When the Nudge Won’t Let Go: Trusting the Pull Toward More with Nakeisha Washington

What happens when the life you’ve built starts to feel… off?

In this episode, I sit down with Nakeisha Washington, who shares her journey from 25 years in education to stepping into something completely new, all because she chose to listen to a quiet nudge that wouldn’t go away.

What started as a moment with her daughter turned into a bigger vision… but not without fear, doubt, and some hard in-between seasons.

This conversation is a reminder that purpose doesn’t always show up loud.
 Sometimes it’s a feeling you can’t shake, a pull toward more ...  a knowing that you’re meant for something different.

And the question becomes, will you listen?

What You’ll Take Away:

•  The “pull for more” is there for a reason, don’t ignore it 
•  You build confidence by moving, not waiting 
•  One step of obedience can change everything

Learn More about Nakeisha Washington and Nyla Nova Stem.

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Transcript

Jill O'Boyle (00:02.156)
Well, hello everybody and welcome back to your life, your story, Rise Up Podcast. I'm your host, Jill O'Boyle, and I am so excited to be here with you today. Today's conversation is really gonna be for anybody who has ever felt that just quiet pool. Like the life that you've built for decades starts to just shift and you realize there might be something more waiting for you. So today I'm gonna sit down with Nakiesha Washington.

an educator with over 25 years in the classroom and leadership. But honestly, what I love about her story isn't just like what she's done and her achievements, it's really who she is becoming in this journey. And so what started as a simple idea inspired by her own daughter has grown into something so much bigger. But with that, it doesn't come without doubt or the pressure.

or those in between moments that she's had to walk through to get there, right? And so with that, I'm excited to just dive in, have her just fill us with her story, words of wisdom, and welcome Nakeisha to the show.

Nakeisha Washington (01:12.752)
Thank you. Thank you so much, Jill. This is awesome. I've been waiting so long to do this with you and, to your listeners. Thank you guys for having me.

Jill O'Boyle (01:22.002)
Absolutely, you I always say everything happens at the right time, right? So we had been talking, we connected, gosh, years ago at the VIP Center. Yes. And so here we are and God knows exactly the right timing and we had to bump into each other at another event to just get that little, hey, let's connect.

Nakeisha Washington (01:26.83)
exit.

years ago. Yes, yes, yes.

Nakeisha Washington (01:40.472)
Yeah

Yes, yes, yes.

Jill O'Boyle (01:46.552)
So there's so much to your story. There's so much that you are building right now. But before we get into everything that you're building, I would love if you would just take us back, take the listeners back a little bit. Like talk about who you were, like who you were during those 25 years in education, like not so much really what you did, but who were you in that season of your life?

Nakeisha Washington (02:11.772)
Mm-hmm.

Great question, great question. So I was a science teacher, middle school and high school science teacher. I was a mother, I was a wife, a daughter, all those things that I thought was the full, like I thought this was it. And so I just would go to school, teach the class, I would pour out into others, pour out into my students, into my family, but then I would go home and feel empty. And so I could never figure

Jill O'Boyle (02:41.963)
Hmm

Nakeisha Washington (02:43.952)
out what was that feeling like why did I feel empty and then even a lot of the educators know what I'm talking about on Sunday night about 3 p.m. I would start getting anxious and just like crap

Jill O'Boyle (02:52.174)
Hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (02:57.06)
you know, just angry and I'm like, what is that feeling? And when you start pinpointing, I was like, I don't want to go to school Monday morning. Like I was like the kids, I don't want to go to school. And it wasn't that I didn't love my job and what I was doing. I knew I was always as a little girl, knew I wanted to do more. I knew I saw my name in lights and I just thought I was crazy. And I was like, well.

Jill O'Boyle (03:06.702)
You

Nakeisha Washington (03:19.182)
I see it on this chalkboard or this whiteboard, I felt like it was always something bigger. And so just going day in, day out, each day looked the same.

Jill O'Boyle (03:29.806)
you

Nakeisha Washington (03:30.178)
I was, you know, didn't have time to go travel because even in the summer I was teaching summer school. My boys were growing up, you know, and so it was just always like, you know, dum dum dum dum dum, same day, Groundhog Day. And I just, right, and I always knew I wanted more. And so it just became to a point where I said, this is enough. This is enough. I've given out to everyone else. I tell my students, follow your dreams. You could be anything in life, anything you want to

Jill O'Boyle (03:42.478)
Crying hog day. Exactly.

Jill O'Boyle (03:51.982)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (04:00.014)
And then I was sitting there miserable every day. I was not doing what I was preaching. And then later in life, I ended up having a daughter. Like my oldest son was 20. And then my next son was 18. And then here comes this little girl. And I'm like, well, what am supposed to do with her? I was like, what is, what am I supposed to do with her? I don't know. I was like, had boys all this time. and so, like you said, that little light bulb, that little spark, that little voice was like, build, build.

Jill O'Boyle (04:03.01)
Right. Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (04:10.711)
Okay.

Nakeisha Washington (04:29.84)
this is what I wanted you to do. You had to get to this point. And so that's kind of how I got into this, just listening to that little voice that was always in the back saying, more, more, more. This is not it. There's more coming. So.

Jill O'Boyle (04:42.05)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm. And yeah, I love that. And I think so many, so many people listening can relate to that story. And maybe that's you right now listening like you're, like, I'm in it. I'm in it right now. I wake up every day. It feels like Groundhog's day. And I have this push for more. I love that you said the word more because I want to really dive into that because

More doesn't mean maybe more responsibility or more work, right? You're already exhausted. There's this, right? You don't need more, but yet you said more because there is something nudging you inside that says there has to be more than what I'm doing right now, right? Like you were created on this earth with a purpose. There is a nudge in there. So that moment you're realizing this. So was that moment...

Nakeisha Washington (05:11.58)
Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Right.

Nakeisha Washington (05:28.867)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (05:35.566)
essentially your daughter coming into play. Was that like the big moment that you can recognize like for her or tell me a little bit more about that.

Nakeisha Washington (05:44.059)
Okay, so my daughter was, her name is Nyla and she was about two years old and I would bring her into my classroom because I would be setting up for labs and different things. And so she would go over and pick up stuff and she would pick up, you know, a beaker, what's this? And you know how kids are curious that you say, what's this and what's this? And then like you said,

Jill O'Boyle (06:03.661)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (06:06.236)
That light bulb in that voice was like, this is it. You've been a science teacher for, you know, assistant principal, all of this. You help open up charter schools, but no one has ever figured out. We wait till kids get a middle school and high school to really get them into STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math. But they're naturally curious at two, three, four, five years old, why do we wait so long and say, Hey, why don't you do this? And so that moment right there, I was like, I have to start younger.

Jill O'Boyle (06:29.134)
Mmm.

Nakeisha Washington (06:36.386)
I have to start with Nyla. And so from that moment, I was like, nah, I'm a science teacher, not a writer by far. I love Grammarly right now, all of that. But I was like, I'm going to write a book.

Jill O'Boyle (06:46.89)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (06:49.572)
And I don't know whether that, I've never thought about writing a book before. And so before I started writing the book, I actually was blogging, like my experiences as someone who was doing it again. I got married again. I had a new child. I was in a new city at the time. So I was like, I was calling myself a do it again. So I started blogging. Once again, not a writer, but it was just like, let me get my story out. Then that's when the book was like, well, now you need to make a book.

Jill O'Boyle (06:50.925)
Wow.

Nakeisha Washington (07:17.39)
And so we started with one science book and now we got like five, six books and Nyla Nova is the character based on my daughter. And she goes around and she's like the science superhero and she makes learning fun and relatable to children that are younger because they can see themselves in her. Like they can see themselves and it just wasn't, I purposely did it for girls and girls of color.

Jill O'Boyle (07:17.454)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (07:26.318)
Aww.

Jill O'Boyle (07:37.326)
Sure.

Jill O'Boyle (07:42.893)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (07:43.003)
because we know they disproportionately not represented in STEM fields. And when they got to me, they were shocked that I was a science teacher. They were like, we never seen a science teacher look like you. You know, you got your hair done, you got nails, you got makeup on. They thought I was supposed to look like Bill Nye. And I was like, no, you can be cute and jazzy. I would go into science class teaching with my heels on, my dresses, and they were like just in awe.

Jill O'Boyle (07:56.899)
Yeah.

Right?

Jill O'Boyle (08:10.316)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (08:10.448)
And I'm like, have you not seen that? was like, you're our first woman, black, female science teacher. And I was like, really? So that was really important to me about the representation. And as it evolved, it was not longer just about telling girls they can be great and they can do this. It was about letting boys and girls see that they can be great and that they can work together and they can.

Jill O'Boyle (08:18.766)
Wow.

Jill O'Boyle (08:22.574)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (08:33.858)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (08:36.86)
build things together. And so that's been the premise of our Nylanova, turned into just not the book, it turned into Nylanova's Sinversity, which is the programming, the curriculum.

the travel, all things STEM, but we started as young as three years old now. And it's amazing to watch just even like my five-year-old granddaughter dissecting squid and seeing herself as a scientist, but she scared of ladybugs. So she would run from a ladybug, but she picked up that squid and was dissecting. I was like, but that's because she didn't have no fear because she didn't know she was supposed to be fearful. She just went in there and saw everybody else doing it. And that's why it became very important.

Jill O'Boyle (08:50.606)
Hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (09:01.614)
Mm-hmm

Jill O'Boyle (09:15.83)
Yeah. I love that. I love it so much because you leaned into that like little nudge that spoke to you and there was an eye opening where you looked at your daughter and saw her curiosity just peaking in that moment. And you're so right. Like when kids are young, we are we're question askers. We ask why all the time we want to learn. Like it's the right time to like start introducing things because

Nakeisha Washington (09:31.974)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (09:43.19)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (09:45.09)
They have no fear. They ask a lot of questions. They're trying to learn what they like, what they don't like. So I love that you, cause you're right. mean, thinking about when I was young, like I really didn't get into science until, you know, that middle school age. So, you know, and I looked at people like in a lab suit. That's what scientists are. They're a lab suit. Like.

Nakeisha Washington (09:51.894)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (10:06.111)
And most Ellen, right, right, that's it. That's like, and they're doing little tests and you're like, I don't want to do that, but it's so much more, it's so much more.

Jill O'Boyle (10:18.336)
Yeah. and how fun to create a environment like that for you and your daughter to go and travel together and help educate. And she gets to be the star of the show and the main character.

Nakeisha Washington (10:28.345)
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Jill O'Boyle (10:31.134)
I mean, how cool. And the book, how, so I love that. I remember when I started my coaching business, I started just basically, I was in a rock bottom moment. I started sitting down and I got out a journal and I started writing and I had forgotten how much when I was younger,

Nakeisha Washington (10:50.425)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (10:55.606)
I thought I would be an author. I used to write all the time. I used to sit in my room with teddy bears and read. Like I did all that. But as life goes on and we get older, I think we forget some of the things that we actually love. And so I sat down, I remember one day just writing and my pen would not stop. And it was like every morning I just, got into journaling because I was just like,

Nakeisha Washington (11:11.246)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (11:21.096)
I forgot how freeing this is, how much I love this. And so I love that you just started with just blogging and there came a passion out of that. Again, you say I'm not a writer, but there was something that stirred you. And I think that's passion and I think that's purpose. I think there's like, you believed in what you were putting on those papers that needed to get out into the world. So I just love that. I love that. Okay, so.

Nakeisha Washington (11:46.107)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (11:47.862)
with any journey though, any journey that we feel that we are called to when we get these aha, I call them god drops where he just like won't let it go. It comes with some hardships though. Like there's people that say, self-made millionaire and all this, I just swipe left because I'm like, whatever. Listen, it takes a community, it takes a village and you got a God on your side that's gonna help you get there.

Nakeisha Washington (11:56.281)
Mm-hmm. I like that. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (12:17.08)
So for you, what was the hardest moment in your journey when you look back and you're passionate about this and you're loving it, but was there a moment that you can recognize that felt very hard that kind of just shaped you though to where you are today or what kept you moving forward?

Nakeisha Washington (12:35.004)
And I'm not gonna turn out the crack because as soon you said that it was just emotions ran back I know exactly the moment so I had been building the doing the books and kind of working on just kind of wanting to do the programming but I still was teaching I still was teaching and I didn't we have moved to Florida and then within two years we came back because I'm my

Jill O'Boyle (12:51.968)
Okay.

Nakeisha Washington (13:00.07)
kids were having kids since I was coming to grandma and I was like, goodness, I want to be here back in Indiana. But one of the things we moved back in December of 2019. And so no one knew what the world was about to happen and all of that.

Jill O'Boyle (13:10.286)
Wow, right. Wow.

Nakeisha Washington (13:14.956)
I wasn't even trying to come back into the classroom. They saw me at a basketball game and they were like, can you just do one semester? Give us one semester. Cause our assistant principal was teaching science and being a assistant principal. And I was like, sure, I'll come back for one semester. So I was only supposed to be there from January to May of 2020 while we know March happened. And so I was able to work from home for a little bit. And I really was working on the programming and I was like, okay, I don't want to go back.

Jill O'Boyle (13:33.174)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (13:45.233)
But life happens and I had to go back in August. That year was so hard because it was hybrid. Naila was a kindergartner. She was having to come in school with me, but on her, it was just a mess. My mom has health problems. I couldn't go check on her. You're talking about hard. But what I realized is that it was around that February of 2021.

Jill O'Boyle (13:50.146)
Hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (14:01.326)
Sure.

Nakeisha Washington (14:13.584)
The school days were hard.

They were very hard on us taking days off. I had to go check on my mom. It was just like everything was closing in on me. Everything was closing in. And I had let them know I had a dentist appointment. Something happened. They didn't get the message. My principal came in and scolded me like I was. And luckily no students was around. But scolded me like I was like hadn't been there. Hadn't, you know, sacrificed my family, my mom's help for them. Like everything. But you know, most people would do in a job

You sacrifice everything and to get scolded. When I was doing y'all a favor back the first semester, y'all begged me to come take this job and now you're scolding me when my scores are high and students love my all this. And when he left, I sat in my classroom, I locked my door and I cried for two hours. I kid you not, I cried for two hours. There was kids outside my classroom trying to get in and I just was like, I can't do it anymore. I can't do it.

Jill O'Boyle (14:47.81)
You're right.

Jill O'Boyle (15:13.624)
camp. Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (15:15.388)
I cried for two hours. We can get, because it's science classroom, so they all kind of connect through the lab. So some of my science friends came in and like, are you OK? I was like, I'm not. I just need this moment. Can y'all take the kids? And they did. And I said to myself, and I told God, I hear you now. Because what happens is, he would make it so hard for you because you're somewhere that you stay way too long.

Jill O'Boyle (15:32.238)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (15:42.028)
Yep. Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (15:42.685)
and you did not do what you needed to do. He was telling me to jump, but that fear of like, I need a paycheck. I need this. I need that. Like, what are you saying? Like I can't, my husband will look at me like I'm crazy if I said, I'm just going to quit my job. He said, but do you feel how you feel right now? How long and how many, how long can you do this? And I said, you're right.

Jill O'Boyle (15:49.038)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (15:52.622)
Ugh.

Jill O'Boyle (16:02.446)
Right, right.

Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (16:07.898)
So after those two hours, I clear my eyes, I call my husband, I said, I'm gonna finish the school year out because that's type of person I am, but I'm not coming back. I'm gonna let them know I'm not coming back. So I waited till the end of the school year. And this is how crazy it is. I told that principal that I wasn't coming back and he told me, you're not leaving. I'm not gonna let you leave. And I'm like, what you scolded me, you act like, know, I was doing this horrible job taking days off, taking care of my family.

And so I went above him to my assistant superintendent, who was a good friend. And what I did was, and this is for your listeners, I went to the assistant superintendent, but I brought Nyla. And I brought Nyla in her lab coat. And I brought her in with those books. And I showed him the vision. And I said, look at this.

Jill O'Boyle (16:53.954)
Yes.

Nakeisha Washington (16:59.272)
I am helping. I've helped all these kids over these years. I can help even more outside the classroom and I we can change the world. Look at this. And when Nala came in with her lab coat and her goggles and her book and was and said, I love science and this is this. He was like, you got it. I'll let you do if you want to finish summer school. He said we will hire you back as a vendor, as a contractor. You can come in and do our after school programs. And so I didn't want to go back to the old principal, be like 90, 90 boo boo.

Jill O'Boyle (17:15.992)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (17:22.028)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (17:27.669)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (17:28.75)
But I was like, when you know there's something bigger for you and it gets hard and you just, it's like you trying to put a square peg in a circle hole or the opposite, it just would not fit anymore. And so I had to bet on myself. But I had to show someone else the vision God gave to me. And once they saw it, I haven't looked back. I've been a full-time entrepreneur since.

Jill O'Boyle (17:32.375)
Yep.

Jill O'Boyle (17:50.52)
Right.

Nakeisha Washington (17:53.357)
And by the grace, been able to keep the lights on and continue to go, do it full time, been around the world, everything based on that one book. just stay the course, listen to that, believe in yourself because it was hard. When I tell you to cry for two hours and didn't care who saw me, who knew that I was just like, I'm done. Like it's just, you hit your breaking point and you know it's only but up from there, but it wasn't easy since then.

Jill O'Boyle (17:53.566)
Ugh. Yes. Ugh.

Jill O'Boyle (18:01.294)
It's amazing.

That is.

Jill O'Boyle (18:09.41)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (18:17.367)
You hit it.

Nakeisha Washington (18:23.302)
but it's been worth it. And I know when you say purpose and passion meets together, woo baby, it's so beautiful. Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (18:29.484)
Yeah, sparks will fly, right? It's your spot on and you nailed it right on the head. Sometimes God will have to physically shut the door, physically slam it in your face and it may suck. You cried for two hours and you're like, I've been pouring out to you guys. I've been...

Nakeisha Washington (18:41.916)
Yeah

Jill O'Boyle (18:53.144)
Didn't even want to come back here. You guys came to me, which is a lesson for everybody that is listening right now. When you know that you know that you are on a path that God is calling you on, do not reach back. Don't reach back to security and safety. That's where we will always go. That's where the enemy will rob your joy and your purpose is he's going to come right there and he's going to say, but you got to have the paycheck. You got to have the insurance. And God says, Hey, I can do exceedingly abundantly more.

Nakeisha Washington (19:06.395)
Mm-mm.

Nakeisha Washington (19:11.931)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (19:18.012)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (19:22.626)
Just watch me, but you have to have steadfast faith and trust because it's not easy, believe me. But yeah, and the ones closest to you, like your family and your friends, like listen.

Nakeisha Washington (19:31.009)
Not easy at all. Not easy at all.

Nakeisha Washington (19:39.268)
They think you're crazy.

Jill O'Boyle (19:42.028)
They might think you're crazy, they do that because they do that because of security and safety as well, right? So the people that want to, people can easily hold you back because of their own agenda. That that all makes sense in my mind. So I gotta help protect her. I gotta come in here and rescue her because that doesn't, but if you get around the right people and you show them the vision, which is exactly what you did, kudos to you.

Nakeisha Washington (19:48.346)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (19:55.601)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (19:59.485)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (20:06.716)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (20:10.338)
bringing your daughter and showing what God had showed you. And again, they still might not see it. Luckily for that person, they did. They saw it. but I think at that moment you were already like, okay, God, I hear you loud and clear. I'm, I'm moving.

Nakeisha Washington (20:15.45)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (20:21.882)
This, I'm, yes, yes. And this is for your listeners. And just think about this. So they gave me a chance. It wasn't right away. And they said, we'll give you one school. If you do great at that school, you know, it was like two hours after school for six weeks. Once that principal loved it, they told other principals, next thing you know, they were calling me and was like, okay, what can you do with all our after school program?

I was like overjoyed like this is 2021, 2022. know what? They gave me a six week contract that was more than my yearly salary. Six, won't he do it? I was like, I had to call people. I had to my mom, my sons. Y'all got to come work for me. I need you because I can't do it by myself. But it was because I stayed the course. I showed the vision.

Jill O'Boyle (20:57.846)
Look at that. Won't he do it?

Nakeisha Washington (21:13.252)
And I was like, are you serious? Like you guys were paying me more to do this than what I was doing all year long. every day, all day, I get to pick the app. It was the best. so from there, it's just been the steady building and building and realizing that that's what God was like. All you had to do was just step out there and trust me. I had you all alone, but it just you, you know, you didn't believe. So I had to make it tough.

Jill O'Boyle (21:24.921)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (21:35.16)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (21:40.327)
for you to come out there and do it. And so I would say that was definitely the turning point where I was like, I can really do this. Like it is, it is there now. It hasn't been easy. It's been some ups and downs since then, but I won't go back. I refuse to go back. I tell my husband, there's no plan B. I'm going to figure this out. And I'm, I love it because every day looks different. Every day I get to be creative. I, even if, if bills are

Jill O'Boyle (21:47.724)
Yes. I know.

Jill O'Boyle (21:53.836)
That's right. Good for you. Right.

Jill O'Boyle (22:04.717)
Mm.

Nakeisha Washington (22:06.98)
behind and all this. get to think about what else can I create? What else can I do? Who can I connect with to make it happen? And it always aligns and it's beautiful and I love it.

Jill O'Boyle (22:12.205)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (22:15.638)
I I'll, love it. I love it. And you're setting an example for your daughter. and she's how old now? Okay.

Nakeisha Washington (22:20.056)
Exactly, yes.

She's 11 right now. And it's so funny while we're filming this podcast, she's at the studio filming her videos because in our, with our STEM kids, now that we produce right here in Indiana, they come with video tutorials that she teaches the classes. So it's kids teaching kids. And so she's over there recording now at the studio. have a music video out on YouTube where it has about 8,000 views right now. We're trying to get more, but it's a true music videos on iTunes, Spotify, like

From that one thing, we've created this whole STEM ecosystem. And once again, like I said, we've been around the world, Japan, Spain, China, South Korea, London, Paris, based off that one book. So I tell anyone out there, if I would have stayed in that classroom crying and just saying, well, I'll just come back the next day and do the same thing. I came back the next day, but I came back with a plan. I was like, I got a couple of months to figure this out, but you know, and I'm doing it. No safety net. I'm doing it.

Jill O'Boyle (22:57.774)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (23:05.614)
It's incredible.

Jill O'Boyle (23:14.53)
That's right.

Jill O'Boyle (23:19.726)
And look at that, that was 2021, it's 2026. Short five years, right? Come on. So.

Nakeisha Washington (23:24.59)
Hey, hey, yes, yes, yes, yes, I got this. I got a foundation now. We're, you know, pouring back into the community. It's just been amazing. It's been amazing.

Jill O'Boyle (23:37.144)
So great. So let's talk about how has your identity started to change now as you stepped away from what was familiar and comfortable to where you are now. Like how has, how have you seen that completely be restored?

Nakeisha Washington (23:41.126)
So here.

Nakeisha Washington (23:56.077)
It has been, and I always say, like we talked about just earlier, that everything happens for a reason in its right time. I needed all those experiences in the classroom, being a teacher, being a assistant principal, turning around schools, opening up schools, because now I rely on those experiences to create and do what I'm doing now. So now,

Jill O'Boyle (24:04.387)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (24:21.893)
I'm a better leader for that. I'm a better wife now. I'm a better mother because I've taken all those experiences. I'm creating something that's in alignment now. Like I feel aligned. I'm not.

Jill O'Boyle (24:30.99)
Mmm, it's really good.

Nakeisha Washington (24:33.148)
struggling trying to, or dim my light and, you know, step back. And so that's what's really been rewarding is that I realized that I have become Nikesha Washington. Like I am her now. I'm standing on stages, you know, doing TEDx talks and talking about how the struggle has been real, but it's been me believing in myself and knowing that I was put on this earth for more. I always said I didn't ever want to just be existing.

Jill O'Boyle (24:38.018)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (25:01.826)
I wanted to make a change, make, you know, now just not just the kids in my classroom. I have family programs. I'm taking families around the world. I'm, you know, doing stuff in different languages. Like this is one of our shirts that we do stuff in Japanese and Spanish and like it's, it's becoming a global movement. And with that, I've become better. I've become a better leader. I'm studying, I'm learning, I'm, I'm trying new things. I'm being more of a risk taker.

Jill O'Boyle (25:13.006)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (25:21.357)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (25:30.315)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (25:30.492)
But with each risk, I'm being calculated and strategic. And so it's like, wow, I get to really show what I was made of. don't have to, because everything lives and dies with me. I'm the CEO, I'm the founder. I have a whole staff, but it stops, a buck stops with me. And I always say, if we're not thriving, it's something that I'm not doing. So I go get help. go to, you I'm in therapy. I'm, you know.

Jill O'Boyle (25:39.405)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (25:49.001)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (25:57.069)
and church and then I'm also taking classes and just learning to become a better leader. So I'm evolving and I love it. I love every moment of it.

Jill O'Boyle (26:03.948)
I love that. I love that. Yes. Yeah, I love it because you're believing in yourself, right? And I want people to really hear what Nakeisha is like. She just, she just did a mic drop right there. Like, like literally boom, like there it is because I think so many times people stay stuck in a pattern or stuck in a job or stuck in the same situation because they don't believe in themselves and or

Nakeisha Washington (26:11.353)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (26:33.09)
They hear it. They hear the voice of God or they feel a nudge or whatever it may be and they feel like this is what I was made to do or they have one experience and they're like, my gosh, how do I do more of that? They like, they feel that but then they don't pursue it. And I think what people really need to understand is God, God will call. What's the verse that he always talks about? God doesn't call the qualified, he equips the called.

Nakeisha Washington (26:42.012)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (26:48.379)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (26:58.78)
But he, yes, yes, yes.

Jill O'Boyle (27:01.494)
So if he's calling you and you feel scared, guess what? He's going to, like we just learned it, all these things that Nakeesha walked through, her identity started growing. She started to build that confidence. Do you think she would have built that confidence if she wouldn't have taken the first step? There's no way. So he's gonna, you gotta just go. Yeah, I'm always like people just stand there and they look at the door. Well, you gotta just say, go walk through the door. Just take one little step.

Nakeisha Washington (27:16.42)
Nope, nope, because that's how you build confidence. You have to take the first step. You got to do.

Jill O'Boyle (27:30.294)
and I'll guide you on the rest of the way. He didn't say it's gonna be easy. It's not gonna be comfortable, but he is a faithful God and he will lead you if you just take that obedient step. So I love that you started to see your identity. I've seen that in every step I take. I'm growing, learning in every area. If you would ask me 10 years ago, there'd be no way I would have told you I'd be having a podcast, stepping on stages, sharing vulnerable stories, like, but I love it.

Nakeisha Washington (27:39.044)
Yes.

Nakeisha Washington (27:56.921)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (27:59.382)
And it's, I'm not stopping because it's, I know it's where God's leading and calling. So I love that for you. I love that for you. love it like so much for your daughter. Cause I think she's going to be like, my gosh, she, the sky's going to be the limit for her as she just has been mentored and, and been given these opportunities. So, so you had mentioned this all started with, you know, the kind of the, you started writing, doing the blog, the children's book, inspired by your daughter.

Nakeisha Washington (28:16.012)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (28:29.17)
so talk about, like, you know, where has that now just evolved? I know you've mentioned you've been in several different countries. but I think it's important to know it starts with one little obedient thing. So talk about the, talk about the book and, you talked about YouTube. So I want to make sure people know where to find more information about that.

Nakeisha Washington (28:52.06)
So like I said, we started with one children's book. And then from that, we did an activity book. We did another chapter book. And then we got a travel journal. And so we had to have set of books. And I always said, OK, once families got the book, what was next? And so that's kind of how Nalanova STEMversity came around. We started doing the programming and going to after school programs and churches and boys and girls clubs. Spray then I call STEM Cheer.

Jill O'Boyle (29:00.398)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (29:17.66)
So we're making learning fun and exciting and then getting them to learn about different STEM careers. And I always say that they don't become a doctor or a scientist or something, still be leaders in their community. And so be problem solvers and critical thinkers. And so that's what's been very helpful. And so from there, just like I said, being creative, I was like, well, I always wanted to travel. So I was like, all right, now we're doing Nylanova STEM Ventures. And so those STEM Ventures have taken us locally.

Jill O'Boyle (29:18.062)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (29:32.749)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (29:47.567)
white water rafting down the White River in Indiana. were...

rope climbing in Kentucky, and now we're going to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but then we've gone international. And so we've taken families to London and Paris through a STEM lens. They're learning all about, like, going to the science museums there and doing different things, going to Korea and talking in front of United Nations about water pollution. So then from the STEM ventures, I was like, okay.

Jill O'Boyle (29:58.71)
fun.

Nakeisha Washington (30:20.226)
I always wanted a boat. I don't know. could barely swim, but I wanted a boat. So I said, Nylanova STEM Aquatics. So if you notice, everything is Nylanova STEM, but are we adding that extra layer of things that I always wanted to do in my life that I felt like I want my daughter to do it, but we're not.

Jill O'Boyle (30:36.642)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (30:37.308)
these other families in the communities. So now we have a tritone that we take families out on if you're from Indiana, Dice Reservoir, and we do tours and they do water testing and all of that right here in Indiana. And I was like, whoever knew I was, like you said 10 years ago, I would be a boat owner. So now we own a boat. So we're doing those types of things. And then my true dream is coming. I want to open up Nyla Nova Stemtopia. And so it's a mix of Children's Museum,

Jill O'Boyle (30:43.918)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (30:53.879)
Wow.

Jill O'Boyle (31:03.796)
huh.

Nakeisha Washington (31:06.94)
Chuck E. Cheese, Disneyland, all this fun STEM place under one roof where we will be doing all this kind of STEM experiments, escape rooms, and for the whole family. And that's my true dream that's hopefully I'm working on. It's going to be a while, but you know, if any investors, anybody out there that want to jump in on it on the early stages, because I just feel like what I tell everyone with the music video and different things, was, who?

Jill O'Boyle (31:15.822)
Ugh.

Jill O'Boyle (31:23.35)
I love that.

Jill O'Boyle (31:27.928)
Yeah

Nakeisha Washington (31:36.059)
knew it was going have a music video. It's just really showing that one idea, I've turned it into a whole ecosystem, but everything's wrapped around STEM. And so now I'm calling this the Disney of STEM. So when you think of Disney, you think of fun and excitement for all ages. You think of movies and videos and, and, you know, just places to go and all of those things. And so that's what we're creating here at Naila Nova STEM. So super excited.

Jill O'Boyle (31:39.47)
So cool.

Jill O'Boyle (31:49.646)
Ahahaha!

Jill O'Boyle (32:03.776)
It's so incredible. It's so incredible. I just admire your passion for it and continuing to just keep leaning in for the more that you feel like what else? So love that. So for the woman that is listening right now who feels just that pool, that there's something more for her, she's meant for something more, but she's scared to just move what?

Nakeisha Washington (32:14.798)
Yeah, it's like what else?

Jill O'Boyle (32:31.594)
What would you say to her? What do you think she needs to let go of? What advice could you just share with that listener right now?

Nakeisha Washington (32:39.056)
One of the things is that you truly have to believe in yourself. And something I've been learning is that you have to block out the noise and follow the signal.

The noise will be even in your own head saying, you know, it's going to be hard. You can't do it. But like you said, it's going to be your family. Just like, are you crazy? What are you doing? Like, and then it's going to be people around you and friends, families, Facebook, Instagram, people, anybody that has an opinion are going to try to give you their opinion. But you don't understand. You have to realize God gave you that vision.

Jill O'Boyle (32:53.304)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (33:13.688)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (33:17.338)
He didn't give it for everyone else. People now see my vision. was like, that's what you've been talking about for the last 10 years. Yes. But they had to see it. You know, people don't believe it today and you have receipts, but you have to believe it when no one else believes it. And so I know I made it seem like my story, you know, wow, it's been great. it's been some dark times. There has been some times where

Jill O'Boyle (33:25.248)
Yes!

Jill O'Boyle (33:30.059)
Exactly.

Jill O'Boyle (33:38.574)
Sure.

Nakeisha Washington (33:40.047)
I went back and posted a six figure contract and they pulled it from underneath and said they lost funding. And I'm like, okay, what to do now? Like there's been some sleepless nights. There's been some things where I'm like, what do I go from here? But I talked to God. I talked to that noise in my head. Like, shut up, shut up. We're going to keep doing it. We're going to keep doing it. Quiet, go away. But you have to silence all of that and believe in yourself and really hone in on the signal.

Jill O'Boyle (34:01.976)
Yes!

Nakeisha Washington (34:09.69)
because you'll start as you and in business and entrepreneur and just stepping out there.

there's going to always be these other opportunities. And I fell for some of them. I was like, well, maybe I want to do this and maybe I want to do that. And then I'm like, and after a couple of months, I'm like, that was wrong, but you have to know when to say no to certain things and turn it around because sometimes we'll go in and say, well, I started it now. I got to finish it. But if it doesn't feel in alignment and you, you, is staticky and you're like, the signal's not clear.

Jill O'Boyle (34:21.589)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (34:29.464)
That's right.

Jill O'Boyle (34:41.104)
Mm-hmm cut it out. Yep

Nakeisha Washington (34:41.35)
cut it out immediately and don't be afraid and don't be afraid of what people are going to say. Most successful people have failed, myself included, multiple times, hundreds of times. But the reason I am being successful is because I don't let that define me. I keep going because eventually I'm going to get back on the track. And I was like,

Jill O'Boyle (34:50.456)
Yep.

Jill O'Boyle (34:57.9)
Exactly.

Nakeisha Washington (35:02.908)
If I would have just did this six months ago, I would have been further ahead, but I learned a valuable lesson. Stop going for everything that's shiny. God gave you the vision for this. Stop trying to add all this other stuff and try to hone in on what he has. And I'll say this, back in 2016, 2017, 2018, I did a business plan and you know, everybody does a business plan and I put dates and stuff and I found it like about two years ago and I was like, Oh my God.

Jill O'Boyle (35:11.05)
Exactly.

Jill O'Boyle (35:25.838)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (35:32.456)
Every year that it wasn't maybe the right year like the number but everything in order is been happening and when I tried to put one thing before the other that wasn't on the original plan that he gave me it didn't work out. It was like it was not the time. So now I go back to that and I was like see I was trying to do STEM-Topia before STEM Ventures and but he gave me the road map.

Jill O'Boyle (35:40.684)
Wow.

Jill O'Boyle (35:46.946)
Look at that. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (35:53.868)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (35:58.756)
And look at me trying to do it myself. I'm going do it. I'm going to go. I want to do this fast. And he was like, this is not the right time. And every time I tried to do something ahead of schedule, it just didn't work out. So now I'm being obedient. I'm following. I'm being patient because when I thought my first book was going to take six months, it took two years because I had to change illustrators. I didn't understand how to write a book. I thought the book was just going to be a New York bestseller.

Jill O'Boyle (36:00.334)
don't we always?

Jill O'Boyle (36:06.7)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (36:27.579)
times I didn't realize there's a lot of marketing behind it. There's a lot of those things. And so it's going to seem like it's going to be easy or it might take shorter amount. It's always going to take longer, but just stay steadfast and don't give up. Stay on the plan. Yes. Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (36:29.848)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (36:37.878)
Yeah. Yeah. Stay on the plan that he, he promised to you. Yeah. I posted this on Facebook and you just remind me yesterday and it's so applicable to what you just said. says not everyone will like you or appreciate you. So whenever you do something good, do it with all your heart for God and not for people because in the end God's approval is still what matters most.

Nakeisha Washington (36:50.117)
Okay.

Nakeisha Washington (37:02.107)
as matters most. And if you start doing for likes and what people say, and then soon as you do something against what they say, they'll try to tear you down. If you're not strong enough in your conviction, you will be like, I am a failure. You you started listening to other people. You got to listen to God and get God's validation because he's the only one that matters. And it's the only one that's going to be true. Long Jeff, whether you up or down, he's going to be there saying, this is just, I needed to get you back on this path.

Jill O'Boyle (37:23.022)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (37:32.025)
where other people make you feel bad because you fail. Now he's like, you didn't fall. I just wanted you to see that's not what you should be doing. Come back over here. And now I'm like, okay, I'm following the signal. It's always a lesson. yes.

Jill O'Boyle (37:32.418)
Right.

Jill O'Boyle (37:38.957)
Right.

Yep. And there was a lesson. There's always a lesson that he wanted to teach you for your next, next, you know, assignment, I would call it, you know, or next walk with him.

Nakeisha Washington (37:51.704)
Yes. Yes, because you have to be ready for that next level. some of the times I wasn't ready. I thought I was ready, but I wasn't prepared with enough experience, knowledge. And now I'm working on my emotional intelligence because not everything that doesn't work out is against me. It's working for my betterment. I'm just like, my God, it's over, it's over. And my husband's like.

Jill O'Boyle (37:55.458)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (38:08.365)
That's right.

Nakeisha Washington (38:15.599)
Girl, get yourself together. I was like, And one day I'll be like, okay, I have good emotional intelligence. Today is going to be the day and it's going to always be something that tries you. And you're like, okay. And I said, I failed again today. I was like, okay, I got to try and get in the borough because that's one of the things I'm working on is that I take everything, like my heart's on my sleeve. And so, and something I've created this, that's so.

Jill O'Boyle (38:16.758)
Jill O'Boyle (38:21.41)
Today's a good... Something's gonna trip you up. Yep.

Jill O'Boyle (38:35.182)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (38:39.803)
you know, close to me. It's my baby. And so if someone says something bad or if something happens, it's like your baby, somebody's hurting your baby. But I got to realize it's business. It's to make it better. Like it's not there to hurt you, it's to elevate you. And that's kind of what the mindset I am now is like, don't take it so personal. Just learn from it and do better.

Jill O'Boyle (38:42.84)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (38:50.06)
Yeah, right.

Jill O'Boyle (38:58.796)
Yeah. Yep. Absolutely. So we have talked a lot about alignment. We've talked about purpose. We've talked about passion. I've heard all these words come up. what let's end with that. What does living a life aligned with your purpose look like for you right now? Nikesha in this season that you're in.

Nakeisha Washington (39:19.451)
Let me think about this. it's scary because it was this, and I'm gonna mess up the, it was this quote and I even had my sons like memorize it back in the day. But it's not that we are so afraid of.

We're afraid of how big we can be, like how big our light can be. And it's like we want to dim it because sometimes we think that others may take offense to it. Or how dare I believe that I can be this, I call myself the global stem station. How dare you say you're going to be global and you barely recognize outside of the city that you're in. But that's because.

Jill O'Boyle (39:58.158)
Mmm.

Nakeisha Washington (40:08.411)
My vision has always been bigger. And so now what I'm looking at is like, like they say, write it out, make it plain and follow it. And so right now that's what I'm doing. I'm following the vision, knowing that my light will shine bright and I'm not dimming it for anyone. I'm not sugar coating it anymore. I'm standing in my truth and my purpose because I have to stand on that because that's the only way that I'm

Jill O'Boyle (40:11.266)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (40:18.424)
Hello. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (40:29.838)
Yep.

Nakeisha Washington (40:35.993)
going to evolve and be who I need to be. And the world needs what I have to offer. The world needs what you have to offer. The world needs whoever's listening what they have to offer. And if you dim it down, if you hide it away, the world is going to lose out. Your family is going to lose out. But most important, you're going to lose out because you won't really see what your purpose is on this earth. And you don't want it to be, you know,

Jill O'Boyle (40:41.27)
Yes. Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (41:03.043)
taken away or you don't leave that legacy because you were too afraid. So my thing is I'm no longer being afraid. If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it and have whole conviction that it will happen. It may not happen when I want it, but it's going to happen in the time that it's supposed to happen. And that's kind of what I'm sitting in now. It's like no more dimming. I'm shining bright. I used to like, I love bright colors and I will go into like these business meetings and I would try to look just like everyone else and not everybody know I'm coming in with hot.

Jill O'Boyle (41:06.798)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (41:16.781)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (41:23.706)
Jill O'Boyle (41:32.775)
No, absolutely.

Nakeisha Washington (41:32.805)
pink and purple and they're like, well, who is she? I am who I think I am and I am who I know I am and I am who God has made me to be.

Jill O'Boyle (41:39.35)
Yes, that's right.

Jill O'Boyle (41:44.302)
Amen, we gonna end on that because that boom. Oh my gosh, I love it. My two word purpose is bringing light and that is exactly what I am called to do is bring light to others. And so it just, when you were talking about that, it reminded me of the scripture, like be the light on the hill, right? Why would you be a light and then put a lamp shade over to dim your light? Like shine bright, my friends, shine bright, go out, be a light, do what you were called to do. So Nikesha, thank you.

Nakeisha Washington (41:45.901)
Mic drop!

Nakeisha Washington (41:55.94)
Yes.

Nakeisha Washington (42:01.995)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (42:13.07)
for being that. Thank you for being a light. Thank you for following the little God drops and the God nudges of where he's wanting you to go and just keep doing that. Also let us know how our listeners can support you. So where is the best place that we can get plugged in for people listening? Like I have a 10 year old son, like he needs to go check out this music video. So where do we go? Where do we find out more?

Nakeisha Washington (42:28.516)
Mm-hmm.

Nakeisha Washington (42:37.569)
Yes. So everything on social media and even our website is NILA, N-Y-L-A, NOVA, N-O-V-A, STEM, S-T-E-M, so Facebook, Instagram.

YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, we're nilanovaSTEM.com and then our foundation is nilanovafoundation.org and we're always looking for donations, grants, anyone that wants to sponsor like these STEM kids, we can work with corporations to brand, co-brand our STEM kids to have their logo on it and donate to...

Jill O'Boyle (43:02.83)
Okay.

Jill O'Boyle (43:16.054)
Awesome.

Nakeisha Washington (43:17.561)
Children's hospitals, children's schools, churches, all of those. So anything Nylanova, if you just type in Nylanova, we're going to come up. And I'm super excited because I've worked very hard to make sure that we come up. So Nylanova STEM. And it's more than just learning about science. It's truly about we do family engagement programs. We do community building outreach. We're making our communities a better place. And we're producing, thriving.

Jill O'Boyle (43:26.817)
Yeah!

Jill O'Boyle (43:31.332)
Yeah.

Nakeisha Washington (43:46.475)
students and families that are going to grow our communities to what they should be and what we want them to be.

Jill O'Boyle (43:51.852)
Yeah, yeah, awesome. Well, I am so excited for you. Sky's the limit for sure for you and Naila, Naila Nova. So awesome. Thank you so much to our listeners. Make sure you get plugged in. I'll share the links, all the links that Nakeisha mentioned in the show notes below. And just remember, don't dim your lights. This is your life right here. You have one life right here on this earth. So go out and live it.

Nakeisha Washington (43:59.845)
Thank

Nakeisha Washington (44:20.452)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (44:21.422)
how God has called you to live it. Shine bright, quit dimming your light, go out, make a difference, do something on purpose today. I love you guys, I thank you so much for continuing to subscribe and to listen. If this episode resonated with you, if somebody popped in your mind like, my gosh, I need to share this, share it. Be that obedient person that is somebody that is bringing light to other people by sharing something that should be meaningful to them. So.

Thank you so much. Go out, make it a great day. Be you, love life, and always just keep rising.