Since the dawn of her career, Nicole Garrett (aka Nicole Madison) has played many roles. And whether she’s crooning toe-tapping jazz tunes alongside a pianist or performing a self-written cabaret, her performance is utterly captivating. Her energy is at once graceful and commanding, magnetic, yet bold — and everything she does shines with authenticity. No matter the song or story, she performs from a place of truth — and it’s tough not to listen.

Nicole studied theater and music and has performed in a wide variety of productions across the country. One of her earliest performances in Jackson Hole was playing the plucky Rose Crabtree in “Petticoat Rules,” a production celebrating Jackson’s historic all-female town council. She’s also built an impressive resume as a director, helping actors and actresses breathe life into their performances. Outside the theater, Nicole has performed with jazz musicians and alongside big band groups on both coasts and pretty much everywhere in between.

Now, building on her wealth of experience with music and words, she’s stepping into a thrilling new role: coach. She launched her business, PRESeNT, in the summer of 2019.

“I’m weaving together all of my performance expertise and presentation skills to empower people to express their own stories more powerfully,” Nicole says. Whether her clients are looking to lead a team, nail a job interview, bolster their public-speaking skills, or finally shake off pesky performance anxiety, Nicole guides them on a journey of self-discovery to achieve their distinctive goals. “I really help people get deeply rooted in their own message, discover how to articulate their story, and show up well-prepared.”

Nicole is well-versed in the physical aspects of clear, compelling conversation. As a performer, she’s had years to fine-tune her mastery of the physical aspects of vocalization, while her background as an actress and director has informed her understanding of storytelling, empathy, inflection,
tone, pacing, and more. She braids all of these strands together to instruct clients how to use their breath to maintain rhythm and power, and to help them use their entire body to speak from a place of strength and consistency.

“Just as everyone’s message is unique, so are their goals. My approach is holistic and intuitive. It’s about bringing not just the content to the table, but also rich and honest communication,” she explains. Nicole believes that authentically compelling communication is rooted in truth, and that attempts to talk about anything in a superficial way will fall flat — audiences will glaze over and tune out. But when a speaker cultivates a real connection with their listeners, that’s when the real magic happens.

Nicole works primarily with individuals, but has also spent time connecting with groups both in Jackson Hole and across the country. As someone who’s truly passionate about her work, she does more than help a client hit a single performance out of the park; she teaches the necessary skills and tactics to give them a lifetime of confidence, resilience, and genuine connection.

For Nicole, the transition from performer to coach feels both natural and inspiring. As much as she loves to perform and share the beauty of song and stage with audiences, coaching has brought her a new kind of reward. “I love helping people create presentations in a way that’s brave and unapologetic. It’s powerful; the world needs more people to speak their truth.”