A little over a year and a half ago, I remember seeing a friend’s post with a bracelet she was wearing which said “#NTS: You Got This”. I loved this piece of motivation, and was curious as to what “#NTS” meant, so naturally I went to view who was tagged in the post. I clicked on the company’s Instagram page and this was how I stumbled upon NTS Bracelets (@ntsbracelets). Upon reading the NTS bio, I was immediately amazed at the company’s values. And of course, I followed the page.
Since then, I’ve been continually encouraged and empowered by the motivational and inspiring content & products that NTS has released. Even moreso, it’s been so sweet getting to know the founder of NTS, Nichole Trinidad. Though I haven’t yet met her in person, the values & heart behind NTS make it evident that Nichole has such a loving, caring and genuine soul. I admire her advocacy for wellness and, of course, absolutely love how she specifically aims to support & empower women! So it’s only fitting that Nichole is featured as the first official ‘Women of Wellness’.
Nichole Trinidad is a 28-year-old entrepreneur who was born & raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a major in Public Health, and also received a minor in Psychology & Social Behavior (“Zot Zot for life!!!” she proclaims!).
After graduating from college, Nichole ended up working for a corporate business. Although the idea of working for a corporation can seem like the dream, she hated it. Nichole ended up quitting a few months later, and moved back home to San Diego where she began working at her sister’s startup, Passion Planner.
“At my sister’s company, I worked my way from shipping planners all day in the warehouse to diving deep in learning all things about social media & marketing. I loved working with my team to find ways to be creative and really use our talents to share how using a planner to help you with your goals is key and so important!” Nichole explains.
However, when Nichole turned 25, she hit a major quarter life crisis and felt lost & confused. “On the outside it seemed like I had it all, but on the inside I was definitely hurting. I had spent hours & hours everyday working on ways to inspire other people through the company but I myself was no longer inspired by where I was working and the people around me. I felt drained and knew that this was not what I was meant to do the rest of my life,” she admits.
In 2017, after a lot of soul searching & traveling, Nichole quit her job and had one goal in mind: to be happy.
“I didn’t want to dread going to work anymore. I didn’t want to be in a work environment that I didn’t love. It was risky & I knew my parents were not going to be happy for me at first, BUT it was honesty the best decision I had ever made,” she says.
So from June to August of that year, Nichole worked every single day to create her own company. She says she was inspired by community, empowerment, love, positivity and anything that brought her joy. “I promised myself that I would create a company that I could be proud of and one that would focus on helping other women who were similar to me!” Such an incredible goal!
Nichole says that the best part of owning her own company is that she is able to connect with thousands of people every day. “I am grateful to have such a strong and empowering community that encourages me to never give up. I just hope that through my jewelry, and posts on social media, that I am able to do the same for them!” She is certainly doing exactly that through NTS Bracelets!
She says that the least favorite part of owning a business are the taxes, accounting, and books because she has no background in business finances. “I wish they would have taught this in high school or college. It’s been a struggle, but everyday I am learning something new!”
Over the last three years, Nichole has created hundreds of NTS pieces (from bracelets to necklaces and stickers), so it’s difficult for her to say which has been her favorite. Currently, she loves her newer products. One that she especially loves is a rose gold bracelet that says: “Live unapologetically”.
“This one is so special to me because I think over the last few months I have learned to be fully honest about who I want to be.” She shares: “I don’t ever want to be anyone that I am not. I am always learning to speak and live my truth. I’m not perfect. I am a work in progress, and I am proud of how far I’ve come as a solo entrepreneur. I can’t wait to share this NTS with as many people as possible so they can always be reminded to live unapologetically too!”
Nichole is open with her followers about her own struggles, both in regards to her business and her personal life. She is a huge advocate for mental health, and her biggest advice to anyone struggling with their mental health right now is this: “Love yourself enough to take time for you.” She adds: “Life gets busy & hectic. Sometimes we fall into this weird spiral of anxiety or fear, but when that happens I like to remind myself to take a breather & slow down. It’s okay to feel your feels…When that happens to me I like to focus on the positives and what I can control, and I do something that I love!” So well said.
Over the next year, one of Nichole’s goals is to meet & connect with more like-minded, strong, empowering women on social media and in real life. Some of her personal goals include staying more on top of her fitness, travelling, and, of course, to keep creating jewelry with purpose, community & love in mind.
When Nichole isn’t focusing on her business work like creating new pieces or shipping products, one of her favorite things to do is binge-watch Netflix, Disney Plus and sometimes anime. She loves cuddling her puppy and taking her out for long walks. Nichole also enjoys exploring new places and restaurants with her boyfriend, and spending quality time with her family. Overall she loves to hike, sleep, read, cook & bake, run and listen to podcasts!
Nichole’s advice to women everywhere is to believe in yourself! “I want more women to know that they can reach their dreams and goals. Keep your inspiration (and NTS 😉 ) close, and work hard to make it happen. Nothing is impossible when you believe.”
Hear that ladies: Keep it up. Keep believing in yourself. You CAN do this!
Show some love & support to Nichole by following NTS on Instagram (@ntsbracelets), and check out her website here to have some inspiration you can take with you everywhere ❤️
