Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Nichole Williams
Nichole Williams
Founder of Owens Community Outreach & Arian Healthcare Solutions LLC
Some people call it the middle of nowhere; I call it the center of my world. My name is Nichole Williams. I was born in a very small country town in South Georgia. Thanks to Theo Gilbert-Jamison, my southern accent did not prevent me from advancing in my career. Throughout life I have learned that being Genuine, Respectful, having Integrity and being Transparent are key values to have in life. After many years in corporate America I have learned to appreciate my southern roots and dialect. People are often put in situations where they are forced to become imposters to excel. Over the years I have learned that there is no better person to be than you. We are all humans; born imperfect beings. So, be the best you that you can be.
One thing that I can attest to is that I am no one trick pony. I have worked within the Healthcare/IT Industry for 24 years. I’ve had the privilege of working through many industry changes and within various sects of Healthcare. One of these changes sparked an interest and inspired me to earn my Masters from Keller Graduate School of Management.
When I completed my degree, I felt that I was more than ready to enter into the Health/IT Industry. Unfortunately, I was faced with many obstacles, some of which caused me to question my existence. I did not allow these obstacles to deter me. I was determined to forge a path for myself and others who had a desire to enter into the Technology field but did not have the resources or network to do so.
We are often told when one door closes another opens. Sometimes when one door closes, we must position ourselves to build so that you can open a door for yourself and others. Owens Community Outreach Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is committed to do just that. Our mission is to remove barriers of economic and workforce disparities in rural communities by providing a school to workforce pipeline to youth of low income, unemployed and underemployed families. We offer families the ability to craft a better future leveraging technology as a gateway. So many youth struggle when deciding a career path. Owens Community Outreach Inc. provides opportunities for underserved youth and their parents to explore a rewarding career path.
My nonprofit has proven to be effective. It has allowed some youth to discover what prevents them from progressing and has allowed some to realize that they are not prepared to embark upon a life after high school. My organization holds on-site career workshops and work with high school students in creating vision boards. These vision boards would reflect their life 5 years from the date of the workshop. I had the opportunity to meet a very excited young girl who seemed to have had her career path figured out. She stated that she wanted to be a Pediatrician and would be graduating from high school in less than three months. While listening to her speak, I thought this student was prepared. After presenting her vision board I asked have you taken the SAT exam? She stated, “No.” I asked, have you selected a date to sit for the exam? She stated, “No.” I asked what college will you be attending? She stated, “I have not decided.” I asked, who is your school counselor? She stated, “I do not know.” It was in that moment that I knew my organization could impact change.
Becoming an owner of a nonprofit has brought its challenges. Everything that I learned while serving as Student President of the National Society of Leadership and Success for my local chapter; watching John Maxwell’s Leadership videos paired with awesome mentorship and industry support keeps me motivated. I have always wanted to be the best version of myself that I could be. The starting point in the process was engaging in self-assessment tools to help me along the way. I have taken Myers- Briggs, DISC, Enneagram and a Leadership Style Self-Assessment. All of the above have assisted with self-discovery.
The most important was the leadership style assessment and the DISC assessment. What I discovered from taking the Leadership Style Self-Assessment is that I am a transformational leader. The skills required for a transformational leader to succeed are the ability to take calculated risks, innovate, collaborate, and engage in authentic leadership. Taking the DISC assessment, I discovered that as a type C (Conscientious), I am analytical, cautious, calculating and one who values results and challenging opportunities. Which may explain why I can become easily irritated with social or personal affairs while working.
I encourage anyone facing obstacles to excel within an organization to engage in self-discovery. This process could be the beginning of you embarking upon a career that could be the well-matched and rewarding. Always remember to take care of yourself as you are your most valuable asset. If you are considering establishing a profit or nonprofit business I recommend that you connect with SCORE. SCORE is the nations largest network of expert business mentors who volunteer their time to assist others.
Nichole Williams, MISM, CPC, CRC,CPB, CPC-I, Lean Six Sigma White Belt
Owens Community Outreach & Arian Healthcare Solutions LLC.
About Nichole
Nichole Williams is the founder of Owens Community Outreach, Inc. and Arian Healthcare Solutions, LLC.
Nichole holds a dual Master’s degree from Keller School of Management in Information Systems Management and Health Information Systems Management; a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospital Administration from Albany State University and an Associate’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology from Darton College. She earned a paralegal certificate from the Emory Learning Center as well as a Certificate in Women Entrepreneurship from eCornell. To stay abreast of industry standards, she has earned several certifications; has membership to many professional organizations and is a proud partner of CompTIA--which is a non-profit trade association that issues professional certifications for the Information Technology Industry.
Williams has worked in various capacities within the Healthcare Industry and have served on Leadership boards as well as industry boards throughout her career. Currently, she works for a multinational information technology services and consulting company where she provides client relationship management support and oversight of 25+ client accounts across the United States.
In her leisure time, she enjoys volunteering, working out, yoga, dancing and auto racing.
Connect With Nichole
Email: OCO@owensoutreach.org
Telephone: 678-592-8537