Summit of Greatness 2025 Early Bird Now Open! | September 12-13 | Los Angeles, CA
Are you struggling to find your purpose?
No matter what circumstances we’re born into, at the end of the day, we are the agents of change in our lives. We may not always be responsible for what happens to us, but we are in control of the effort we put into our habits, routines, work, and relationships. And by taking that first step toward positive change, you’ll be on your way to overcoming any adversity or challenges you may face.
But here’s the truth: taking initiative and working hard will only ever get you so far. The thing that will keep you going despite the highs and lows is not just working hard, but having a purpose behind the work you do. Without a purpose, you’ll be driving around with no destination in mind, and eventually, even the best cars run out of gas.
My guest today is the perfect example of someone who is both hard-working and purpose-driven: the amazing Nicole Lynn. Nicole’s story is one filled with overcoming adversity, breaking down barriers, and using her life’s purpose as the guiding light in everything she does.
I’m so excited to have her on the show! If you’re still searching for your purpose, looking to achieve financial success, or wanting to build unbreakable self-confidence, I know you’ll LOVE this episode! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
In 2019, Nicole Lynn became the first black woman to represent a Top 3 NFL draft pick (and only the second woman in history to solo-represent an NFL first-rounder).
The following year, Nicole again made history, representing back-to-back Top 10 NFL draft picks. Beyond the realm of sports, she represents multiple clients in the entertainment industry ranging from broadcasters to music artists.
A TV show inspired by Nicole’s life from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and G-Unit Film & Television, is currently in development at STARZ. Nicole will serve as executive producer alongside writer and executive producer Tash Gray.
Most recently, Lynn joined Klutch Sports Group as a senior agent and president of football operations. She has also launched her book, Agent You, which is all about advocating for yourself and unapologetically living in your purpose. It’s currently available in the market through her website and Amazon.
Nicole’s story, passion, and keys to success have been SO inspiring to me during our time together — and I know you’ll come away feeling the same exact way. Ready to make the jump from good to great? Nicole Lynn is ready to share her message with you!
Nicole has broken so many barriers and molds to be one of the first female agents to have top draft picks in the National Football League (NFL). She currently has 19 NFL clients and even pro softball players. This makes her one of those few agents who are taking over in the athlete world!
However, her road to where she is now hasn’t been easy. Many don’t know that Nicole had a very difficult childhood.
“My childhood is a Lifetime movie. It was filled with a list of adversities. At seven years old, the biggest challenge I had was figuring out what I was gonna eat for dinner. I tried to be creative and take home food from the school. I spent time thinking which milk won’t spoil that I can keep for a day or two and navigated that experience for myself and my younger brother.” – Nicole Lynn
When she reached her teenage years, she was able to get into a magnet school — the top specialized public school in their state. At that time though, it was located on the other side of the town, which meant that she needed to take the bus every day there and back. Instead of giving up her dream of changing her life, she worked, saved every penny made, and eventually, taught herself to drive and with her connections, bought a car at 14!
These experiences taught Nicole how to develop a strong work ethic and how to handle the different challenges — barriers — that were built against her. They also gave her the confidence to play it big as an agent in the sports industry, which is usually dominated by male agents. But how exactly, was she able to do this? Nicole attributes it to her purpose, which she also calls her “superpowers.”
“Finding your purpose needs to be the most important mission of your life. As I always say, ‘If you’re not walking in your purpose, you’re just working and living today. You’re just working and living to die.’ I hope it shakes people to the core when they hear that. … You’ve got to figure out what your purpose is.” – Nicole Lynn
Just like Nicole, I believe that our superpowers need not be complicated. It can be as simple as having the ability to comfort someone, or it can be to inspire people to get their full potential. The more important thing however is that we have the awareness of this ability and utilize it both for ourselves and for other people.
In Nicole’s case, her superpower power lies in her ability to help people reach their full potential, and she decided that she’ll use it in the world of football. Not only was this action an extension of her life’s purpose, but it has also been very strategic. After all, Nicole didn’t grow up watching football and isn’t even a huge football fan.
“Majority of football athletes are black. Many of them had a very similar upbringing as me, had an opportunity to make a lot of money but sometimes, they go back to how they used to be. I want to reach them and fix that.” – Nicole Lynn
Nicole’s experiences in life gave us a glimpse of how she’s able to conquer the industry and become well-respected in this field. She came from nothing, yet conquered the biggest football league there is. She was able to find her purpose and had the grit to pursue it.
Greatness is best described as not whether we will face our fears but how we respond to them. Just like Nicole, we all have the ability to become great. We don’t need to have trust funds or rich parents to fund our dreams. We only need to have a purpose and the attitude to transform our life’s difficulties into motivation so we can keep moving forward even when we stumble and fall.
If you ever feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place — your purpose. Combine it with the right attitude and strategy, and you’ll be breaking down barriers for yourself just like Nicole!
Nicole’s story demonstrates three key concepts to help us become trailblazers in our chosen industry or profession — purpose, attitude, and strategy. But how about the other aspects of life? What about the basics like finances, security, and fulfillment?
Nicole mentioned that until today, it’s been hard for her to have a financially abundant mindset. It’s because of the fear caused by growing up without money. However, she eventually realized that she was committing a sin against the very things she preaches — financial literacy and management.
“I grew up with money being extremely scarce. It was only six months ago that I finally told myself that, ‘Hey, I’ve got to take a leap of faith. I can’t let all my money sleep under the mattress. I need to make them work for me, too.’” – Nicole Lynn
These words made me remember how I was years ago before becoming a financial success. I was hustling for a year and a half, making nothing. Finally, at the end of a year and a half, I was able to make a couple of thousand dollars a month. But it wasn’t enough to survive and live off of and thrive. I started to make more over the next few years until I had money in the bank. I was already good for a couple of years, but I would still take Greyhound buses and the Southwest middle seat back on the plane. I would never get a hotel room until I finally decided to get rid of this poor mentality maybe like four or five years ago.
This is why I understand cases similar to Nicole’s. It’s understandable that many of us who grew up in poverty or not having enough don’t want to return to our previous lives. But I think that if we let this fear cripple us, then it stops us from achieving our life’s biggest goals. Nicole believes it too and shares how she thinks that we can overcome this fear.
“Risks are really important. I actually talk about this so-called “Hail Mary” in my book. I think everybody has professional and personal Hail Marys in their life, but they have to take really big moments that they have to just jump out on a limb. As for me, it was letting go of my job as a lawyer and deciding to work full-time as a sports agent.” – Nicole Lynn
However, Nicole also emphasizes that when we do that, it needs to be timed correctly. When Nicole left her law job, she was saving and paying down debt and making sure that the risk was calculated.
Lastly, allowing oneself to feel free from fears can already be a fulfilling and satisfying experience. For Nicole, when she finally gained the courage to leave her job as a lawyer, she felt that she could finally focus her attention on being the best sports agent that she can be.
“Though without regrets, spending another three years of being a lawyer was holding me back from greatness. I feel like it really held me back from where I am meant to go.” – Nicole Lynn
I hope that Nicole Lynn’s story can make us realize that our own greatness lies in our ability to let go of those fears that we’ve been holding onto forever.
Many of us might think that accomplishing our life’s goals is the end of everything. But what if we experience a lot of stress and anxiety that hinders us from staying in this place forever? This is where I think the importance of self-care comes in. Although still working on herself, Nicole agrees to this as well.
“I’m the worst at self-care. For me, self-care was always looked at as a reward. I’m still training myself to look at it as a priority. Like when you work out, you take a shower. The shower is not a reward, it’s necessary. It’s a necessary task after a hard task.” – Nicole Lynn
There are many areas of self-care, and I try very hard to integrate this concept into my life. I take Spanish language classes, boxing classes, and just taking time to exist. The problem is that, in reality, too many of us are conditioned to forget who we really are as a person. This isn’t good, and Nicole captures why in this statement.
“I feel like 30 days of just self-care would be panicky for me, but I also think it would be necessary and amazing. Life-changing probably.” – Nicole Lynn
If you’re striving for greatness, then self-care should be a priority on your list. In the next 30 days, why not try to do something small but impactful about your well-being? After all, self-care isn’t just a good thing, it’s the right thing to do. Just like Nicole explained, you should be your own agent when it comes to this.
Oprah said, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life.” Alice Walker also said the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
We don’t have power over the things that life will throw at us. But just like Nicole, we need to find and cultivate our purpose so we can still achieve our goals. Also, we need to practice self-care to be the best version of ourselves. If this is our goal, then it should already start here and now.
Speaking of, here’s Nicole’s definition of greatness:
“You know, I think greatness is not whether you have what it takes — a lot of people have what it takes — but it is truly doing what it takes to be great.” – Nicole Lynn
Greatness is doing whatever it takes to get there. It doesn’t matter how many times you fail, but how many times you rise. Greatness is also being up at 3 AM in the morning and wondering what your purpose is. It is also you saying that you have a dream and nobody’s going to take it away from you. Like Nicole, it’s about believing in yourself and fighting for your passion.
Nicole is an incredible woman, and this interview with her was one of those times that I’ll never forget — it really touched me deep in my heart!
If you found her wisdom valuable, show Nicole some support by getting her book, Agent You, or connecting with her at her website. If you also enjoyed this interview, please share this episode over on your Instagram stories. Don’t forget to tag Nicole, @agennicolelynn, and me, @lewishowes, with your key takeaways. Lastly, please subscribe to The School of Greatness over on the Apple Podcasts — leave us a rating and review to spread the message to even more people like you!
Finding your life’s purpose and achieving your goals are serious topics, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time discussing them. This interview with Nicole Lynn is the perfect example! Listen to this full episode to learn more about how this incredible woman changed her life and how you can change yours, too!
To Greatness,
MUSIC CREDIT:
Kaibu by Killercats
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