Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Erika Nicole.
Hi Dr. Erika Nicole, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Doctoring The Atmosphere Creating the Ambiance… My journey has been anything but linear, and honestly, that is what makes it meaningful. Some of my earliest memories are rooted in church and music. My mother surrounded me with both. Many of her close friends, whom I later grew to call aunts and uncles, were deeply connected to the gospel music industry, so I was constantly immersed in that world. When we moved to Los Angeles, that exposure only deepened. Church was not just a place of worship; it was a hub of creativity. There were musicals, workshops, concerts, and music was everywhere.
While I loved singing as a child, I quickly realized I was not meant to be the lead voice. Instead, I found my place behind the scenes, organizing, coordinating, and bringing everything together. By the time I was 16, I was already working logistics for events. What I did not realize then was that the skills I was developing in church, leadership, creativity, and execution were quietly shaping my purpose in the marketplace. Church did not just give me faith, it gave me function.
In 2007, I moved to Las Vegas and naturally found my way back into the music scene. It did not take long for me to notice a gap. So many incredibly talented church musicians had the ability to perform at a high level, some even touring with major artists, but others did not always have consistent platforms to express their artistry outside of church. I saw an opportunity to create something meaningful for them. From that place, Ambiance was born, a space where musicians could showcase their gifts, connect, and truly be seen.
As my vision grew, I pursued business studies at Pepperdine University, which helped me strengthen the foundation behind what I was building. It allowed me to merge my love for music with strategy, structure, and sustainability. But like many others, I was forced to pivot when the world shut down in 2020 and live events came to a halt. During that season, Ambiance became less of a focus, and I leaned more deeply into my professional career and academic journey.
What once felt like a pause turned into preparation. I continued to grow, eventually earning my Doctorate in Healthcare Administration from the University of Lynchburg, while simultaneously celebrating 14 years of Ambiance. That season was a full-circle moment for me, proof that I could honor both my purpose and my discipline at the same time.
Today, I carry every version of myself with me, the little girl shaped by church and music, the young woman organizing events behind the scenes, the entrepreneur creating space for others, and the leader committed to making an impact. Now, when I look at my life, it all makes sense. Every experience connects. Every pivot had purpose.
My journey is a blend of creativity, service, leadership, and faith, and I am still building, still evolving, and still creating spaces where purpose and opportunity can meet. And with the new opportunities unfolding for Ambiance, I am reminded that my story is still being written.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. Life has truly “lifed,” and the journey has come with its share of challenges, sacrifices, and hard lessons. While building Ambiance, I was also raising two children as a single mother. They are now both college students, and I often refer to them as my fruit. In seasons where I did not feel like anything was going right in my life, their success was proof that I was doing something right. Even in that, I was constantly balancing vision with responsibility. Ambiance was my passion, my creative outlet, my baby, but there were many nights where I was pouring into it financially and emotionally and leaving events completely depleted.
What made it even more complex was the contrast between perception and reality. People would flood social media talking about how amazing the experience was, how the energy felt, how needed the space was, and I would go home, open my spreadsheets, and realize that financially it did not match the impact. That was a difficult place to sit in, because I knew what I had created held value, but I had not yet learned how to fully claim and monetize that value.
Over time, I had to shift my mindset. I began to understand that Ambiance was not just an event, it was a brand, a community, and a proven draw. Once I recognized that, I became more intentional about negotiating my worth and advocating for what I brought to the table. I stopped allowing venues to undervalue the audience and experience I curated, and I started positioning Ambiance as something that deserved investment, not just appreciation.
Another layer of the struggle was navigating a male-dominated industry. Being a woman in that space came with its own set of challenges, but being a vocal, educated woman added another dimension. There were moments where I felt overlooked or underestimated, and I had to learn how to stand firm in who I was without shrinking to make others comfortable.
At the same time, there was an internal tension I had to work through. I genuinely wanted to create meaningful experiences for others, but I also had real-life responsibilities that required me to be sustainable and compensated. Learning that I did not have to choose between purpose and profit, that I could honor both, was a turning point for me.
Looking back, the road was not smooth, but every challenge refined me. It taught me how to value myself, how to advocate for my work, and how to build something that not only serves others but sustains me as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional creative who serves creatives, and at the core of everything I do is the ability to see vision, organize it, and bring it to life in a way that feels intentional and impactful. My work sits at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and execution. I manage itineraries for speakers, senior leaders, and their ministries, ensuring that their time, messaging, and presence are aligned and effective. I understand that behind every platform is a person with a purpose, and I take pride in helping them move with clarity and excellence.
In addition to that, I specialize in consulting and curating live music experiences, not just in Las Vegas, but anywhere there is an opportunity to create meaningful, high-quality environments for both artists and audiences. Through my brand, Ambiance, I’ve built spaces where musicians can show up fully and audiences can feel something real. It is more than just putting on an event; it is about crafting an experience, from the sound to the flow to the energy in the room. I’ve also worked behind the scenes, helping others shape their own creative visions, whether that is structuring events, building concepts, or refining execution.
I am also known for creating unique, community-centered experiences like my headshot parties, which are designed to pour back into creatives in a practical way. I recognized that many talented individuals do not always have access to professional branding tools, so I created spaces where they can receive high-quality headshots in an environment that still feels creative, affirming, and connected. It is a blend of service and experience, which really reflects how I approach all of my work.
What I am most proud of is my ability to create opportunities where there were none. I have built platforms, opened doors, and created spaces for people to be seen, heard, and valued, often before I had all the resources to do so. I am proud that my work has both impact and intention, that it serves people while also evolving into something sustainable.
What sets me apart is that I do not just execute, I understand. I understand creatives because I am one. I understand structure because I have studied and worked in spaces that require it. And I understand people, which allows me to move between vision and strategy in a way that feels seamless. I bring both heart and discipline to everything I do, and that combination allows me to create experiences and systems that are not only meaningful but lasting.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I take risks all the time, but over the years I have learned how to take calculated risks with a level of maturity and awareness that I did not always have in the beginning. Earlier in my journey, risk felt more like a leap of faith without a safety net. Now, it is still a leap, but it is informed by experience, strategy, and a deeper understanding of both my audience and my value.
At the same time, I had to be very mindful of the risks I was taking because I was not just building for myself, I was raising my two children, Jayven and Jordan, who were always watching, even in the quiet moments. I may not have realized it then, but they were taking notes. That reality made me more intentional. Every decision carried weight. I had to balance faith with responsibility, vision with stability, and passion with provision.
So while I have always been willing to step out and take chances, I have learned to do it in a way that honors both my purpose and the people depending on me.
In many ways, risk is built into the work that I do. Every time I release a flyer or promote an event, there is an internal moment where I ask myself, “Are people going to show up? Did I get this right? Will this resonate?” No matter how much experience I have, that feeling never fully goes away. You are putting something out into the world and asking people to believe in it, to invest their time, their energy, and sometimes their money. That is always a risk.
Some of my biggest risks have come from choosing to create opportunities instead of waiting for them. Building Ambiance was a risk. There was no guarantee that people would come, no guarantee that it would be financially successful, and no blueprint for exactly how it would grow. There were seasons where I funded experiences out of my own pocket, trusting that the vision was bigger than what I could see in the moment. Even expanding into consulting and curating experiences beyond Las Vegas required me to step into rooms and spaces where I had to prove myself all over again.
My perspective on risk now is that it is necessary for growth, but it has to be intentional. I do not believe in reckless risk, I believe in aligned risk. I ask myself if the opportunity connects to my purpose, if it builds on what I have already created, and if I am willing to learn from it regardless of the outcome. Because for me, risk is not just about winning or losing, it is about stretching, evolving, and trusting that each step is preparing me for something greater.
At this stage in my life, I see risk as a partnership between faith and strategy. I trust my instincts, but I also do my homework. And even with all of that, there is still that quiet question in the back of my mind every time I hit “post.” But I have learned that growth lives on the other side of that question, so I move forward anyway.
Contact Info:
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