Show Notes

Nicole McDermott is a leader, educator, facilitator, and coach with 20+ years of experience. She values courage over comfort and has experience integrating Dr. Brené Brown’s work into the award-winning Northern Virginia independent school she’s led since 2005. A longtime member of Kiwanis International, Nicole has facilitated and managed volunteer teams delivering leadership content to teenagers and is directly responsible for the logistics of educational conferences serving thousands of high school students. She is a volunteer in her community and with philanthropic causes that are important to her. Nicole has facilitated workshops and educational sessions in person and virtually for 50-100 attendees and spoken to groups up to 1000 people. Her professional areas of expertise include maintaining integrity while leading through change, building community within organizations and trust within teams, working through conflict between stakeholders, shifting climate and culture, coaching and staying curious, mentoring young adults, and educating the whole child. Nicole holds a B.S. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in education leadership as well as a certificate in positive leadership. Nicole was selected via an application process to be part of the inaugural (and, to date, only) cohort of Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitators, which included being trained directly by Dr. Brené Brown to facilitate curriculum based on her work, research, and best-selling book; Nicole has held this credential with pride since 2019. Nicole successfully completed an accredited leadership/organizational well-being coach training program through the Center for the Advancement of Well-being at George Mason University and is on track to earn the International Coaching Federation ACC distinction in 2023. Nicole meditates and practices mindfulness every day. Through her own company, Quality Matters, she brings her Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator and coaching skills to leaders, schools, non-profits, and other organizations or groups seeking to build courage, increase empathy, and develop stronger teams. Nicole’s approach is grounded in mutual trust, integrity, the importance of continuous growth and improvement, and the idea that we can hold two – or more! – truths at once. Together with her clients, she co-creates safe spaces to facilitate professional and personal growth with 1-on-1, group, in-person, and virtual options.