Nicole Samuels

“I will never follow back of no man” was her feisty declaration, then a focused teenage girl charting her path of success. But little did Nicole Samuels imagine that at 33, she would surrender it all to do exactly that, and jet off to Dubai where her husband of two months, Garth Williams, is employed as a pilot.

Ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you that Samuels, former general manager of McCann Erickson, is simply extraordinary. Sit across from this petite dynamo in her office and look at the wall for a hint of what makes her so successful. It’s not in the certificates attesting to her academic qualifications; it’s in the one that contains her affirmation “.to be a courageous and happy leader who achieves breakthrough thinking and results”.

She is a super-achieving modern woman with a stubborn and competitive streak, a member of the St Hugh’s Past Students Association, a mentor to two teenage sisters through Guiding Light, a Rotarian, a spiritual champion, dancer, doting aunt, and corporate marketing guru. It is hard to believe that she is indeed leaving all this for love.

all woman caught up with her at Norma on the Terrace over a light lunch. Breezing in from a site visit, Samuels is casually attired in a cool white shirt with khaki capris. Her declaration of “I am starving, didn’t eat breakfast” is met with a knowing smile. It’s not uncommon for Samuels to launch herself like human sacrifice when she gets immersed in a task.

The task of the moment is planning a blessing and celebration of her marriage and send-off party. The couple officially tied the knot at the Registrar General’s Office in Twickenham Park last December, but this March they are hosting a ceremony in which a larger group of family and friends can share.

Samuels is unfazed that news of her nuptials and pending move sent shockwaves through some circles. “You know, some people didn’t think I was the marrying type or they questioned why a corporate woman like me was bothering to get married at this stage. Many said they didn’t even know I was even dating anyone,” she says.

But she admits that she consciously cultivated this image. “I wanted people to evaluate me solely on my work and I was careful not to put myself in a situation where things could be perceived. I didn’t even appear at events with a date,” she said.

Clearly her efforts paid off, as from her first job as a marketing officer at Butterkist – now Nabisco – she was promoted to senior brand manager and given a scholarship to pursue her MBA.

Driven by the thrill of accomplishment and a genuine love for work, Samuels later joined Red Stripe and was promoted twice to reach the level of marketing manager responsible for spirits and Smirnoff Ice.

With many recognisable achievements, it was a matter of time before she was catapulted into a larger role, that of general manager of McCann Erickson which she assumed two years ago. Although it was immensely challenging being responsible for the overall growth and profitability of a company, in many ways this was Samuels’ dream job as her creative energies were fully utilised.

It’s been a great ride so far – fun, rewarding and littered with financial independence, home-ownership and fabulous vacations.

But rising through the ranks was not without sacrifice and meant de-prioritising relationships. “It was tough. I had to build up stamina, resilience and learn how to be resourceful. I was driving for promotions and salary increases – the benefit of giving a hundred per cent.

Doing the same in a relationship held no guarantee of returns so it wasn’t a priority. I put my romantic life on the backburner.” Additionally, she says that as a woman working in a man’s world, men found her intimidating. “I often had to be out until 4:00 am working and socialising; it created tension and insecurity in relationships.

Men can’t deal with role reversal.” Even her family suffered as the busy corporate executive had little time for them, often sleeping through family functions or troubleshooting on her cellphone with work colleagues.

Today, she is smiling, relaxed, happy and preparing for life in the United Arab Emirates with her husband.

The transition

Samuels takes a deep breath and starts to explain. “Around the time I turned 30, I lost three people who were close to me. At their funerals it struck me that their careers were summed up in one paragraph. I realised that something was wrong with my equation. I wasn’t dividing my pie of life properly.” She then did what she knew how to do best. “I sat down and wrote a game plan for my life along three areas – mind, body and spirit.”

It was a strategic plan complete with timelines and focused on spiritual development, family, and making space for an intimate relationship that would lead to marriage and a family of her own. “I made myself into a project and created a mission statement – ‘Be a better person everyday’.”

She shares part of what she wrote in a private journal two years ago on her ideal partner. “He is emotionally, physically and spiritually available”.

Enter Garth Williams, an old acquaintance.

“I met Garth 13 years ago through Guiding Light but I honestly didn’t like him then. Even though he was polite, I thought he was arrogant. The last time I saw him was a couple years ago when he was leaving for Dubai and he said I should be coming with him. I just laughed.” But when the two met up in Jamaica last summer, something was hugely different.

Firstly, Samuels had been working on herself, deepening her prayer life and getting in tune with her core consciousness and she also found that Williams had changed and matured. “I could see his soul and we connected,” she said.

The couple didn’t waste time. Samuels visited Dubai in September, got engaged in November and they tied the knot last December.

But for this fiercely independent career woman morphing into a “domestic goddess” will require serious work. “This is a big psychological shift for me. I am independent, accustomed to earning my own money and now I will have to mentally adjust to being a wife, someone’s champion and support.”

Even though anxiety struck when she resigned her job and started selling her possessions, Samuels declares that this move is not the end of the world, but an exciting new challenge. “I have an open book to write my story the way I want and Dubai is a great place to pursue my passion of being an entrepreneur,” she said.

For those who frown upon her decision, Samuels shrugs indifferently, again proving she is a leader not a follower. “You don’t need to take your financial independence to emasculate men. When you come into a certain level of awareness, you don’t need that as a bragging tool.

I have realised that I do not have to be the head of the home, I am the heart and it is just as important.”

She slows down for a pause, and a warm smile lights her eyes as she shares her new dream. “I will be a super-wife, super-mom and super-entrepreneur”.