Nicole Black is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and small business trainer in employee productivity and effective growth. For the past 20 years, I’ve been a part of helping some of the biggest brands in hospitality and entertainment grow sustainably through the development of their people. From Ritz-Carlton to Twentieth Century Fox, to Renaud’s Bakery and Bistro, Inc.. She is the co-founder and former CEO of Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, a French bakery and bistro with six locations throughout Southern California. Nicole served as CEO during one of the most difficult economic eras in the world and was able to launch her first store in 2008 growing it to just shy of $1M in sales in 12 months. She learned a lot through those struggling years. Her vision is that more new businesses succeed; when everyone succeeds, confidence soars and our economy flourishes. Nicole is a motivational speaker and trainer with a resilient spirit and a passion for helping organizations and individuals reframe and refocus their business to increase productivity and performance. A native of Southern California, she currently resides in Santa Barbara with her daughter.