We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Leon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I come from a very humble family where hard work is the key to success. I watched my parents work incredibly hard to give us what we needed. Even though we didn’t always get what we wanted or had fancy things like a lot of my peers, we always had a roof over our head and food on the table. When I became of age to work I was encouraged to do the same for myself and then some. One thing that always stood out to me was buying my first car from my father and at the time, I thought that was ridiculous. Now as an adult I see how those types of life lessons played a role in my resourcefulness and determination to persevere. I truly value my belongings and success because I know I put in the work to I attain it. I remember being younger sometimes resenting the fact that things weren’t handed to me. Now I realize that the sense of urgency to grind is the reason why I have so much to show for myself. These values and lessons are some that I am determined to pass on to my son. My parents did right by me by showing me how to survive in any circumstance. I am forever grateful.
Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Most people know me as the owner of LASH, a south Florida home based lash studio. I have been a business owner and lash tech and educator for over 5 years. But not everyone knows that I am also the proud owner of L Leon Virtual Assistance, a firm designed to remotely assist companies of all sizes with administrative work from customer service to legal assisting and beyond. With low overhead and flexible commitment, virtual assistants are a cost-effective staffing solution for companies of all sizes.
As the founder of L Leon Virtual Assistance, I’ve harnessed my 10 years of corporate America experience to create a reliable and efficient virtual assistance service.
Balancing client needs and being present for my family is what I am able to achieve with my business and that gives me such a sense of pride. Aside from providing exceptional service to those I am contracted with I am dedicated to expanding this business and creating opportunities for other likeminded and talented minority women. I have seen what this business has done for myself and it is a dream of mine for the woman beside me to also have a seat at the table from anywhere, as my business slogan states.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I started my social media journey with a MySpace in 2006 – ah, what a time. You just had to be there. Since then, life has never really been the same for me. Social media is the life blood of my businesses. I pride myself in being completely and utterly transparent. A lot of people disagree with my approach and many thoroughly enjoy it. But one thing is for certain: had I not built the foundation I did for as long as I had, I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that my businesses would not have grown as quickly as they did. If I can give one piece of advice that I have learned on this journey is that people want to do business with YOU. In my experience, business is always personal. I pride myself in being authentically myself in the good and bad on and off the screen. Be consistent in your posting and engaging and be consistently YOU!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Aside from social media, word of mouth has assisted in carrying my businesses. My clients are never just a number to me.. I consider them family. I am passionate about fostering genuine connections with my clients. I believe in the power of personal gestures like birthday texts and calls just to chat, to strengthen my relationships beyond business. People like to feel cared for. I am committed to nurturing the connections I make. And although the intent behind it isn’t a number, when people share their positive experiences it does send new leads and clientele my way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Nicoleleonxo
- Instagram: @nicoleleonxo @lleonvirtualassistance @lashsfl
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-l-leon-466900248?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: Nicoleleonxo