Nicole R. Braley

Nicole Braley, the Chief Marketing Officer at Inception, strongly believes that leadership goes beyond grit. According to her, successful leaders possess qualities such as intuition, confidence, intentionality, and crystal-clear communication skills. Nicole herself exemplifies these leadership qualities and draws inspiration from leaders who not only prioritize business goals but also understand their impact on the market, community, and environment.

As a leader, Nicole emphasizes the importance of maintaining a growth mindset and continually learning to refine her leadership skills. She adopts a combination of formal and informal learning methods. Currently, she is supported by an executive coach as she explores the next step in her leadership journey, which involves nurturing emotional and spiritual connectedness. This talent helps leaders in growing their organizations by fostering better relationships and leveraging emotional and spiritual energy in various situations.

Emotional and spiritual connectedness, as described by Nicole, revolves around valuing connectedness and utilizing emotional and spiritual energy to enhance interactions in different aspects of life, including business. By practicing this skill, leaders aim to improve as co-workers, leaders, friends, and parents. It enables them to understand the significance of their actions and utilize emotional and spiritual energy to navigate situations and develop meaningful relationships.

With over 15 years of experience in marketing and business leadership, Nicole Braley is a seasoned executive in her field. She has contributed to building, leading, and delivering extensive commercial marketing and growth across various industries, including network-driven healthcare.

In her role as the CMO of Inception, Nicole leads the organization’s marketing and communications initiatives. Inception, established in 2014, is a family of fertility brands dedicated to helping patients build their own families. The company was founded by TJ Farnsworth, the CEO, who was inspired by his frustrating two-year fertility journey with his wife. This experience motivated him to create a streamlined process for patient care that not only delivered results but also prioritized a positive patient experience.

Inception’s primary focus is on elevating the patient experience throughout the entire fertility journey. They provide services such as financing fertility treatments, supporting aspiring parents, matching donors with recipients, and storing cryopreserved embryos and tissue. The company embodies premium fertility brands and services, ensuring that every touchpoint meets the highest standards of care and compassion. Inception boasts the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics in North America and one of the largest frozen donor egg banks in the region. Nicole passionately emphasizes that by placing customers at the heart of their brands, they demonstrate the importance of each customer’s experience.

Nicole Braley is also deeply committed to mentoring first-time managers, recognizing the critical impact they have on the future leadership pipeline. She credits her executive coach and the CEO of Inception for supporting her own leadership journey and professional achievements.

In today’s business landscape, Nicole believes that customer experience (CX) should be at the core of business strategy, surpassing the focus on user experience (UX) that has been prevalent for the past two decades. As the CMO of Inception, she places a strong emphasis on the customer, considering them not just as users but as patients. Inception’s marketing team utilizes advanced technologies to enhance the customer experience and prioritizes delivering exceptional UX. They actively seek direct and indirect feedback from their customers, valuing it as an essential input for customer recovery, retention, and incremental improvements in the customer journey. According to Nicole, CX encompasses a customer’s entire interaction with their brands.

The global fertility treatment market is projected to reach a value of $21.7 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%. This substantial growth will lead to an increasing demand for clinics, top doctors, and other fertility-related services, making brands like Inception Fertility highly sought after. As a premier fertility brand and a leader in reproductive healthcare, Inception is at the forefront of efforts to ensure accessibility by launching new products and services, expanding their locations, and recruiting the best doctors.

Discussing Inception’s plans, Nicole mentions her focus over the past few years on formalizing and developing the company’s brand architecture. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of delivering revenue and future value, particularly through demand generation in marketing. By October 2022, Inception plans to launch a new eCommerce brand and a range of products that will extend their reach beyond their core customer base and sharpen their focus on fertility and lifestyle. Nicole is excited to lead these efforts, as they align with their commitment to patients, their experience, and delivering optimal outcomes.

In summary, Nicole Braley, the Chief Marketing Officer at Inception, embodies leadership qualities that go beyond grit. She believes in the significance of emotional and spiritual connectedness in leadership and its ability to foster strong relationships and propel organizations forward. Inception, under Nicole’s leadership, is dedicated to providing individualized and specialized fertility care, focusing on the patient experience and setting high standards of care and compassion. With the global fertility treatment market expected to grow significantly, Inception is well-positioned to meet the increasing demand for fertility services. Nicole’s vision for the future involves formalizing the brand architecture, driving revenue and future value, and launching new products and services to enhance the company’s reach and commitment to optimal patient outcomes.