Empowering Female Leadership in the Digital Era With Nichole Harrop

Shawn Massie - Episoide 49

Written by Eli Adams

Founder & CEO of Fire Us Marketing with more than 15 years in the digital space. My aim is to teach business owners how to elevate themselves online. The HOW is more important than the WHAT these days.

Introduction to Nichole Harrop

Nichole Harrop is a career growth coach dedicated to helping women advance their careers without experiencing burnout. She achieves this through a combination of digital products, content creation, and coaching services. With over 12 years of leadership experience, Nichole hosts the “Future Female Leaders” podcast, which has surpassed 250 episodes and focuses on fostering more female leaders in the workplace.

Recognized as the “Top Team Building Voice” on LinkedIn, Nichole is passionate about empowering others in their professional journeys. Her approach combines practical strategies with a deep understanding of the challenges women face in leadership roles.

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Who is Nichole Harrop?

Early Life and Education

Nichole Harrop was born and raised in Utah, in the Cache Valley. She moved to Salt Lake City in 2009. Growing up Nichole wanted to be a dolphin. This childhood dream led her to consider marine biology as a career path, but she quickly realized that wasn’t what she was looking for.

Nichole has a big family, two brothers and triplet sisters. This family dynamic was a big part of her early life and personal growth.

High School Struggles and Early Career

Nichole’s high school years were tough. She didn’t enjoy it and felt like she didn’t fit in. After transferring schools she struggled to make new friends and had social drama. She thought her life was defined by her lack of success in high school.

But Nichole’s perspective shifted when she entered the workforce. She started working at 16 because she wanted independence and financial freedom. Her family didn’t have a lot of money so she had to make her own opportunities.

Career

After high school Nichole worked at:

  1. Cafe Sabor in Logan
  2. A call center
  3. Marriott Vacations Worldwide as a vacation planning counselor

These jobs helped Nichole build confidence and realize her high school struggles didn’t define her future. She was successful in her roles especially at Marriott where she was a vacation planning counselor.

Leadership Journey

Nichole’s path to leadership wasn’t linear. She was rejected for multiple promotions which tested her resilience and self belief. Despite those rejections she kept going and got promoted at Marriott within 2 years – that’s fast for a company that values tenure.

This promotion was a big pivot point in Nichole’s career. She was chosen over a colleague with 10 years of experience, despite her boss being told to hire the other person. This experience made her determined to prove herself in her new role.

Entrepreneurship

Nichole’s career took another big turn when she was recruited by a startup. Others warned her of the risks but she saw it as an opportunity to grow. It was a game changer for her, she got to experience leadership and personal development for the next 3 years.

But Nichole’s journey wasn’t without obstacles. She got laid off while pregnant after struggling with infertility. This was tough but it made her re-evaluate her career and focus on helping other women in their leadership journey.

Nichole Harrop

Current Projects that Nichole is Working On

Digital Product Suite

Nichole is building out her digital products. She knows we need easily accessible, valuable content in this crazy world. Her digital products give you immediate access to career development resources while still being high quality and purposeful.

Here’s what you can expect from Nichole’s digital products:

  • Intentional content that matches what’s advertised
  • Flexibility to go at your own pace
  • Addressing specific career growth challenges without overwhelming you
  • Letting you focus on what’s most relevant to your current needs

Future Leaders Program

Nichole has created the Future Leaders Program which comes in three formats:

  1. Group coaching with digital access to video content
  2. Individual purchase option for digital video content and downloadable resources
  3. Live coaching sessions to go along with the digital materials

The program helps people prepare for leadership roles, focusing on practical skills and mindset development.

Podcast: Future Female Leaders

Nichole hosts and produces the podcast Future Female Leaders which has over 250 episodes. The podcast is a space to talk about all things female leadership and career development.

Leadership Tips from Nichole

Building Relationships in Leadership

Nichole says:

  1. Take time to get to know your team members
  2. Ask “How can I help you?” and “What do you need from me as your leader?”
  3. Build trust before you give feedback or make changes

Execution and Delegation for New Leaders

  • Leadership means less doing and more delegating
  • Focus on ideation and strategy not all the tasks yourself
  • Feeling like you’re doing less is normal and part of the leadership transition

Giving Feedback

Nichole says:

  • Build relationships before you give feedback
  • Frame feedback in the context of their goals and aspirations
  • Have a collaborative conversation, ask for their input and ideas

Supporting Growth

Nichole recommends:

  • Formal leadership training early in employees’ careers
  • Opportunities for potential leaders to develop skills before promotion
  • More diversity in leadership roles, women and underrepresented groups

Imposter Syndrome

From her own experience Nichole says:

  • Self doubt is normal even among successful leaders
  • Focus on your accomplishments and the value you bring to the role
  • Find mentors or coaches who can give you perspective and support

Where Does Nichole See the Future of Leadership Development?

Proactive Leadership Training

Nichole sees companies prioritizing early and ongoing leadership development:

  • Formal leadership training for all employees
  • Leadership development before promotion to management roles
  • Culture of continuous learning and growth

More Diversity in Leadership

Nichole wants to see more diversity in leadership:

  • Male allies to actively support and promote women in leadership
  • More opportunities for underrepresented groups to show off their skills and ideas
  • Value diverse perspectives in decision making and problem solving

Work-Life Balance and Mental Health

Nichole sees future leadership development focusing on:

  • Strategies for work-life balance in leadership roles
  • Mental health support and resources for leaders
  • Healthier, more supportive work environments for all employees

Digital Tools and Resources

As she’s seen in her own work, Nichole sees a bigger role for digital in leadership development:

  • More online platforms for learning and skill development
  • Leadership training through digital products and programs
  • AI and other tech to personalize leadership development
Nichole Harrop

Tactical and Strategic LinkedIn Advice from Nichole

Getting Started on LinkedIn

Nichole encourages individuals and businesses to start building their presence on LinkedIn, offering the following advice:

  1. Start posting consistently, even if it’s just once a week
  2. Don’t worry about perfection – focus on getting content out there
  3. Use a notes app to jot down ideas for posts whenever inspiration strikes
  4. Engage with other people’s content to spark ideas for your own posts

Overcoming Fear and Hesitation

For those hesitant about posting on LinkedIn, Nichole advises:

  • Remember that most people are not judging your posts as harshly as you might think
  • Start with 100 posts before analyzing data or worrying about engagement metrics
  • Be authentic and share content that genuinely interests you

Content Strategy

While Nichole doesn’t adhere to a strict content strategy, she suggests:

  • Mix personal and professional content to show different facets of your personality
  • Share insights from your work experiences and lessons learned
  • Respond to current trends or discussions in your industry

Timing and Frequency

Nichole’s approach to posting timing is flexible:

  • Don’t be constrained by “ideal” posting times – share when you feel inspired
  • Consistency is more important than perfect timing
  • Even posting once a week can put you in the top 1% of LinkedIn users in terms of activity

Leveraging Personal Brands for Company Benefit

For businesses looking to leverage their employees’ personal brands on LinkedIn, Nichole recommends:

  • Encourage employees to share company news and insights in their own voice
  • Provide time and resources for employees to develop their LinkedIn presence
  • Create a positive internal culture that employees want to share about publicly

Measuring Success

Nichole advises against obsessing over metrics, especially when starting out:

  • Focus on consistency and finding your voice rather than engagement numbers
  • Look for qualitative feedback, such as meaningful connections or conversations sparked by your posts
  • Remember that success on LinkedIn often comes gradually, not overnight

How to Get in Contact with Nichole

For those interested in connecting with Nichole or learning more about her work, the best way to reach her is through LinkedIn. You can find her profile by searching for “Nichole Harrop” (N-I-C-H-O-L-E-H-A-R-R-O-P) on the platform.

Nichole welcomes connections from podcast listeners and is always excited to hear from those who have tuned in to her guest appearances or her own podcast.

Nichole’s Advice to Her Younger Self

If Nichole could go back and talk to her younger self, she would tell her to be more curious and try new things without worrying so much about the outcome. She says her perfectionism held her back from trying new things.

Her advice would be:

  1. Start more
  2. Get curious
  3. Try things without an outcome
  4. Don’t let fear of failure or imperfection stop you
  5. Enjoy the process no matter what
Nichole Harrop holding a book

Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Nichole

Nichole gets inspiration from:

Books

  1. Books by Patrick Lencioni, especially “The Ideal Team Player”
    • This book talks about the three key characteristics of an ideal team player: hungry, humble and smart
    • Link to “The Ideal Team Player” on Amazon
  2. “Grit” by Angela Duckworth
    • This book resonated with Nichole, helped her understand her own grit and determination
    • Link to “Grit” on Amazon

Podcasts

Nichole doesn’t listen to other podcasts much since she’s focused on her own “Future Female Leaders” podcast but she does enjoy audiobooks as an alternative to podcasts.

Conclusion

Nichole Harrop’s journey from high school student to leadership coach and entrepreneur is proof that with perseverance, self-belief and continuous learning you can achieve anything. Her experience has shaped her approach to leadership development and focuses on empowering women and creating more inclusive workplaces.

Through her digital products, coaching programs and podcast, Nichole is making a big impact in the leadership development space. Her focus on building real relationships, being vulnerable and supporting diverse voices in leadership positions is valuable for both aspiring and current leaders.

As the world of work changes Nichole’s vision for the future of leadership – early development, diversity, work-life balance and mental health – is a guide to creating better leaders in the digital age.

If you want to improve your leadership skills, build your personal brand on LinkedIn or navigate the challenges of career progression Nichole Harrop’s advice and resources will give you practical tips and strategies from real life experience. Her story is an inspiration for anyone who wants to overcome obstacles and make a difference in their professional life and beyond.

This Podcasts Audio

Written by Eli Adams

Founder & CEO of Fire Us Marketing with more than 15 years in the digital space. My aim is to teach business owners how to elevate themselves online. The HOW is more important than the WHAT these days.

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