We were lucky to catch up with Nikki La Croce recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Our business, Full Spectrum Friends, breaks the mold when it comes to building a membership community. While many businesses now include a community component in their offerings, people are typically drawn in by a common interest, which doesn’t guarantee alignment in the areas essential for building deep bonds with one another. These interest-based communities have certainly proven to be effective in bringing people together, but we have yet to see a business that focuses on helping people cultivate strong support systems in the way that Full Spectrum Friends does. Our community is application-based and designed to ensure that all of our members have the highest likelihood of finding ‘their people’ when they join. The ideal Full Spectrum Friends member is someone on a journey of personal and spiritual growth, who aligns with our values, vibration and commitment to making friends.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

How did you get into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc?


Ever since I met my wife and business partner, Nicole, we’ve been tossing around business ideas. But nothing felt quite right until Full Spectrum Friends came along. We both took different paths in life, but we ended up at the same conclusion: we want to help people fight loneliness and make genuine connections.

For me, a big part of my journey has been healing from past trauma and learning to love myself. That’s taught me how important self-love is for any healthy relationship – it helps you know your worth, set boundaries, and truly show up for others. A lot of my growth came from deep conversations – with friends, people on my podcast, and my therapist. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without those connections, which prompted me to read the Surgeon General’s report on loneliness. When I did, it really struck me how much social isolation affects our overall health and I knew I had to do something about it. When I spoke about this with Nicole, it turned out she was feeling something similar. As a solo entrepreneur, she spent much of her adult life working independently and she didn’t have the benefit of meeting friends in a work environment, so her friends were primarily people she had known since she was young. Nicole shared that, before we met, she had begun to lose hope that she could even develop the fulfilling relationships she envisioned, because despite her efforts to meet new friends, she simply wasn’t finding the depth of connection she desired. That’s when we both felt called create Full Spectrum Friends. Now, we’re so excited to be turning our vision into reality and helping people connect with themselves and each other on a deeper level.

What problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others?
By creating a community that highlights and honors the importance of intimate, platonic relationships, we’re addressing a common challenge for people seeking connection as they embark on their unique journeys of personal and spiritual growth. Both Nicole and I have experienced first-hand how essential (and sometimes life-saving) it is to have close, trusted friends who can hold space for us while we navigate life’s inevitable highs and lows. That’s why we are proud to offer a safe and supportive space for members of Full Spectrum Friends to share vulnerably, receive and offer feedback, and feel truly seen.

What type of products/services/creative works you provide?
We believe that collaboration is essential to our individual growth. That’s why we offer optional monthly Growth Challenges, where either ourselves, our fellow members or expert guests lead a group discussion on a specific personal or spiritual growth topic. During the call, members are divided into breakout rooms where they can engage in a more intimate setting, and work together on a collaborative exercise.

Our favorite offering is our monthly Deep Dive video calls — basically deep conversations with your best friends, only with a little more structure. Members can pre-submit questions, and we choose 2-3 to delve into on the call. These Deep Dives allow everyone who joins to build meaningful connections by showing up vulnerably, sharing personal experiences, and offering support and encouragement to their fellow members. We also encourage our members to engage with each other separately of our planned meet-ups, using chat threads, DMs, audio messages and video rooms.

Additionally, we host in-person events, where members can explore their online connections in real-life — everything from group dinners to retreats to adventure experiences that expand our comfort zones. As the community grows, we look forward to hosting events in cities across the world.

How’d you meet your business partner?

The story of how Nicole and I met is one I love to tell. Shortly after I left an abusive marriage and was dealing with the unexpected loss of my mother, I met Nicole on a queer community app called HER. We were both looking for connection and ready to invest in a new friendship. Nicole’s profile indicated she was also looking for ‘her person,’ but because of my complicated circumstances, we established early on that we only intended to be friends.

We quickly moved beyond the basics of getting to know each other and I soon felt safe to open up about the intense grief I was experiencing. When I did, I was quite moved by Nicole’s warmth and immediate support. Without a doubt, our mutual willingness to be vulnerable with one another accelerated our connection and unbeknownst to us at the time, laid the groundwork for our romantic relationship. 

As I mentioned, business ideas flowed between us from the very beginning and it was definitely something that drew us closer to each other. I was inspired by Nicole’s motivation and loved hearing about her entrepreneurial ambition and success. Nicole was impressed with my commitment to my podcast and especially enthusiastic about my ability to connect with people through meaningful conversations.
We laughed about the fact that we have the exact same name (Nicole Marie) and I joked, “What kind of brand thing can we do with this?” To which Nicole replied, “Oooh, business ideas! You’re speaking my language.” Looking back on it now, it feels pretty inevitable that we would be where we are today. 

There’s so much more to the story, and I actually made a video highlighting some of the key moments of our journey. I even used it when I proposed. If you’re curious, you can check it out on YouTube. (Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/VHvlj1HZ_E8?si=9H9W1x_oGl4d2Tj4)

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

About five years ago, I started a podcast with the goal of helping people build stronger, more meaningful connections. It was a real passion project, and I loved the conversations I was having. When I left my corporate job last year to focus fully on the podcast, I quickly realized that the path to monetization wasn’t quite as straightforward as I’d initially hoped. I explored different avenues, like joining a network, trying affiliate marketing, and even thinking about selling merchandise. But nothing felt quite right; it just didn’t align with my core purpose of fostering deeper connections.

I’ll admit, there was a period where I felt a bit stuck, even a little desperate to find a solution. But as I reflected on my journey, I realized that the podcast had led me to an even bigger opportunity. The knowledge and connections I’d gained through those conversations actually pointed me toward my next chapter with ‘Full Spectrum Friends.’

Now, I’m thrilled to be embarking on this new business venture and launching a new podcast with my partner Nicole. We’re excited to dive into topics like self-love, mental health, relationships, and spirituality – all with the aim of helping people grow and connect on a deeper level. It was definitely a challenging transition, but I’m so grateful for the way it all unfolded. As you can probably tell from the rest of my story, sometimes the most unexpected detours can lead us to exactly where we’re meant to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fullspectrumfriends.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/@nic_and_nik
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicandnik
• Other: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@nic_and_nikNikki’s
• Podcast: Can I Just Say? https://canijustsaypodcast.com/