AS SEEN IN
WE ARE ON A MISSION TO CO-CREATE A JOY FIRST WORLD
by activating more joy and colour in the lives and businesses of everyone we meet.
I believe we all deserve a life of more joy, colour, freedom & meaning.
As a lifelong entrepreneur, an artist who isn't 'starving', an American living in England, an antiracist ally and a somewhat unconventional mom, it feels like I'm always 'going against the grain'.
Despite fighting a life-long battle with worthiness and experiencing plenty of devastating setbacks (without any real 'safety nets') I've managed to find success, confidence and joy in some of the most unlikely places. My unique journey has gifted me with an irrepressible passion for helping others carve out their own path to more purpose, freedom & joy.
I’m deeply passionate about helping others (especially women) overcome fear to live a Joy First life and create economic empowerment through entrepreneurship.
1. USE SCIENCE TO MAKE MAGIC™
We love to leverage the research and data that science gives us, as well as journey into the unknown where the magic is found.
2. EMBODY TRUE NATURE
All of our work is rooted in the cycles and rhythms of the natural world AND we're in passionate pursuit of more freedom for truer self-expression.
3. CREATE LASTING POSITIVE IMPACT
We are here to create positive change, and we're invested in the kind of impact that lasts. We believe it's about time we all start acting with the long-term in mind.
4. SPREAD JOY
Maybe this one is a bit obvious, but we believe in a Joy First world and aim to be ambassadors of joy in our lives and work.
5. INVEST IN FREEDOM
We are invested in creating more freedom, for more people. We're here to disrupt oppressive and repressive systems . We centre this in our ongoing education and our work, and we contribute time, mentorship and cold hard cash to causes that do this.
6. FORTIFY WOMEN
When women prosper, families, communities and economies thrive. We are all-in on supporting women and their allies.
7. MAKE PRETTY THINGS
Let's face it, at the end of the day, a more beautiful world works better, and is better for our well-being. We are a little bit-obsessed with design-led products and brands.
8. GLORIFY DIFFERENCE
Our differences are our Super Powers and an ecosystem full of diversity is one that thrives. We are for the Wildflowers: the misfits, the the non-conformists and the neurospicy.
1. USE SCIENCE TO MAKE MAGIC™
We love to leverage the research and data that science gives us, as well as journey into the unknown where the magic is found.
2. EMBODY TRUE NATURE
All of our work is rooted in the cycles and rhythms of the natural world AND we're in passionate pursuit of more freedom for truer self-expression.
3. CREATE LASTING POSITIVE IMPACT
We are here to create positive change, and we're invested in the kind of impact that lasts. We believe it's about time we all start acting with the long-term in mind.
4. SPREAD JOY
Maybe this one is a bit obvious, but we believe in a Joy First world and aim to be ambassadors of joy in our lives and work.
5. INVEST IN FREEDOM
We are invested in creating more freedom, for more people. We're here to disrupt oppressive and repressive systems . We centre this in our ongoing education and our work, and we contribute time, mentorship and cold hard cash to causes that do this.
6. FORTIFY WOMEN
When women prosper, families, communities and economies thrive. We are all-in on supporting women and their allies.
7. MAKE PRETTY THINGS
Let's face it, at the end of the day, a more beautiful world works better, and is better for our well-being. We are a little bit-obsessed with design-led products and brands.
8. GLORIFY DIFFERENCE
Our differences are our Super Powers and an ecosystem full of diversity is one that thrives. We are for the Wildflowers: the misfits, the the non-conformists and the neurospicy.
Expert in Joy, Colour & Marketing
In 2004 when I dropped out of college to start a pet photography business, I had only three things to my name: a camera, a Great Dane puppy and a stack of student loans.
These early years as an entrepreneur in the pet industry is where I first stumbled into selling a feeling instead of a thing... this is where I discovered the power of creating and selling joy.
Over the past 20 years I've honed my craft: creating and selling joy for huge brands like Purina, Fosters and Columbia hospitality as well as best-selling authors, tech startups, B corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Along the way I got a Masters in Marketing, won a bucket of awards, and built a few of my own successful brands too.
Since overcoming burnout to make my first million dollar year in a business nearly 15 years ago, I’ve also been a mentor to other creatives and female Founders. My insider expertise on colour psychology and the Joy First way of living and working has helped me and thousands of others overcome the intense fear the world puts on us (and let’s be honest, that we put on ourselves) to live into truer self-expression and achieve bigger, wilder dreams.
A Joy First World
We are sold a million different versions of happiness...
They mostly require us to be more, do more, and especially buy more…
On top of that, we are constantly bombarded with the message that our safety is at stake: politicians, newscasters, marketers and even social media algorithms use fear mongering tactics to fuel our outrage and division… Exploiting our fear of rejection, our fear of failure, and our biggest deepest scariest fear: that we are not enough.
Decades of backstage access to this marketing machine has forced me to ask the question... What if we weren’t so susceptible to fear?
What if instead, one decision at a time we could anchor our lives and businesses in joy?
What if bit by bit, we could build an entire world that operates this way? Focusing not on what divides us, but by what connects us… our joy?
Media Bio & Photos
J.Nichole Smith, known as Nic, is the founder of Joy First, a creative agency offering joy makeovers to both humans and brands. An expert in design and colour psychology, Nic has spent nearly 20 years helping people create lives and brands that centre joy. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Real Simple, and Condé Nast Traveler, and she has won numerous awards, including the prestigious European Product Design Gold award. Nic’s personal mission is to help co-create a joy first world, and her intent is to activate more joy and colour in the lives and businesses of everyone she meets.
For appearance, interview, speaking, and media requests, please contact the Joy First team at: media@joyfirstworld.com
