Sales, Faith, and Snowboarding: Meet Nicole Vallance
OLN Inc. has an exciting introduction! Meet Nicole Vallance, our newest Account Manager who joined the team in April of this year. Vallance has created so much success for herself since joining the team and has a very bright future ahead of her. This month, we sat down with her to discuss her growth in the industry and the road that brought her here.
Tell us about your childhood years?
“I was born in Torrance, California. I grew up during the 90’s listening to country music, watching movies like Clueless, going to NSYNC concerts, and playing soccer in Santa Clarita, California – Think Magic Mountain and Santa Clarita Diet.
How has your company helped you in your career development?
“I found this online and I am thankful that I did. OLN Inc. has helped me in my career development by giving me new goals, new skills, and a different field to apply the skills I had already acquired as a business owner in a different industry. I love sales. I love team building. It’s made me uncomfortable, but that’s where you grow!”
What do you find to be most challenging in your work?
“The most challenging part of my job, and any job really, is setting boundaries. Everyone always has an opinion about what you should do, how you should spend your time, and when you should take your next steps. I have had to say ‘no’ to a lot of good opportunities so I could say ‘yes’ to great ones. I have had to continually check in with myself and trust that gut feeling about what is and isn’t right for me. This is an entrepreneurial business. If you don’t know how to make decisions and set boundaries, you cannot be successful. I set boundaries, but I kick butt too. Boundaries are not an excuse to be lazy. Boundaries are designed to set you up for success so that you can kick butt. In a culture where everyone works, works, works, I have had to stop, stop, stop. Working smart is just as important as working hard. You’ve heard the story of the goose and the golden eggs. The goose can make golden eggs all her life, unless you overwork her. Then she dies and stops producing golden eggs. I won’t kill myself to produce, but I will produce.”
What have you gained from your work?
“I have gained an incredible education in sales. I have gained amazing friends and colleagues. If you haven’t met people like Thais, Sam, Shiva, Marylyn, Julian, Patrick, Elijah, Azeem, Zach, and Ernie, then you are missing out big time in your life.”
What has been your proudest moment in life and in the office?
“I have so many proud moments in my life. I remember dancing to Elvis with my grandma in her kitchen and sneaking my grandpa candy in the hospital even though he was diabetic. My mom was so angry. I was proud when my mom became a nurse to take care of people like my Grandpa, and I was proud when I got to see my mom give her life to Christ. I was proud when my brother married his beautiful wife who is ten times the woman I am. I was proud when I got to see my sister become a mommy. I’ll never forget when I got to hold my nieces for the very first time. I was proud when I became a Christian. And I am. I am a born again, spirit-filled, the ‘devil is sorry I woke up this morning’ kind of Christian. I know God and He is real! I was so proud when I finally stopped living for myself and started to care about others. Oh, and then there was that Easter service at church where it started raining and so I put on my rollerblades and attached a rope to the back of the golf carts and we did golf cart skiing in the parking lot. That was freaking fun. I was proud when my dad came dressed in his white navy uniform for show and tell in kindergarten. My proudest moment in the office was when Marilynn got promoted. I love her.”
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
“Sing! I want to sing so bad with all of my heart and soul. If I could sing, I would be so famous. I love singing.”
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
“Go shopping! I would go to Europe with my family and buy everything. I would shop til’ I drop and then I would wake up and shop again. I love shoes so much. And I would buy more wigs and hair extensions. I love hair. I love being a girl. Seriously, I would buy businesses and hire my Dad to oversee my investments. I would start a church planting network to help churches break the 1000 barrier so that the gospel could be preached and people could know Christ. I would start my non-profit to help the hopeless, the homeless, and the heartbroken. Why? Because God loves people and so do I!”
At what age did you become an adult?
“Sometimes I feel like that still has not happened. Actually, I became an adult when I was 12 and my Grandpa died. That was a day to grow up. That’s when I grew up.”
What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
“You’re brave. You’re phenomenal. Your voice matters. Your story matters. God sees you. God has not forgotten about you. God is going to work this out for good. I would tell myself to hold my head up so high and love people who hurt me. I would tell myself to love my brother and sister and protect them.”
How do you define success?
“Having integrity, being authentic and living my life to serve God. All I want at the end of my life is to hear God say, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the kingdom.’ How sad to have an original plan for your life and you live your whole life trying to be somebody else. How sad to have all the money in the world, yet not have earned a good name for yourself. A good reputation and having integrity means more to me than anything.”
What is your favorite thing about working in the business industry?
“People! I love people. I love working with business owners. Small to medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our country…and we get to work with them every day. America isn’t America without sales and without business owners. I salute our troops and I salute business owners. Both are heroes. Business owners are the ones who wake up, dream, get it done, provide a service, employ our country and make it happen. And I get to work with them. It’s an honor.”
Who inspires you?
“My sister. I have seen my sister love and lead her family and her friends for years. She works so hard and loves her family so much. My parents inspire me. They both grew up with little means and worked their butts off to provide for our family. They have taught me what it means to serve, work hard and become wealthy.”
What are you passionate about?
“Snowboarding. I love it so much. You haven’t lived until you have gone off the edge of a double black diamond. If you don’t believe in Jesus yet, that’ll do it. I love the mountain. I love the snow. There’s a place I can go and a person I can be when I am riding that I can’t go and be anywhere else. God made Tahoe for me, I am absolutely convinced.”
What business advice would you give to people hoping to start a career?
“Don’t be a wuss. Don’t think you’re above any job. Sales is the most important skill you can have. If you can be successful in the sales field, you can be successful in becoming a business owner. Will Smith was once asked why he runs every day. He said, “I run because every time I run I hear that little voice that says ‘Quit! Give up! It’s too hard!’ I keep running.” he continued, “If I can defeat that voice in my head that tells me to stops running. I can defeat it anywhere.” Run. Don’t stop. Don’t quit. As Ernie in our office says, “Winners think about quitting. Losers quit.” True.”
Of all the amazing things Nicole Vallance has brought into the OLN Inc. office, the greatest is the incredible mindset she embodies every day. She radiates positivity and encouragement, the lifeblood of a successful team. As for her motivation, Vallance says “I get the opportunity to live in America and to be an American. I don’t have a right to not work. I don’t have an excuse to not become wealthy and then use that wealth to help others. No excuses. Too many people have paid too high a price for me to have the freedom that I do. I refuse to sleep in, be lazy and take advantage of that freedom. I wake up every morning at 4:30 to the sound of Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop that Feeling.” I make my bed, I get ready, and I drive to work thanking God for my life, this country, and my family. Motivation does not wake me up. Gratitude does.”
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