicole wants women and people in general, to be aware of the room they are in and if necessary, change it. If you feel imposter syndrome, disconnected, like you aren’t inspiring change, growing, or learning, and no one is listening to you, it might be time to find a new room and place to spend your time. Nothing against the room or the people, it just may not be a good fit anymore. Do what you love and what feels good and let's build a community of good people together.

Adela Carrillo

Editor of AGIW

Thank you Nicole for sharing your story with us! Next month we hear the tale of a family that is bringing life from across the pond to our NorCal beer drinkers and Emma Martin’s adventure through life so far as a new mom and a strong woman in the workplace.