The Superpower of Nicole Cutler Trevor ~ How This Extraordinary Woman Triumphed Over Two Brain Surgeries; Runs Marathons; Pursues Her Career & Got Married!

Feb 15

If you want to experience a true superhero ~ you must watch my Ladies Who Lunch Conversations videocast where recently, I had the distinct honor to host Nicole Cutler Trevor.

You'll be as gobsmacked as me to learn how Nicole has triumphed over her brain tumors. This brave woman shares how she leaned into love~not fear~on her journey to power through TWO brain surgeries. You’ll learn how she pursued her goals to return to work; run marathons, raise funds for the National Brain Tumor Society and not only plan her fairytale wedding but star in her & Jack's beautiful, magical day...

I asked her how she discovered she had a brain tumor; her journey navigating the medical mazes, and the shockingly traumatic ~ sometimes almost funny/crazy challenges that are part of this unique shero's journey.

Whatever your life's issues or perplexity or anxiety, Nicole's spirit and determination will uplift you and inspire you...

Nicole is a magnet for miracles ~ an angel who has much wisdom to share with the rest of us. This woman will take your breath away with her courage, smarts, and inspiring leadership. Not to mention her charm and confidence.

As you’ll hear when I start off our Conversation with Nicole’s already impressive bio, she is a Fintech Communication professional PayPal. She has been instrumental in launching innovative product solutions and crafting strategic narratives that enhance customer experiences. In addition to her advocacy, Nicole serves on the steering committee for Thrive, PayPal's disability employee resource group. Living with hearing impairment and facial paralysis following her most recent surgery, Nicole brings a deeply personal perspective to her work in fostering inclusion and accessibility within the workplace.

Moreover, Nicole’s passion for making a difference extends far beyond the workplace.

A devoted advocate for brain tumor research, she has raised nearly $50,000 for the National Brain Tumor Society, fueling critical advancements in the fight against brain tumors. As part of her advocacy, Nicole recently completed her fifth marathon at the 2024 New York City Marathon with the Gray Nation Endurance Team.

According to Nicole, this achievement holds special significance, as it represents her resilience and determination after enduring multiple surgeries, including major procedures that have impacted her mobility and facial function. Nicole’s ability to transform personal challenges into a powerful platform for hope and awareness has inspired countless supporters and solidified her role as a true champion for the cause.

I guess if one can endure two brain surgeries, running marathons is like a walk in the park! Nicole has set her sights on running the The Abbott World Marathon Majors that includes the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, and Tokyo marathons. And then, to top it off, she plans to do an Iron Man. I’m exhausted just writing about it all. Ha.

Seriously, when things get tough out on the course, she says she reminds herself, “Run with your heart; your feet will follow.” This mantra embodies the determination and spirit that drives us all to push through obstacles.

You can’t help but note that Nicole possesses an old-soul wisdom, heart, and poise. You can readily feel it as she describes her journey of first learning about her brain tumor.

In a way, you could say that music saved her life.

It was when she and Jack, now her husband, were on a flight together and when he asked if he could borrow her headphones, she replied of course, but the right one wasn’t working. She couldn’t hear the music.

Jack tried them out anyway only to find that, much to his dismay, the sound was fine. The earbuds were not broken.

She was only 22 years old and couldn’t hear.

Once home, she made the doctor appointment to get everything checked out. And then…

The odyssey began.

Nicole describes how challenging it was just to get an appointment with a neurosurgeon. She references that much like in the corporate world, it’s all about who you know…

Finally, after endless calls seeking an appointment and being told it could be anywhere from two to six months just to get an office visit, she was able to make a connection and to schedule the country’s leading neurosurgeon (She knows people ^:^)

And not a moment too soon.

The brain surgeon told her if she had come a week later, well, you can hear her tell this frightening “might’ve been…”

I asked Nicole if any of us can ever know what causes a brain tumor.

The short answer is “no.” And it’s even more rare for a young person to have this kind of tumor. She explains that in her case, the tumor had probably been building and growing since she was six years old. The tumor was sitting on her stem. She still manages to laugh when describing how her nickname had become “Nicky Clutz” (a variation on her name, Nicky Cutler) because she was too often falling or tripping or spilling milk.

On this note, one viewer was prompted to observe on the Facebook page Comments, that it might be beneficial to have our children tested if we observe some too excessive clumsiness or uncoordination… Good point.

When I asked her what was one of the surprises she encountered, Nicole points out that there is not enough available literature or information within the medical community. There’s a preponderance of guessing ~ so much trial and error.

In discussing if she advocates and/or pursues a cure or treatment, and the role of technology, she explained that “Nerves like to wrap around tumors.” That’s how she now has facial paralysis. Consequently she’s learned so much about nerves. She has a nerve map on her refrigerator!

She truly believes that in the not too distant future there will be a surgery that will be able to take out the tumor and not damage the nerves. And the surgery will still be performed with a human, not AI.

Her journey is both heartbreaking and uplifting. She told us about the surgery ~ 14 hours ~ her radiation treatments, and the pain… Oh, the chart-stopping pain made me weepy just to hear her describe it.

And yet, her positiveness had her praising the hospital nurses ~ especially the night nurses and those in ICU.

Now, she practices her daily Smile Therapy 😄 We all need more of this therapy.

We also talked about Nicole’s return to work after each surgery.

Looking back after the first one, she realized that her return was probably too quick. I should say. A mere six weeks was indeed a push…

It was the time of Covid and everyone was working from home but even with that, Nicole dove into work with a vengeance.

She’s a quick study and so following the second surgery she took her full three months to better recover. After all, she had to learn to talk, chew, and walk.

She also learned about better work/life balance

I told you she’d take your breath away…

Also leaving me breathless ~ but in a different way, was her beautiful wedding.

When I asked about planning her wedding while recovering, she happily describes that it was a family affair. She wanted fun. A celebration of life. And she wanted pretty. Together with Jack, her mother Joanne, and mother-in-law Jeannie as happy wedding planners, it was mission accomplished.

Jeannie, Nicole, Joanne ~ A trio of beautiful, smart women supporting women

Everything was indeed so pretty and happy. Bill and I were honored to have been invited guests.

Nicole wanted to tell us why she wore sunglasses for much of the wedding celebration. It was at the suggestion of her facial paralysis therapist, in order to conceal any eye rolling that is a result of the surgery. In solidarity, she asked her wedding party to wear the shades also.

Seeing all these beautiful people, I just thought they were doing “Hollywood!”

Of course I adored Nicole’s choice of flowers ~ there were pink peonies galore. 💗🌸

And in that floral spirit, to honor Nicole for our Conversation, I designed a respectful yet pretty and whimsical tablescape featuring lots of pink peonies; complemented by the color gray ~ to amplify the brain and its “gray matter” along with her work with Gray Nation, and twinkly lights to suggest neural networks. (I also used brain coral, brain succulent, walnuts, and hearts. Lotsa’ hearts.)

Her future plans include becoming a communications executive like her mother, Joanne, who I’ve had the privilege to have hired and work with throughout my corporate career. Nicole couldn’t model a better professional.

Nicole is also writing a book about her experiences ~ Marathon of the Minds is her working title. Reading her LinkedIn and social media posts, I can readily see that Nicole is an extraordinary writer, so this is gonna’ be a best-seller.

Nicole wrote this on her LinkedIn: “A huge thank you to Leeann for creating a space to uplift and amplify stories that matter. If you're looking for a conversation that will leave you feeling inspired (and maybe even a little more determined to chase your own goals), I’d love for you to watch our discussion. And if my story resonates with you, let’s connect—I believe in the power of storytelling to drive impact, and I’d love to hear yours too.”

What compelling, dazzling writing…

She also wants to become a motivational speaker, and start a family. Whew!

I asked her what her favorite cocktail is. Can you guess what her Trevor Margarita is?

If you want to see and hear a true Profile in Courage, this is it. Nicole has managed that extraordinarily complex and challenging ~ some would say impossible comeback from brain surgery. She relearned how to walk, talk. She returned to her job. She planned a wedding. And she ran a marathon.

She is a member of the 8% Survivors Club. Not a club that you want to belong to but nevertheless ever so happy to be a member of.

Nicole's fearless grit and positive outlook, her embrace of challenges, her dedication to "lean into the love" ~ the support from family, friends, and community, will leave you speechless and impossibly hopeful at the same time.

Please take a few moments and view my Ladies Who Lunch Conversations with Nicole. It will change you ~ for the better.

You can Follow all the inspiring Ladies’ Conversations I’ve had the privilege to bring to showcase. If you’re not on Facebook, you can view my Conversation with Nicole (and others) on my YouTube where you can also follow.

Thank you, Nicole, for your incredible inspiration.