From High School Theatre Training to Boss

Nicole Walters is an International Thespian Society alum of Troupe 1760 at the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania. You may recognize her name because of her reality show, She’s the Boss, which premiered on the USA network in 2021. The series documents Nicole’s family life and her career as she continues to build a professional empire of corporate training, business development coaching, media content creation, and motivational speaking.

Read how Nicole’s theatre training helped her achieve incredible success as she inspires folks to become entrepreneurs using talents and tools they already have.

Building on Her High School Theatre Training

During her schooling at the prestigious Milton Hershey boarding school, Nicole was quite active in the theatre department. She performed on stage, produced video, did voice-over work, and directed shows.

“In 11th and 12th grades I spent a lot of time doing organizational and directorial things. I still acted, but I also got involved in the management, organization, and structure of theatre,” Nicole says about her theatre training.

One of the most memorable experiences Nicole had as a Thespian was being in a production called Kaleidoscope. It was a variety show written by students and featured skits that conveyed life at boarding school with honesty, humor, and creativity. Nicole was a member of the first production, and it’s a show the school continues to perform annually to this day.

Using Theatre Training at Work

It’s not hard to see the connections between Nicole’s theatrical experiences and her successful business career. Theatre artists, after all, share a unique entrepreneurial desire of connecting with other people and making an impactful impression on them.

Perhaps most of all, Nicole says her theatre training taught her the powerful craft of storytelling. It’s the foundation of all media content we consume, from TikToks to blockbuster films and everything in between. It’s also an essential communication tool, whether you’re selling a product to a client or pitching an idea to your boss. Mastering the art of storytelling is invaluable.

“The biggest skill that will make you money without having any other ability in this world is storytelling. Storytelling through your body and verbally is so valuable that it is the only skill a person can have during an apocalypse besides being a doctor that will likely keep you alive,” she says humorously. “We need a doctor, and we need someone who can entertain!”

Nicole goes on to say, “Having been in formal theatre classes and learning things like the Stanislavski method and knowing what method acting is, I actually know the name of tools to tap into if I have something I need to do. I know what I can do to get out of the funk or to show up and do my best. You learn that in theatre class,” Nicole points out.

Nicole has expertly applied other theatrical techniques as well. Leveraging voice inflection and hand motions in a corporate setting showed her how to convey her message clearly, effectively, and confidently. Giving slide-deck presentations and being able to sell ideas to clients and executives have their basis in theatre training, too.

INSPIRING EMERGING THESPIANS

Part of Nicole’s professional legacy is to inspire individuals to pursue their passions and make a living through their strengths and talents. Here are her pearls of wisdom for Thespians and young creatives:

● Don’t be plan-resistant.
“It’s important that you remember that even though other people may not understand your passion or your purpose, oftentimes what they’re speaking to, when it seems like they don’t believe or support you, is structure. As much as it can feel like people just don’t understand why you want to be a YouTuber or do TikTok or be a professional gamer or act on stage or be in movies, it always comes down to people saying, ‘Well, you’ve gotta make money.’ What they’re really saying, which they may not be aware of, is, ‘You just need to have a real plan.’ If there was anything that I wish younger people understood, it’s don’t be plan-resistant. The way to see your dream come to fruition is to have a clear, well thought-out, and reasonable plan to get there.”

● You may have to keep grinding.
“That plan is likely going to have to include doing some things you may not like or want to do to get better, or to get clearer, or to buy yourself time for other things to work out. That may mean getting a different job, too.” Learn to accept that you may have to make money at a job you don’t love even as you’re pursuing your dream in the field you’re passionate about.

● Your dream will follow you.
“Your dream is not going anywhere. It’s yours. It will bother and hound you forever until you answer. Don’t waste your time getting caught up feeling like you have to be or do or prove what other people say. Just focus on making a solid plan, and just do it.”

Learn more about Nicole’s story and engage with her content at www.nicolewalters.com. ♦

Natalie Clare is a Cincinnati-based writer who composes original content for brands, organizations, and publications. As a storyteller, she writes fiction and nonfiction, and she directs and produces works of film. Visit her at nataliecwrites.com.