Nicole

So, lets start simple! How would you define social media therapy?

It’s no big secret. Our world has gone digital! With many of us working, shopping and socializing online - Instagram and the online presence of every business, brand and individual person has become the centre of our attention.

Social Media Therapy is the business-baby, born from my multi-passionate creative mind! I spent the last several years building my own brand from the ground up - learning what works and what the algorithm makes us think will work, but is actually just a big waste of time and creative energy for service providers.

My goal as your Social Media Therapist is to guide heart-centred creative entrepreneurs toward creating a lasting first impression with online viewers. I place a strong focus on creating connection with real-people, rather than having businesses post content with the sole purpose of selling their product or services. It’s been my experience time-after-time that people support people. Knowing the face behind the brand name, that person’s origin story, and what makes them authentically THEM amongst other folks in their industry is what creates a strong, iconic brand that will have loyal followers excited to become life-long customers.

Interview questions by LP Penner, copied and pasted from our emails.

LP Note

I decided to interview Nicole because she constantly challenges herself in ways that scare her. Publicly, we get to witness her lean in to her amazing skills doing social media therapy (which I’ll let her define!), and personally I’ve had so many beautiful chances to see her sit with hard things and be curious. We are in a masters program to be Marriage and Family therapists together and have had plenty of chances to be brave together. Nicole inspires me there as a friend who offers support and healthy calling in, online in her authenticity and in every other context so far.

What brought you to helping folks with social media?

All of my experience as The Social Media Therapist are tried-and-true! In 2017, I started a part-time “side hustle” (I know that term stirs up mixed feelings for some folks) doing eyelash extensions for friends and family from my Dad’s basement, and branded my business as The Lash Therapist. After paying thousands of dollars for my course and supplies, I had $250 remaining to furnish the room. Needless to say, I had to get very crafty in order to advertise my services to make back my initial financial investment! I had no idea what I was doing! But I started an Instagram page to advertise my services with the goal to become the type of service provider for my guests that I had always wanted!

After posting photos of the person behind the brand (me!), offering “get to know me” facts, showing the behind the scenes photos, and videos of my space and day-to-day life, I reached a point where I couldn’t accept any new clients because my books were filler! My little “side hustle” reached the point of quitting my 9-5 job and moving my supplies from my Dad’s basement into a luxury salon in Winnipeg.

Along with the service and client experience being the best I could offer, I really attribute that quick growth to showing up authentically and making real connections with people through their screens. I believe it really enabled folks to trust me before even considering booking the service I was offering.

I’ve moved from doing one on one work with sole proprietor business owners, to group work, to consulting for large Canadian brands. My offers now span from free downloads, to exclusive Masterclasses… And most recently! The launch of a multi-week digital cohort course that offers audio, video and downloadable worksheets with my tried-and-true strategies. ). I’m super excited to put this offer into the world! It teaches folks how to transform their business into being “booked and busy” by guiding them toward creating an iconic brand that authentically attracts lifelong customers (without fighting against the ever-changing instagram algorithm, dancing in reels, or spending hard-earned money on ads).

Spoiler alert! This is a big cozy community filled with heart-centred creatives who have a thing for therapy, self-discovery and connecting with like-minded people through shared experiences.

What do you think makes your approach different than others trying to help people out?

One thing is for sure. I show up as my authentic self in all of the work I do. Self-disclosure, transparency, and the power of connection are all super powers that great therapy AND successful social media marketing all have in common!

My unique background as a masters degree therapist (in-training) and my personal experiences as a business owner have provided me with a lens that sets me apart from the other amazing folks who are passionate about supporting business owners market their product and services.

More specifically, I have a passion for understanding behaviour patterns and a curiosity about the cause of self-limiting beliefs. So often in the business and marketing sector, the focus is on numbers and performance but the human experience is quickly lost within those analytics. It’s been really healing to work with burnt out business owners from a perspective that honours sharing their story with a beautiful medley of business strategy tailored for heart-centred creatives.

How do you think studying to be a marriage and family therapist has changed this work?

Becoming a therapist has shaped the lens I wear as I walk through my day-to-day life. I’ve gained lessons from every book, every conversation, every client and self-reflective paper I have been privileged to experience in my studies to be a marriage and family therapist.

Witnessing brave folks share about their relationships, points of pain, pride and shame, and their childhood memories has softened how I problem solve with the folks I serve through Social Media Therapy.

Being bravely authentic on social media isn’t so different from showing up for a therapy session. Sure! The end-goal may be different! But the vulnerability, excitement, nerves and self-doubt exist for alot of people at the beginning of both of these journeys.

How has your relationship with loss and grief impacted how you approach your online life and work? What have you reframed for yourself through the pandemic?

I’m blending these two questions together, because quite honestly, I think my answer would be an identical response.

My relationship with loss and grief PEAKED during the pandemic. As I mentioned above, my Mom passed away in May 2021. At that time, we were 1 year into a pandemic everyone thought would last 2 weeks — and truly in the thick of it. Visitors weren’t allowed in the hospitals, so I received updates on her unstable condition over the phone when I could catch a busy ICU nurse or doctor for a few minutes. They truly are Health Care Heroes. At the same time, neighbours were policing each other for having visitors in their homes. You couldn’t even purchase socks or underwear without first putting in an online order and waiting days for it to be ready for pick-up. I’m getting flashbacks, so I’ll say less.

I find that since moving through the pandemic while experiencing waves of loss, I’ve really slowed down. And in the best ways! I’m so darn intentional with how I spend my time, and who I keep close to.

It wasn’t until the world seemingly stopped (between the years of 2020-2021) that I realized I had been running away from some biiiiiig feelings by overfilling my work and social calendar as busy as it could be! Hey, sneaky trauma!

Enter in: MONTHS at a time of being mandated to stay home from work, school, travel, and visiting with friends and family. Sprinkle in bi-weekly video therapy sessions, and my ADHD diagnosis…

I am finally coming into being Nicole. She is soft, sensitive, honest & beautifully flawed.

Tell me about Luna!

Oh, Luna! My sweet angel dog. Luna is a 3 year-old golden retriever and the light of my partner, Justin, and I’s life. We often joke that someone super amazing from a past life now inhabits our dog’s body — those chocolate brown eyes say a million words! She has the spunkiest, most adventurous & loving personality! I’m so thankful for her child-like wonder. She simultaneously teaches me to slow down, play more, and literally stop to smell the flowers.

Tell me about 11:11!

More angel magic! Many people know about the common shout-it-out phrase, “Eleven-eleven! Make a wish!”, when you’ve noticed the clock has struck 11:11.

Shortly after my Mom died in May 2021, my sister and I started to notice multiples of the number 1 during the griefiest of days.

Particularly while deep in thought (or in the thick of a real big cry) as we moved through the heavy emotions of our early days of grief. On clocks, on car dashboards, on signs… It’s endless! We have so many friends and family members who join in on the magic & send us texts or shout out, “11:11!” when they it too!

It has always felt like a little “hello, I’m here” and “it’s gonna be okay” from our angel Mom — who wasn’t always emotionally available to support us.

Leaning into the magic of spirituality and the possibility of “something more” has offered me so much healing and peace after what’s felt like an unimaginable loss.

If the Because It Scares Me vibe means doing things because they scare you in that challenging, growth way, what are your Because It Scares Me things lately/Next?

This is so exciting! I’ve always been a play-it-safe and stick-to-the-plan kind of person. Maybe it’s my sibling order as the first-born, or maybe it’s from the family rules passed down to me from my Indian immigrant and Ukrainian settler backgrounds. Because It Scares Me started as a concept I admired from afar, literally. I remember noticing your tattoo from across the room! Your idea of challenging yourself in the name of growth has grown from a whisper and swiftly transformed into a brave nudge. LP, your method of authenticity and bravely living life has since been guiding me toward making leaps I had only dreamed of!

How do people get in touch with you?

Folks can connect with me through Instagram at @thelashtherapist, via email at thelashtherapist@hotmail.com or through my website www.thelashtherapist.squarespace.com.