A Stroll With Nicole
This week, we have the pleasure of chatting with @mynameisnicole about the definition of leadership, how to maintain and grow subcommunities, and mentoring. We hope you enjoy!
Hi Nicole, thanks for doing this Living with Leaders Interview! What makes you a leader in our community?
Hi, it was my pleasure thank you for the opportunity Elliot. I would say what makes me a leader is dedicating time and effort into working towards the growth of our community.
***I don’t think being a leader only has to do with being in appointed roles, but lending a hand to all you come across who need it.
You've recently begun an interview series called the Inclusivity Diaries as a part of Disability Support. In what ways do you feel that these interviews support your community?
Well, the interview series is a chance to give members of the disability support sub-community a spotlight to share their personal experiences and insights. Our community is strengthened by uplifting others, listening to their stories, and learning more about the members of our community. I also think that it’s a form of representation, in a way that others who have similar experiences feel validated and acknowledged.
You're also a mentor! Tell us about any experiences you had with mentors when you were a newbie, and what made you want to become a mentor yourself.
When I first became a listener in 2021, I had two wonderful mentors. I still see them around in our community, and I wonder if they remember how they made a valuable impact in my journey. I learned how to navigate the site, about active listening, and I got a practice mock chat and a verifying mock chat from my mentors. They were awesome.
It didn’t actually occur to me to become a mentor simply because I was mentored. I took my time exploring different roles, and learning from other people. When I finally did become a mentor, it was because I felt ready. I had matured in my journey, and I knew I was capable of supporting new listeners in their own journey.
As a forum specialist, you know the ins and outs of effective communication in forums. How is the atmosphere different there vs chatrooms or 1-1s? What challenges and benefits does this bring?
I personally adore the forums. I don’t know why, it reminds me of a community blog in some sort of way. I would say the atmosphere is different from the chatrooms or 1-1 chats because it’s not rushed. When you make a forum post, it’s able to age– like fine wine. Even after many days, months and even years, that post is still relevant, it’s still alive. That’s one of the benefits, a challenge would be that you may not get feedback as fast as you want it to. Some people may also find difficulty in navigating the forums, so they may need help. Those are the only challenges I can think of; a slower response time and difficulty finding information if not experienced.
For anyone else in subcommunity leadership positions, what are your tips for building community?
Engagement. It’s important to discuss the topics listed in your sub-community, because that’s why it was created in the first place. Engage with your members, make creative posts, have community discussions, and create sub-forums where members can share their opinions, ideas and resources.
I understand that sometimes it may seem you have no audience, and I want to emphasize on
not neglecting the existing audience you have trying to get more.
For those wanting a larger audience, I would say regular hosting in the chat rooms, advertising your community and alerts to share your posts/discussions with other members on 7 Cups.
Collaboration is also a good way, especially when it’s a related sub-community. Depression support and Anxiety Support go well together– as do Student and Career go well with Relationship and Friendship Support.
You should also add your community taglist to every post made for events, and even during discussions. This way, people interested in your sub-com can be tagged in future posts.
If you were to change your username from mynameisnicole to mynameis_____, what word would you pick that describes an important characteristic you have as a listener and a leader?
This is a funny question, especially because when I was signing up I didn’t want to forget my username– so I just wrote my name. If I were to change it, it probably won’t be with the ‘mynameis’ prefix but something more creative. I think @ASilentObserver has a wonderful username, so it would probably be inspired by that. A characteristic I could use might be ‘calm’ or ‘resilient’. I want to say ‘observant’ but you already know where I got that from.
A huge thanks to @mynameisnicole for taking the time and effort to work on giving us such magnificent insight into her work here on Cups and giving tips!
Learn more about this series here
[ @Dallady @HealingTalk @MyNameIsNicole @SkylarListens @ThoughtfulBlossom @WarmLightXO @Zarram77 ]
Very interesting interview!
Enjoyable and useful.
Thank you @WarmLightXO for taking the time and effort to conduct these interviews, and @mynameisnicole for your down-to-earth, experience-based wisdom and insights.
@HealingTalk
Thank you for your kind words and warm appreciation💛
@WarmLightXO Thanks Elliot for sharing this wonderful interview.
@MyNameIsNicole I really enjoyed reading your answers, Nicole. I'm so proud that I had you as my mentor💕. I also love your Inclusivity Diaries series. You're doing an amazing job with that🤗. You are an amazing mentor and an even more amazing leader, and I wish you all the good things in your life💜.
@MilaAvery
She's an amazing mentor, right??? And the series has been phenomenal so far 💚💛
@WarmLightXO
She is indeed. I can't stop myself from boasting that I am her first mentee 😂😂😂. And yes, the series, they are wonderful. It gives us a lot of knowledge about things that we should be aware of.
@MilaAvery
Thank you Mila, kind as usual❤️
I looove that you enjoy the series Mila, and I looove that I was your mentor, you're awesome!
@MyNameIsNicole
💜🤗💕
@WarmLightXO
@mynameisnicole
Hi Elliot! 😊❤️ Many thanks for this amazing forum post for the Living with Leaders series, creating truly well thought out and thoughtful questions and for conducting the interview! *high fives* 😊 and big *hugs* ❤️
Hi Nicole! 😊❤️ Thank you so very much for handing yourself over to the interview process, giving all of your teammates a better opportunity to get to know you even more and also for your incredibly thoughtful answers to all of the questions! ❤️ I must say, I loved each and every one of your responses!
Everything you said highly resonates with me!
I really love how you mentioned mentors that have helped and supported you along the way. Oh my gosh! 😳 I was just speaking of this very same topic in the LSR yesterday. I was expressing my gratitude for all of my teammates, every member, every listener, every mentor, ambassador, admin that has spent time with me, taught me something, helped or supported me along the way.
Yes, just like anyone else, I too am a product of my 7 cups environment. It's a beautiful thing when we hand ourselves over to the "process" here on 7 cups. I have had the benefit of spending time with sooooo many amazing leaders here. If we are open to it, accept their support, watch them in action, there is much to be learned! I have this little list (actually, more of a long list) of "personal hero's" that I carry around in my heart, a list of the great ones, the ones that stop and spend time with us! ❤️ I'm really grateful!
Nicole, wooooooooo hooooooo and big *high fives* 😊 my friend! I love what you said about engaging in the forum areas! You and I are of the same mindset! I may engage more in the public rooms than the forum areas but it doesn't stop me from agreeing with you and whole heartedly! You are the first leader I have seen express it and so beautifully as you just did in this forum post! ❤️❤️❤️
Yes, responding to a forum post is slower paced, nice calm experience (not fast and furious as the rooms can be from time to time). We are all different as people and we all have different ways of engaging that could make us feel more comfortable in some areas across the platform than others.
I also agree with a moment in the rooms is gone. In the blink an eye. You said it, you meant it, you put your whole heart into the response. Someone still benefited from it and it does help leaders in the community to sleep well at night knowing that they tried and did their part as well as the domino effect. You help one listener and they could in fact go on to help and support hundreds of members. Your dedication to your teammates may live on. You get traction, there is synergy and the helping behaviors become exponential.
The moment spent in a forum post does indeed, live on, in all perpetuity, in print! You helped and others reading your helpful response can be seen, site wide! Again, those helped becomes exponential by reading the thoughtful response.
One of my roles is being a peer support and so sometimes if it's the right moment with someone I am supporting, if I am understanding their needs correctly.........I explain that self care is different for everyone. If the rooms become too overwhelming, pm's, etc. but they still want to be a part of the community, if the moment is right, I try to interest them in the forum areas as well as taking some of the training's. They still feel a part of it all, community building as well as relationship building. I call this as one of my "Gizzie-isms" "don't throw the baby out with the bath water".
Nicole, again, many thanks for giving us the opportunity to get to know you even better! *high fives* 😊 big *hugs* ❤️ and stay great my friend! 😊
@SparkyGizmo
*high fives*
*hugs*
So glad the interview landed, I agree, Nicole had some fantastic insights that can be useful to all of us, especially other leaders :)
@WarmLightXO
Keep rocking the house Elliot! Your work is amazing! ❤️❤️❤️
@SparkyGizmo
Such a wonderful post, and insightful feedback. You're the best❤️
*hugs*
@MyNameIsNicole
guess what I earn today is the bridging something badge I do a group chat thing I don’t understand it all but I get a answer to something and they said even just be there to try means I earn the badge I will have that soon then
@WarmLightXO thanks asking Nicole so much questions I don’t really understand everything here but she is nice and always helps in community is a good person ask all questions to
@theboymoana
Congratulations on your badge! And yes, Nicole is epic :)
@WarmLightXO
thanks !!! I am excited have special one soon want more the special badges
@theboymoana
Yayy so happy you've filled the form Nahoa, I did too. Hopefully we get our badges!
Thank you Nahoa for your kindness❤️
@MyNameIsNicole
good job do that to!! We will get that soon maybe I want more special ones just mostly have normal ones. Your welcome for kindness
@WarmLightXO - Hello hello, Elliot! It's always great to see you around the community! Thank you again for sharing yet another wonderful interview. 😊
@MyNameIsNicole - Hello, Nicole! It's really good to see you again. Thank you for sharing your answers with such maturity and wisdom- that certainly stood out to me, seeing how much experience you have gained over time, and passing on your abundant knowledge. There is one idea that you shared that really resonated with me: "When I finally did become a mentor, it was because I felt ready. I had matured in my journey [...]" From this, you are explaining that we should not just fulfill a certain role just because you think it's "right" or because you "need to," but because you have took the time to explore and learn from others, and then you can assess your ability in that role. It's really eye-opening that you were able to identify how much you had matured throughout your journey, and that really says a lot about your as a person, not just as a listener or a mentor. Thank you again for sharing your answers, and I hope to continue seeing you around the community very soon! ❤️
@ThoughtfulBlossom
Hi Blossom! I thought the exact same about Nicole's comment, it really shows bunches of maturity and wisdom to take things on because it feels right instinctually. 💚💛
@ThoughtfulBlossom
Thank you, I appreciate you reasoning with what I said. I hope to see you around as well!
@mynameisnicole
I'm just over here bragging on you *hair flip*
@WarmLightXO hehe thank you elliot, feel free to brag on me anytime (as i do for you)
Nicole brags on me 👀
@WarmLightXO yes of course, hence why you are displayed on moi bio
@MyNameIsNicole
Ah yes, discussions, peer support and the care team 😛
@WarmLightXO
I'm recommending you silly XD
have to act professional😃
@WarmLightXO Hello Light, thank you for the lovely interview and apologies for the delay in replying!
Thank you so much for the lovely interview, inclusivity series and all you do!