Founder's Story - From Food Stamps to Seven Figures: How Nicole Mitchell Did it Utilizing OF

Episode Date: January 6, 2025

In this episode of Founder’s Story, guest Nikole Mitchell discusses her background transitioning through multiple careers—teacher, bartender, religious leader, Etsy shop owner—and how she eventu...ally discovered OnlyFans (OF). She shares insights on content creation, diversification, and how she navigates family and social dynamics. The conversation covers practical steps for succeeding on OF and broader topics about the creator economy’s future.Key Discussion PointsNikole’s Background and Early WorkHeld various roles, including teaching, pastoring, and bartending.Explored entrepreneurial paths (e.g., Etsy) before discovering OF.Entering the Creator EconomyThe initial draw to OF was its autonomy—freedom in content, pricing, and scheduling.Personal fulfillment was an important factor in deciding to pursue content creation.Family and Community ReactionsExperienced differing opinions from family, friends, and larger communities.Acknowledges the importance of being prepared for varied responses when entering this space.Diversification StrategiesMaintains multiple social media accounts and presence on various platforms (Fansly, ManyVids, etc.).Advises creators not to rely on one platform to mitigate risks of account suspension or sudden policy changes.Business Mindset and MonetizationBelieves in pricing content appropriately and setting no cap on potential earnings.Recommends creators learn about marketing strategies, audience engagement, and business fundamentals.Content Creation and BurnoutEmphasizes aligning content with personal interests to maintain authenticity and energy.Suggests planning content (such as seasonal promotions) well in advance to reduce stress.Future of the Creator EconomyNotes the shift among younger generations toward creative careers.Discusses the impact of AI and emotional intelligence on future job markets.Long-Term GoalsNikole plans to expand beyond OF, potentially building multiple global companies.Sees potential to branch into industries like fashion, lingerie, and media.Advice for Aspiring CreatorsSuggests embracing adaptability, creativity, and strategic thinking.Points out the importance of emotional intelligence in maintaining relationships and brand integrity.Connect with Nikole MitchellVisit NikoleMitchell.com for information on her coaching services and other social media channels.Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome back to Founder's Story. Today we have Nicole Mitchell who is the founder of Nicole Mitchell Inc. I was saying before we got started that it might be one of the most interesting one sentence short bios I'm ever going to read so far. So you are known as the pastor turned stripper who went from food stamps to seven figures with OnlyFans and OnlyFans creator. I'm very fascinated with the future of the creator's economy and how people on all different platforms will create generational wealth for families and completely change their lives.
Starting point is 00:00:39 Thank you so much for being on the show today. I'd like to start off with what made you want to even get into the creator's economy? I've always been a creative. It's almost like I've been waiting for this moment in time where the power was really given back to the individual. And we had access to things that were once very limited, it's the most powerful and the most wealthy.
Starting point is 00:00:58 And so over the years, I've had many different entrepreneurial gigs just trying to find out what I wanted to be. And I was a high school teacher for years. I was a mega church pastor. I was a bartender. I was an Etsy shop owner. I was a face painter.
Starting point is 00:01:10 Just kind of trying to find myself in what I wanted to be. And then when I discovered the platform OnlyFans and had the freedom it gave me to make whatever I wanted and that I could charge whatever I wanted, pick the hours I wanted, something in me lit up like this is what I was born for, and I was so excited to take advantage of it. So what were some of those early days like? How was the process transitioning from all those other things that you had mentioned into OnlyFans? It was really fun for me and really difficult for all my family and friends.
Starting point is 00:01:41 I had always been a religious good girl and always was done what was like the right thing. And when I finally really took control of my life, my destiny, my finances, my pleasure, it was very triggering and I'd say even alarming for my close family and friends. So I did have a lot of fallout, unfortunately, as I followed my pleasure and my passion and my desire. And as difficult as that was, I'm so glad I didn't let that stop me because the amount of money I've made, the legacy I've been able to leave behind for my children, the people I've been able to support through both my life coaching business and through my OnlyFans work has been worth it a hundredfold over. So something very interesting that you've done is you didn't just rely on one platform.
Starting point is 00:02:23 I think throughout the history of social media, or even when we used to sell a lot on Amazon, we followed to this trap and this danger of relying on one single platform to control everything. Because we know we are not really in control when the platform is in control. So what have you done to diversify yourself than just focusing on the content creation?
Starting point is 00:02:44 Yeah, we don't own the platforms that we use, right? And so this is where we do have to abide by the rules. I see a lot of people get upset by the rules of the platforms, but we're using it in a lot of these platforms, like Instagram and Facebook, for free. So we can either get mad or we can learn to abide by the rules, but also be smart and diversify. So typically, as a creator, you're
Starting point is 00:03:04 always going to have multiple accounts because things happen, even if it's not even an adult thing, just sometimes accounts get shut out. I had an Instagram account with zero violations just get shut down and had 25,000 followers and it was gone, right? So we have to be smart about having multiple social media accounts.
Starting point is 00:03:21 I have OnlyFans, I have Fansly, I have Minivids, like I have all these other sites. And I think that really, what really made people aware of the smartness of diversifying is back in 2020 when OnlyFans was gonna shut down the adult sector and people were freaking out because everyone had put all their eggs in one basket. So it's just a good lesson we've all here repeated.
Starting point is 00:03:40 It's very cliche, but it's very true. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Things are always changing. Things are always moving. And those of us who make it are the most adaptable. I remember that in 2020. I don't exactly understand why they, because it seemed like that's what they were known for, right? And whatever you're known for, you want to double down, triple down on the thing that you're known for, not do a complete 180 away from it. What do you think is the appeal for the person that pays on OnlyFans?
Starting point is 00:04:09 Why go to OnlyFans? Why has OnlyFans become so big? I think it's a couple of things. I think it's normalized adult work for the average person. Now you don't have to be a six foot, 100 pound, blonde hair, blue eyed model. You could be a mama five who works from home. That's me, right?
Starting point is 00:04:28 So it really gave the power to the masses. And I think COVID really blew it up because everyone was working from home, people lost their jobs and you need to make money. So a lot of people turned to OnlyFans and similar platforms to do just that. So I think just it giving the power to the masses and the timing of it was kind of perfect and it blew them up to be the number one platform in many ways.
Starting point is 00:04:50 I, I'm so excited about the creators economy. I think if you ask anyone under the age of 25, what they want to do when they grow up, they want to be a content creator. Um, and I think if you ask older people, they would love to do it, but they don't even have it in their mind that it's something they can do. I was reading some stats that OnlyFans, and don't quote me 100%, but OnlyFans last year gave out like $6 billion plus in payments around the world. It's crazy.
Starting point is 00:05:19 So how do you see the future of content creation happening among different generations? Yes. see the future of content creation happening among different generations. Yes, you see that shift right from traditional workplaces to now non-traditional workplaces and how by the time my kids are in college, they're going to have degrees that we don't even know about at this time. The economy is changing so quickly that I'm genuinely so excited for my children. I have my master's degree. I love traditional education and I love being an entrepreneur. And so I love that I and I love being an entrepreneur.
Starting point is 00:05:45 And so I love that I get to bring that to my kids of like, yes, there's a lot of value in traditional education pathways. There's also a lot of value being a creator and like taking charge of your own reality. Find your sweet spot and run with it. So I just think like staying open to possibilities and you know me, I really believe our pleasure leads to our greatest profit. So I teach my kids and my clients what turns you on the most, what lights you up the most, what's the thing that keeps you at
Starting point is 00:06:09 night because you feel so excited about it. We can monetize that. We can monetize anything with this modern day economy. And I feel like that is one of the greatest gifts it's given the average person. Tim Cynova It's very interesting when we look at the future of intelligence. We had an interview with someone who's really been in AI for two decades and they were talking about how in their opinion IQ will not matter in the future. It'll be EQ and emotions right? You can learn anything, you can get any information on the phone through chat, tbt or AI in the future. So what's the point of even being so smart? It's the emotions, it's like you say what makes us still human. I love that. I'm, you know, in my coaching business, we're really about emotional
Starting point is 00:06:48 intelligence, emotional mastery. It's no longer enough just to be the smartest in the realm. That's not things have changed so much since my parents' generation and is so much of it is emotional intelligence. So much of it is social networking. And there's a common phrase that says, you know, the AI is going to take over or replace people's jobs. No, it's not AI, it's people who know how to use AI, right? So I'm already incorporating AI into both my businesses,
Starting point is 00:07:12 both my life coaching business and my OnlyFans business. And I feel really good. I don't feel like I'm being left behind. I feel like I'm being smart. Speaking of diversifying, I trust a lot of my human skill, but I'm also smart enough to utilize advanced technology if it's gonna help grow and expand my business. So you don't have to live in fear of it.
Starting point is 00:07:29 You need to learn how to use it. And that again is another thing that will either inspire you as an entrepreneur or will deter you from entrepreneur. It's not as simple as just like wake up one day, make a lot of money. You have to learn how to use the current tools to grow and expand your empire, your business or your company. So I know you have a coaching and you're helping other people who want to enter into the space of content creation. What would you say that you're hearing from them and your personal experience
Starting point is 00:07:55 as to what some of the misconceptions are of the creator on OnlyFans? Yeah, there's this fear of you can only be one thing. If I have an OnlyFans platform, then I guess that's all I can be. No one's going to take me seriously if I also want to be a public speaker. No one's going to take me seriously if I want to be part of the PTO at my kid's school. No one's going to take me seriously. And I'm living proof that that's not true. I just got paid to be the keynote speaker at a sexuality conference in 2025. People chose me because of my OnlyFans.
Starting point is 00:08:26 So you can either focus on all the lost opportunity or focus on all the opportunity you're gonna gain because you're choosing this endeavor. But I deeply take a stand for you get to be both and. I think traditional society wants you to peg you as just one thing and one thing only. And I think what the newer generations are realizing and really owning as a beautiful thing
Starting point is 00:08:46 is we are multifaceted, multi-talented, multi-passionate. We get to leverage all of those without ever reducing ourselves to just one part of ourselves. The days of you post something on social media for the rest of your life, they're gonna see this photo. Remember that was like, if you put something online, or really nobody remembers anything past two minutes. We have full attention span. I don't think people even really care anymore. I now hope I'll be remembered
Starting point is 00:09:10 in that picture. That's actually my hope because we don't remember anything. It's like please remember this picture for the rest of my life. Like I look good. Don't forget. So that has definitely shifted from this could be the worst thing to happen to where now I'm like literally that could be the best thing to happen is if I'm remembered in this outfit and you're right I always tell my clients the internet is a very forgetful and very forgiving place meaning you put something out you don't love it once upon a time they said it was the worst thing to happen to you now we know like no one remembered five minutes later so like you get another shot you're gonna be okay. So what are you finding to be the skills that are the most needed for people to be a content creator?
Starting point is 00:09:48 So many. One of them is, which we already covered, is being adaptable. Things are always moving and changing and you can either get mad at it or you can get excited about it. OnlyFans has changed drastically. Social media, Instagram has changed drastically than when I was on it years ago, when I first started. It's like, but that's part of the evolution of human and societies. What else is new? How can we make this better? And how can we make this different?
Starting point is 00:10:12 So being adaptable, I think really being creative, like I think it's easy to get into a rut, but the reason you typically get into this industry of being your own creator is so that you can be creative. So you have to stay true to your creative genius. There's so much pressure like, oh, they're nailing it in that way and they're crushing it in that way.
Starting point is 00:10:28 Maybe I should do it their way. Always do it your way. Like find tweaks that you can take from other people, but stay true to your creative heart. That's the whole reason you got into it. And third, you have to learn how to monetize. I see a lot of people do awesome, crazy creative stuff and they either don't charge or they
Starting point is 00:10:45 undercharge. And so what I help clients do is charge appropriately and then how to scale from there. Your income should never be capped. Just like your creativity is never capped, your income should never be capped. Yeah, I think that's so important. You talk about monetization. I feel I know so many people who have been creating content, they've amassed these big followings and they make no money.
Starting point is 00:11:06 I was just reading like the average creator makes under 20 grand or 50 grand, something really, really low compared to what we think they make. Right. I'm curious around stigmas, stigmas around only fans and maybe even as a whole around the world based on clients you see in different parts of the world. Because I know countries just look at things very different. Somebody might be judged in the US for something where if you go to Greece, it's the norm.
Starting point is 00:11:34 Yes, I have a very global audience. I've gone viral so many times as a passage and shipper. So I have people from all over the world who subscribe to my page. And am I so fascinated learning about where they live and get exactly what he said? What is, how do they view OnlyFans or people who are on OnlyFans?
Starting point is 00:11:49 And I know for in Brazil and in Germany, I've been written by multiple people in Brazil and Germany. I'm esteemed as a hero. Like they look up to me as a model. Like this is a woman in her power and her femininity. She's smart, she's the business woman, right? And then I get messages from Americans that I'm the head of the Illuminati and I'm the worst thing to happen to America.
Starting point is 00:12:11 And I'm the anti-Christ in flash. And it's like the extreme reactions I have makes me appreciate that I have a very global audience and especially the countries that are like, this is so normal and celebrated and respected in our part of the world. We think America is crazy. So it is very fascinating how cultures are different. I was watching an interview that you did. It was a very emotional interview and I even myself got choked up because you were talking a lot about the impacts on your family and everything. So can you dive into that?
Starting point is 00:12:40 Cause I think people might learn what the expectations are when you become a content creator. I know you just dived into that a bit now, but can you go more into how that impacted your family directly? Yes. I always tell people if you decide to go into OnlyFans, for example, or in a similar industry, you have to go with eyes wide open. You can't be naive. And so I knew going into this, I would lose some family, I would lose some family. I would lose some friends. I also knew I'd gain new family and I'd gain new friends.
Starting point is 00:13:09 That's really what I focused on. But it was a very painful process. I became estranged from my entire family, my parents and all three of my siblings and their spouses and their children. I lost all three of my best friends in the process. And the crazy thing for me was like, I still felt like Nicole Mitchell. I still felt like the exact same person and the fact that I would be written off because they disagreed about part of my career was like mind boggling to me. But I understand they come from a very
Starting point is 00:13:34 conservative, very religious background. This is obviously in direct contrast to what I was taught to value and do. And so that was a very painful part of my journey. But like I mentioned to you earlier, I am so glad I did not let that tuck me out of it because I'm the happiest, healthiest, and wealthiest I've ever been. And the life I've been able to give my children and the future I'm giving my children and myself,
Starting point is 00:13:56 like I decided to live life in my terms, which I believe is every person's right. Just be prepared for when people have a really big problem with that. Wow. Yeah. I mean, many people quit. It almost doesn't matter what you're doing.
Starting point is 00:14:10 There's always going to be some roadblocks, right? Entrepreneurship, I think, is for the 1% of people that have the mental grit. You have to be ironclad in your mind because you go through so many. As we kick off the new year, it's the perfect time to set meaningful goals. One of the most fulfilling resolutions you can make for 2024 is learning a new language, whether it's to connect more deeply with others, enhance your career opportunities, or simply embrace new cultures. This is your chance to grow and Rosetta Stone can help you make it happen.
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Starting point is 00:16:03 content creators and something I struggle with is coming up with content. I feel you always have to reinvent yourself or do something new or be creative. So how do you deal with that? Right. That is part of it is like, this is where your creativity can work very well for you or can turn against you. Cause you can get on a hamster reel and you end up turning out creativity or content for them and no longer for yourself. So everything I create is first and foremost for me because if I'm not going to love it, if I'm not going to enjoy it, I'm going to get burned out. And so I think I've really kept my
Starting point is 00:16:36 pleasure as the center, as the priority. And I know if it brings me pleasure because it's authentic and genuine, people who consume it, whether it's a coaching course or my OnlyFans content, they're gonna get pleasure from it because they can feel the authentic energy. And I think also too is like, I think creators are very scared to slow down because things are moving fast and things are changing and trends,
Starting point is 00:16:56 as soon as a trend begins, another one has started. Like there's, you can really feel the rat race energy, but I like to actually slow down. And I did this on Sunday, I slowed down on Sunday and I sat down and I came up with my Black Friday offers two months in advance. Like, either I can wait last minute, I can be frantic like everyone else, or I can slow down long enough that I want to blow people away with what I create for Black Friday. I'm going to take time for that.
Starting point is 00:17:19 So doing those things over the years has really, for at least for me, prevented burnout and I still very much love what I do. How many hours a day do you say that maybe in the beginning to now that you put into the content creation side? I would say it's a lot less now, but it's on my mind way more, right? Because you're always thinking of how can I scale and how can I grow this? It's no longer like, oh, I need to make a custom video. I still do that, but I'm already like on like the next level empire growth of my company.
Starting point is 00:17:51 So I'd say my brain is on 24 seven. The actual hours I work or in creating content probably averages out to two hours a day. But outside of the content creation, there's the messaging, right? There's the client, even for my coaching clients, client support. There's the programs I'm teaching live. There's the photo shoots that take all day that I drive up to LA for. Like there's a lot of moving pieces, which I love. It's a lot of variety, so it never gets boring for me. I think it's more hours than people expect, but you can also make more money than in a traditional job, in my opinion.
Starting point is 00:18:27 Hey, if you put the hours in, right? You hope to get something out of it and then maybe not have to work those many hours. Once you've built the foundation, you're building the empire, I should say. So something I've always lived by is my big audacious goal. Something that 30 years from now I want to achieve, something so crazy that it's probably too big. Mine is to impact 100 million people.
Starting point is 00:18:53 What would you say is your massive goal that you see for yourself? Love this question because I have a massive goal and I will hit it. So right now people look at me as like, oh, she's made it very successful, right? Like I've made more money than I thought I'd make in my lifetime. I have a very goal and I will hit it. So right now people look at me as like, whoa, she's made it very successful, right? Like I've made more money than I thought I'd make in my lifetime.
Starting point is 00:19:08 I have a very successful coaching business. I have a very successful OnlyFans. And to me, this is like the cute little appetizer to what I came here to do. So my goal is to be a billionaire. I wanna have multiple global companies. I want my own lingerie company, makeup company, high heel company, clothing, like clothing company.
Starting point is 00:19:25 I wanna have my own TV show. I wanna have multiple bestselling books. Like this is all the cute little preamble to my massive global empire that I am working on behind the scenes for. Whoa, one day I'm like, hey, I spoke to Nicole Mitchell, the billionaire. She's on the Forbes list.
Starting point is 00:19:42 Look around. When she was just a multimillionaire, when she was just a cute little multimillionaire, I got to meet her and now she's on the Forbes list. Look around. She was just a multimillionaire. When she was just a cute little multimillionaire, I got to meet her. And now she's a billionaire. We can't even get another interview. She's way too busy to, hey, it seems if you can do what you've already done, why can't you, I almost feel getting to where you're at is the hardest part. And then it's easier to get to the next level.
Starting point is 00:20:02 I agree. You know, like I have found making the first million is the hardest. After that, now once you cross that seven figure, you just now know the next seven figures is inevitable. So I don't even stress about my next million. I just know I'm going to hit it. But the first million, you're like, am I, am I, am I? So if everyone who's listening, it gets so much easier the farther you get. So don't give up. Don't quit short because it does get easier, does get better. I work the least amount of hours I've ever worked in my life and I'm making the most money I've ever made.
Starting point is 00:20:32 And it seems unfair that that's how it should be. Like you work so hard in the beginning, you make so little, but the flip side is so freaking worth it. So when it comes to like OnlyFans, people make all kinds. They make anywhere from $100 a month to a OnlyFans, I people make all kinds. They make anywhere from a hundred dollars a month to a million a month. I've seen it all. So I really believe it's like any other social media platform. It's like Instagram, tick tock Facebook. The money you can make is unlimited.
Starting point is 00:20:56 You have to be smart. You have to be strategic. You have to be relentless. You have to be authentic. I think that works the best and you can make as much money as you want. And this is what I help my only fans creators and all my clients really is. Let's find the smart, strategic, authentic strategy to make sure you're making the most money possible. And so I've made multiple seven figures on my only fans and same in my life coaching business, It's unlimited.
Starting point is 00:21:25 And I will say this, I get pushback on this, like, well, you're one of the lucky few, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I have worked with so many content creators that have blown up and make as much, if not more money than me. So you can use Sades of Fluke and say, I'm lucky, or you can get on board and become the next lucky one.
Starting point is 00:21:43 All the things that you've gone through, the ups and downs. Uh, thank you for sharing that and being vulnerable today. If you want to get in touch with you, they want to find out about all the things that you're doing. How can they do so? Yeah. It's just come to my website, Nicole Mitchell.com.
Starting point is 00:21:55 Nicole is spelled with a K and I K O L E M I T C H E L L.com. And you can find me in all the places. Well, Nicole, thank you so much for joining us today on Founder's Story. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:22:10 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:22:17 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:22:24 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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