Meet Dominique Cagle, the Founder, Owner, and CEO of Nika Corporate Housing, whose unique ideas and methodologies have led her achieving many milestones in her pathway. Under her guidance, the company have attained a successful growth creating an example for many to follow.
“The Most Creative Leaders in Business 2020,” edition feels pride to feature such leaders and take their creativity and innovative skills into consideration. She ensures her clients with her upcoming success of a long term Global expansion. “We are looking to compound and expand that growth Internationally while servicing new international accounts in new World Wide Locations,” quotes Dominique.
“Empathy, Leadership, Passion.”
Into the Shoes of Dominique
NIka Dominique claims to be the Founder, Owner, and CEO of Nika Corporate Housing and the fourth generation Entrepreneur in the family. She started Nika Corporate Housing after flying as a Flight Attendant on September 11th and thus subsequently getting furloughed.
Her company offers several different communities per requested reservation area, and within these options it provides 1, 2, and 3 bedroom options for guests to choose from at different price points to review when selecting an option.
As a director and business leader, describe a challenge you overcame.
She started her business at a relatively young age out of college. She genetically look young for her age, and have received many comments unsolicited like “Young lady, does your father know that you are here working this late?” or “Oh, I thought Dominique was a male.” “May I please speak to the CEO Mr. Cagle” “I need to speak to your supervisor if you don’t let me out of this lease with no penalties.” or “Don’t stay with THAT Corporate Housing company, I heard that they have a day care in there and they won’t take care of you the guest.”
She likes to study all of the President’s of the United States and their stories of getting to that position in life; what leadership style worked in that time period etc. Especially she likes the quote “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson. Also, her grandfather William E. Davis has always encouraged her to keep going in the business world when the going gets tough. There will be good days, and not so great days for many reasons on either side. His stories in gaining back accounts by good relationship foundations help me think about the bigger picture when unexpected situations arise. She is also a believer in lifelong learning and usually takes either a class towards a new Masters skill or an online course to strengthen her world view and skills that may need updating in her business tool kit so to speak.
Maintaining balance between your professional & personal life?
Maintaining the balance between professional and personal life has always been difficult for Dominique as she has 3 children and 2 bonus step-children whom always keep her on her toes with never a dull moment in the Cagle Casa! She makes sure she plans scheduled mommy daughter/son dates with each child one on one whenever life allows her to. This provide valuable individual undivided quality time with each child. “After they turn 18, that rule tends not to happen though,” says her. Her valuable workout time gives health and balance to her body, but also to her mind as she prioritize the things on the agenda for her day that are on her calendar. Kids volunteering in the classrooms at school she schedule evenly among her 3 school age children through the year. Making sure that she sees them with their friends at school, library, lunch, recess, sports, competitions etc. It is her goal to make all of their competitions, recitals, and graduations if possible.
Embracing the Technology
As she has run this company for 17+ years, her best strength is being passionate person about her business. This passion comes very naturally to her as a 4th generation Entrepreneur. It’s in her blood and was a naturally born sales person before she ever started a business. She like working with people and informing people about her amazing product. She regularly stay in her furnished apartments without prior notice to her employees as a pop inspection so to speak. But, these visits also give her the opportunity to put herself in her guests’ shoes so to speak when they are staying and booking her locations. “Do I like to walk to a certain restaurant? Do I like the softness of my towels? Do I feel safe staying here as a working traveling woman? Is this property pet friendly or not?” Dominique asserts.
A Glimpse into Future
“This is classified information! Just kidding, I am writing a book right now, and it’s called Bounce Back After 40. It’s an exciting passion of mine to help women get their bodies back after 40. When our metabolisms start to slow down with age, we have to try and eat new ways to compensate without gaining extra unwanted lbs, but it is possible to do the healthy way I promise you,” quotes Dominique.
An Advice to Rely On
The best advice she would like to give, is to join WBENC or WPO if one is a woman emerging business leader. If they are a male, join another CEO type support group like Eliances or YPO. There are other options out there as well, but these groups are made for entrepreneurial support because it does get lonely at the top for sure no matter the size of your revenues. Also, the support helps you be a better business leader, and many of these groups invest in these members with helpful content by local or national or international business leaders. Also she states, they help you have opportunities with legitimate exposure for your company with Pitch days and corporate contacts you would not typically have access to if you just walked in the door to some of these large locations of Fortune 500 companies.
