Business
Over a decade ago, Maria Nuckolls was on a pathway that would lead her to NAWBO—she just didn’t know it yet. She was training in herbal medicine and met Melanie Dunlap through a school internship opportunity. Melanie mentored her and the two became friends. “She told me how important it is to network and introduced me to NAWBO,” shares Maria, who has dabbled in entrepreneurship over the years. “I went to a NAWBO Phoenix Leadership Bootcamp and to say I was in awe of all these successful women is an understatement. I wanted more of it, but always felt like I needed a stronger entrepreneurial foundation to be more involved.”
Today, Maria knows that NAWBO is for every woman business owner, no matter where she is in her journey. Now working at HQ as NAWBO’s National Operations Support Specialist, Maria is one of the first points of contact for new members to help them get introduced to NAWBO as well as for existing members who reach out with membership questions or requests for support. “In my career, I’ve always thrived in being that first contact,” Maria says. “I am excited to bring the human element of exceptional customer service to NAWBO. I want our members to walk away from every experience and interaction feeling seen and heard.”
Lifestyle
Maria has a large blended family, so it’s important for her to show by example that you can do it all in work and life. “It’s not an either/or situation,” she says. “I am always striving to find balance in my life and keep my focus on the important things.” Before coming to NAWBO, Maria spent two years at home full-time with her youngest before she started kindergarten—something she was never able to do with her other children. Now that she’s working with NAWBO, balancing it all gracefully is a constant work in progress, but Maria’s excited for the opportunity. “Love, laughter, joy and compassion are my caveats, so I’m learning to emulate these in everything I do,” she adds.
Community
Desiring four seasons and a greater sense of community, Maria and her family recently relocated to a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. “I wanted that small town feeling where my children could pop in anywhere and people would know them,” Maria says. “Getting to know people on a more personal level and being present and giving back to the community are all really important to me.” When Maria is not serving NAWBO members, she loves being out in nature.