Nigel Taylor paced the dim ballroom nervously, pausing at tables occasionally to speak with friends and await the call to go on stage and present at the University of Kentucky’s 2024 TEDx Talk.

Taylor’s anxiety to present was clear, but as he walked up the stage steps onto the event’s brightly lit platform, the crowd stood immediately, cheering his name and yelling words of motivation before he went on to present.

“Come on, Nigel! Let’s go brother,” members of the crowd exclaimed.

There, for the next 15 minutes, the UK doctoral candidate and author spoke about his journey through loneliness and his experiences growing up as an only child, his achievements as a podcast host and his current goal of having his own talk show.

Although this TEDx event marked a new era of Taylor’s life, he said his passion for humanity and educating others is not something that just started.

Taylor’s love for entertainment began at a young age. As a child, Taylor said he would watch “Oprah” with his grandmother in her living room instead of doing his homework.

“Watching that with my nana was really really influential for me,” Taylor said. “I used to watch how captivated she was while watching ‘Oprah’ and I used to always be like ‘Man, I want that type of energy.’”

From that moment, Taylor’s passion for influencing people only grew, and with it, so did his dream to have his own “Oprah”-esque show one day.

“I want it to center around healing, mental health (and) relationships,” Taylor said regarding his goals for his talk show. “Always uplifting Black voices, but also encompassing all different types of people.”

Taylor credited many of the women in his life for his ability to push through his feelings of loneliness and become the person he is today.

“I couldn’t even begin to expand on like, how many women have influenced and impacted my life,” Taylor said. “The man I am today is really shaped by women.”

Although Taylor now has a successful podcast and has recently completed a book tour for his new children’s book, “The Endless Possibilities with Nora & Vincent,” he said his journey to success involved many obstacles and hardships.

Taylor’s experience as an only child heavily influenced the way he thought of himself. The doctoral candidate said he often found himself struggling with feelings of loneliness and alienation from other children.

“I would have this idea, or have this vision or have this dream, and I would try to find somebody else to validate it,” Taylor said. 

However, the 29- year-old didn’t let these feelings affect him in the long run. In fact, Taylor said he tried to find ways to grow from his past hardships.

“To this day, people see stuff that I do and they think that I’m the most courageous and it’s like, ‘Nah, man, I’m really scared,’” Taylor said. “But, at the same time, you can’t let that scare or that feeling stop you.”

Taylor said he uses his past experiences to create some of his work.

“My most impactful projects, the best work I’ve created, always came from a place of pain,” Taylor said.

Taylor even tattooed some of his lifelong mantras and symbols onto his arm, like the drawing of a broken crayon on his right forearm in black ink.

“My body is like a walking quote book but, I would say the one that I live by the most is this crayon on me, and it’s broken,” Taylor said. “It stands for: even a broken crayon can still color.”

Taylor explained that his tattoos serve as reminders of his past and what he has overcome.

“Your past isn’t a life sentence,” Taylor said. “However you live, it doesn’t have to impact your future and who you are and who you’re gonna become.”

Taylor published his children’s book “The Endless Possibilities with Nora & Vincent” in September 2023. Since then, the author has completed a book tour where he visited a number of schools across Kentucky.

The book follows two Black children named Nora and Vincent as they explore different career paths and opportunities. It highlights the importance of diverse representation when it comes to encouraging children to chase their dreams, according to Taylor.

“You know, a lot of the kids at these schools, they don’t get the opportunity to see a lot of different people in different roles,” Taylor said. “Going to a school and just talking about college and what it’s like and … simple questions like that, really changes the world for a lot of these kids.”

Taylor said he was motivated by the children he met while on his book tour.

“Being able to talk to kids and see them talk about how much the book means … it’s like, how can I quit?” Taylor said.

For Taylor, this children’s book is just the tip of the iceberg regarding his writing career.

“I do plan on making more books, yeah a hundred percent, absolutely,” Taylor said. “My dream is to have something for everybody, so … I want to make sure that I create content that could speak to different levels of different people throughout their lives.”

The author also teaches two composition and communication courses at UK for undergraduate students.

“The power in teaching, for me, really comes down to just being able to talk to students and really pour into their dreams and aspirations,” Taylor said.

After presenting at the TEDx event, Taylor sat down on the stage inside the ballroom. 

As Taylor sat, he pulled a card from his pocket and held it in his hands, ensuring that it would be captured in every photo taken of him. On the card was a photo of his nana, Jaqueline James.

Taylor said he dedicated his TEDx speech to his grandmother, who died in January 2023.

Besides his nana’s photo card, Taylor carried a handful of crystals given to him by his mother and a fidget spinner for him to use when he has anxiety.

Taylor held the crystals and fidget spinner in one hand, and his nana’s photo card in the other.

“What they do, I don’t know,” Taylor said of the crystals in his hand. “I just know they’re good for you and my mom told me I should bring ‘em.”

When it comes to future plans, Taylor is hopeful for what lies ahead. He said he just wishes to continue to impact and help those around him.

“I’m supposed to graduate in May of 2025,” said Taylor. “But after I graduate, I really want to chase the dream, so hopefully have a talk show one day, hopefully have a conference, and I’ll do a lot more amazing things for other people.”