Testimonials
"Your unique style and passion for giving the world a
fighting voice is amazing."
Testimonials
Dr. Vanessa Guyton Testimonial for Nicole Snell
Teaira Testimonial for Nicole Snell
Girls Fight Back: Student Testimonial- Kyrmina, Flintridge Prep
Girls Fight Back Student Testimonial: Nicolle, Flintridge Prep
“I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful training you provided us yesterday! Everyone found the training super timely, informative, useful, engaging, entertaining, safe, inclusive, and more. Thank you so much for also taking the time to have our staff share their own stories and experiences, and just making it a positive and empowering experience.”
Liam Geva, Cornell University Cooperative Extension
“Nicole specifically was BAD ASS! We loved her energy, her information, her genuine delivery of the topic. She deserves a special applause. Our girl scouts gave her a Bad Ass Talking toy!”
May Isbel, Girl Scouts Troup 15875
“ I have to say that Nicole's class was AMAZING. I had the opportunity to moderate it yesterday and it was engaging, empowering, and impactful. I could sense a noticeable difference in the participants over the course of the hour. Nicole is SUCH A TRUE GIFT to this world - so thank you for giving us the opportunity to share her message with our community. I have never seen so many positive comments at the end of a presentation before - it was really incredible. So, again, thank you!”
Anastasia Allison, Founder, Kula Cloth
“Your energy and confidence is infectious. I feel like you gave a piece of it to each of us, lit our candles with your flame, and that we're all walking away more empowered. I learned some invaluable things. Recommending to all my friends!”
Student, Yes I'm Hiking Solo, Kula Cloth
Thank you again for spending your Friday with us in Chicago! I loved your presentation and really appreciated your energy and positive messaging. I came home repeating NO! Stay Back! I don't want any trouble! and my family looked at me like I was nuts...but they thought it was cool, once I explained
Thank you again!
Laura C. Gillgan, IBM Software- Customer Success
"Best seminar I have attended, very educational!"
Student, Lamar University
“Fantastic motivational Speaker! Interactive and high energy. Very impactful.”
Attendee Feedback, IVAT Hawaii Conference
"Every womxn should be taking this class… run, don’t walk, to sign up… The tools learned to better equip me for being alone outdoors were invaluable. There were so many AHA moments, the tools are so simple and accessible to all of us - I don’t have to remember a list of 20 things to do - but I CAN take control of an uncomfortable situation by listening to my intuition, using my voice and being assertive. I’d never even considered these as tools… The great thing about the tools we learned is that they can so easily be incorporated into our everyday lives, even off the trail. So here’s looking at many confident and empowered hours spent on and off the trail and if anyone comes looking for trouble… well, this girl is going to be ready to fight back.”
Christine Koekemoer, AdventurUS Women Retreat
“I'm so happy that I got to take Nicole's "Yes I’m Hiking Solo: Self-Defense for the Outdoors" class. This class was everything I was looking for and more! Nicole gave us practical tools that I feel comfortable using if I ever feel unsafe, whether I'm out hiking solo or anywhere else for that matter. She reminded me of my strength and my value all while showing me how to protect myself. She reminded me that I already have everything I need to keep myself safe and that was so reassuring! Nicole was a fantastic instructor - she was incredibly supportive, knowledgeable and passionate. She made me excited to learn more about self defense!”
Michelle Jackson-Saulters, AdventurUS Women Retreat
“The program was awesome! I am very satisfied with Nicole’s presentation – she was super engaging and hit on so many different topics related to self defense and awareness. I liked how she would ask questions and do little activities to encourage active participation. There was enough time for Q&A and she was willing to stay longer until all questions were asked, which was appreciated. I would 1000% recommend her to colleagues!”
Sarah Hedberg, Project Engineer, Mortenson Construction
“We had a great session with Nicole! Nicole's presence was very encouraging & I appreciated how she shaped the presentation to fit our outdoorsy women & non-binary folks crowd. Her use of interaction made the zoom call very engaging.”-
Sarah Histand, Founder Mind & Mountain
“Everything about Nicole's talk was fantastic and she was so great to work with. The material was relevant to our group and well presented. Thank you!”
Sarah Canney, Owner/Founder Rise.Run.Retreat
“It was AMAZING!!! Nicole and Don did such an amazing job and our audience was so engaged and loved every second of it. I hope we can work together again in the future!” --
Maggie Scenna, HER Campus Media
"I had a great time today! I had low confidence in myself when it comes to defending myself and speaking up, as I'm an introvert. After participating in this workshop, I learned how to defend myself using basic defense skills and use my voice. I want to thank Nicole Snell for teaching me many things, relevant to personal experiences. I hope to attend self-defense classes soon."
Student, Montgomery College
"My daughter really enjoyed this - thank you. I have extensive defense training and was thrilled you covered so much and could encapsulate it in such a straightforward, memorable set of behaviors. Thank you!"
Parent, Monta Vista High School
“I was just able to participate in your Students Fight Back session and was so overwhelmed with joy and inspiration with your work. I was so inspired by your presentation today I had tears in my eyes. Your language, inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community and disabled community, and respect for pronouns made me feel SO much joy. Thank you for all of your amazing work.”
Hannah Large, Carthage College Student,
Students Fight Back
“Nicole brings the kind of energy you dream of in a presenter. Her consistent enthusiasm and positivity are infectious, even across a computer screen, and attendees leave feeling empowered and excited. She has a natural ability to engage an audience and is extremely thoughtful about discovering ways to make her presentations as interactive as possible. She is someone that you can fully trust with your group and it's clear that she puts a ton of heart and soul into creating content and making sure everything moves flawlessly. I could not recommend working with Nicole enough!”
Courtney Sanford, Co-Founder of Outwild,
Yes I’m Hiking Solo
“The event went wonderfully. Nicole's presentation had tons of important information and was very engaging. It was received with very positive feedback from staff and students. When I advertised this event, I put emphasis on the boundary-setting and self-defense aspects of the event. I greatly appreciated how thoroughly Nicole went over those topics. I am very happy with how the event went. We had plenty of time for a Q&A, and I'll be sure to leave this event in our programming notes so next year's team can work with you next year as well!”
Elisa Vigil, Outreach Programmer, Spokane Falls Associated Student Government
“Finding an acceptable Title IX compliant program for our New Student Orientation has been one of the most difficult tasks of my career. Some are seen as too flippant about the topics at hand, while others too dry and unengaging. Students Fight Back not only treats the topics with respect and perspective, but makes it near impossible to not be fully engaged. They bring relatable story telling and practical intervention and self-defense techniques in a way that is memorable and useful. We have finally found the right program for Carthage.”
Carthage College, 2021
“Nicole did an amazing job! I had taken this course previously and I learned more the second time around for sure. I love that it's so interactive even being virtual. I love that she said she would take questions for as long as people were asking! I would definitely recommend Nicole's presentation to other groups. Overall great presentation, we loved having Nicole lead this and I hope we can do something in person in the future.”
Danielle Nolan, Co-Founder, DNK Presents, YIHS Virtual
“Nicole's presentation was absolutely incredible. We received such glowing feedback on the whole session and it was a treat to meet and work with Nicole! I cannot stress enough how wonderful and amazing Nicole was and I hope to work with her again soon!”
Hiba Khan, Generalist, Wpromote
“Nicole is incredibly knowledgeable about self-defense and is generous in her approach. She focuses on risk recognition in a way that opens up possibility rather than shutting it down. She encourages discussion with a curiosity of spirit and a sincere interest in what participants have to say. Her enthusiasm and her warmth are contagious; students invariably come out of her classes feeling stronger, happier, and more confident than when they came in. Nicole makes self-defense training fun as well as informative.”
UCLA Student, Students Fight Back/YIHS
“I loved this presentation. Very captivating and extremely helpful.”
Montgomery College Student, Students Fight Back
“Nicole is an incredible professional who is able to captivate an audience, communicate a message and inspire women to take control of their own body and mind and use them both to stay safe. I have had the pleasure of working with her for our solo female travel safety, wellness and sexual wellbeing festival, Empowerful, and have been moved by her long term commitment to supporting women's safety in all environments, from the workplace to the outdoors or on their travels. She leads with passion and integrity and is able to motivate and convince women that they don't have to feel afraid while giving them practical tips to react if required. I highly recommend her work to anyone who wants to feel empowered and learn how to stay safe.”
Mar Pages, Solo Female Travelers, Empowerful Festival
“Thank you for an inspiring and empowering presentation. My daughter and I loved it!"
Regina, Private Girls Fight Back presentation
"Thank you Nicole! The sessions were wonderful and very informative. I have a much better knowledge of how to approach/handle public situations going forward due to these trainings, and will definitely keep the tips in my back pocket wherever I go!”
Senochi Kang, Civic Entertainment Group, Bystander Intervention and Strategies for Effective Boundary Setting
“You empowered me more than you know! I'm doing my first thru hike solo in August (TRT) and with your class I feel even more unstoppable!”
Kayla Hafley, Yes I’m Hiking Solo Virtual Event sponsored by SheJumps
“Thank you, Nicole. Your presentation was just what we needed—expert information and very engaging presentation. It’s not easy to find great content and a great presentation in one package, but you delivered both.”
Andrea Grindeland, PTSA Education Chair, Monta Vista High School
“We thought Nicole was fantastic and definitely want to bring her on again, and will recommend her to others!!”
A Case for Women, S.A.V.E. Program
“Nicole was so outstanding; she left a great impact on the students."
Montgomery College Advisor, Students Fight Back
“The program went great and Nicole was terrific. I loved the question and answer portion of the event as you could really see how interested people were and how important this sort of education is to so many. Nicole was nice enough to stay on the call after our allotted time as there were many who still wanted to ask more questions of her. I would definitely recommend this session to others in my industry, and hope to use her again myself. I got a lot of positive feedback from people who attended the call, and one person said it was “the best session she’s been on” at our company regarding these voluntary events. Thanks!”
Nate Carter, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, S.A.V.E. program
"Students invariably come out of her classes feeling
stronger, happier, and more confident than when they came in."
“It was AMAZING having you host this event. Everyone loved you, your energy, and the skills/tips you provided. I just want to thank you 100 more times!!”
Nikia Acy, Marketing Director, Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals- Outdoor Self-Defense & Travel Safety
"Students Fight Back was the perfect combination of informative presentation coupled with audience interaction. Nicole did a great job of keeping our students engaged the entire evening! The progression of the presentation from hands-off skills (intuition, awareness, boundary-setting) to basic self-defense moves was terrific. The level of student engagement at the end of the night made it obvious that Nicole's presentation was very empowering and left the students wanting to learn more. Because of this, we look forward to having Students Fight Back programming on our campus again in the future!"
Program Coordinator, Indiana Tech, Students Fight Back
"GFB is truly sensational and inspirational. I love that she didn’t make me fearful of attackers or of being attacked. Instead, it made me aware of my surroundings, and her techniques made me feel safer. This presentation is one that I would definitely see again."
Suzanne Smith, Texas A&M University, Girls Fight Back
"Just wanted to say that I absolutely LOVED the panel! Thank you for being such a great representation of Runners Alliance and HOKA. You all provided great information and tips that will allow runners to feel more safe. I couldn’t be more thrilled by how it all turned out!"
Runners World/Runners Alliance Virtual Workshop
“Girls Fight Back is so empowering and I gained so much from it! I led my first women's trail running retreat in 2020 and as the months got closer to the retreat date my anxiety began getting higher. I was nervous about leading a group of women on the trails alone. Nicole Snell's Outdoor Defense videos helped me learn new tools and tactics as well as reinforce things I already knew about self-defense. It helped me walk into my retreat feeling empowered to lead. Girls Fight Back and Outdoor Defense is such an important program for women's empowerment and I am so grateful for Nicole for creating it!”
Whitney Miller, CEO/Founder, Transcend Health & Wellness
“Wow! What a great class last night! Nicole’s presentation was inspiring, empowering, energetic and a ton of fun. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to you for making this class possible.”
Allison Tapert, Kula Academy Director of Chaos & Fun, Yes I’m Hiking Solo- Kula Academy
“Nicole was fantastic and the presentation went really well. It was great to have such an interactive virtual experience. It was great to have Nicole as a guest speaker and we'd love to have her back.”
Sarah Cannery, Owner Rise.Run.Retreat Virtual Women’s Retreat
"I just want to say thank you for the training sessions we had these past few days. They were helpful and informative and I received some great feedback from my colleagues.
The work that Impact & Girls Fight Back are doing is really admirable and very much appreciated especially during these trying times. Thanks again!”
Liza- Civic Entertainment Group
Liza Bulos, VP of Operations, Civic Entertainment Group, Bystander Intervention & Boundaries Virtual
"I was there with my 14-year-old daughter! So impressive. I am a fire and life safety educator for Massachusetts and can honestly say Nicole’s presentation was by far the best. What a phenomenal organization! Keep up the fantastic work."
Liz Shannon – Mom from a Nantucket, MA Girls Fight Back Community Event, March 2015
“We love IMPACT’s mission and highly recommend their training for all workplaces! IMPACT gave us practical ways to manage personal safety with simple techniques, and we left the training feeling very EMPOWERED and more confident. The instructor Nicole was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about safety. We will definitely plan to have IMPACT return for more extensive personal safety/self-defense training!”
Susan Pai, Senior Property Manager/Asset Services - Cushman & Wakefield, IMPACT Personal Safety
Virtual Girls Fight Back event
"Girls Fight Back is a great program for learning practical skills for self-defense and boundary-setting in everyday interactions."
Cal State Dominguez Hills, Girls Fight Back
"Nicole's class gave me the tools to identify and combat predatory behaviors. As a young woman, these tools are invaluable in the obstacles we face both from strangers and familiars; Nicole's hands-on approach to teaching cemented these strategies and I left feeling empowered and confident."
UCLA Student, Students Fight Back/Yes I'm Hiking Solo Virtual Workshop
"I’ve taken Nicole's self defence classes for solo travel, and I am so much better off for having done so. Nicole is such an engaging and passionate teacher, and the skills and strategies she teaches have really helped me feel more confident not only while I’m traveling as a woman on my own, but also doing the things I want to do in life in general, like hiking solo, and just walking home at night.
I love that her skills are so simple, effective, and practical, and can be applied even if you don’t have a self defense background, and I really love that her focus is on using your body as a weapon, because I personally feel much safer knowing that I can rely on myself, and using my voice, hands, elbows, and knees, than having to rely on man-made tools.
First and foremost though, Nicole teaches that self defense is primarily about prevention, which is perfect, because I’ve never personally had to fight, so I have no idea how I’d go if I ever found myself in that position. From Nicole’s classes though I’ve learned how to think smart, and now know how to engage in non physical prevention so I can avoid most situations before it even gets to that point.
I’m so thankful for now having options to defend myself because I know I’m not helpless if I find myself in a situation, and from Nicole’s strategies and techniques, if something does happen Im now confident that I have enough skills and options that no matter what it is, I’ll have an option as to what to do. Thanks Nicole!"
Meg Jerrard, Co-Founder Solo Female Travelers Club, I've Got This: Solo Travel for Female Travelers Virtual
“I took Nicole’s virtual outdoor defense class back in the early days of COVID. And even through a screen, she taught such valuable skills that make me feel sooo much more confident as a woman in the outdoors!”
@hikeology, Summer Solstice Virtual Workshop
“For my ladies, who are a little bit intimidated or scared of camping, hiking, recreating alone. Nicole has proven to be an invaluable resource for educating myself and helping me find my power within the outdoors. She provides easy to understand and relatable content relating to empowering yourself outdoors so that you can protect yourself when doing what you love.”
@Outsidewithv, Outdoor Defense
“Nicole, Dani Joy, and Matthew taught our team about the importance of tuning in to our own body language, and paying attention to how we instinctively react to people without the filter of our own self-doubt. We learned to verbally deescalate a variety of situations while always physically asserting our strength and surety through distance and stance. During our work out in the field we come in contact with a lot of people, and this program helped us become more aware and more confident in potentially dangerous situations. They gave us a relaxed, comfortable environment to learn these new skills, and flawlessly adapted the course to the zoom format.”
Participant, Greenspan Private Class, IMPACT
“Throughout my session with Nicole, I felt empowered and able to put my all forward into the self-defense exercises, which were an incredible opportunity to understand the variety of situations we, all as citizens, may be put in. I hold a vast amount of respect towards Nicole and the ways in which she provided an open and comfortable space to indulge in Empowerment Self Defense. I look forward to using such techniques and working with Nicole, possibly offering such classes for others in the future, as well. Thank you Nicole!"
UCLA Student, Students Fight Back/Yes I'm Hiking Solo Virtual
"Nicole did a great job of keeping our students engaged the entire evening!"
"If you're looking to spur positive change, inspire hope, and motivate courage in people's lives then look no further. Nicole delivered an impact filled presentation on the importance of boundaries, using one's voice, standing up for ourselves and others. She also presented thought provoking information on personal safety, awareness and other facets of human psychology. Her compelling training sparked stirring discussions and helped all of us understand the significance of our emotions, our interactions with others and intuition. She is a true advocate in every sense of the word. Our experience in working with her was professional and flawless from the start, even with the COVID-19 implications. Her adaptability in providing us with such an engaging and compelling virtual training was truly exceptional. We are grateful to have had this opportunity of working with her and highly encourage others to invite Nicole into their community for a truly captivating and passionate experience."
Teresa Loya, Vandenberg Air Force Base,
SAPR Victim Advocate
Speaking at Hill AFB