Nichole Lynel is an independent fashion designer who turned her clothing line, Shop Nichole Lynel, into a million-dollar business. She unabashedly leveraged social media and created a whole new mindset to achieve this goal. In this interview, I try to get a glimpse into how we can craft our own mindset for success, and some of the hard lessons she learned on her journey.  We live in an amazing time where we can leverage social media and online advertisements to build almost any business we want. You would think that means everyone should be successful, right? Nope, like any endeavor, you will take bumps and bruises on your pathway to success. Nichole dropped a lot of gems in this interview for anyone that can help any entrepreneur looking to weather that storm. Crafting a morning routine. Don’t wake up grouchy. The average human has 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day. Nichole spoke about her “zen” moments she has in the morning that includes prayer but also seeing the sunrise. What do the first 30 minutes of your day consist of? Reprogram yourself. Nichole made it a habit to make sure she always fed herself positive messages and affirmations. She placed sticky notes all over the home, and read an abundance of self-help books. We all have self-limiting beliefs, some more than others. Know what you need to hear and see and start there. Start with a vision board! Build a driven team. People rarely build empires alone. Build a team you can trust and that can match your energy for success. When building your network, don’t come empty-handed. You don’t have to always come with a gift but think hard about the value you bring to the table when you're looking to connect with people. Also, start networking sideways. The real gold is found in your peers. Learn the art of storytelling. The biggest marketing hack Nichole figured out is probably the oldest one in the world. She tells a great story. But beware, telling stories means you know your customer well. Don’t assume you know them, be sure you do. The key to large goals is to break them down. Small consistent goals help you build a mountain from a molehill. Nichole wanted to make a million dollars, so instead of dwelling on the large number, she set her to mind up to think about how many sales she needed to make in a day. Build a mastermind group. Positive and constructive peer pressure can have a lasting effect on your success. Nichole had a group to keep her accountable and put her in check when she was slacking off. I first learned about this concept from the book “Think and Grow Rich” There is so much more gold in the podcast that I didn’t capture in the notes. Make sure to hit me up with feedback and share what you took away from her story. Make sure you purchase my book “Don’t Dumb Down Your Greatness.” Also, shout out to Yondo for the background tunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices