Dr. Nicole Pulliam is the founder and CEO of Real & Worthy, LLC, a company dedicated to empowering women of color and first-generation professionals. Dr. Pulliam's path from the working-class city of Passaic, New Jersey, to becoming a tenured professor and entrepreneur was filled with many firsts. As the first in her family to graduate from college and earn advanced degrees, Dr. Pulliam had to navigate unfamiliar spaces without guidance or role models who looked like her. Along the way, she uncovered a passion for helping other women of color and first-generation professionals thrive in spaces that historically were not designed for them.
Dr. Pulliam encourages women, especially those from marginalized communities, to have the audacity to demand more from life and embrace their worthiness. Through her coaching, consulting, public speaking and research, she helps women overcome limiting beliefs of imposter syndrome and thrive both personally and professionally. Dr. Pulliam exemplifies the power of fully stepping into one's talents and potential while lifting other women along the way.
The Genesis of a Vision
Growing up in a working-class family, Dr. Pulliam's aspirations were initially limited to the expectations surrounding her. But an innate desire for more propelled her journey beyond her wildest dreams. "My parents were just simply happy that I would graduate from high school and then move on and maybe get a good job," she recalls. “There were never talks about college or starting a career because that wasn't their reality.”
From a young age, she embraced the spirit of an entrepreneur, valuing independence and a drive to carve new paths. Her venture into academia was not planned but became the foundation for her future initiatives. Dr. Pulliam has worked in higher education for over 20 years, first starting as an administrator, advisor, and counselor before pursuing her doctorate and finding a passion for teaching and research. She currently works as a tenured professor while also running her business, Real & Worthy.
As a first-generation college graduate and woman of color navigating predominantly white institutions, Dr. Pulliam experienced feelings of being an imposter herself. She shares, "I had reached a point in my career where on paper I had all these accomplishments and I'm tenured, but there was just something else sitting in my spirit leading me to support other women of color faculty and administrators who struggled in the same ways." This motivated her to help other historically oppressed groups access higher education and thrive in their careers. Her research and work have always focused on access and equity, assisting others from historically oppressed backgrounds.
Embarking on Entrepreneurship
After feeling called to serve in bigger ways beyond academia, Dr. Pulliam embarked on her journey to entrepreneurship in 2022. She formed the LLC for Real & Worthy in January 2023, choosing a name that encapsulated her mission of empowering women to embrace their self-worth and disrupt the impostor syndrome narrative. As Dr. Pulliam states, “We're not imposters; we are real human beings, who are worthy of all of the accomplishments that we've already earned.”
She completed a coaching certification, launched her website, and officially established Real & Worthy in March 2023. Although initially unsure of what launching a business entailed, she jumped in, fully committed to turning her passions into concrete action. Dr. Pulliam notes the power of not restricting yourself to one box, recognizing that “we are dynamic, we are multifaceted.”
Empowering Through Holistic Coaching
Real & Worthy offers coaching, training, speaking engagements, and DEI consulting focused on uplifting women of color and first-generation professionals. Dr. Pulliam's experiences disrupting imposter syndrome and navigating workplace challenges as a woman of color inform her mission.
Her coaching utilizes a holistic approach tailored to each client's unique needs and goals. She focuses on bringing out strengths, talents, and answers the client already possesses rather than merely providing a checklist. Dr. Pulliam also offers group coaching programs, such as one for women faculty of color in academia. Other services include public speaking, DEI workshops for organizations, and researching issues impacting historically oppressed groups.
Dr. Pulliam's approach to coaching is deeply rooted in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles. She aims to validate and uplift her clients, helping them recognize their innate worth and capability. Her methods are not about quick fixes but rather about engaging in a holistic process that addresses the deeper layers of one's experiences and challenges.
Through her coaching, speaking engagements, and workshops, Dr. Pulliam aims to validate women's experiences and provide strategies for navigating spaces that weren't designed for them. She also trains organizations on creating more equitable and inclusive cultures and challenges organizations to take greater ownership to avoid feelings of impostorism in the first place.
Insights for Women's Empowerment
Dr. Pulliam stresses the importance of community and sharing stories with other women who have similar backgrounds and experiences. As she notes, “We need other women, we need other women that look like us, to help us pick ourselves up when we're just going through it.”
She also advises women to let go of perfectionism and self-comparison, which can be major pitfalls. She wisely states, "Comparison is truly the thief of joy." Lastly, Dr. Pulliam encourages all women to have the audacity to demand more in their lives, whether in their relationships, careers, or other aspirations. This could look like clearly communicating needs and boundaries or recognizing your innate skills and talents outside of job titles.
Dr. Pulliam's journey illustrates how women can break boundaries, blaze new trails and turn their passions into purposeful work. Though she did not initially set out to be an entrepreneur, her inner drive and commitment to empowering others led her to found Real & Worthy, LLC. She provides an inspiring model of how women can integrate multiple roles and responsibilities while boldly pursuing their dreams.
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