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2. It’s a long game. The Return On Investment in the world of mentorship is usually not immediate. While I was teaching, my seventh graders were NOT telling me, “Wow, Mrs. Spoelstra, you really changed my life.” No. But every once in a while, now – over ten years later, a former student will stop me in the street to remind me of something I said that I don’t even remember saying, and how that impacted his or her life in some way. My point in sharing this is that - while staying true to your mission might not always garner an immediate ROI, it almost always lands its mark in the long run. Be patient. ML: You’ve been a dedicated philanthropist, raising awareness and resources for causes in South Florida. What drives your passion for giving back, and how do you decide which causes to support? Nikki: I come from a family of public servants. My father was a firefighter and my mom was a volunteer and substitute teacher. I grew up accompanying my grandmother to her volunteer services at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. I think their examples influenced my desire to give back. And… my family has been in Miami for a long time. While my mom was from Puerto Rico, I was born in Miami, as were my father and grandfather. My grandparents got engaged at Coral Gables High School as teenagers. So, caring for the local community is like caring for my family; it’s part of my identity. I began serving philanthropically at age 17 with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. Mentorship has always been really important to me – probably because truly, I never felt that I had a mentor of my own. I went on to volunteer with animal centered organizations, with programs for children and adults with special needs, and offered support for children and families with Cancer diagnoses. I was a board member on the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund and I am currently a proud board member of Florida International University’s Alumni Association. I have dreams of creating parks and meaningful gathering spaces for children and families in my community. Ultimately, I care about people. I care about seeing Miami and its citizens flourish. ML: As we look ahead to the relaunch of ‘Becoming: HER,’ what’s the one piece of advice or wisdom you’d like to leave our audience with, especially for those women stepping into their own power and potential? Nikki: You are influential. You don’t necessarily need fame, visibility, money, or whatever in order to make an impact. You impact people every day with the purity of your intentions. You are strongest and most impactful when you surround yourself with like-minded, mission-centered individuals, and you will go much further together than alone. Lastly, women need to stop being catty toward one another and need to knock it off with the cutthroat competition. It’s for the birds. I’m sure you can figure out by now why one cannot compete with me… and that’s (truly) because… I want you to win, too. For more information and to keep up with Nikki, visit: www.nikkispo.com. Spotify: Becoming: HER (starting March 4) Instagram: www.instagram.com/nikkisappspo