about me
My name is Nicole. Hey!
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. These days that is somewhat of an anomaly. I went to high school and college in California. I’ve always had a love of learning, not so much a love of school. I wasn’t the most disciplined student. It took me 13 years and 6 colleges to finally graduate from undergrad. After that you couldn’t keep me out of the university. I have a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a master’s degree in Religious Studies from Mount St. Mary’s College and an MBA from the University of Redlands. See what I mean?
My parents were married for 41 years until my mother passed away in 2010. I have a younger brother, Casey, who’s almost as smart as I am. I have a boyfriend/life partner of 23-years, Tony. My family is the perfect storm of tradition and aspiration. Both of my parents worked at their respective professions, the IRS and education, for nearly 40 years. But somehow and probably against their better judgement, they instilled in my brother and me an entrepreneurial spirit. When our parents told us “You can be anything” we took them at their word. I for one took the sentiment and ran with it. I always knew that my truth, my passion was out there somewhere. I would just keep looking until I found it.
I always had a traditional job with something else on the side. I started my first business at the age of 23. I’ve done everything from invitations to t-shirt design. In 2003 I quit my job at the J. Paul Getty Trust and moved to Phoenix. I’d never been to Arizona. I didn’t know anyone, but I knew I’d figure it out. After 2 years there I moved with my brother to Atlanta to start a business. That didn’t work out, so I moved back home to L.A. and began my career with IRS. I started as a Revenue Officer in the collection division in downtown L.A. Eventually I felt that my talents would be better served in private practice. I knew that with the knowledge that I’d gained working for IRS I could be a real advocate to clients on the outside.
I’ve always known that my true passion lies in travel. My mother used to say that when I was little, I would always get excited whenever I thought we were lost. I always want to be the one to hold the map and try to figure out where we were going. Nothing has changed. Some part of every day of my life is spent planning a trip. While I’m on a trip I’m planning the next trip. I think it goes back to my love of learning… not sitting in a classroom but of exploring, seeing, knowing.
So, the bottom line is I’m a person who takes the knowledge that I’ve gained and uses it to help people. I use what I learned at the IRS to help people resolve their tax liabilities. I use my knowledge of travel to help other people have cultural experiences and gain insight to the world around them. I am a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a girlfriend, a partner and a friend. Nice to meet you.