Nicole Mekisich – Communication Specialist

For many online professionals, the virtual workspace on Elance is a great way to have jobs or complete projects of their choosing while also maintaining a full-time job. Nicole Mekisich, a communications specialist, has achieved a great mix of both corporate work and external projects as a contractor on Elance.

Although she joined the Elance platform in January 2008, Nicole has been an independent contractor for over a decade now (her expertise lies with IT), while also maintaining various full-time roles in the corporate environment. Prior to getting into IT, Nicole actually wanted to become a teacher but after a year in school, she realized that although she loved to teach, the costs of going to school were becoming too high. Determined to continue her education, she decided to transfer to Unisa, a distance learning university. There she began her studies once more and by chance, took a computer course, and discovered her love of IT.

Being in the industry for over thirteen years, she wanted a way to pursue IT in a new and different way. To do so, Nicole decided to start her own business, innov8 (a training and communications consultancy), which has allowed her to combine her love of teaching with her love of technology. Her company specializes in providing learning solutions, including help texts and instructor notes for various IT projects. Registering her company on Elance has allowed Nicole to complete projects online as well as onsite projects.

In keeping with the many benefits of online work, Nicole is also taking her company to another level because Elance gives her the ability to connect with “wide range of potential clients that you would never normally be able to connect to, if you just utilized your existing network,” she told us. While her company is stationed in Cape Town, South Africa, Elance has let her connect with a multitude of clients around the world.

Currently, Nicole is loving the combination of both online and onsite projects – it keeps her busy and after so many years, she is still passionate for the work she does. Her passion has allowed her to succeed on and off of Elance, garnering repeat clients in South Africa as well as building lasting relationships with clients on Elance. With her husband and two Great Dane puppies by her side, she is enjoying Cape Town, her company, and what she has described as a “fantastic lifestyle.”