Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Nicole.
Hi Crystal , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
People have always felt comfortable talking to me. Women and young ladies seek me out for advice, guidance and prayer.on a regular basis. I love helping people and giving back. Having a strong desire to see the next generation of young ladies become powerful leaders that dominate in every area of life, while also maintaining dainty and lady like qualities is how Dainty & Free was birthed. It is a mentorship program for all young ladies ages 6-11 but specifically for those with parents who are deceased, incarcerated or have substance abuse issues. We want to show these young ladies that despite their circumstances, they can thrive!
We are also expanding the mission of Dainty & Free in the future! There will be curated opportunities for organizations to secure me as a speaker for girls and women with the goal to heal, encourage and motivate.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a pretty smooth road, but there was a lot to learn. When I first started, it was literally from scratch. I had no idea where to begin. I didn’t have a particular group of young ladies in mind to participate or that I was already mentoring, I had no website, no business address, no business email. It was a huge learning curve. Thankfully, I had a few connections who were able to help me pull all of this together. Although time consuming, I learned how to update my website and design flyers amongst other things. Our first workshop for the girls was sold out! We had over 10 young ladies registered, but on the day of the workshop, only a few of them showed up. It was a little discouraging and I wondered where I went wrong or if I should continue. I kept persevering, addressing lessons learned and tweaking things as needed along the way. Our next workshop, they not only registered, but also showed up and had a ball! The momentum kept building and building and continues to flourish!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My education and background is in mass communications, public relations and partnership development. I also enjoy and have experience in event planning, so planning interactive workshops and activities for Dainty & Free is a natural fit for me.
I am a girls girl! I love all things girly and feminine. Dressing nicely, being properly groomed, using proper etiquette and being poised is a strong part of who I am.
Through Dainty & Free Girls Mentoring Program, we offer various workshops and activities at low or no cost that teach young ladies these very same things. For instance, our very first session was a holiday brunch. We had a female fireman talk about safety and emergency protocol and a female police officer shared about anti bullying tips, We also had a quick lesson on table manners and how to properly set the dinner table.
Dainty & Free also had cooking classes at a professional cooking school where the chef taught the young ladies how to make holiday appetizers and pasta from scratch. We also had a financial wealth advisor share info on investing, saving money and general wealth tips for the parents and children. Last summer, we offered a pool party to celebrate the end of the school year. A certified life guard gave a basic swim lesson and safety tips to the parents and children. We offer a virtual summer reading program for a chance to win free school supplies for the following school year as well as other educational activities. We were honored to have Ms. Maryland Corporate America speak to the young ladies about healthy self esteem and positive affirmations.
I also had the pleasure of co-authoring the “Successful Women’s Devotional” which is a #1 best seller and available for purchase on my website as well as info on Dainty & Free activities. More books are soon to come!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am an introvert! I typically do not like crowds or public speaking. My passion to help people often overrides my introverted nature and causes me to stand out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daintyandfree.com
- Youtube: @daintyfree
- Other: TikTok- @daintyandfree
