Nicole van Rensburg’s journey began on stage — as a passionate jazz performer, singer, flautist, and saxophonist. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Music, she performed across South Africa at weddings, corporate events, and private functions, releasing five solo albums along the way.

But it wasn’t just the stage that lit her up — it was also the joy of helping others grow. While teaching one-on-one music lessons at Dainfern College (2006–2015), Nicole discovered a deep passion for mentoring and education. This led her to pursue a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and take on a full-time teaching role in 2016 as a founding staff member at Reddford House The Hills in Pretoria.

Over the years, she taught a wide variety of subjects — from Music and Drama to Art, Computers, and Life Orientation. No matter the subject, her mission remained the same: to build confidence in her students and help them embrace their unique strengths.

A Deeper Calling: Empowering Students Beyond the Classroom

Through countless conversations with teens, Nicole began to see a gap — essential life skills like emotional resilience, confidence, and time management weren’t being taught in schools. This sparked a new mission: to bridge that gap.

Her search led her to Life Coaching, where she found tools that not only transformed the lives of her clients, but her own life too. Nicole became a certified Life Coach with additional specialisations in Emotional Intelligence, Confidence Coaching, and Master NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming).

In 2022, she founded EmpowerMe Coaching SA, a business built to empower students, parents, and teachers with the mindset tools and emotional support they truly need.

Impact and Growth

Nicole now works full-time in EmpowerMe Coaching SA, which has grown from a solo side-hustle into a thriving business impacting hundreds of families. She creates and facilitates powerful coaching programmes, workshops, and online courses that help young people build self-belief and navigate their futures with clarity.

In 2025, Nicole became a Certified Workshop Facilitator for GoZen.com, a globally recognised organisation in emotional intelligence and resilience training for kids and teens. This milestone reflects her ongoing commitment to world-class youth development.

In 2025, she launched “Mapping the Future”, a guided online course that supports Grade 9 learners and their parents through the often-overwhelming subject choice and career exploration process. The course blends emotional intelligence, strengths-based coaching, and practical tools to spark connection and clarity in families during this pivotal stage.

Her Vision

“My dream is to empower as many students, parents, and educators as possible with practical, life-changing skills — both in South Africa and beyond. I believe that growth and resilience aren’t just nice-to-haves — they are essential. I want to create a ripple effect of confident, emotionally aware young people who feel capable of creating a future they’re excited about.”