A Chicago-based consulting and coaching practice helping students, professionals, nonprofits, and community leaders move from ideas to execution.
Relationships are infrastructure. The right conversation can change everything.
Start HereConnector Strategy Session — starting at $75
There's always a seat at the table for you.
462+
Summit Participants
33+
College Campuses
150+
College Scholars
10+
Years in Community
Trusted By & Affiliated With
Goldman Sachs · 1MBW
American Express Academy
Who Pulls Up To The Table
Find yourself here
The table is for anyone navigating something important. Everyone has a seat.
🎓
Students
Navigating college applications, scholarships, and what comes next
👨👩👧
Parents & Families
Guiding your young person through systems you're figuring out together
🏛
Nonprofits & Orgs
Building strategy, partnerships, and community engagement that actually works
💼
Professionals
Pivoting careers, building a brand, or stepping into the next level of leadership
🌱
Everyday People
Navigating grief, transitions, parenting, or just needing someone in your corner
🤝
Community Leaders
Building ecosystems, facilitating change, and doing the work that connects people
How We Work Together
Connection is the strategy
The right conversation, introduction, or opportunity can change the trajectory of a person, organization, or community.
💡
Strategy & Consulting
Helping organizations clarify ideas, strengthen partnerships, and move initiatives forward with intention.
🎙️
At The Table Conversations
Convenings, panels, workshops, and leadership dialogues designed to spark real collaboration.
🎓
Building Your Seat
College consulting, career navigation, and first-step guidance for students, recent grads, and families.
🔗
LinkedIn & Positioning
Turning your profile and personal brand into a working tool for opportunity — not just a résumé.
🌱
Life Between The Lines
Navigating grief, parenting, personal development, and the systems most people face without a roadmap.
Pull Up A Chair
Nickie's blog on community, leadership, and navigating opportunity. Read. Think. Act.
[ Your Photo Here ]
Meet Nickie
Nickie Brookens
Convener. Strategist. Community Builder.B.A. Public Administration · Certificate in Nonprofit Management, University of Chicago Crown School
For over a decade, Nickie Brookens has helped students, families, nonprofits, and community leaders navigate opportunity through authentic relationships, strategic guidance, and community-centered leadership. As founder of PLAN4SUCCESS and creator of The Connector's Table, she connects people, ideas, and resources in ways that move vision into action.
"I built the kind of table I wish more people had access to."
The Entry Point
Connector Strategy Session 60 Minutes · Clear Next Steps
🎓 Students & Parents$75
👤 Individuals$75
💼 Professionals$100
🏛 Nonprofits & Orgs$150
Non-refundable. Applied toward any package booked within 30 days.
💳 Payment via Square — after booking you will receive a payment link by email. Your session is confirmed once payment is received.
Start Here
One conversation can change everything
Come with a challenge, a question, or a feeling that something needs to shift. You'll leave with clarity, a concrete plan, and the right next step. This is Nickie's most accessible offer — built so that everyday people can pull up a chair.
Results & Impact
What movement looks like
People come to the table at different starting points. Here's where they often land.
150+
Students Guided
College applications, scholarship strategy, career planning, and first-gen navigation
33+
Organizations Supported
Partnership strategy, community engagement design, and nonprofit capacity building
20+
Leadership Convenings
Panels, summits, facilitated conversations, and community strategy dialogues
∞
Personal Navigation
Career pivots, branding, life transitions, grief support, and parenting guidance
What People Say
What happens when you pull up a chair
"Nickie helped me turn an idea into an actual plan. I came in confused and left with clarity, connections, and confidence I didn't know I needed."
— Community Partner & Nonprofit Leader
"Her connections and guidance opened doors I didn't even know existed. Nickie doesn't just advise — she moves with you."
— Program Participant, PLAN4SUCCESS Alumni
"I finally felt seen, supported, and clear on my next steps. This wasn't just a session — it was a turning point."
— Client · Chicago, Illinois
Pull Up A Chair
Insights from the table
Nickie writes about leadership, community strategy, navigation, and the real work of building something meaningful.
🌱
Community Strategy
Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Connector — Not Just a Consultant
The difference is trust built over years — not weeks.
Pull Up A Chair →
🎓
College Navigation
5 Things First-Gen Students Wish They Knew Before College
The conversations that changed outcomes — and why they're rarely had early enough.
Pull Up A Chair →
✨
Leadership
Building While Surviving: What Community Work Really Costs
Nobody talks about the emotional labor of doing this work in the same communities where you're also navigating your own life.
Pull Up A Chair →
There's a seat with your name on it.
Pull Up To The Table.
Whether you're navigating something hard or building something great — the conversation is waiting.
[ Your Photo Here ]
About Nickie
Nickie Brookens
Convener. Strategist. Community Builder.B.A. Public Administration · Certificate in Nonprofit Management, University of Chicago Crown School of Social Work
Nickie Brookens is a Chicago-based community strategist, connector, and nonprofit leader with more than a decade of experience building relationships, programs, and opportunities across education, leadership, and civic engagement spaces.
As founder of PLAN4SUCCESS and creator of The Connector's Table, Nickie helps students, professionals, nonprofits, and community leaders navigate opportunity through coaching, strategic guidance, curated connections, and community-centered problem solving. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, relationships, and execution.
Why This Work
"I built the kind of table I wish more people had access to."
Nickie didn't arrive at this work from a textbook — she arrived from life. Navigating systems as a mother, building an organization while surviving hard seasons, walking through grief alongside the people she serves, and choosing again and again to show up for her community. Her work isn't theory. It's practice, earned through years of presence and deep relationship.
Building While Surviving
PLAN4SUCCESS was built not in perfect conditions but in real ones — navigating uncertainty, personal loss, and the invisible weight of doing community work without a net. Nickie understands what it means to build something meaningful while life is still happening around you.
Motherhood & Navigation
As a mother, Nickie knows firsthand what it means to love someone fiercely and want better for them — and to learn the systems, advocate loudly, and figure it out as you go. That experience lives in every family conversation she has.
Grief & Life Transitions
Nickie has walked through loss — personally and professionally — and has sat with others in their hardest chapters. She doesn't offer platitudes. She offers presence, practical support, and a grounded belief that moving forward is always possible.
Navigating Systems
From higher education to nonprofits to civic institutions, Nickie has learned how systems work — and how to help people navigate them without losing themselves in the process.
What People Come To Nickie For
You don't have to have it all figured out.
Clarity on what their next step actually is
Connections to the right people, programs, or opportunities
Direction when multiple paths feel equally uncertain
Partnership strategy for an organization or initiative
Community engagement guidance that actually works
College or career navigation support
Leadership support — emerging or experienced
Someone to help turn ideas into actionable next steps
A grounded space to process a transition or hard season
Accountability on what they already know they need to do
The Connector Philosophy
Relationships are infrastructure.
"I believe relationships are infrastructure. The right conversation, introduction, or opportunity can change the trajectory of a person, an organization, or a community. My work is about helping people navigate systems, build meaningful connections, and move forward with clarity and intention — because nobody should have to figure out the hard stuff alone."
— Nickie Brookens, Founder · The Connector's Table
Leadership & Affiliations
Professional Roles & Community Leadership
Founder & Executive Director — PLAN4SUCCESS, Inc.
Principal Consultant — The Connector's Table
Civic Actors Studio — University of Chicago
Change Collective Fellow
American Express Leadership Academy
Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women — Black In Business
Village of Flossmoor — Programs & Events Coordinator (former)
Community Leadership & Youth Development Advocate
Ready to pull up to the table?
Find Your Seat
Pull Up To The Table.
Every client is different. Every need is real. Choose your path — or start with a Strategy Session and we'll find it together.
Everyone Welcome
Start here. All are welcome.
The Connector Strategy Session — a focused 60-minute consultation. No topic is too big or too small. Bring a challenge, a question, or just a feeling that something needs to shift.
"You don't need a big budget or a big title to pull up a chair. You just need to show up."
— Nickie Brookens
Connector Strategy Session
60 Minutes · Real Conversation Actionable Next Steps
🎓 Students & Parents$75
👤 Individuals$75
💼 Professionals$100
🏛 Nonprofits & Orgs$150
Non-refundable. Applied toward any package booked within 30 days.
💳 Payment via Square — after booking you will receive a payment link by email. Your session is confirmed once payment is received.
What happens in your session
You share your challenge, question, or goal — Nickie listens without judgment
Together you map the real obstacle, not just the surface issue
Nickie draws on 10+ years of community, strategy, and navigation experience
You leave with 3–5 concrete next steps and resource recommendations
Optional: continue with a package, workshop, or retainer
Bring anything: a career question, a nonprofit challenge, a college decision, a life transition, or just a feeling that something needs to shift.
Ready to pull up?
Book your Connector Strategy Session and let's get to work.
For Organizations, Nonprofits & Institutions
Strategy that moves initiatives forward
Nickie brings strategy, cross-sector relationships, and execution experience to strengthen what you're building — whether you're a nonprofit, school, foundation, or civic organization.
"Organizations don't grow in isolation. They grow through the right partnerships, strategy, and people in the room."
— Nickie Brookens
💡
Strategy & Advisory
Starting at $750 · Inquire for scope
Clarify your initiative, align your team, and build a plan that gets executed — not just documented.
Initiative clarity and visioning
Partnership & vision roadmap
Strategic initiative design
🤝
Partnership Development
Starting at $750 · Inquire
Building institutional bridges and community relationships that fuel sustained growth and impact.
Partnership mapping & strategy
Cross-sector collaboration
Institutional bridge design
📅
Quarterly Retainer
Starting at $1,200/mo · Inquire
Nickie as your embedded strategic thought partner — consistent, available, and invested in your outcomes.
4–6 hrs/month strategic advising
Community network access
Priority response & booking
Speaking & Facilitation
At The Table Conversations
Nickie facilitates leadership sessions, community dialogues, workshops, convenings, panels, and strategy conversations. Her facilitation style is warm, structured, and action-oriented.
Leadership & Community
Building Relationship-Driven Leadership
Youth Leadership Development
Community Engagement & Civic Participation
The Power of Connection & Social Capital
Creating Ecosystems of Opportunity
Students & Families
First-Generation College Navigation
Leadership Identity for Young Adults
Navigating College, Career & Community
Parent Engagement & Student Success
Mentorship & Belonging
Organizations & Professionals
Partnership Strategy & Collective Impact
Designing Meaningful Community Convenings
Building Trust Across Communities
Nonprofit Leadership & Sustainable Engagement
From Vision to Execution
Personal & Reflective
Leadership Through Life Transitions
Building While Surviving
The Emotional Labor of Community Work
Purpose, Identity & Reinvention
Ready to bring Nickie to your table?
Start with a $150 Strategy Session — or inquire directly about consulting, retainers, or facilitation.
For Students, Recent Grads & Families
Guided by someone who knows the path
Nickie has walked alongside hundreds of students and families navigating college, scholarships, and the first steps of adult life. This is guidance from someone who has been in the room for over a decade.
"The right guide at the right moment changes everything. You don't have to figure it out alone."
— Nickie Brookens
🎓
College Consulting Package
$350 – $500 · Limited to 10 students/year
3-session package covering college fit, applications, and scholarship strategy. Nickie works with a limited number of students annually for focused, personalized guidance.
College planning & school fit
Application & essay guidance
Scholarship strategy & resources
📚
College Success Coaching
$200 – $300 / month
Monthly support for enrolled students — thriving in college, not just surviving it.
Monthly 1:1 coaching sessions
Academic navigation support
Leadership & career planning
👨👩👧
Family Navigation Session
$75 per session
For parents navigating the college process alongside their student.
Understanding the full process
Financial aid & scholarship overview
How to support your student
🗺️
Recent Grad Strategy
$75 – $100 per session
For recent graduates navigating what comes next — career, grad school, or life decisions.
Next-step clarity mapping
Career vs. continuing education
Positioning for the job market
Let's chart the path forward.
College consulting is limited to 10 students per year. Book early for personalized guidance.
For Professionals in Transition
Navigate your next level with intention
Whether you're pivoting careers, stepping into leadership, or launching something new — Nickie brings coaching, a cross-sector network, and strategic thinking to help you move with purpose.
"The difference between spinning your wheels and moving forward is often one honest conversation with the right person."
— Nickie Brookens
🔄
Career Pivot Package
$500 – $750 · 4 sessions
Positioning, resume, LinkedIn, and interview preparation — built around your real story, not a template.
Brand & positioning strategy
Resume + LinkedIn overhaul
Interview preparation & confidence
📈
Leadership Coaching
Starting at $500 · Inquire
For emerging leaders navigating purpose, visibility, and organizational impact.
Leadership narrative development
Executive advisory sessions
Community & network strategy
🎤
Group Workshop
$500 – $1,500 per session
Brand Called YOU, Game of Life, and custom workshops for teams and professional groups.
Custom workshop design
Live facilitation included
Follow-up resources
🏗️
Nonprofit Founder Coaching
Starting at $500 · Inquire
For nonprofit founders navigating sustainability, visibility, board relationships, and personal positioning.
Founder identity & narrative
Organizational positioning
Sustainability & funding strategy
Your next move starts here.
Get clear on where you're going and build the bridge to get there. Start with a $100 session.
For Everyday People
Life doesn't come with a roadmap
Nickie is not a licensed counselor — but she has coached friends, community members, and families through some of life's hardest chapters for over a decade. Sometimes you need someone in your corner who's been in the room.
"I'm not your therapist. I'm the friend who has been through it, knows the system, and will sit with you until you find your footing."
— Nickie Brookens
🌿
Life Strategy Session
$75 · 60 minutes
Untangle where you are, where you want to go, and what's actually standing in the way.
Values & vision mapping
Obstacle identification
Concrete next-step plan
💛
Grief Navigation Support
$75 per session
Compassionate, grounded support for navigating loss — of a person, a relationship, a job, or a chapter of life.
Space to process without judgment
Practical next-step support
Community resource connections
👨👩👧👦
Parenting Navigation
$75 per session
For parents navigating schools, systems, college prep, or raising young people in complex environments.
School and system navigation
College prep for your household
Supporting teens and young adults
✨
Personal Brand Building
$75 – $150 per session
For people who want to show up differently — in their community, their career, or their own life.
Brand identity and voice
Visibility and presence strategy
Action plan to show up fully
You don't have to figure it out alone.
There's a seat at the table for everyday people navigating real life. Start at $75.
LinkedIn & Personal Positioning
Your profile should be working for you
Nickie's decade of community building, career navigation, and cross-sector positioning makes her uniquely qualified to transform your LinkedIn presence from passive to powerful.
"LinkedIn is not a résumé. It's a living, breathing relationship tool. Let's make yours do the work."
— Nickie Brookens
⭐ Most Requested
🔗
LinkedIn Strategy & Profile Overhaul
$350 – $600 · 2-Session Package
A complete strategic overhaul built around your actual story, your target audience, and the opportunities you want to attract.
Profile audit & competitive analysis
Headline, summary & About section rewrite
Featured section strategy
Skills & keyword optimization
Content strategy: what to post and when
Outreach & connection growth tactics
🪞
Personal Brand Audit
$100 per session
A deep-dive into how you show up online, on paper, and in rooms — and where the gaps are costing you.
LinkedIn, resume & bio review
Positioning gap analysis
Written recommendations
✍️
Bio & Narrative Writing
$200 – $350
Professional bio, speaker bio, and personal narrative written to position you precisely and memorably.
Long-form professional bio
Short & speaker bio versions
LinkedIn About section
Ready to make LinkedIn work for you?
Start with a $100 Personal Brand Audit — or go straight to the full overhaul.
🪑 Nickie's Blog & Newsletter
Pull Up A Chair
Where Nickie shares insights on community strategy, leadership, education, and the alchemy of meaningful connection. Read. Think. Act.
Latest Posts
Ideas that lead to action
🌱
Community Strategy
Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Connector — Not Just a Consultant
The difference between a consultant who delivers a report and a connector who changes your ecosystem is trust built over years — not weeks.
May 2026Pull Up A Chair →
🎓
College Navigation
5 Things First-Gen Students Wish They Knew Before College
After a decade working alongside first-generation students, these are the conversations that changed outcomes — and why they're rarely had early enough.
April 2026Pull Up A Chair →
✨
Leadership
Building While Surviving: What Community Work Really Costs
Nobody talks about the emotional labor of doing this work in the same communities where you're also navigating your own life.
March 2026Pull Up A Chair →
🔗
LinkedIn & Positioning
Your LinkedIn Is Lying About You — Here's How to Fix It
Most profiles are reverse-chronological tombstones. Here's how to turn yours into a living, breathing opportunity engine.
February 2026Pull Up A Chair →
🌿
Life Between The Lines
Navigating Grief Without a Map: What Actually Helps
Nobody teaches you how to grieve a job, a relationship, or a version of yourself. Here's what I've learned walking alongside people through it.
January 2026Pull Up A Chair →
🏙️
Chicago
South Side Strong: What the Rest of the City Can Learn From Us
The South Side doesn't lack resources — it lacks investment in the people and organizations already doing extraordinary work.
December 2025Pull Up A Chair →
🪑 Table Talk — the newsletter
Get Nickie's latest insights on strategy, community, and leadership — delivered to your inbox.
There's a seat at the table for you.
Pull Up To The Table.
Ready to move from where you are to where you want to be? Nickie is ready to help you find the right next step.
Let's get to work.
Whether you need a single strategy session or an ongoing thought partner, the first step is a conversation. Nickie personally reviews every inquiry and responds within 48 hours.
📍Chicago, IL — South Side & South Suburbs
📅Booking via Calendly — link sent on confirmation
💼Connect on LinkedIn
Find Your Service Track
Nickie personally reviews every inquiry. You'll hear back within 48 hours.
