Nicole Briana: Young & Getting It

Nicole Briana Williams is a rising radio phenom. She’s a native Washingtonian, who was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which allows for her to bring a real sense of local familiarity to her popular radio show “Young and Getting It.”

Williams broadcasts on Shoe City Radio, the all-access program that reaches all 39 of the Baltimore-based urban fashion retail stores throughout the DMV, and on DTLR1500 Radio, an internet show based in Baltimore.

“‘Young and Getting It’ focuses on millennial entrepreneurship,” Williams said. “We cover trending topics, things that are going on in the DMV and outside of it. We’ll have different special guests on the show, such as business owners, artists, and a wide variety of people. Our interviews are not just specific to millennials. We like to take people outside that bracket, then pick their brains and pass that information to the young entrepreneurs.”

Williams is very passionate about all that she’s involved in and has used her platform to give a voice to young black women in the DMV, as well as outside of it.

“I’m all about female empowerment, especially when it comes to African-American women,” said Williams, 24. “So often you see women in supporting roles and not in the lead roles. I look at Angie Ange, who now has her morning show. She talks about how she’s been in the radio game for over a decade, which is awesome. And that’s what I wanted to do and am doing on a smaller scale with internet radio.”

Aspiring to do something different, Williams decided to focus on what she knew best on her show, which is how young businesswomen can be successful.

“I was always a co-host, like a ‘plus-one’ on different radio shows and I felt like it was time to create my own. Don’t get me wrong, I was nervous to start my own show. Many times I felt like I needed a male counterpart. I did bring on male co-hosts when I started, but I was the lead and had control of the subject matter, which was extremely important to me.”

Six months later Williams not only created her own show but was the lead host. A year in, she’s now transitioning her show to iTunes to make it more user-friendly for the new season, that launched on February 5th.

Williams is now working for herself and building her brand while inspiring many others.

“2018 was my year of yes,” she said. I promised myself that I’d get out of my comfort zone. My goal was to do one or two events last year, and I ended up doing one or two a month. For example, my co-host and I did a DMV DJ competition in D.C. this summer. I held multiple social media workshops and different feed funding events.”

In addition to hosting “Young and Getting It,” Williams has established her own social media company that debuted in January 2019, titled “Social-Me.” Drawing influence from her part-time job as a social media manager for B. Carter Solutions, she will be focusing on social media success coaching and managing.

Throughout her first year of entrepreneurship, she’s learned many valuable lessons.

“Some key advice that was given to me was that all money isn’t good money. You don’t have to work with everyone or do anything you don’t want to do. Don’t force things or chase opportunities. Yes, go after what you want, but there’s a difference between that and literally chasing a dead horse.”

Williams says that she didn’t necessarily overcome her fears of following her passions; she merely told herself that there wasn’t any other option.

“Just do it even if it’s uncomfortable,” she advises. “The big piece to being an entrepreneur is being comfortable with being uncomfortable. You can’t complain when it gets a little difficult or uncomfortable.”

Check out more on Briana by accessing her social media page @thenicolebriana, where you can find the links to Shoe City Radio, 1500 Radio, B. Carter Solutions, as well as witness the birth of Social-Me.