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Husband: Michael Hellier
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Children: Alma and Luca, 2
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Occupation: Founder & CEO of Caridad Consulting, Doula, Content Creator/Foodie (@EatenPathNola)
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Hobbies: Dining out, watching documentaries, and attending outdoor music festivals & events
Nicole Caridad Ralston, Ph.D., is a woman who wears many hats—and somehow makes it all look effortless. She’s the founder and CEO of Caridad Consulting, a doula, a foodie, and the face behind @EatenPathNola, where she shares her love for New Orleans’ incredible dining scene. Originally from Florida, she and her husband, Michael, were so drawn to the magic of Nola that they made it their home in 2012. Now, as parents to two-year-old twins, Alma and Luca, life is a whirlwind of daycare drop-offs, delicious meals, outdoor festivals, and weekend adventures. Nicole is also a big advocate for open adoption, embracing a beautiful and meaningful relationship with her children’s birth family. With a passion for community, culture, and keeping life fun (even in the chaos of parenting twins), Nicole is the kind of mom who proves you really can have it all—if you’re willing to roll with the punches and enjoy the ride.
WHAT IS YOUR DAY TYPICALLY LIKE?
NICOLE: I don’t even set an alarm clock anymore because of how early my kids wake up; they’re usually up at 6:30. My day typically starts around then. I get them fed, hang out with them for a bit, [and] get them ready for daycare. Because I own my own business and I’m a consultant, my nine-to-five days can vary. It [can] be a variety of meetings or leading workshops or facilitations. I do travel for work [about] once a month. Towards the end of the day, after we pick up the kids, it could be a variety of things. If I have an Eaten Path event or invite, we sometimes go as a whole family. I might bring them to an event or restaurant. It could mean going for walks in our neighborhood. [But] usually, it’s dining out with the kids (or without the kids!) or a walk at night. [On] weekends, we’re usually out and about all day, like at a festival or an event or something with the kiddos.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR CAREERS?
NICOLE: Being able to support people in being their happy, full selves, whether that’s in an organization I’m working with, a mom or a family that I’m serving [for] as a doula, or even a restaurant that’s needing some help and promotion in some way.
WHAT ARE SOME JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF BEING A MOM?
NICOLE: It’s funny because my parents always told this to me, but when you have kids, it’s almost like you’re seeing the world again through new eyes—everything is exciting! Mardi Gras is the most exciting thing to the kids, anything like a museum or looking at flowers…everything is so new and exciting to them. That brings a lot of joy. [Also,] we’re adopted parents—the twins were adopted at birth—and [another] thing that brings me joy is that we have a really healthy, open adoption relationship with their birth mom, which was incredibly important to me. I update her weekly on how the kids are doing and share photos. She has a son she chose to parent, so the twins have a brother who visits them every couple of months. I have to really pinch myself often about how blessed we are to have such a healthy relationship with their biological family, not for me and my husband (that’s important too) but for the kids. Biology can’t be overruled. It means a lot, and for adoptees in particular, if they’re able to and if it’s a healthy situation, having connections to the biological family is important to adoptees’ development.
Challenges: Parenting is exhausting. I think as twin parents, in particular, I underestimated that. I always wanted twins, but I definitely underestimated having two kids of the same age at the same time, and how difficult that can be. But also, it’s so joyful. They really are best friends. [Another] challenge is scheduling. The operations of being a two-parent household that works, it’s like running a business. You shift to this space with your partner, where your partner is first in a romantic relationship, but you’re raising children together. The last thing I would say is just the stress and anxiety of wanting to raise really good humans.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR APPROACH TO PARENTING?
NICOLE: We are definitely following the gentle parenting guidance. We try to focus on giving them some aspects of choice—not like this is the Wild West and they’re free-range chickens—but like, “Do you want an apple or a banana right now?” [We’re also] trying to build that empathetic [side]. I think with any families that have more than one kid, conflict is going to happen between the kids, so trying to help them slow down, apologize, acknowledge, and kind of process that in a way that is centering patience and gentleness. I’m quite comfortable with chaos in general, and that has definitely shown up for me as a parent too.
HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY AND CURIOSITY IN YOUR CHILDREN?
NICOLE: We love music, museums, actual art—all of those things. We have music on in the house all the time. We have tons of instruments for them to play with and make creative art. We’re trying to encourage them that it’s okay to be their full selves—however that manifests.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE DEMANDS OF WORK AND FAMILY?
NICOLE: Balance is really important. I’ve always been very tuned in with how I’m balancing or integrating work and life. Balance isn’t always achievable, but I do have some strategies. I’m very good at stopping work at the end of the day; I’m not checking things, I’m not responding to things. Weekends are very sacred to me, so I’m fully tuned into family life on weekends. My husband and I are really good at supporting each other solo. Weekly, we each have at least one thing that we’re doing away from the kids for a break. My husband plays soccer, and usually, I do at least one—sometimes two—Eaten Path things with friends. Honestly, I’m able to do a lot of that because of how supportive my husband is. I don’t ever have to worry about anything. He actively wants me to have time away from the kids, as I [want the same for] him. People should pick really great partners.
WHAT’S THE BEST PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
NICOLE: You don’t have to shift or rearrange your entire lifestyle for kids. You have choices here. You’re a full human being outside of your children, you are a full human being before them, and you’re going to be a full human being when they leave. You’ve got to maintain that influence on your own life and identity. My secondary piece of advice: try to get comfortable with chaos. Things are just chaotic with kids all the time.
QUICK Q’S
- Top 3 Nola Restaurants… Queen Trini Lisa, Alma Cafe, & Vyoone’s
- Go-to comfort foods… Cuban & Vietnamese foods
- Current Obsession… Living part-time outside the U.S. (Piloting this in 2026!)
- Hobby I wish I had more time for… Painting
- Something I’m excited about… Jazzfest & International travel this summer
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