Motherhood surprised Nikki in ways she never expected.
What came next was a conscious decision to reconnect with herself and build something meaningful.
Her journey shows what’s possible when you stop drifting and start choosing on purpose.
🌟 Welcome to Interview with a Goal-Crusher! 🌟
Hi, I’m Coach Tony, and this is Interview with a Goal-Crusher.
Every month, I sit down with someone who’s crushing their goals and building a happier life in the process. These are real people, not gurus … just like you. Think of it as free mentoring … straight from people who’ve done the hard work and have the wins (and lessons) to prove it.
Are you ready for a dad joke?
I offer you this "dad joke" as a light amuse-bouche to entertain your mind before we get serious. My dad joke may be groan-worthy, but it's worth every penny you paid for it, right?
I went to a very emotional wedding the other day.
Even the cake was in tiers.
Becoming a Mom Was the Surprise. Building a Community Was Intentional.
Have you ever navigated a difficult situation and said to yourself, “I wish I could help other people get through this easier than I did?”
I know I have had that experience. That’s why you are reading this blog today.
That was exactly what happened with Nikki, this month’s featured goal-crusher.
When Nikki became a surprise mom, she struggled to maintain her identity beyond “mom.” As she progressed through her journey, she realized this challenge wasn’t unique to her. That’s when she decided she was going to help.
In this interview, Nikki shares her experience with launching The Thriving Mom Club. She shares her experiences with imposter syndrome, learning to trust the process, her three-step goal-crushing strategy, and one thing in her life that may seem indulgent from the outside, but is actually an intentional exercise in living her priorities.
Let’s start with the basics. Who are you, and what do you do?
Hi! I’m Nicole, everyone calls me Nikki.
I am the founder of The Thriving Mom Club. I’m building a community that helps moms reconnect with their self-identity in motherhood through mindset work, routines, and community events.
What motivated you to pursue your unique journey? What was your vision? Can you share your story?
What motivated me was my own struggles of finding myself when I became a mom.
My vision/mission is to help moms thrive as individuals and as mothers too!
I never planned on having kids; I always thought I would climb the corporate ladder, be really successful, live alone, and be the cool, rich aunt who traveled the world and did cool things. But at the end of 2020, I found out I was pregnant, and my whole world turned upside down.
I had trouble navigating the whole “You’re a mom now, you are last and you will always feel empty” narrative that I kept hearing from other moms. This led me on my own self-development journey that helped me find this new version of me.
The light bulb went off in my head. I wanted to build a community where moms felt seen, heard, and valued. Not only as moms, but as individuals too.
What was the very first step you took to get started?
I created an Instagram account.
When “The Thriving Mom Club” was available, I knew it was a sign to keep going with this.
What were your biggest challenges in chasing your goals? How did you push through them?
Imposter syndrome.
I kept doubting myself, saying no one would listen to me or take me seriously.
The beginner mindset helped me a lot. Instead of thinking “I’m not an expert at this, I suck, or I don’t deserve to do this work,” I reframe it as “I’m a beginner at this, and with time I will become better and better, but I won’t if I don’t get the reps in.”
So I’ve been showing up, telling my story, sharing my techniques, and it has been coming together.
What goal-setting or success habits have worked well for you that you’d love to pass on to others?
Here is my system for crushing goals:
- Know your core values: what truly matters to you and why. Your values are the foundation for every goal you set. Without them, goal-setting is like getting in your car, turning on the GPS, but never entering an address. You’ll keep driving in circles until you feel frustrated and give up.
- Make a plan & take immediate action: I love using the SMARTER goal setting tool (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound, Evaluate, Realign). The most important thing here is once you make a plan, take IMMEDIATE action! No matter how small. Momentum beats perfection, every time.
- Set guardrails: Life is going to knock us off track—it’s a given. Guardrails are your plan for getting back up. Decide in advance: When X happens, this is how I get back on track. And just as important—lead with grace. Getting off track isn’t failure; it’s part of the process. Dust yourself off, use your guardrails, and keep moving forward.
What else would you like my Operation Melt readers to know about you, your work, or the journey you’ve taken?
Some random facts about me: I have a daughter, 2 black labs, & a black cat. I absolutely love karaoke, it’s my favorite sport, haha, and I’m a New York girl through and through, born and raised in the Bronx.
My work: I genuinely love pouring life into others, especially moms, because they’re often the ones carrying the most while asking for the least. It’s an honor to create spaces where moms feel supported, seen, and reminded that they matter too. Being a resource another mom can lean into is something I don’t take lightly.
The journey: Building community requires faith before proof. For a long time, you might be the only one showing up (some days I still feel this way), but consistency compounds. If you keep pouring into the vision, even when it’s quiet, the community grows day by day. That’s been one of the most humbling and rewarding lessons of my journey.
What’s one thing you do that might look lazy or indulgent from the outside, but is actually essential to your success?
This is such a great question! I intentionally prioritize joy.
From the outside, it might look like I’m always out and about—traveling, spending time with my family, or choosing experiences over staying home, cooking, cleaning, or constantly working. And yes, I’ve absolutely chosen a family day out instead of cleaning my kitchen.
But those joyful moments fill my cup in a way that allows me to show up more fully in motherhood, at work, and in life. Joy isn’t a distraction from responsibility; it’s fuel for it.
I encourage everyone to occasionally put the to-do list aside and choose something enjoyable. Schedule joy on your calendar the same way you schedule your kids’ appointments or important work meetings because it is a priority.
The kitchen, the laundry, and the chores will wait. Your energy and presence matter more.
If you could go back and give 18-year-old you one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
It gets better.
You are not behind.
You are not unworthy.
You are an incredible human with incredible gifts.
Trust yourself sooner, believe in your voice, and know that everything you’re walking through is shaping you for what’s ahead.
Where can people go to learn more about you or connect with your work?
Instagram: @Thethrivingmomclub
Website: pensight.com/x/thrivingmomclub
Nikki turned a major surprise (becoming a mom) into a community to help other moms live their best lives. That is so impressive!
Her journey hasn’t been entirely smooth, and she has learned a lot along the way. Because she genuinely loves pouring life into others, she continues to turn her experiences into helpful, teachable moments. She is a total goal-crushing role model!
As you might imagine, there are tons of points from Nikki’s awesome story that I want to highlight. But, I will practice some self-restraint and just focus on a few that jumped out to me:
- Trusting signs from the universe. Nikki took action when she had her idea and started her Instagram account. When her first choice account was available, Nikki took this as a sign, a green light from the universe to keep going.
- Adopting a beginner mindset. Instead of letting negative self-talk make her abandon her goal, she rewired it by intentionally choosing to look at herself as a beginner working to get better through practice.
- She trusted the process and had faith before proof. I know firsthand how difficult it is to face silence when building a community. Nikki made herself push through the times when the community went quiet, and she had faith in her message and the process. That is not easy, but it is essential if you believe in your goal.
Those are just a handful of the points that resonated from Nikki’s story.
Nikki’s the Project Management Mom
Beyond those points, there are some rock-solid goal-crushing techniques that Nikki shared. Many of her strategies are perfectly aligned with my Project Manage Your Life system. Here are a few examples of Nikki’s project management prowess.
✅ Commit to SMART goals:
Nikki shared that her goal-crushing system doesn’t just start with SMART goals… it starts with SMARTER goals.
Her reframe of the traditional SMART system to explicitly include Evaluate and Realign is brilliant. It is the recognition that no goal is ever final, and it builds the ongoing review right into the goal. I love that!
✅ Build a plan that works for you:
Nikki’s plan started with knowing and aligning with her core values. This is such an essential step in building a plan that works for you. When you know what’s important to you in your core, it is much harder for your plan to fail.
Plus, her decision to take immediate action and start building momentum is expert-level goal crushing. Our goals are most fragile in their first 21 days of existence. Building intentional momentum during this time is the perfect antidote for the common early goal killers.
💡 Pro tip: the Project Manage Your Life Starter Kit includes an email mini course designed to help you build that all-important momentum during this fragile 21-day window. Click here to get your Starter Kit.
✅ Expect and plan ahead for problems:
As Nikki said, “Life is going to knock us off track—it’s a given.”
When you start a goal with your eyes wide open to this fact, it lets you plan ahead so it doesn’t deal a fatal blow to your goal. Nikki explained her process of thinking through what might go wrong and how she’d create guardrails to help plan for getting back on track.
It’s amazing how much smaller a problem feels when you are already prepared for it.
✅ Enjoy the journey:
Finally, Nikki explained how she intentionally prioritizes joy.
She uses things like travel and other experiences to fill her cup. She understands that deliberately managing her mood and energy levels helps her show up more fully.
I think we can all learn from Nikki that joy isn’t a distraction from our goals… it is fuel.
It’s March… Do You Know Where Your Goals Are?
Surprise: today is the first day of March!
Before you know it, this year will be one quarter over.
Do you know how your 2026 goals are actually doing?
Are you where you thought you’d be?
Do you know where you need to upgrade your plan for Spring?
Nikki explained how she makes SMART goals into even SMARTER goals through intentional evaluation and realignment. The March Goal Crusher Coffee chat is your chance to do that together.
Goal Crusher Coffee Chat
First Quarter Timeout
Pause. Process. Plan.
In this session, we will take an intentional pause to take an honest look at how Q1 went.
We will process what is working and what is not.
Then we will start to plan a clear, intentional path forward into Q2.
This virtual coffee chat will feature an informal roundtable discussion where we will each answer one simple question:
What’s one thing you’re proud of from Q1, and one small shift you want to make in Q2?
If you are ready to learn from Q1 and move into Q2 with more clarity and intention, this conversation is for you.
Save your spot below for this free event.
💥 Nikki’s story is a reminder that progress doesn’t always come from pushing harder. Sometimes it comes from slowing down long enough to notice what’s working, what’s not, and what you actually want next. That kind of intentional pause can change everything.
You’re here for a reason. Let’s take the next step.
Meet Coach Tony
Tony Weaver is a master life coach, technologist, consultant, writer, and founder of Operation Melt.
He helps project managers and other left-brained high-achievers pursue their biggest goals.
Through free resources, personalized coaching, and his proven Project Manage Your Life system, Tony empowers clients to move their dreams from “someday” to success… one step at a time.
Learn more about Project Manage Your Life, the system my clients and I use to crush our goals, at OperationMelt.com/PMYL/
Meet Coach Tony