Episode 125: Changing the world through community service — with Nichelle Walker

TW/CW: Mentions of domestic violence

Nichelle Walker is a passionate community service advocate who encourages people to take responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. She sees community service as a way to find local solutions to national and global problems. Nichelle is also a survivor of domestic violence; her experience further cultivated a need inside of her to give back to others.

During this episode, you will hear Nichelle talk about:

• How her passion for community service started at a young age
• How she believes that even the smallest actions can help the community
• How she learns from the girls that she mentors through BUILT BY GIRLS
• How her experience as a domestic violence survivor led her to change her life and help other people in similar situations
• The community service she has done on a national and global scale, in both the US and UK
• How community service has helped her make new connections and learn about different cultures, despite the isolation of the pandemic
• How her new photography business has opened up new ways for her to give back to her community

Learn more about Nichelle at her website, nichellewalker.myportfolio.com.

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The episode transcript is below.

Carolyn Kiel: Hello and welcome to the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast. I’m your host, Carolyn Kiel and today I’m very happy to have my guest Nichelle Walker. Nichelle has worked primarily in the sales and technology fields throughout her career, which includes more than 20 years of experience in the public sector.

She’s a passionate community service advocate who sees it as a way to find local solutions to national or global problems. Nichelle encourages people to take social responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. Nichelle welcome to the podcast.

Nichelle Walker: Thank you for having me, Carolyn.

I really appreciate it. I’m very happy to be here.

Carolyn Kiel: So happy to have you here today. So, you know, you’ve been passionate about community service really throughout your life, and I believe it started pretty early for you. So tell me a little bit about where that passion comes from.

Nichelle Walker: Well, that passion comes from a couple of different places.

I am an army brat, so I had a. A childhood that was kind of a village. Meaning I got raised by my aunt some, sometimes I got raised by my other aunts, mostly all up and down the East coast and in Germany and my parents kind of instilled that in me, through their service in the military and you know, it would be holidays and Christmas or something, and just think we’re all in Germany and you all miss your family.

So they would all come over. We’d feed their whole battalion and everybody would come and we’d just be a place that would actually help the community. Sometimes we’d go out and serve the community. And then living with my aunt, which is my dad’s sister for a short time. She kind of really put that in me to kind of start like around Martin Luther King’s day, that’s the day of service for our family.

We kind of start, we do it together. And then as we go throughout Black history month, we make sure that we do service that matters. And that would affect the areas that we want to see a change in. So my aunt kind of had a little bit to do with that. My dad, and of course my mom She just was really big on that as well and giving back.

And of course I’m a woman of faith. So in my church community, I also serve for community service. And I’ve been doing that as a kid all throughout my life. And I find community service to be a really good way to give back to the community and to affect change in the areas of diversity, equality, and inclusion through my service that I do.

And I try to do it intentionally to affect the change that I want to see.

Carolyn Kiel:  Mm. Wonderful. So, you know, you mentioned a couple of areas around diversity, inclusion, equality, and equity that you focus on. How do you kind of select the opportunities that you feel will have the most impact in society?

Nichelle Walker: Well, that’s a great question.

What I do to affect the change is I kind of try to handle it at an area and before it starts. So my area that I really want to affect is the area of domestic violence. I am a survivor of domestic violence. And so when I serve to affect change in that area, I would start with serving maybe a younger population so that they have that esteem.

They know what a good relationship looks like, and they can kind of. Kind of adopt those keys to their lives. Like all the stuff I wish somebody had maybe told me when I was younger and maybe I could have avoided that situation, but now I try to serve in ways that get to that situation. And then as well for the people that are

going through that situation still, currently in their life, I try to encourage them. VZ has a really, really great program that we’re doing for volunteering and being able to give back. We want to do 2.5 hours or 2.5 million hours as a company by 2025. And I feel like I can lead in doing that.

So what I’ve been doing is writing letters to some of the domestic violence survivors. And that includes men, women, children, and all of that. Just encouraging them, letting them know that I have personally walked in their shoes and that there is a way to get to the other side and, you know, just a few little things that they can do and some resources and places that I was able to take, you know, comfort in and talk and find those resources that I needed

to kind of bring it back. So I help in that area in the during, and then there’s the after part. Now this part normally comes kind of like me, like I’m a survivor of domestic violence. This part kind of is for either the family of, or the person that’s gone through. And they’re now on the other side because you, do you feel

a need to want to give back to the way or the way that other people gave to you. And so those are the people that I kind of say, Hey, I see you’ve got something and you’ve made it past this. How about trying to serve in a way that you can give back to others? And they’re like, what does that look like?

And then I described the program because there’s Built by Girls. That’s what I do the mentorship through. And then there is a wonderful shelter that I found in New Orleans through an event that we did through VZ to help others to volunteer service. And I’ve become really acclimated with them.

And sometimes if I don’t have the time, I might even go on and just purchase toiletries that the women or the children need sometimes diapers sometimes toothbrushes, sometimes sanitary napkins. It just really depends on the need of the person. And I can send that off. But I’m still doing something, even though I may not have the time to mentor somebody.

So, you know, I pick it off and I do it in that way so that I’m kind of getting it from all the sides and I’m really affecting change. So I’m doing more with the little time that I may have. And, you know, doing it purposefully. And I think that community service can be done in that way, no matter what your cause are, or, you know, your heart throb, that being that you want to go after and whether it’s animals, whether it’s climate control.

I mean, there’s so many things that you can do. And 2020 taught me to do things virtually and kind of, you know, gave me a couple of lemons and I had to make some lemonade and learn how to do all of that. From right here at my house where you’re seeing me now. So. You know, community service is a great avenue to affect change.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And it sounds like you really approach it from a lot of different angles as you were describing sort of before, during and after. And you mentioned built by girls. I’m really interested in that I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer with that organization and but I was very interested to hear you describe it as sort of a way to give back and, you know, in some way, support people around the the

issue or, or challenges around domestic violence. And can you tell a little bit about what that organization is and how it kind of ties together with all that?

Nichelle Walker: Well built by girls is an organization that will partner a young girl and they’re the mentee. And then I would be the mentor, the person that works in technology, or that works in corporate And what you do is you kind of show them a day.

And what kind of like the day looks like to you your day to day activities, things that you’re doing. Some of the people that you might talk to some of the clients and kind of like what your job is like and what it really looks like, not just, you know, how you read a a job post and it gives you all that technical stuff.

It’s that chance to really get in there and to really show the girls what it looks like. And then it gives them a chance to ask you questions about your job. It gives them. A chance to ask you how you got there. Why did you get there? Did you fail before you got there? And to have those honest conversations, because that’s what they’re trying to figure out.

And if you can be honest with them and talk to them and tell them about your experiences, even though their experiences may not be the same, it really is a big resource to the girls. And they get a chance to talk to you and to know you and even network with you. And then there’s three sessions. And on that last session, they ask you to.

Do some introductions. So, because I work with you on the next call that I have, because I’m just getting to a new cycle now, and I haven’t met with her yet, but at the end of that cycle, she’s just looking to find another woman or a person that is actually in that field. And that has some stuff that, you know, maybe she can dig in and ask about.

And it’s really good in that sense that you can do that. Now in my sessions, you know, I had this. Make it a little extra. I have a fourth session and I invite all of the girls that I’ve mentored back together and they get to meet each other. They get to become LinkedIn contacts. And then I give them a certificate because I feel like it was an accomplishment to actually go through a successful mentor session.

And once they actually get through that cycle, they get that from me. And so, you know, it’s just a really. I think a good thing, but I didn’t realize how much I would learn from the girls. I thought that only I had something to share, but even parted a lot on things on me. They’ve kind of made me a little more passionate about what I do and a little more intentional about the service that I’m giving and in the way that I serve too.

So, you know, it’s kind of like a give and a get at the same time,

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And really building that community and you’re right. It’s having, you know, you’re not just sort of checking the box and saying, Oh, I met X number of times with somebody and I fulfilled my obligation, but it’s really building, as you said, being intentional, building that community and.

You know, just being an example who is present in the lives of these young girls. And I’d imagine that that really, that can open up worlds to them, just

Nichelle Walker: that it really has. And I’ve made some really great relationships with them too. But the thing that I like is the networking aspect, too, that the young girls get in meeting someone else.

I don’t know. I don’t think I honestly, in my career started really networking intentionally until about 2019, the end of that year, because you know, as a woman of color, I wasn’t. Not to say welcoming, but just open to telling everybody, you know, who I am and kind of putting my brand out there. I wasn’t as confident in that.

And as I’ve grown, I’ve become really confident in my brand and the things that, you know, I stand for as they started to all balance out and come together which has just been a really, really good thing for me then. Yeah.

Carolyn Kiel: Great. Fantastic. So you had mentioned that you had experienced domestic violence and that a lot of the community service that you give is around supporting and, and prevention and just, you know, helping to, to uplift that community.

What kind of support did you receive during your experience that you found to be just so incredibly helpful to getting you out of that situation?

Nichelle Walker: Wow. Well, that would be a lot of different things. I think that I was very blessed in that situation and that I was able to have a lot of resources, meaning people actually gave me materials knowhow, and I got some counseling at the same time, because that is a time where you need to rebuild and to be able to uplift and to be encouraged by others.

And who you are and who you’re becoming and who you’re changing your life to want to be, because it is, it’s a whole life change. It’s living your life differently intentionally and taking time out for yourself. And it’s also pouring into yourself and figuring out what is it that I’m doing right.

And what’s healthy and what’s not because domestic violence. I can’t say why it happened. To everyone else, but why it happened for me, I had low self esteem and during my time of growing up, I had my parents together. And then once I graduated from high school, kind of like the next day, you know, they kinda went their separate ways.

And that changed everything about how I looked at relationships and how I saw myself in a relationship. And it caused me to pick up a lot of unhealthy habits in relationships. So. It took a lot to get back from that. I had to kind of learn how to communicate effectively. I had to learn how to have a real conversation, which means, you know, you’re talking to somebody right.

Maybe you talk 50% of the time and they talk 50% at the time. And when they’re actually talking, try listening so that, you know, when it is your turn to talk, you have something to say, but all of that was unhealthy for me. So it really took a village of people at, during that time of, you know, going through my divorce because I was married and this happened in my first marriage.

I decided to also go back to college. So, I mean, I got resources there too, because I had to figure out. What to do with my life at that point, when it wasn’t working. And at that point I wasn’t a wife anymore, and I had to figure out what I wanted to do. So I went to school and I got my degree in English education with a licensor to teach.

But throughout that. I actually had to invest some of that time into pouring into me and kind of developing healthy habits. And so once that kind of started and I started on my way and I kind of got comfortable with those things. I then kind of felt like it is a time to serve and to give back. And at first I only started by maybe donating to, you know, wishlist and picking organizations that I wanted to donate to.

And then I think as I got stronger, I was able to talk to some of the women and tell them my story, which they can connect with because their story might be somewhat similar. It might not be, but at least they know that we have that same hurt and they have the ears to hear me then. Sometimes to make changes and sometimes to step back and make changes because it is that type of process when you are helping.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And that’s, that’s powerful. It sounds like there were, as you said, you had a lot of different resources and that you had support from, from others in your community to help with that transition. And that’s important.

Nichelle Walker: Exactly that and support is very, very important for others to be able to have those resources and find those resources and to be able to use them as well.

Sometimes that’s the encouraging part that you have to do is say, you know, this is the right way. This is what you want to do. But this is what you did and how do we get back there? Because sometimes it is actually really talking to them and getting down to the nitty-gritty. And then for that part, I went and got my life coach certification because I needed a little bit more and I needed a way of being able to talk to the women and bringing them back to their cause not what Nichelle would want them to do, but literally the check marks and the benchmarks that they’ve made for their life.

To kind of stick to those to get better.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And then to be able to do that and provide that support in, in a safe way for the person who’s trying to leave the situation. Cause that’s, I imagine that it can, depending on the situation, it can be, you know, very unsafe to extremely dangerous or probably depends.

But so how to apply that during during that challenging time.

Nichelle Walker: Right. And that’s exactly that. And I think. The resources that I was able to find for some of the women, shelters that are in their local areas. And then sometimes you’d have to find a resource in a shelter to find another shelter that’s not posted anywhere just for those safety reasons, because you never know what that woman may be going through.

And sometimes it’s not a woman. Sometimes it’s a child, sometimes it’s a young man that was part of a family and now he doesn’t have a family anymore. And just different things there, you know? Different situations.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I think it’s great that you’re able to share your story with other people who have gone through domestic violence or are going through it at the time, so that it shows them an example of, you know, you were able to, to get out of that situation and really just, you know, change your own life and, and move forward.

And that’s really wonderful. Wow.

Nichelle Walker: I appreciate that.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah, absolutely. And it’s such an important issue to be focused on, especially now because we’re recording this in it’s February, 2021. We’ve been in the throws of the pandemic for nearly a year now in the U S and a lot of people are stuck in situations that are

not good, just bad, you know, family situations and, and domestic violence it can be, you know I think I heard earlier it was on the rise and it’s it’s frightening. It’s, it’s really even more difficult and more important now, probably than ever before to focus on this.

Nichelle Walker: Yeah, I definitely agree because I just couldn’t imagine, you know during the time that I went through it, it’s completely a different situation.

So imagine being, you know, just somebody trying to survive life and trying to go through, and then, you know, this is happening in your home or, you know, or even if it’s not in your home, but where you are, and there’s really not an outlet. There’s not a place to go. There’s not a safe place that you could imagine, you know, just immediately go to you’d have to make plans.

And, you know, there’s all the precautions for COVID and, you know, getting checked in and checked out. But you need a plan in that, in the sense of an emergency. And sometimes. That’s the part of it that I do with women. Sometimes I make plans sometimes I’m that person that they call it one, two, three in the morning and they’re just like, Hey, talk to me right now.

I’m not feeling so well. Or maybe this isn’t where I want to be right now, or I don’t know why I’m here. And those are the cases that I’m just really glad that somebody reached out to me for, and then I maybe can talk you off the ledge and just let you know that you matter. And that. You’re important and that you’re special.

And sometimes that’s what we need, even just during these times of COVID without the domestic violence factor, you just need that moment where you’re pouring into yourself and you’re kind of getting grounded and you go back to your roots and you remember all of the reasons you’re here doing this thing that you’re doing in life, whatever mission it happens to be, whether it’s work or whether it’s service, just actually having

that little anchor, you know, pouring into yourself or a little beacon or something that grounds you. And I definitely suggest that for all people, especially during these times, stay connected.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. These times are challenging. No matter what, what your situation is. And people may think that, Oh, you know, this pandemic is going on.

Like there’s no way I can make a change. There’s nowhere for me to go. There are no resources, but it’s great that you’re there to kind of, you know, maybe it’s it’s different or more challenging than it would be out, not in a pandemic, but at least you’re there to kind of help people find what they need.

Nichelle Walker: Thank you. I think we all have a part or something that we could be doing just for whatever it is that you might have a calling or a heartthrob for. And when I say that we all have areas and things that we care about. So, you know, maybe just do our part just a little bit to touch or to affect change in that area.

And that looks different for anybody that wants to do service.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And I know that’s really one of the things that you believe very strongly in is that you are, you’re an advocate of community service for yourself, but you also encourage other people to make that difference in their community, through community service.

So, you know, sometimes I feel like just looking at. Everything going on in the world. It’s like, how, where do I even start? Like, how can I just one person make an impact on these huge problems that we have in our society. So how do you encourage or suggest that people approach that problem and think about how to make their impact?

Nichelle Walker: Well, that is a good question. The way that I’ve chosen to do that is I joined the women’s association of VZ employees. For years now I’ve been a member and I used to just do, you know, service or just. You know events or different things that I could be a part of, but then I don’t know. I felt like a calling to do more.

So then I joined a committee, which was the community service and STEM committee with VZ. And then I, I don’t know, I, it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to do some more. So then I became the chair of the committee or one of the chairs of the committee. And what I found is that wave was a wonderful organization of women that are.

Serious about some service. And what I mean, is it actually excited me. I mean, they’re really great at the service that they do, and I love the way that they do it, meaning I’m here and I’m in North Carolina and through the events that we were able to do, I helped somebody in New Orleans. I didn’t leave my home.

And I was able to make a genuine connection with some of the people that I started writing. And sometimes we still write back and forth. Some of them have had meetings. Just to meet me and to kind of talk and to find out about some of the resources that I was able to find and maybe to share some resources that they found in their area so that I can kind of network and make a little, you know, notebook for, if I meet somebody that lives in that area, maybe I can send them to that shelter, or maybe we can talk and do things there, but wave has just really opened up global community service for me.

And I never thought that I could say that. I can do community service on a global level, but then we had some people that are from our global wave cause I’m in the Southwest chapter, which covers most of the United States, but we were able to partner with some of UK some of our UK V teamers and they, we were able to kind of help

with what is the activity? The activity was actually walking and saving on gas and it was to help the environment. So for one week when I walked to the food lion, cause it’s right next door to me, and it’s got a nice little deli and bakery and fresh fruits place in there, but I mean, actually got some extra

exercise. And I was able to serve with them as well. And it just really helped. I didn’t even know that we’d be able to do community service that would affect anything in the UK. And then they had another event where they were actually writing letters to the women. So. People in the UK are now helping people in New Orleans, Louisiana.

And that’s what I love about wave is that it opens up community service that can be done on a global level. So what I would say to anybody that’s looking to get into service is to find an organization or community that allows you to do that. And that will allow you to actually serve in the way that

is going to affect change in the area that you care about. So there are lots organizations, there are the American heart association. If you care about health there are lots of women organization. If you are an entrepreneur and you want to help other entrepreneurs, there are bootstrap organizations that will teach you all kinds of things about your business and how to teach that to others too.

And they’ll give you the materials to do that. So if you intentionally look. For the area that’s on your heart that you care about, you can’t go wrong. Join an organization and they will help you get to serving.

Carolyn Kiel: Fantastic. And, and wave, which you mentioned is the women’s association of VZ employees just in case anyone wasn’t familiar with that.

But you know, of course it sounds like if you work at a company that is also very active in, in social issues or whether it’s the environment or social justice or domestic violence or, or any issues that you’re close to, it, it sounds like a great way to not just be the one lone person, trying to make a difference on your own, but to connect with other people who,

who care about the same things that you do and make that impact together.

Nichelle Walker: I definitely agree with that. And I liked that VZ has that, but we have a lot of employee resource groups. And what I did in 2020 is I think we were right at that point where we all kind of started working from home. So this had to be about March.

When I got home, I felt alone and I didn’t feel like there were a lot of people around. So, you know what I did, I joined all the employee resource groups and that VZ had, and I just went to things that I think gave me joy and spoke to me. And I met a lot of great people and I found ways to be even more diverse.

I joined pace, which is the Pacific American or what is it PAC? I can’t exactly remember what that stands for. But it’s really cool, but I learned a lot about Asian American history. And then I learned a lot about their culture and where they come from. And I learned about the lunar new year and all of that.

And then last year we did a virtual boat race. Which is something that they do all the time. And they were telling us about what it meant and the culture and what it symbolized and all of that. But we did it virtually because we couldn’t actually, you know, go and, you know, be near each other because of COVID.

So we were able to do our community service hours to propel our boats forward. And that was just really good in a sense that I learned about another culture too, but I also got a chance to serve and compete and we won. And that was a good way of me, you know, learning about a whole nother culture, serving with people that I didn’t exactly know, but after, you know, the contest

I think we were almost family because we talked a lot. We rooted each other on and we were able to connect in that way through our service. And some of us still talk now. And that was last year. Well, I mean, it’s awesome in just, you know, going out there, seeing what’s out there and actually connecting and being intentional.

So that you can serve that community and find those organizations, right.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s great. Still a lot of opportunities to connect, even if it looks different in this this current reality that we’re in, where we’re digital and where we’re physically distanced from each other, but still there’s other there’s other opportunities to really build those relationships.

Nichelle Walker: There is. And I agree with that. And since you’re saying that I think in 2020 I really became, mid-year really focused on just being intentional. So when I have a meeting with somebody, I try not to be distracted and I try to give them my full intention and being intentional about that and getting to know them and them getting to know me, meaning being more impactful when I actually have that connection, just because I don’t have that many.

And. It’s been really going well. I’ve been able to make a lot of contacts and, you know, network a lot and really meet people and do collaborative projects with them on different things, whether it is, you know, life coaching or development or bootstrapping your business, which is what I’m kind of doing as well as bootstrapping my business.

And 2020 put a, you know, a little wrench in that in certain areas. So it caused me to grow and it caused me to stretch and to learn more things that I can use for my business and help other people with, with their business. Like I’ve learned how to build a full website just in self-development.

Because the person that was building my website, when I was rebranding, they caught COVID and you know, you have to kind of go and move with, you know, they’re okay. I will say that they’re okay. And they’re healing, but it, it caused me to stretch and me to grow and me to learn how to do something for my business that would make me happy about my business.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. So tell me more about the business and the brand that you’ve been building.

Nichelle Walker: Well, my brand is about I would just say pretty much almost service in, in what I do in, in who I am and what I bring to my business, but I do photography. And I love what I do. I take pictures that kinda tell a story of a person.

I do a lot of rebrand shoots for people that are branding or wanting to have a headshot or. Wanting to take branding photos and things of that sort. And I’ve also added a component, which I didn’t think I’d be able to add in 2020 of being able to have mentorship in that meaning there’s some young women and some young boys that have also wanted to learn photography as well, that are younger and maybe they have access to a camera.

And maybe they don’t, but I’ve been teaching them to use what they have and how to monetize on what they have to get into the business and to build those things. And that was a really cool component that I was able to add in 2020. And I didn’t think I’d be able to do that, had to find a way to be safe and where to do temperature checks and, you know, send out contracts beforehand and, you know, ask all the COVID save questions for them and my mentee at the same time and make sure everybody was being safe so that we could go ahead and still do business.

Which has been, you know, a challenge, but it’s still happening. And I was able to kind of get over those humps and learn information and have new skills that I could also offer in my business too.

Carolyn Kiel: Wow. That is really cool. Like a really interesting combination of, you know, photography, just helping to, you know, because photography really kind of helps people to step into their own brand and sort of share, you know, how, how they want to be displayed to the world.

And you know, sometimes it’s, it’s hard to do that on your own. So it’s great to have someone who kind of knows what to look for and how to bring that out of a person. And I think mentorship really fits in well with that too.

Nichelle Walker: I think so too. And I liked that they all kind of float together, even though they’re different, but I mean, it still speaks to, you know, how I want to run my business and the things that I stand by and the components that are involved in those things too.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. So have you had some clients or some people that you’ve worked with this I guess past year, 2020? Even though things have been kind of challenging for for businesses, but have you kind of been able to work with people and help them get their photography and their, their brands off the ground?

Nichelle Walker: I really have, and I’ve worked with more people than what I thought that I would in that situation, because I kind of came from an aspect of, Oh no, what I do is in person, how do I make this work for me? I took me to, you know, have that online presence to want one. And then now that I have one, it’s also kind of giving me those aspects of the things that I want to change about the brand too, but that I want to bring into the brand, but not only that, how do I be safe

at the same time. So it caused me to think about all of those aspects and to build something that works and that checks all those boxes so that I’m able to still maintain the business. But the mentor aspect is something that I didn’t even see myself being able to do until I actually had a young person say, Hey, can I follow along?

Can I just come to the shoot? Can I see what it is that you do? And I never thought that somebody would want to do that. But then I was like, why not? Because, you know, I do believe in giving back and to, you know, giving service or being a resource at least, you know, and that was one of the best things that I think that I did because of the aspect that I got.

My first client is one of the young ladies that I go to church with, and she was phenomenal. She came in and she learned how to take pictures very quickly and was very helpful with the client she did so well. The client was so proud of her, that the client literally asked me, how can I pay her? How can I leave her a tip?

How can I sow into this to her life? Because she was phenomenal. And then it was like and it kind of all went off and I wanted to make sure I could get her to come back and to learn more things and to do more things. And now pretty soon, who knows Jada is thinking about opening up her own business and seeing a resource that wasn’t there for her before in a way that maybe she can get through college by doing photography on her own time.

And I never even thought that was possible, but I just. I felt like I was there and it just happened. And I don’t even know if I had much to do with it, but I was just grateful for the opportunity that I could be there to be a resource to her in that way.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. And that’s an incredible impact, you know, beyond just you, you as the one person, but you’re th the fact that you can help somebody basically help somebody build a skill that allows them to support themselves is just incredible.

And what an amazing impact.

Nichelle Walker: Thank you. I appreciate that, but I’m sure she’s going to be impacted in something a little differently than I was. I mean, you know, I’ve still got you know stuff back there and loans and all that, but I just wanted her to have an avenue and a resource that she could use and have in that time that would not create that.

Carolyn Kiel: And with your business, do you mainly work with clients who are are young people or is it really kind of any, any particular client?

Nichelle Walker: Oh, well, it’s really any particular client. I always try to come and find out exactly what it is you’re looking to do and to create a story from that, because it’s not about my story and what I want to show.

It’s about giving you what you’re looking to show and how you want to be viewed by the world, because you know, it’s a picture, but I still want it to tell a story and I’m sure you do too. So, I mean, I worked really hard on making certain that story comes out and in that way. And then I’m effectively giving you what you want and I’m representing your brand in the best way that speaks to you and who you are.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah, well, that’s, that’s really outstanding and yeah, it’s I think it’s wonderful that you were able to continue to grow your business. And, you know, as I think all of us were learning and adjusting and shifting things over the past year 2020. And I think it sounds like you’re you know, again, extending the impact that you can have with with that service, as you said, just outstanding.

Wonderful. Wonderful. So, yeah, I mean, yeah, I know you’re still kind of in the process as we’re recording this now in the process of, of building that brand and that you’ll see, go continue to grow it and build it. So how can people get in touch with you if they want to learn more about the work you’re doing with your new company, or just any other parts of your story?

Nichelle Walker: Well, they can find me at nichellewalker.myportfolio.com and they can get in touch with me there. They can make an appointment with me there, and they can also look at my portfolio there for some of the photos that I’ve already taken. And some of the clients that I’ve already worked with. And then soon they’ll be able to see an updated of that site as well, which I’m working on in the background.

As I was talking to you about before learning how to build my own website and. You know, let it be something that I’m excited about. I do like my brand, but I’m definitely upgrading my brand with the new tools that I’ve been able to add.

Carolyn Kiel: Awesome. So I’ll put the link to your website in the show notes so that people can click on it easily and go and see all of your great work.

So thank you. Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Nichelle. You know, as we close out, is there anything else that you’d like our listeners to know or anything else that they can do to help or support you?

Nichelle Walker: Well, what I would say to the listeners is that I’m very passionate about the service that I do. And I like to kind of bring it back to the service because my mission is to kind of help people, help themselves and then give back to help others.

And I think that’s what service is all about. So if you could just find one thing that you’re connected to, one thing that you care about and do one intentional service this year. Just one, if you have never done something, I think that’s going to help the world and it’s going to make things better. It’s going to change for a better, the more people that do service, just in the areas that they care about.

So that’s what I’d leave them with is that, you know, you can, well, it was a quote by Martin Luther King about change. I can’t remember the quote exactly about Martin Luther King, but he talks about doing service and that, that is the fact. And that’s the thing that you can actually be great at and that it doesn’t take a college degree and it doesn’t take you to be real smart or even super savvy or very technical you can serve and you can give back.

So, I mean, I’d just like to leave the listeners with that.

Carolyn Kiel: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Nichelle, for being on my show today.

Nichelle Walker: You’re welcome. Thank you for having me.

Carolyn Kiel: Thanks for listening to Beyond 6 Seconds. Please help us spread the word about this podcast. Share it with a friend. Give us a shoutout on your social media or write a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast player. You can find all of our episodes on our website and sign up for our free newsletter at www.beyond6seconds.com. Until next time.