Nicole is a domestic, transracial adoptee born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She grew up knowing she was adopted. Her father, a decorated Marine turned Catholic priest, adopted her after she had been left with him when she was three years old. Mother’s Day has always been particularly difficult for Nicole, despite being a mother herself. Having been raised by a single father, it defined the fact that she did not fit in.

Early in her marketing career, Nicole joined the adoption community through volunteer work with Adoption Network Cleveland, a non-profit that supports everyone touched by adoption. After serving on the special events committee, Nicole was asked to join the Board of Directors. Through this work, she accepted adoption as a “complex, lifelong, intergenerational journey with ongoing impact for all whose lives are touched by it.” This epiphany helped her realize that her feelings of pain, confusion and self-doubt were a natural part of the adoptee journey – and inspired her to dive into the work of healing.

Nicole spent years on what she calls her journey of self-discovery, working to understand how being abandoned and adopted shaped her thought patterns, decisions and relationships. This journey inspired her to share her truth to validate and uplift her fellow adoptees. In 2019, she launched her blog and social media platforms, “The Adoptee In Me –  a place to share the journey of self-discovery.”

Since then, Nicole has shared her lessons learned about identity, change, loss and love, aiming to inspire reflection and conversation to inspire adoptees to embrace their inner adoptees and build healing connections.

Since 2021, Nicole has served as a member of the Fireside Adoptees leadership team, where she leverages her 20+ years of marketing and communications expertise to help guide the organization’s mission and evolution in service to adoptees at every stage of their journey. 

A few years ago, Nicole embarked on a new chapter of her adoptee journey to find the mother who left her behind at the age of three. The search began with her original birth certificate, involved multiple third-party organizations, and lasted much longer than anticipated. This latest chapter of her adoptee journey inspires Nicole to share her story about the emotional rollercoaster of search, self-discovery, loss and hope.

Learn more about Nicole’s journey:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekoharik/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadopteeinme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadopteeinme/

If you or someone you know would like to tell their adoption story on the podcast (anyone in the adoptee constellation), please send an email to [email protected], and your story will be considered for the podcast.

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Due to the LONG-LASTING EMOTIONAL FALLOUT that can be part of adoption, I highly support the GENTLE HEALING SUPPORT of SMGI: Somatic Mindful Guided Imagery. For more information on this groundbreaking and highly successful method, go to ⁠https://www.somatichealingjourneys.com⁠

Please seek professional help if you find yourself struggling with some of the realizations that you may experience during this episode.

This podcast's mission is on adoption education. If you have an expertise that you think would be beneficial to anyone touched by adoption and would like to be on the podcast, get in touch with me. I love to help fellow adoptees by helping to promote your latest project or expertise. It's time WE educate the world!!

Check out my website for other resources, all episodes of the podcast, and more about me!

⁠https://www.mindyourownkarma.com⁠

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