Nicole’s path to hairstyling wasn’t conventional. As someone who thought cosmetology school was settling, she set her sights on fashion design. She apprenticed and designed for upscale shops in Los Angeles, eventually moving to Colorado to strike out on her own. In Colorado, Nicole quickly became immersed in editorial hairstyling and runway styling, but added another unconventional twist to her career. She decided she wanted to give back to the industry by educating future hairstylists, and began teaching at the Aveda Institute in Denver. Nicole can point to a particular moment when it became clear to her that her true passion was for hands-on education. She was nominated for the North American Hairstyle Awards (NAHA), published in multiple international magazines for men’s grooming and high couture styling, and helped her student stylist also be nominated for NAHA—all in the same year. But the greatest highlight was the mentorship she was able to provide. That experience pushed Nicole to want to enhance this craft by improving the future for every stylist willing to learn. These days, when Nicole is not in the salon, she’s either traveling for photo shoots, on set locally, or helping educate the younger generation of hairstylists.