We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Makeda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, what do you attribute your success to?
Tenacity. I think the greatest factor in anyone’s success is their ability to keep going – no matter what. I have always had a plan and set incremental goals in furtherance of it. My mom would say – “If you’re not willing to write down your plan, you’re not serious about it.” So every stage of my life, I have always had a list of goals that kept me focused. Whenever I would get distracted and feel lost – I’d refer back to my doc to get back on track.

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is your better, and your better is your best.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I provide in-house corporate legal counsel to a Fortune 100 company – one of the largest banks in the world. I started my career negotiating contracts for a health and wellness insurance company. Then through networking, I secured an in-house position with a Fortune 500 insurance company to do life insurance business and product development. Three years ago when the bank was considering adding life insurance to its customer product offerings, I was recruited to provide legal support to help set up this new business line.

Life insurance is important to me because it is a tax-favored way to pass wealth to the next generation. For pennies a day, families can be assured that the financial needs of the children can still be met if the breadwinner dies unexpectedly. I wish more people recognized the benefits of life insurance over Go Fund Me burial campaigns.

Acquiring and transferring generational wealth is high on my list of life goals. I want to leave a legacy for my children’s children. For this reason, I invest in real estate and in 2020, I purchased a multi-use building. It had 2 apartments that my sons could lease, allowing them to avoid the exorbitant rent that so many young people are saddled with. This allows them the bandwidth to pursue other interests outside of work. My son Jahlani works corporate, but he also finds time to get in the studio and do audio production.

In addition to the apartments, the building also has a commercial space. This space has been curated by my eldest son with support from his 3 other siblings. It’s definitely a family affair. It’s been the perfect way for me to pass on what I’ve learned about the real estate game from my mom. (Growing up, she was a real estate broker in Cleveland.) As well as help them build their entrepreneurial chops.

In less than 3 years, Khamall has become a beacon on the Southside. Through his engagement with the community, the Citadel has become known as a space of the community, by the community, for the community.

When my story is told, I want to be known for working hard and resting hard. Attending law school was a decision made later out of a strong desire to provide a better life for my family. One of my most significant accomplishments was getting through 3 years of law school while raising 4 active kids. And now that I’m on the other side of my career, I am equally passionate about when it becomes time to no longer work. I travel to Tanzania East Africa twice a year. I have a company – MsMakeda.com where I take people over with me. Recently, my trips have become longer and longer. It’s only a matter of time before I buy a house over there …

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Each night we would check out a different venue. We would go check out Scott Woods at the Street Light Guild and listen to poetry. Grab chai latte from Upper Cup on Parsons. And while on Parsons, we would go to the. Citadel with Khamall Jahi and vibe out at a Sound Bath. Get cigars from Andre and Iris Young at Pipes and Pleasures, or smoke at La Chaveta on High. Listen to live jazz with Tiffany and Derrik Pannell at the Blu Note, and eat some beef brisket burnt ends and crispy Brussels sprouts. Pop over to Bravo’s at the Lennox for Happy Hour. Get the house red wine, the shrimp Napoli, and tiramisu. For lunch we’d hit up Piada, Loving Hut, North Star, or the Eastside Market. When it’s time to hang, we would chill at Ground N Grind with Jennifer and Sean Walton, or kick it at DNS. Then round out the week with live reggae with the Flex Crew at Skully’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My kids. I know it was not easy having an ambitious mom. Being a young mom, we grew up together. So much of my journey has been centered around trying to provide opportunities and experiences for them. Where I landed in life was less about this as a destination (as a girl, I did not dream of being a lawyer). My success has been motivated by me and my children deserving all that the world has to offer,
I just hope that any mistakes I made – they charge it to my head and not my heart.

Website: MsMakeda.com

Instagram: Kulture_is_the_cure, msmakedatravels

Linkedin: Nicole Makeda

Facebook: Nicole Makeda, MsMakeda page

Image Credits
(Pic w/4 people) Keesha Warmsby, Nikol Owens, the Honorable Yvette McGee Brown (Pic with just 2) Assata Ben-Levi

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