When was your company founded?
Nikky Scott Inc. was founded on 12/28/2016 under the name “Nikky Definitely” as a
blog-turned-community services projected development firm. The mission was to
develop community service projects that would add resources to the underserved
population, and offer assessable healthy lifestyle options. One of the projects is
called the Yoga Noir Project, which was founded in April of 2017. Nikky Definitely
underwent a name change in 2018 to what is now called Nikky Scott Incorporated.
What is the story behind why you started your business?
Nikky Definitely was created after the Great Flood (August 14, 2016) that affected
many in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. My house was one of the many
that flooded. I’d just transitioned from a career in academia to a work-from-home
case management position. This had its pros and cons; working from home allowed
me to be home to allow the contractors to come in and fix my home, however, being
there every day was stressful. I was also enrolled in a DNP program and trying to
muddle through, but eventually I had to withdraw due to my inability to focus and
keep up. Eventually I decided I didn’t want depression, anxiety, and feelings of
shame to take over my life and found a therapist. Around that same time, I began
blogging more. I named the blog Nikky Definitely. It seemed like the more I wrote,
the more I noticed the lack of resources. I wrote about my episodes of depression
and my eating disorder. I wrote about my own struggle with single parenthood and
experience at the homeless shelter. At the same time, I was hearing the stories from
the clients who’s cases I was managing, and began to realize what a mess healthcare
really was. I wanted to do something about the disparities, so Nikky Definitely
evolved from a blog, to a community service project development firm.
One of the healthy lifestyle options I’d adopted was yoga. I practiced off and on over
the last 10 years, but began to practice much more regularly after the flood. I would
visit yoga studios and notice the lack of diversity. In April of 2017, I created The
Yoga Noir Project as a way to introduce yoga to women of color. As a nurse, I see a
lot of people of color in the hospital, but not in wellness spaces. The Yoga Noir
Project was created as a way to correct that disparity. In one year, we were able to
introduce yoga to over 100 women of color in the Baton Rouge and surrounding
areas.
What products and services do you offer to help individuals?
The Yoga Noir Project’s current initiative is called Yoga for Your Health. Each yoga
class focuses on a wellness topic such as mental health, diabetes, communication
with your partner, and more. Our goal is to offer classes at an affordable cost, since
that is one of the barriers to trying new wellness options. We often participate in
community health fairs, with loaner yoga mats in tow.
Who is your target audience?
Initially our target audience was women of color, however, in 2018 we expanded
our target audience to people of color in the North Baton Rouge area, particularly
those who are underserved.
What has been your biggest lesson in business that you would like to share with
other aspiring business owners?
Business relationships are just a like any other relationship. Some will fail, and that’s
okay. This doesn’t mean that you should quit or that your idea isn’t a good one. This
doesn’t qualify YOU as a failure. Minor setbacks are lessons that are meant to make
you and your business stronger. Write about it in your journal and keep moving. Go
back and read it in a year. Reflect on how far you’ve come.
Bonus: Stick to your mission. It’s why you came on the scene, and that passion is the
thing that will see you through to your success.
Why do you believe in Nurse Power & what does Nurse Power mean to you?
When I think of Nurse Power, I think about my first job as a nurse on a MedSurg
unit. I was working a night shift with probably the best team of nurses I’ve ever
worked with. If there were 30 patients on the unit, we all had 30 patients. Nobody
struggled alone. Everyone walked off the unit at the same time in the morning. We
left no one behind. It was a great way to walk into nursing. That experience set the
tone for how I treat any team of nurses and healthcare professionals. There’s power
in numbers. There’s strength in teamwork. I truly believe that nurses can change the
face of healthcare if we all work together.
How can customers support your business?
Follow me on FB and IG: @nikkyscottinc and @yoganoirproject
Website: NikkyScottInc.com
Also, join us in our efforts by supporting us at
https://www.patreon.com/join/yoganoirproject
In the name of Nurse Power,
Nicole Scott, MSN RN,CCM
Yoga Noir Founder