This week’s Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson features the inspirational De Asa Nichols. Before we dive into what she was able to share with us while on the show, here is some of what you should know about her. De Asa Nichols has nearly 30 years of executive experience within healthcare, government, financial services and the automotive industry. De Asa currently serves as Manager of Supplier Diversity for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In this role, De Asa is responsible for leading Cincinnati Children’s multi-million dollar supplier diversity strategy with minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE). Cincinnati Children’s is leading the way in transforming our regional economy with its $600 million dollar Critical Care Building. The project is amongst other groundbreaking projects, including Location-T building and the Liberty project, for which supplier diversity goals were set and exceeded. Her MWBE expertise has been featured in Black Enterprise (https://www.blackenterprise.com/ten-steps-to-grow-your-business/) and Diversity Inc. magazines. She is the former President of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce where she led the nearly 700 plus membership organization from 2001-2005. De Asa has a BA and MBA degree from Xavier University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and is mentor to women and girls around the world. 

De Asa was fired up and ready from the start of the show to tell us more about her leadership journey. Growing up, De Asa’s mother was a single working mother. De Asa is the oldest sibling of three. Her job was to make sure her sisters got to and from school safely. Her next leadership role was in church on the usher board. She helped execute programs.  Continuing along her journey, she held various leadership programs in middle and high school. So essentially, leadership is a natural part of who she is. She likes to as she calls, #GSD (get stuff done)!   

De Asa was able to share with us some of her skills and strengths that have been the most important along her journey. De Asa stated that her number one strength is focus. She was a young mom at the age of 19, but she chose not to ever lose sight of what she wanted to do. Some of her other strengths include her ability to hear and to listen, being organized, results driven, resourceful, and resilient.  “When I fall, I just get back up.” Success has also taught De Asa many lessons along her journey. She shared that it has taught her humility, that not everyone is going to embrace your success. 

 De Asa was also able to provide strategies to maintain work-life balance. You first need to get the gift of “no”. She reminds you to be true to yourself and know what your capacity is, give yourself to yourself before you give yourself away, and do not be afraid to ask for help.  She even shared a piece of advice she was given, “It’s better to do a little well, than to do a lot haphazardly”. 

Check out the full show for some more wisdom and thoughts from De Asa Nichols!!