Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Renard Warren. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Determination and perseverance. I think the difference in people who are successful vs people who aren’t are that they don’t give up. Failing is inevitable in life because we are human and we make mistakes. But failing does not mean you are a failure and when you look at every “fail” as an opportunity to grow, then you really never lose. I’ve been making YouTube videos for over 10 years but only reached a point where I can do it full time 4 years ago. In those beginning years I failed over and over and over but each time, I learned something new and sharpened my skills on camera or editing and to be honest, now that I have the audience I do, I’m so glad no one was following me then when I was still figuring it out. I’m still learning today but each of those “failures” taught me something that gave me the strength and skill set to do what I do now.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
After starting a YouTube channel in 2018 and graduating from film school at Chapman University, I decided I wanted to create videos and tell stories that matter for the rest of my life. I’ve always had a passion for food and feeding people and my freshman year of college I randomly got hired as a pastry chef. With no formal training I began posting my recipes and travel adventures on my blog and Instagram and developed a small following. In 2018 I was crowned Miss Washington 2017 and competed on the Miss America stage. Through my own struggles with eating disorders and body image I leaned into developing healthy recipes that made food fun for people who were struggling to take care of their bodies. In 2020, during the pandemic my smoothie bowl series went viral on social media taking my tiktok from 0-2M in about 8 months. Now I am a full time content creator, sharing recipes and spreading joy as I build community and feed people around the world.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
At the beginning of 2020 I had decided to give up on my dream to become a YouTuber and go head first into my photography business which had been my side hustle for the last 6 years. It felt like the most “responsible” thing to do. I invested in business classes, new branding and website and even had 5 weddings booked on the calendar. And then the pandemic hit. And all the weddings got canceled. I had no work and no income. I (like the rest of the world) was locked inside for, at the time I didn’t know how long, and I had no choice but to pivot. I decided to keep making videos and started a series where I taught people how to make smoothie bowls on tiktok and YouTube. Out of nowhere the series blew up and my tiktok went from 0-2M in 8 months. My YouTube channel went from 3k to 300k and before I knew it, the summer of the pandemic I was a full time content creator.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to feed people around the world. I am passionate about food and people and nothing brings me more joy is to see people’s faces light up when they try my food. I want to build community around the table allowing people from all different cultures and walks of life to share a meal together and realize we have more in common than we don’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolethenomad.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicole_thenomad
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/theladyliberty
- Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@nicole_thenomad
Image Credits
all images owned by me