About Hat Lady Nicole

After earning a Bachelor of Science at the University of Oklahoma in Meteorology and Master of Science in Atmospheric Science at North Carolina State University, I was ready to teach Oklahomans (and anyone who would listen) everything I knew about weather to keep people safe. 

My first post-graduate job was initially to create and present a one-day climate workshop to Oklahoma decisionmakers, explaining the current data and its potential implications for the people in Oklahoma, but I soon found myself running the state’s public safety weather education program, training emergency managers on how to interpret weather data so they could safely deploy their teams and resources. I loved what I did and loved the people I worked with and for, but the long hours (and even longer drives to remote tech centers across the state) took their toll on my mental and physical health. 

My husband Don (also a meteorologist who graduated from OU), another meteorologist friend (Dave), and I founded Weather Fusion – a small weather technology company that started with hand-drawn maps until we created our own hail technology (could tell roofers and insurance companies alike what the likely maximum hail size was that fell on a property and when). I loved learning about business and leadership topics, reading every book I could find on the subjects, and sharing the information with the rest of our leadership team. This lifelong passion for learning paid off when large companies were interested in acquiring Weather Fusion, in part because we knew our core values and guarded our culture which led to success–I had been the primary promoter of identifying and defending our values (thanks to The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni, which became one of my bibles). By the time CoreLogic bought Weather Fusion, my health had deteriorated to the point that I could no longer work full-time, so Don encouraged me to seek answers from medical professionals and set up a property management / real estate investing portfolio.

The first undeniable symptoms of fibromyalgia appeared around the time I was in the best physical shape of my life, taking several Zumba and Yoga classes each week, but becoming weaker and feeling pain deep into my bones. This began the long search for answers – why was my body acting this way? Was there a way to reverse it? What was going on with my body?

After extensive lessons/education from local investment mentors, buying several investment properties, setting up systems to automate as much as I could, and finding and vetting great tenants, I was able to work part-time. The pain and exhaustion continued to hamper my ability to accomplish much and some of the doctors I met were less than helpful — one gave me the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, but his nurse rolled her eyes and said that there’s no such thing, that I was just malingering or was a hypochondriac. Yeah, medical gaslighting is unfortunately real and this is far from the only time I’ve experienced it.

After working for a few years with a personal trainer familiar with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients, I was able to slowly increase my strength and stamina. We had to be careful to avoid causing flares – the slowness of my progress was frustrating, remembering how such basic exercises were once easy. But I WAS improving.

By 2018, I was lucky enough to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where they tested everything. The diagnoses I was given after 2 weeks of extensive testing were fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and orthostatic intolerance. The Fibro Clinic nurses were wonderful–the first thing they told our small class of newly-diagnosed fibromites (mighty fibromyalgia patients): what we are experiencing is real, not just in our head/psychological. They acknowledged that science is still trying to understand the disease and that the best way for us to live is to manage our diseases through NOT overdoing. The nurses also introduced us to “The Wheel of Self-Management Tools“, reminding us to focus on multiple aspects of our life (movement NOT exercise, social time, focusing on humor, etc) to feel more connected, whole, and happy. After all, we will likely be managing the disease for the rest of our lives – and there’s no point in always being miserable! 

Then in 2019 one of our investment businesses collapsed, taking everything we had built since starting Weather Fusion with $50, including the real estate investment properties and even our own home. No more personal trainer or medical massages. Support activities eliminated, my mental health crashed with my husband’s as we “coped” with the embarrassment of bankruptcy. I wondered if I’d ever be able to work again AND maintain my health.

It didn’t help when, in August 2019, I felt a growing pressure over my right ear – a Fibrous Dysplasia lesion that had eaten away my skull and cheekbone. Most of this story is told through the original blog entries of HatLadyNicole, if you’re interested in learning more. Thankfully, the 3 surgeons were able to remove the tumor (non-cancerous) and rebuild my face. Today, no one can tell I had a large craniotomy, but for at least a year after surgery, I had fainting spells and other reminders from my body that a major surgery had occurred. The surgeons had prepared me for the acute physical manifestations of healing, but I was unprepared for the psychological side of recovery and the loss of control over my body. EMDR sessions have helped immensely with the anxiety, depression, and overall relinquishing of control.

In 2022, Don came across some YouTube videos discussing a way to make income through building websites and managing SEO for local businesses – and one couple stood out to him. The wife had severe health issues like me, but was now happy, confident, and thriving in their online business. He shared the video with me, which inspired me to join the eBusiness Institute’s Champions Program. Today, I am an award-winning web developer/designer/SEO consultant, working when my body and mind allow, achieving goals I had given up on for years, and part of a supportive community.