Woman of the Week – Nichole Dunn

Nichole Dunn

My Current Job/Company:
President & CEO, The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio

My Birthdate:
2-4-75

My Work:
I cultivate, steward, and hopefully inspire philanthropy that invests in social change for women and girls.

My Passion:
Being happy. Being fulfilled. My family, my work, and smiling.

My Family:
Michael (Husband), Abigail (a strong minded, opinionated, and believes every day should have rainbows, 6-yr-old) , Henry (a recently potty trained, orange haired, happy, nicest 3-year-old boy ever!), and Maggie (an 80 pound, 8-year-old American Bulldog).

My Heroes:
Can anyone really compete with my mom (Jo Ann Baum)?

My Escape:
My backyard on a sunny day.

My Pet Peeve:
Clutter… “stuff” left out on counter tops, floors, etc for more than three hours…yep- three hours and I start to itch. Oh- and mean, unhappy people. Not a fan.

My Indulgence:
The new salty bon-bons at Pistacia Vera. Mmmmmm.

My Roots:
My parents were born and raised on farms in Minnesota and carried that work ethic, focus on family, and humility into raising my sister and I. And having a sense of humor.

My Future:
Completely unknown but I am utterly curious and trying to be patient for it to happen while enjoying the right here and now.

My Love:
When Henry tells me “ I love you with all my heart, Mommy, I am your son”…. And the volumes of Abigail-created rainbow pictures with she and I holding hands.

My Movie:
I am a product of the 80’s/Gen X demographic which can be summed up in the movie “Reality Bites”….or a hopeless romantic with the “Princess Bride”… and a kid at heart with the 1994 remake of “The Little Rascals.”

My Quote on Life:
One quote? Oh but there are so many and it depends on the day, the hour, the moment. The short one: “A smile is contagious…so be infectious.”
Reminder when things are tough: “This too shall pass.”
Overall: “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”

My Accessory:
On the weekends, it’s my kids and a pair of tennis shoes. Monday through Friday, it’s chunky and layered necklaces with my modest but slowly growing collection of shoes.

My advice to young women:
Create relationships! Commit to scheduling at least two times a month, a 45 minute coffee talk with women you would like to know, are inspired by, or want to learn from. This simple curiosity, without an agenda or expectation, but simply to meet others can build a rolodex of opportunities and support that last many career choices and life transitions. I strongly believe as human beings we exist fully when engaged and connected to each other, and especially for women, we thrive when we know there are others who have our back.

How I Balance it All:
Well, for starters, I am not sure if I do but I try. It helps if I first define what it “all” is. I have a great partner in my husband, Michael, who does the daily pick up and dinner routine. And it means that I am not the Mom who gets the gold star for perfect attendance at all the doctor’s appointments or muffins with mom mornings but we do sing songs in the car and I try not to work more than three late nights in a week. I take full advantage of dry cleaning being delivered to my home and discovered that the personal stylist service at Nordstrom doesn’t cost extra so why not have someone find that jacket or dress for me without me spending hours with two kids playing hide-n-seek in the racks or dressing room. I might show up 15 minutes late to the game but I seem to be the parent who cheers the loudest. I am certain that I don’t have the cleanest house in the neighborhood but at the end of the day, I have a fulfilled life. A life with lots of hugs and giggles, a job that is incredibly challenging and rewarding, and every now and then I even have moments to inhale….and exhale with gratitude and a glass of wine. And this, for me, is what “all” is.