Nichole Carpenter is highly detailed oriented and organized and has devoted her business to helping small businesses grow. With a background as a Project Manager for a software company, Nichole understands the systems required to make a business run effectively.
In this episode, Nichole Carpenter talks about how she helps businesses through organizing their databases. She goes through a bit of her personal history as well to explain how she became so detail oriented and organized. She explains how planning is very important, not just in your business but also in your personal life.
Today, we are talking to one of the members of the Clear Business Directory on what it means to operate a transparent business. Our guest today is Nichole Carpenter. Nichole is by far one of the most organized people that I have ever met. That’s essentially what she does. She is the CEO and founder of Intrabellus Database Design. I’m happy to have her on the show today specifically because we’re in the process of actually using Nichole’s services ourselves. We’re upgrading the Clear Directory database.
Nichole, welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, Justin.
Nichole, can you give our listeners a little bit more detail about exactly what are the services that you offer?
I’m all about empowering businesses with the most organized adaptive systems.
I will first assess a business, find out what their processes are, what services they offer, and then strategize with them to find a more succinct, smooth flowing way to handle that. A lot of things can be automated. A lot of things can be outsourced. I’m all about empowering the businesses with the most organized adaptive systems for their business.
I like it. I know you’ve referred to yourself often as a virtual COO and be the operations officer for a couple of businesses. I can appreciate what that is and the value that you bring to companies and small businesses that may not necessarily have an operations officer for their business. Can you give an example of what it is you do for businesses in the role of database building and the COO slot?
For the database building, for some clients, it’s a one off. We meet, find out what all they need the database to contain. I build it, we test it and they’re good to go. There’s others that their database may be constantly evolving. We build it and then we’re checking in monthly or weekly depending on how involved it is. For the clients that I’m the virtual COO, it’s sometimes daily connections with them, with different members of their team; to check in, make sure things are on point, what things might be falling to the cracks, how can we tighten things up, bring more revenue, cut down on overhead and just satisfy the customers even more.
Fantastic. I like that because that’s just a vital role. Especially for anybody listening out there that’s a solopreneur or building a small business from the startup, how can something like you on the team is essential because oftentimes, those visionaries get stuck in just the vision. Having something like you to help execute the day to day tasks and to manage the projects is super important, especially in moving a business forward. A quick question for you, how long have you been in the business that you’re in right now?
For this business, it’s been a little over a year.
What got you started in building databases? For anybody that’s listening out there, when she’s talking about databases, this is full API integrations. This is not just a database where you’re putting together a list of names. This is full integration with your websites, organizing things, sending out emails, the whole nine yards. If you need an active database, you have a complex system, that’s definitely something Nichole can assist you with. What got you started on building databases for your clients?
What they were really lacking was the most custom database meeting their unique needs.
I’ve always been extremely organized. Before I was an entrepreneur, I was a project manager and before that I was a teacher. Once I became an entrepreneur and I’ve tried a few different projects, but what I realized in small business is a lot of small business owners are not organized. They’re not detail oriented. We were gravitating towards each other just for me to help them out with a thing here and there. I realized, I could go back to really what’s my superpower is organizing. I did research on what is going to be the most effective way for me to help them be organized. I did some project management with companies, but I found that what they were really lacking was the most custom database because they’re using an out of the box system that’s not meeting their unique needs.
I can appreciate that. Having experiencing that and running databases and then trying to find everything that fixed together to make the system work, thee never really seemed to be, at least for my experience, a one stop shop of making everything work. Then of course, I met you and you’re like, “No, I’ve got the solution.” That’s why we’re super excited to be working with you on that because it is going to speed up our process and really take our business to that next level. What’s one thing that you’ve learned along the way that you wish that you could go back and do over again?
That’s a tough one. Because each step of the way, you learn something whether you continue with that step or not.
A better question then, because I know, I know you personally and I know that you’re very much that personal development piece. To go back and say that you would do something different is not necessarily you because it’s a learning point. Instead of that, what’s one of the most important lessons that you’ve learned along the way?
An important lesson is to plan ahead. It’s very helpful. You don’t have to, but if you don’t, then you’re playing a lot of catch up later on. Planning ahead, trying to foresee. If you know you’re going to an event, plan what are you going to want to talk about your business so that when you’re doing the followup, it’s not two months later when you finally figure out what to email them. If you could have that email template already lined up before you can go to the event, you’re empowered when you get there, confidently knowing that you’re going to be following up with these people and on what topic.
That’s so important to have that foresight. My first sergeant when I was in the Army used to tell me, “Plan your way in, plan your way out.” It’s so true in business today as well. That’s absolutely awesome. Nichole, I know that we didn’t really talk about this, but I know you’ve got a very unique story. Would you like to share that with the listeners? You’ve written a book, right?
Yes.
What’s the name of the book?
The book is called, A Heart Without a Home.
What’s it about?
A Heart Without A Home: A memoir about homelessness through the eyes of a child
It’s a memoir about my childhood. When I was a kid, I grew up in a very dysfunctional, very disorganized environment. My parents were drug addicts. For a period of time, we actually lived on the streets, digging through dumpsters, begging on street corners, the whole nine yards. I actually realized recently, I think that’s a part of the reason I became so organized. Because cleaning and organizing and fixing things was a way that I could control my environment when everything was out of control. Organizing is such a comforting thing to me because it means that I can make something better even when other things may not be okay.
I love it. That book is out on Amazon, correct?
Yes.
Is there a sequel in the works?
There is. My mom and I are actually coauthoring the sequel. It’s going to be about her overcoming addiction and getting her life on track and me being reunited with her.
That’s absolutely super exciting to know that you’ve got that relationship with your mom and you’re able to bring her into the fold and write a sequel to the book that you wrote. That’s fantastic. Nichole, if there’s one thing you would like our listeners to know about you, what would that be?
I think it would be, I don’t stop until I finish something. I get a little compulsive about it. If I’m working on a database or whatever it is with a client, I get so energized by helping somebody that don’t cancel the project midway for me because I’m going to finish it on my own just to have it sit on the shelf, because I have to complete things. It’s just a compulsion that I have. That’s why I have so much fun doing what I do.
You heard it here, folks. If you need something done, you want to get it done, you know it’s going to get done because she can’t let it go. Nichole is the person for you, especially if you got a database. That’s absolutely fantastic. Nichole, what’s a good website? I know it’s NicholeCarpenter.com, correct?
Yes.
Is there a special offer that you wanted to make to the listeners?
If you can go to my site, and I’ll give you a link that you can book a call with me and I’ll provide a 30 minute consultation on how to work on your business or even if there’s something in your personal life that you need more organized.
Again, you can go to NicholeCarpenter.com to get that information for the free 30 minute consult. You can also check out Nichole’s profile in the Clear Business Directory. Nichole, thank you so much for being on the show today. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Thank you, Justin.
Learn more about Nichole Carpenter and book your 30 minute consultation.
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