Bio - Michelle Nichols

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Winner, Salesperson of the Year - NCR
Winner, 2008 Governor's Award for Start-up of the Year (Nevada)
Published 150 sales articles in Business Week & 45 interview podcasts, including Zig Ziglar and Jill Konrath
Sold for 5 Hi-Tech firms
Started 5 companies
Lived and sold across U.S.
Author
Founder, Global Hug Your Kids Day (3rd Monday in July)

Present Work

Michelle Nichols was the Savvy Selling columnist for Business Week for six years. She now devotes her full time efforts to speaking and writing for corporate audiences on work-life issues.

In 2008, she started Global Hug Your Kids Day, wrote the handbook - Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent . The holiday will be the third Monday of July.
 annually.

Ms. Nichols was spurred to start this new work in memory of her son, Mark Nichols, who died suddenly at age 8 1/2 years old in 1998, from brain cancer. She now shares her insights on life, business, grief and loss, and being a working parent, with other working parents who love their jobs and their children, nationwide.

In November 2008, her company won the Nevada 2008 Governor's Award for Distinguished Start-up of the Year. Companies up to three years old were eligible to be nomiated. What's amazing she'd only started the work 8 months before.

Prior Work

In her years with Business Week, Ms. Nichols also recorded 45 interview-style podcasts for them. They ranked near the top 20 in the world for sales podcasts. Her first guest was Mr. Zig Ziglar. She also was a professionals speaker and consultant. Ms. Nichols has spoken to thousands of salespeople. Her clients included Hewlett-Packard, Hibernia Bank, the National Association of Women Business Owners and ASAE - American Society of Association Executives.

During her years as a columnist, once a year she wrote a column about the struggle to juggle the heavy demands of work and family. This led to her speaking, consulting and writing about the strggles of workplace stress, and strategies to combat it.

Prior to her association with Business Week.com, she was a long-time professional salesperson (employers include NCR and Cap Gemini) and and two-time entrepreneur.

Ms. Nichols is a corporate entertainer, member of the prestigious National Speaker's Association, past Chair of the Sales speakers at NSA and former leader of the Reno chapter of NSA.

Linked In

What professionals say about Michelle Nichols

"You made me laugh, cry and think."
Alternate Public Defender, Jennifer Lunt
"Although I don't have any children, this book drew me in. " Community relations manager for a large public utility, Karen Ross
"My thanks to Michelle for writing this book and teaching us that sometimes the complex issues of balancing work and family can be solved with a sense of humor...and lots of hugs!" Lighting designer, Lee Harris
"I admire Michelle Nichols...With the gumption and drive Nichols has, this event (National Hug Your Kids Day) will continue to grow." Newspaper columnist, Siobhan McAndrew

Formal education

Ms. Nichols graduated from the University of California at Davis with Highest Honors in 3 1/4 years with a B.S. in Agricultural and Business Economics. She had internships at a major investment brokerage and a financial planning company. She has since read over 300 books on sales, marketing and business and taken dozens of sales and business classes.

Personal

Michelle Nichols' license plate. If you see her, wave!

Ms. Nichols has been married to Ron for over 20 years. They are the parents of three children, a Golden Retriever, and a red-eared slider turtle named "James Pond." She has lived and worked on all three coasts - New Jersey, Texas and California. She and her family now live in Reno, Nevada. Despite their grief and loss, they still have a good life. For fun, she likes to drive her travel trailer around the U.S. to visit friends, family and historical sites, play the stock market, read chick lit, grow roses and tomatoes in her garden, and bake chocolate chip cookies.

Questions?

Please contact Michelle Nichols. She's a top corporate entertainer and unique among professional speakers, but most important of all, she cares about reducing the stress of working parents through reminding them to hug their kids. She and her team are here to serve YOU!