The ongoing journey of Michelle Nicholas

By Gibron Rahim

THERE are many Guyanese success stories. We are a resilient and hardworking people who stop at nothing to achieve our goals. Even when the odds may seem insurmountable, we persevere. Michelle Nicholas’ story is one of perseverance.

Nicholas, founder and CEO of The Nico Consulting (TNC) Inc. and co-founder of the ‘25 Influential Women Leaders’ Award, took time to sit down with the Pepperpot Magazine to share her story. Nicholas was born in Georgetown but was raised primarily in Linden, along with her three older siblings. First attending the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School in Linden, she was eventually transferred to St. Stanislaus College in Georgetown. She then attended the University of Guyana where she pursued a first degree in economics followed by a second degree in social work.

Initially employed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nicholas related that she was put in charge of handling bilateral agreements between Guyana and our South and Latin American neighbours. She was given the responsibility to travel on behalf of the government just two months after being employed. “I was new to the department. I was young, but the fact that I was trusted to travel, just being two months in, that spoke volumes to me I think,” she said.

Strength and guidance
Nicholas’ parents played a significant role in shaping her life. “My mother is beyond important to me,” she said. Her mother was at one time an assistant librarian and sign language teacher at the developmental centre in Linden. Nicholas related that she and her family lived on a hill in Linden. She and her siblings had to go down the hill to fetch water before and after school. When her mother heard that pipes were being laid nearby, she decided that they needed access to water as well.

Nicholas’ mother coordinated with the other people of the village and, after discussions, the villagers came together and dug up ground so that pipes could be placed. This was even though Nicholas and her family’s house would be the last in the street to get pipes. Nicholas said, “That commitment to community and service beyond self, there’s no place else I would rather be than in the shadow of my mom because of what she has taught me and because of what she did there.” Her father was a deacon who taught her the value of active listening, among other leadership traits.

Troubling times
Inspired by her mother’s advocacy, Nicholas became involved in helping others in her high school years. She recalled that in Linden there were high rates of teenage pregnancy and domestic violence. The victims were often blamed in those situations. Unfortunately, Nicholas became involved with a young man and the relationship became abusive. “At a teenage age I was in a partner violent relationship and I didn’t want to say anything about it because I didn’t want people to look down upon me,” she related.

The situation led to Nicholas’ first and only attempt at suicide. “I did not want to die but the situation as it was made you feel as though you had no other choice.” That experience led to her deciding to reach out and speak to individuals who she knew were struggling with an abusive relationship, suicidal thoughts or the effects of sexual assault. She noted that she undertook all of these efforts quietly. It was when she moved to the United States and started a non-profit organisation that Nicholas realised she could not be quiet any longer.
Many of the individuals with suicidal thoughts who reach out to her identify as LGBTQ, according to Nicholas. “We have parents who say that if their children ever identify like that they will never talk to them and all of these things happening,” she said. She noted that there are also individuals who are young and are in domestic violence relationships but do not feel as if there is anywhere they can go because they have been shunned by family or are unaware of the necessary resources available to them. There are also those who have been sexually assaulted and feel that seeking justice is futile. Nicholas related that these cases are among the reasons that led her into activism.

Something new

Nicholas’ devotion to helping others led to her founding The Nico Consulting Inc. The name was inspired by her father’s construction company, The Nico Construction, which he had founded in St. Maarten. The idea for the firm’s logo came from her 13-year old son who believed that it should be an evergreen tree to show longevity.

When Nicholas left Guyana she went to work for J.P. Morgan where she was assigned to wealth management. She related that she was able to look back and recognise that all her life experiences up to that point had led her there. Her experience in negotiation from working at the Ministry became invaluable to her. While Nicholas was working at J.P. Morgan, the opportunity to work at UNICEF came along. A childhood dream for her, Nicholas took the job and continued the work she had been doing at J.P. Morgan – raising money for those in need.

Unfortunately, both of Nicholas’ parents were diagnosed with different forms of cancer. Her love for her parents moved her to resign from her position at UNICEF and join the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. “Because I needed to understand everything about cancer so that I could help my parents,” she explained. “That was important for me, to not just understand cancer, but to be a support for my parents,” Nicholas said. “I believe that we all need a shoulder and so being a caregiver to my parents is just part of me.”
Honouring her father’s wish for her to work at a healthcare organisation, Nicholas then left the Cancer Research Foundation and went to work for HealthCare Chaplaincy Network. There she spent a significant amount of time educating individuals and fundraising for individuals who were struggling. Eventually, Nicholas decided that she wanted to do more within her community while remaining close to home and her son. She joined Family Services of Westchester, an organisation that focuses on providing services to individuals throughout their lives. Most recently, Nicholas accepted a position as the Executive Director of Girls Inc.

There is a lot of need for firms like The Nico Consulting Inc., right here in Guyana, according to Nicholas. She noted that there are cases where individuals do not know how to write a business plan or grant application and do not understand personal branding. “And it’s not for the lack of want, it’s just that in some cases they don’t know the resources available to them,” she related. TNC, she said, provides that needed boutique of services in marketing, communication and strategy. “Because I’ve been in it for this long that I believe in the importance of sharing and giving back at every step for me.”

Nicholas has also founded Sexual Assault and Family Education (SAFE) Guyana Inc. She explained to the Pepperpot Magazine, “I really wanted to give voice to the silence.” While she has been counselling for a long time, she wanted to provide an avenue where people could reach out to her even if they were not referred. “When I created SAFE Guyana the only thing I did was create a Facebook page and an email address because confidentiality is especially important to me, especially in these times,” she related. Nicholas collaborates with many nonprofits in Guyana and overseas to help individuals dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and mental health issues.