At The Violet Group, our team is what makes our work possible, so as part of our blog, we love to shine a light on the people behind TVG. These spotlights are a chance to get to know the people who make up our team a little better.
Today, we’re spotlighting Nina Carmichael-Tanaka, M.S., TVG’s Leadership Consulting Intern.
Nina has been with TVG since the beginning of the year, and she immediately jumped in and made an impact, something we quickly learned is a signature part of her style. She contributes her thinking consistently and has become someone our team can rely on.
Nina is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology at the University of Georgia, where she also earned her M.S. Drawing on that strong foundation, she supports client engagements through data analysis and interpretation, turning findings into clear, actionable insights. She approaches every engagement with curiosity and a collaborative mindset, takes care to understand each client’s context before diving into the data, and is a firm believer that asking the right question matters just as much as finding the answer.
Let’s learn more about Nina…
Q: Nina, what’s a book, podcast, or movie that has had a significant impact on you and why?
A: I can actually give you all three, and they’re each pretty different!
For a podcast, there’s one called Normal Gossip that I love — it’s not educational at all, purely for fun on long road trips. The premise is that people send in anonymous stories, and the host retells each one to a guest or two, pausing along the way so you can hear the guests react in real time.
What I find really interesting is that once you’ve listened to a few, you start to realize you have your own instincts about how you’d react. It’s interesting to think about all the different ways one situation can be perceived by so many different people.
For a book, Educated was recently one of the most influential things I’ve read — honestly one of the best. It’s a memoir by a woman raised in a strict Latter-day Saint family that didn’t believe in the government or technology, and she goes on to earn her PhD at Cambridge. It’s beautifully written, and it’s her true story. She strikes this remarkable balance of compassion and understanding, looking back on boundaries that were crossed and adults who failed her, but speaking to them without judgment.
And for a movie, Miracle — the sports drama where Kurt Russell plays Herb Brooks, the famously tough, strict coach who led the U.S. men’s hockey team to Olympic gold. His coaching style probably wouldn’t fly today, but that’s part of what makes it interesting.
I grew up as an athlete and competed on teams myself, so it’s the most inspirational sports movie for me. It’s also nostalgic because he’s from Minnesota, and that’s where I grew up.
Watching it alongside the documentary Of Miracles and Men adds another interesting layer because it’s from the Soviet perspective.
Q: Who’s a person that has inspired you and had a big impact on your life?
A: Both of my parents have inspired me, but my mom in particular.
She’s always been deeply introspective and growth-oriented, constantly trying to better herself, improve, and learn from her mistakes. She brought a lot of that into her parenting. If my brother or I did something wrong, she’d have us reflect on it, and that habit of introspection has had a huge impact on who I’ve become as an adult.
I try to stay aware of my own behavior and understand it — to notice when I’m being the person I want to be, and when I’m not.
Q: What’s one skill or talent you have that isn’t directly related to your job, but you’re really proud of?
A: I’m pretty artistic and crafty. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I love to dabble. My mom is very crafty so I think I picked it up from her. I make earrings, I’ve sewn tank tops, I’ve knitted scarves and hats, and I enjoy painting when I have the time or inspiration. I also love design and photography. A lot of the art on my walls is something I either painted or photographed myself.
Q: What has been your favorite moment with TVG this year?
A: Probably the in-person offsite that the team had over the summer.
I got to fly to Chicago and meet the whole team in person, and it was just a great day of collaborating on ongoing work in real-time and hanging out together.
Q: If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
A: That’s hard. I guess I’d pick a really famous chef, but I’d want it to be a full coursed meal and a learning experience. I’d love to have dinner with someone who understands the ins and outs of cooking and flavor, who’s worked in both high-end restaurants and more low-key spots, so I could experience a meal from beginning to end. Kristen Kish would be my pick. She won Top Chef, she was on The Traitors, and she just seems like a genuinely cool person.
If she could cook the dinner and I could ask her about her cooking and life along the way, that would be great.
Q: What’s a hobby or interest of yours that might surprise your colleagues?
A: I’m an avid sports watcher.
My mom always used to say I was “an athlete first and a volleyball player second,” and I’ve carried a deep appreciation for sports of all kinds ever since.
I love the Olympics. Anytime athletes are meant to be peaking, I’m on it — any sport, even the obscure ones. Tennis is a consistent favorite, and right now I’m loving the World Cup and the Tour de France. I love the excitement and the emotion of watching people peak at exactly the right moment, and underdogs coming from behind. I’ll almost always root for the underdog, or for a classy player.
Good sportsmanship wins me over every time.
