Rick Nichols, a partner in Heart Inspired Presentations and an expert on Human Potential, is a writer, storyteller and international speaker. With his inspirational, warm, and humorous style Rick has captivated audiences around the world. He is a speaker of many facets: a storyteller, poet, and philosopher, as well as a teacher and student of life.

Raised by a pair of alcoholic combatants in a domestic war zone along with five siblings, Rick learned much about coping with adversity, stress management and strategic communications early in life. Upon awakening the morning of his 17th birthday he had to face the fact that while others his age were about to graduate high school, he was failing the 9th grade as a result of dyslexia and a troubled home life. It was on that day that Rick leaped from one war zone to another, as he joined the US Navy and eventually went to Vietnam, where his education really began. He learned important things that the public school systems didn't teach: self-esteem, teamwork, cooperation, compassion, strategic planning and honor among friends. One of the most important things he learned was that he is capable of learning, and that he has value; nobody had ever told him that before.

On a life mission to "Inspire people the world over to a higher level of thinking about who they are, what they've got, and how to bring themselves more fully into the world," Rick presents programs and presentations designed to shift a person's perspective, which opens them to a deeper self-awareness and greater potential for a fulfilling life. The rich diversity of Rick's salt and pepper background is sprinkled throughout his presentations. He has experienced the highs and lows of life, learned how to make the best of it all, and is willing to intimately share it with his audiences.