Elevate Your Vision for 2024 at the Relaunch Holiday Party

Nicole Lerda had served in several leadership positions in the highly, male-dominated financial service industry for over 20 years. From day one, her road was rough – fighting the gender gap, but she persevered and grew to become a champion of women… hiring them, training them and mentoring them and continues to do so now.

Nicole was the Managing Sales Director of a Fortune 50 Company when it shut its doors in 2017… literally in the middle of the night. She woke up on a bitter cold January morning to find out she had lost the career she had worked so hard for simply by looking at the front page of the Wall Street Journal. It was then, Nicole decided it was time to do more meaningful work… and that work would center around supporting women of all backgrounds.

At the height of the pandemic, Nicole was offered the opportunity to purchase a failing Salon.  Being that her childhood dream was to become an Entrepreneur and Cosmetologist… she was intrigued. However, once she realized that if she did not buy this business, that 12 women would lose their careers and client bases – that’s when the decision to buy went from “that would be nice” to “where do I sign”?

MaxxCole Salon & Skin Spa was born on September 8, 2020. With her extensive background in strategic marketing and business operations, it’s no surprise that the salon not only survived but is thriving and growing. She has single-handedly doubled gross revenue and transformed mediocre customer service to an impeccable client experience. In 2021 MaxxCole was named the “Women-Owned Small Business of the Year,” Ms. Lerda was recognized as a Pittsburgh Professional Woman of Influence, and Allegheny West Magazine dubbed her an “Influential Leader”. Most recently, MaxxCole Salon & Skin Spa was awarded an A+ Rating by the Better Business Bureau.

In addition to Salon Ownership and being a wife and grandmother of 3, Nicole is also the author of “Her Mission: G R A N T E D™”. Her Mission G R A N T E D™ is a movement that encourages women to drop the permission and approval mentality so that we can make confidant decisions on our own. Nicole believes we have everything we need already inside of us – our experience, our wisdom and our intuition, allowing us to make the best decisions for ourselves. Her presentation, “The Permission Principles: Six Simple Strategies to Regain Your Confidence, Freedom & Time” is now available for booking and her Her Mission G R AN T E D™ product line of body butter, room spray and lip balm are now available for purchase. All proceeds from the sale of products and speaking fees are donated to the Her Mission G R A N T E D™ Donor Advised Fund which offers grants to women on challenging journeys facing domestic violence, rape, food insecurity and homelessness.