Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Adams.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Nicole J. Adams, and I am a Christian, a wife, a mother, a business owner, a mentor, and an aspiring author. The people in my life would say I am the epitome of “I don’t look like what I’ve been through.” My life has been one of great resilience in the making.
I’m originally from Landover, MD, where I was born and raised by my maternal grandmother until she passed away. I was 14 years old and pregnant with my first child living in a facility called St. Ann’s when she passed. She was my everything, and I felt lost without her. Neither of my parents were ready to raise a child at that time in their lives. I bounced around from place to place, until I found myself back with my mother, which turned out to be a short-lived stay before moving out to live somewhere else. I then went to stay with a young man who soon became the father of my second son. A few years later, after having my third son, I was presented with an opportunity to pack up my children and I and moved to Jacksonville, FL. with one of my younger sisters. I struggled while on welfare and government assistance. It was difficult trying to figure out life, while also trying to navigate how to live in an unfamiliar city. This was the first time I was living away from home.
It was such a challenge learning how to maneuver so many different new things without any guidance. Most young women are privileged to have their mothers, or at least some other kind of parental figure in their life to help them navigate life. I made tons and tons of mistakes as a young mother. There were so many times I would find a place for my children and I, but because I wasn’t taught how to manage my finances responsibly, I wasn’t able to maintain a stable home for us. Unsteady employment also posed a challenge for me due to me dropping out of school in my 12th grade year after having my second son. I lacked skills and talent that could have provided good and stable employment. Life was hard back then. I felt like I was drowning more and more. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed like I was getting nowhere fast. But there was one thing I understood well, I couldn’t give up. My children were depending on me, and I didn’t want to lose them like I experienced with myself and my siblings. Out of 4 siblings, none of us grew up together. We all lived in separate homes. And I didn’t want my children to go through the same thing.
There were times in my earlier years when I didn’t know where our next meal would come from. I struggled so badly as a single mother. I now have my fourth child, my daughter, at this point in my life. But one day I started going to a church that began to point my life in a different direction. Impact Church of Jacksonville, FL. was a catalyst in how my life began to turn around for the better. My life shifted from struggling, to receiving blessings after blessings. Many of which came from people who didn’t really know us. Over the years my life slowly transformed into a life I was grateful to live.
Looking back over my life, though I wouldn’t have chosen the pain, molestation, rejection, abandonment, abuse, trauma, and many forms of assault I encountered, I can accept it for what it is now intended for, to help others who have journeyed similar paths. Now that I have experienced healing and freedom from my past, I am more equipped to assist others with overcoming their own hardships and struggles. I currently enjoy a life full of peace, joy, and contentment. Not because everything is going exceptionally well, but because of the grit and resilience that was developed over the years of grief, struggle, and hardship I was able to survive, especially when it looked like all hope was lost.
With my Life Coaching business, at Living Today Life Coaching, I work with military and first responders who serve in challenging roles within their communities, cities, and other countries. I also have the privilege of working with women who have dealt with trauma and loss. I journey with them as they discover new and healthy thought patterns, trauma recovery, emotional regulation, and stress management. My lived-experience avails me the opportunity to coach my clients from relatable experiences and outcomes.
I have developed a mentoring program for wives. The “My Virtuous Path Wives Discipleship Program was created to mentor woman who would like to become virtuous wives, and for those who may currently be encountering some challenges in their marriages. The “My Virtuous Path” wives discipleship program teaches women in the areas of self-care, being a virtuous woman, triggers and healing, communication, his needs/her needs, and many other important topics associated with understanding how to be a woman of virtue. A sisterhood is established between the woman in the program. And they discover the beauty of having the right kind of community and support in their lives.
I’m currently writing a book titled “She Is Me”. It was written to guide women towards learning how to achieve victory through different areas of life, which may tend to cause us to feel anxious, defeated, or overwhelmed. It talks about areas like emotions, community, doubt, identity, wise counsel, and forgiveness, and how these areas can sometimes keep us from living a fulfilled life. Readers will be able to recognize from two different characters, one who failed and one who was successful in each topic listed in my book. Each person will walk away with a sense of hope, guidance, and a renewed outlook on their life.
Along with being an aspiring author, I’ve created a community of authors for authors. This community is designed to give authors a place where we can learn and support each other, as we walk through the journey of authorship. We motivate, share, and support one another by talking about our individual failures and accomplishments. Published authors provide wisdom and comfort to those who are just beginning their journey towards becoming a published author. Many of us met at an event called The Gathering of Authors, which I hosted in 2025. It is now an annual event for those connected to The Gathering of the Authors community, whether in the past, present and future.
So, I can agree with those around me who can attest to where I am now in life, you wouldn’t associate a traumatic past with who I am today. My soul wounds are healed. My mind is clear. My heart is mended. And my spirit is full of joy. What I’ve been through, all the traumatic situations and circumstances, were meant to destroy me. But I survived. I’m grateful for the journey of healing I was able to walk through several years ago. I can proudly stand here today and be a shining example to others. You don’t have to look like what you’ve been through. I desire to aid others in overcoming obstacles in their life so they can achieve the same outcome. Celebrate Recovery, Christian counseling, a great support system, and my church family all played a role in my journey of healing.
My heart is to see people overcome whatever challenges they are currently facing. It could be something from their past holding them back. It could be a recent encounter with something unexpected. Or it could be uncertainty of how to move forward after a loss. My desire is to walk alongside them, so they can grow, heal, and embrace life with a heart full of joy and excitement. We all could use a boost of encouragement from time to time. My clients get to privilege of not having to take that journey alone. Living Today Life Coaching is here to walk the journey with you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road is rather smooth now, but it definitely wasn’t always this way for me. There has been a number of obstacles, trauma, and mistakes made along my journey to where I am today. Things like getting arrested, struggling financially, feeling alone and abandoned, being abused and assaulted, losing the stability of having a home and a vehicle, and the lack of education to obtain a decent job to care for my family. One of the toughest battles was the lack of confidence I felt when I first was led to start my life coaching business. It took me many months of coaching myself to build up my confidence. I also had many people in my life who supported and encouraged me along the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a Mental Health Coach for military and first responders. I’m also a Life Coach for women 30-70 who have battled with grief, trauma, and self-worth. My lived experience has developed a sense of resilience with a profound understanding of how to deal with trauma, grief, emotional regulation, and stress management. I take my lived experience, along with my studied knowledge, and assist people towards establish perspectives that take them from thinking they’re not capable to recognizing they are more capable than they realize.
My clients are met with a welcoming atmosphere where they are provided a safe space, in a no judgement zone, from someone who has lived through similar, if not the same type of circumstances. I believe I am set apart from many other Coaches because my experience comes from not only book knowledge, but from the greatest teacher of them all… life.
I’m proud of the colors and design of my logo. The color green is a symbol of growth and beginning. Yellow is for light and to be able to shine bright. Brown is for nature and authenticity. And white is for fresh beginnings and purity. I chose the name of my business because I want to assist people in learning how to live life, instead of just going through life in survival mode or on autopilot
I would like the readers to know, by choosing Living Today Life Coaching, they will be provided with lived experience from trauma, grief, and the struggle with regulating emotions and stress within a loud and busy world. I offer a relaxed, safe, and stress-free atmosphere which leaves mt clients feeling like they’re talking to a good friend versus talking with someone who views them as just another client to coach.
I have several packages for clients to choose from. They range from a single session to a choice of multiple number of sessions, which also include support check-ins in between sessions. I’ve currently added a 15-minute mini session called “The Jumpstart”. Clients get a brief session to jumpstart them in the direction with an action step for whatever they are currently challenged with. All clients must first schedule a consultation before any services are rendered, this is to determine what goals the client may desire to achieve.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
As a teenager, like many teenager, I took some risks here and there. There wasn’t anything too crazy though. I dabbled with alcohol, partying, and staying out too late. As a young adult, because I had 4 children, I was more concerned about providing for my family then to do anything that would be considered risky. As an entrepreneur, I realize taking a risk is inevitable. There were a number of situations that were very unfamiliar to me, but I had to take a chance and embark on them. Some turned out to work well, and some did not.
My thoughts regarding taking a risk would be to first understand what the risk entails. I would need to calculate if the risk will be worth taking. Should it be worth it, I would try to calculate the risk from different angles to determine which to have the least amount of affect/loss. We can’t always calculate every single aspect of what will happen when we take a risk as an entrepreneur, but we try our best to go the route which will provide the best outcome with the least amount of loss.
Looking back on my teenage years, I realize I was being a risk taker to impress the people I was friends with during that time of my life. That kind of risk taking can cause a mistake that can sometimes be too difficult to come back from or can cost someone their life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://livingtodaylifecoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_virtuous_path_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingtodaylifecoaching/?viewas=100000686899395
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-j-adams-cplc-1a8260367
