Dressing The Part

Sometimes tragedy can lead to positive change.

That's what happened to Nicole Parcheta when her 32-year-old business partner died unexpectedly in 2011. At the time, Parcheta, a Florida Atlantic University graduate, was the co-owner of a successful student travel agency.

"It was almost like a tectonic shift," Parcheta, 40, recalls. "I had come to an impasse. I was an alpha female getting my MBA, and my plan was to 'Go, go, go.' But, then, I decided to start to look for something more meaningful."

She worked hard to find that, and the search even overshadowed her delight in receiving her MBA from Nova Southeastern University that year. Finally, in November, she discovered the cause she was looking for.

"I loved Dress for Success Palm Beaches [DFSPB] the first time I walked through the door," she says. "It's women serving women."

Founded in 1997, the national nonprofit Dress for Success (DFS) started out providing professional attire for female job seekers and then expanded into offering job readiness and career counseling programs as well.

Parcheta jumped in with enthusiasm, serving on the board of directors at DFSPB and becoming a mentor in the New Directions Job Readiness Program. Nothing deterred her newfound commitment to volunteering with the nonprofit - not even taking on a sales position in 2014 after closing her travel business.

Three years after joining DFSPB, Parcheta became the chair of Shop for Success, a pop-up shop that the organization holds every October at the Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach. The pop-up offers donated designer threads at up to 70 percent off. Under Parcheta's leadership, Shop for Success has become the second-largest fundraiser for DFSPB, after its annual spring luncheon, Style for Hope.

"Nicole has taken the store to a new level," enthuses Mary Hart, executive director of DFSPB. "She has put together a great team and organization - especially the under-40 crowd."

Even though Parcheta enjoys relaxing at her South Palm Beach home with her dog, Precious, and practicing meditation and yoga, DFSPB remains her top priority. She's proud of how the organization helps empower women.

"When you look good, you feel good," she says. "You radiate a sense of energy that gives you confidence." O