Nichole Jordan on Grief, Resilience, and the Journey to Wharton MBA, Tech Executive, and Servant Leadership as Alpha Kappa Alpha Regional Director
In this special Verses in Service miniseries episode of No Boxes: Just Verses, we sit down with powerhouse operator and servant leader, Nichole Jordan. Are you a leader battling imposter syndrome, navigating traumatic personal loss, or looking for the blueprint to authentic leadership in corporate America? Nichole's journey is a powerful testament to adaptability, resilience, and the core belief that self-worth is your ultimate superpower. From being the first Black woman in the Wharton West Coast program to scaling tech companies across five continents, this conversation provides the playbook for leading with vulnerability, trust, and purpose.
Nichole Jordan, COO of Indr, Inc., scales go-to-market strategies and builds customer success practices. Formerly COO at Remix Software (acquired by Via), she managed executive accounts for 400+ cities globally. Jordan is a national board member for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as Far Western Regional Director, and serves on the American Red Cross Bay Area Board of Directors (BioMed committee, sickle cell initiative). She is also a member of The Links, Incorporated (San Francisco chapter) and was President of the African American Art and Culture Complex Board (2011-2016). She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from U.C. Davis and an M.B.A. from Wharton. In her free time, she volunteers with her sorority, enjoys family time, traveling, wine tasting, and reading. Jordan is also passionate about mentoring women of color, serving as an executive mentor for Sequoia Capital’s Ascent Mentoring program.
Watch on YouTube:
Key Takeaways:
Adaptability is Your First Leadership Skill: Learn how Nichole's childhood—moving to seven different elementary schools—taught her early lessons in adaptability, observation, and the critical skill of quickly building trust in any new environment.
Trust is the Foundation of Influence: Discover why a leader's ability to show empathy and vulnerability and build non-work related connections is the foundation of trust, leading people to follow you because they know you genuinely care.
Masterpiece Mindset Over Imposter Syndrome: Hear Nichole's struggle with imposter syndrome in her high-powered MBA program and how she learned to use the song "Masterpiece" as a mantra to remind herself that she was "perfectly made by God" and a masterpiece just as she is.
A Breakdown Leads to a Breakthrough: Find out why Nichole quit her job after profound personal loss, only to be hired back with a promotion months later. She channeled her grief into personal rebuilding (therapy, fitness) and trusted that stepping out on faith would lead to a better role.
Service is Generational: Understand why her commitment to organizations like Alpha Kappa Alpha and the American Red Cross (in honor of her brother) is not a hobby, but a civil rights mission that provides community, sisterhood, and a foundation of lifelong service.
Nichole Jordan's journey is a powerful reminder that vulnerability is strength and that your ability to lead with authenticity is your true competitive edge. Where can you show up more authentically this week? Find Nichole's full playlist and start building your own blueprint for unboxed leadership!
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CONNECT WITH NICHOLE JORDAN:
Peloton Hashtag is #MsNicholeStarr
CONNECT WITH SHANNON:
LinkedIn Shannon | LinkedIn NBJV
Theme Song: Pedal to the Medal by Martin Luther (Spotify | Apple Music)
From New Girl to COO: How to Lead with Authenticity and Build True Resilience
Have you ever felt like you had to be quiet, small, or hide parts of your life just to succeed? Maybe you're battling imposter syndrome in a high-powered program or mourning a big loss while trying to keep up appearances. It's easy to think a strong leader has all the answers, but the truth is, the most resilient leaders are the ones who learn to be vulnerable and ask for help. In an interview on the No Boxes: Just Verses podcast, tech executive Nichole Jordan shared her deeply personal story of how childhood adversity and profound personal loss forged the authentic leadership style that propelled her to the COO role. This article is for you if you're ready to embrace your full story—the highs, the lows, and the big setbacks—and recognize that your self-worth is your ultimate superpower.
Are you ready to stop hiding and start thriving? This content is for any aspiring or current leader who needs to build resilience and trust. You don't need a perfect background or a straight career path. All you need is a willingness to be honest with yourself, a community you can rely on, and the courage to look in the mirror and declare your own masterpiece.
Step 1: Let Adaptability Be Your First Leadership Skill
We often think adaptability is just a professional skill you learn in a training seminar. But for some, it’s a necessary survival tool. Nichole's childhood involved constant change—moving to seven different elementary schools due to her father's military service and her mother's struggles. The common mistake is to let these constant changes make you shut down or close off. Instead, Nichole learned to become a keen observer and master the critical skill of quickly building trust and finding commonality with people in any new environment. This foundational experience taught her how to navigate different cultures and social dynamics with ease, which became invaluable when leading large teams.
Conclusion:
Adversity and frequent change can be the forge for your most essential leadership skills: adaptability and observation.
View every new job or team as a chance to practice adapting quickly.
Become a keen observer, sitting back to watch relationships and dynamics before jumping in.
Focus on finding commonality and building trust in every new space.
Remember that a comfort with change is a key ingredient for a successful operator.
Step 2: Build Trust with Vulnerability and Empathy
In the corporate world, there's a pressure to be "right" as a leader, often making people afraid to show weakness. However, you can be right and still have no one follow you. Nichole learned that authentic vulnerability and empathy are the foundation of true influence. When she was appointed to lead a large contact center at a major utility, she consciously modeled showing an authentic care for her team members. She intentionally built non-work related connections, which allowed her team to put their guard down. This intentionality proved that trust is the foundation for all successful working relationships.
Conclusion:
Trust is the foundation of influence, and you build it by showing authentic care and vulnerability.
Be intentional about investing time in non-work related relationships with your team.
Model vulnerability to encourage others to put their guard down.
Understand that empathy and care are crucial for getting people to follow your lead.
Do not let your own agenda prevent you from showing an authentic interest in others.
Step 3: Use Your Self-Worth as a Weapon Against Imposter Syndrome
Every successful person struggles with imposter syndrome, but the key is to develop a strategy to fight it. Nichole felt this deeply as the first Black woman in the Wharton West Coast MBA program. She used the song "Masterpiece" as a personal mantra, consciously reminding herself to look in the mirror and acknowledge her worth. This practice helped her overcome moments of paralyzing fear, like when she froze during a presentation in class. She learned that your core self-worth—the knowledge that you were "perfectly made"—is your ultimate weapon against the doubt that holds you back.
Conclusion:
You must develop an internal strategy to combat imposter syndrome by affirming your self-worth.
Develop a personal mantra, like a song, that you use to remind yourself you are a masterpiece.
Lean into the strength of your community when you are having a low moment.
Speak up and be more vocal, even if you are afraid of making a mistake.
Do not let the internal turmoil of self-doubt keep you quiet when you have something to contribute.
Step 4: Channel Loss into Purpose and Find Community in Unexpected Places
The mistake of a great leader is thinking they have to handle extreme personal challenges alone. Nichole faced a traumatic period of back-to-back loss—mourning her grandmother and her brother—shortly before the COVID crisis began. Recognizing she couldn't heal while operating at full capacity, she quit her job to step out on faith and focus on therapy and rebuilding. This breakdown became a breakthrough: she was hired back as COO months later with a promotion. She also found new community in an unexpected place: a Peloton team that became a constant source of support and sisterhood.
Conclusion:
Profound personal loss and hardship can be channeled into new strength and lead to a significant breakthrough.
Seek professional help (therapy) to process grief and trauma, viewing it as a strength, not a weakness.
Bet on yourself by stepping out on faith, even if you don't have a plan, to give yourself time to heal.
Jump out of your comfort zone to find new communities, whether through fitness or hobbies, that will support your mental health.
Channel your grief into service, using your loss to support causes like the American Red Cross blood drives.
You’ve learned that the path to the C-suite isn't a straight line; it's a weave of resilience, self-discovery, and profound personal growth. Nichole Jordan’s story proves that the strongest leaders are the ones who are willing to be vulnerable, who actively build trust, and who transform their biggest breakdowns into breakthroughs. The big idea is that your full, authentic story is your competitive advantage.
Now it’s time to integrate these ideas into your life:
Final Steps to Take:
Observe and adapt: Identify one new environment where you can practice observing and building trust this week.
Build your community: Find one new group (a fitness team, a book club) to join where you can find authentic connection.
Practice your mantra: Write down your personal "Masterpiece" affirmation and use it to combat imposter syndrome.
Bet on yourself: What is one risk are you ready to take to create your own breakthrough?