Rising Stars: Meet Nichole Harris of Charlotte

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nichole Harris.

Hi Nichole; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story goes back further than I can remember, but I’ve always had the gift of gab. I’m the oldest of two, and before my sister had a voice, I had an intuitive awareness of her feelings and would often speak up for her when she wasn’t able. This has been a continued theme in my life. In the eighth grade, I was greeted by a teacher with, “Oh gosh, here comes the mouth of the south.” We’d crossed paths during a field trip he chaperoned, and I talked so much that I was branded with this nickname. Some of my friendship origin stories start with, “I was alone, and Nichole invited me over and struck up a convo.” So yeah, I’ve never met a stranger.

This has served me well in my adult years. Having majored in psychology, and working in community support and education, building a rapport with people was paramount to success in those roles. Though I’ve transitioned into financial services, relationship building complemented my knowledge and helped me progress from an entry-level position into a managerial and eventual Director role.

Though I’ve been fulfilled professionally, I could be doing or giving more. I’m a huge cinema fan and would go to the movies every week. As someone who (apparently) can never shut up, I would share my opinions on my Instagram stories and see an uptick in both my views and engagement. As I continued to use my Stubs rewards (shoutout to AMC), I would share my thoughts more frequently. Eventually, people would ask me what I thought of a new release or what films and series they should watch. From there, my reviews were born. I’ve recently begun transitioning to filming my reviews and will branch out to include television reviews and a rundown on what to watch on each streamer. Podcasting has become very saturated as of late, and with so many celebs hosting their own, it’s hard to find your lane, but my friends and I have our show- JustKDN (pronounced Just Kiddin), which is an amalgamation of our names- Kendra, Denise, Nichole. We all aspire to inspire and enjoy raw and honest conversations about life. We are small but mighty and growing. The feedback has been nothing short of positive, and we’re excited to see where we can take the show.

At present, my creative endeavors are projects that I’ve yet to attempt to monetize. I truly love sharing, and if I can help someone, that’s payment enough. But please believe, if I can make some money, I’ll do so happily.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not, Lol. A lot of that has been self-imposed. Recording a show with two other perfectionists is equal parts fun and stressful. We were so focused on creating something perfect that we had less fun. The beauty of our friendship is that we don’t have to be doing anything to enjoy one another. So, we’re also getting back to the basics with our show and focusing on having a good time and enjoying one another. The same goes for my reviews. I’ve been overthinking putting out something perfect and putting too much pressure on myself. Like Bryson Tiller, I’m back, and I’m better, and I’ve got some amazing things coming soon!

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
My response will sound trite because most creatives do what they do because they love it, but I love film—even “bad” movies. A certain level of talent is required to produce a product, even if it’s deemed bad by moviegoers or critics. I still need to get the skills to accomplish this. When I watch a movie, I’m transported into this new world. It’s fanciful but so much fun, and it’s truly an experience from beginning to end. It elicits so many emotions, which I think come through in my reviews to provide a cohesive critique. I share scores from other review-aggregators, audience reviews, and my score, and I summarize by sharing where my audience will enjoy it.

Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
Authenticity. I don’t know how to be anyone other than myself, so I don’t create content based on what others are doing. The road to success may be a little longer, but I like myself and wouldn’t want to present as anyone other than myself, and I’ll be able to grow through being exactly who I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/justkdn
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourcharlottebfff/ 

Image Credits
k.nicholephotography jant_photography