We Are Seen with Nicki James

In today's episode I am joined by No1 Amazon Best Selling Author of "Foundations to Lead From" - Leigh Howes. We talk about being the leader in your business and how it should be something we love. We touch upon, not following the trends or someone else's path and actually making decisions that are right for ourselves and how we want to be known.  We break down the confidence needed to truly step into that CEO or leadership space, and how we can start falling back in love with what we do and how our business should set our soul on fire.

What you'll learn: 

• What stops us from stepping into that CEO role and embracing our inner leader. 
• What being a leader really is and why so many female entrepreneurs fear it so much?
• How we can lead, even though we've never led anyone before.
• The importance of seeing yourself as the decision maker in your own brand.
• That we should be the leaders not just of our businesses but our lives, especially when we embrace all of who we are with our personal brands.

Resources: 

• Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 
• The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide: https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/
• Just Brand You on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 
• Just Brand You on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 
• Nicki’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

Leigh Howes Resources:

• Website: www.leighhowes.com
• Book:https://yourspace.lpages.co/foundations-to-lead-from/
• Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessleadersclub
• Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/growwithleigh
• FREE QUIZ – Are you leading your business?: https://bit.ly/Getassessed

In today's episode, I'm talking to you all about your personal brand vision. And of course, I'm going all Freddie Mercury on you. It wouldn't be a Nicki James podcast if I didn't. In the song “One Vision” by Queen they sing, “you need one (wo)mxn, one goal, one voice, one hope, one real decision” and wait for it he also sings from the top of his lungs “one vision”.  So in this episode, I discuss how these song lyrics couldn't be more correct when it comes to building a personal brand. We all know that people are drawn towards clarity, and away from confusion. So I break down why clarity is one of the hardest things to get clear on within our brands.

What You'll Learn:

• The result of lack of clarity within our brand.
• The affects of yo-yo marketing and shiny object syndrome.
• How to prevent confusion for your clients.
• To niche or not to niche? – And what the impact is for your business.
• The key pillars of any good brand.
• Whether we are hindering our brand evolution because we're always do what we’ve always done?
• And what happens if we change things up a little and deviate from our A --> B line and paint outside it?
   
  To summarise, as long as you're clear on who you are, you've worked on that strong brand message and you know what it is that you're all about, allowing yourself the flexibility to explore new ideas, to see how you feel in six months’ time, to see whether that plan that you made in January is still right for you is something that I couldn't encourage more.
   
  So, make that plan, start executing it, allow yourself permission to see the squiggles, to flow with the squiggles, to not panic that they're taking you away from your A --> B strict straight line. And remember that your brand has power when you believe that you are it, all of you, which means as you change, it changes with you too.

Resources: 
Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You: https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide:   https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

Just Brand You on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

Just Brand You on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

Nicki’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In today's episode, I want to bring to you what it really takes to evolve in your brand. I'm going to discuss how hard it is to step into a personal brand as a female entrepreneur and that it's a journey, not a one stop solution. There might be a few risks needed, we might not always be able to stay comfortable and we HAVE to keep moving. 

What You'll Learn:

• How to make conscious, aligned decisions as a personal brand that are right for you. 
• How to recognising the dreaded signs of burnout and intuitively listen to what you need.
• How to relinquish control and step into total alignment, allowing yourself the freedom to embrace new approaches.
• To start letting go of fear and embracing moves outside of your safety net. 
• The key risks we need to start taking in our personal brands in order to keep moving.

Brene Brown says:

"I want to be in the arena, I want to be brave with my life and when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can't have both, not at the same time"

To summarise, 2022 might bring some arse kicking, it might mean that we need to break out of what we've always known, but we have to set the intention to be bolder, fiercer, own more of ourselves and what's right for us. To have the courage that we know our next move and to have the courage that this business can be run on your terms. That you can build your own arena and the people who are totally aligned with you will be pulled to be a part of your world.

Resources: 

• Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You       https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 
• The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/
• Just Brand You on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 
• Just Brand You on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 
• Nicki’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In today's episode, I welcome Chelle Shohet, an absolute legend of all things style and body confidence, which is so important when it comes to building that personal brand.

We talk about over-indulgence during the Christmas period and how to navigate the tricky diet waters of the festivities. You’ll tend to allow yourself to break all the rules you've lived by throughout the year. Of course, you might drink or eat a little bit too much, but how much is too much?

What You'll Learn:

- Why the over-indulgent Christmas can become a problem

- There is no need for starving, but there is an option to be selective 

- Positive affirmations during Christmas

- Body confidence and clothing

- Accepting that perfection does not exist, and that is okay

- How to practice self-care and compassion

- How to show up and be confident in your own skin as a female entrepreneur

Christmas is definitely a time for taking part in a little festive indulgence. As long as you enjoy breaking the festivities in moderation, there's no harm done. However, care should be taken because indulgence can quickly turn into overindulgence – and that's something you want to avoid this time of year.

Resources: 

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide: https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In today's episode, I'm joined by a special guest and We Are Seen member, Susie Rose. Susie is an energy alignment alchemist and soul coach who supports women to heal and create a life to love. We talk about how most entrepreneurs hold themselves back out of fear of standing out in their business. 

First of all, how do you feel about stepping into the spotlight? Does it excite you or does it make you cringe at the very thought of it? If you choose the latter, then you are holding yourself back from being extraordinary. It’s something that needs fixing if you plan to achieve outstanding success.

What You'll Learn:

- Breaking down the fear of standing out

- Why women in business should not fear stepping into the spotlight

- How to deal with childhood traumas

- How to stop being afraid of the extraordinary

- How to face your fears and take the dreaded next step

- Grounding and journaling techniques

- How to get in touch with sensations in your body

Most people live a life of constant fear, afraid of being judged for how they look, dress or show up. Yet the reality is, your greatest fear is not that you are not good enough, it’s that most people worry that they are too special. Remember, you don't need to sell yourself short. There is absolutely nothing special about shrinking because you're afraid people will feel insecure around you.

Resources: 

- Connect with Susie Rose on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/breathe_rise_shine/

- Connect with Susie Rose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreatheRiseShine/ 

- Website: https://breatheriseshine.co.uk/ 

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In this episode, I want to talk about the gut feeling I had this year when I was thinking about helping more people, making more difference and making a bigger change. I only managed to put my finger on this sensation after doing a visualisation. This urge for taking my business to the next level is represented by a woman to my right - a version of my future self and who I need to become: my unfamiliar woman. So, today, I will take you through my journey of how I stepped into her shoes. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What is your unfamiliar woman, and how you can get access to her

- Why it is so scary to think about stepping into her shoes

- Why the unfamiliar woman became a massive part of my business once I found her

- How my experience was when I was stepping into my unfamiliar woman's shoes

Learning, growing and evolving of you and your brand doesn’t happen by itself or by the grace of others. It’s a product of a conscious choice. Stepping into the shoes of your unfamiliar woman is up to you. You must decide when to do it. You must identify the stories you are telling yourself about why you can't do it, address them, and then move on to the next version of yourself.   

Resources:

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

I'm beyond excited to welcome my second guest to the show, Louise Westra. She is a naturopath, a women's health strategist, the best-selling author of "You First," and a specialist in creating energy and building resilience for overwhelmed and stressed out professional women. 

Our conversation revolves around the conflict between doing everything you can to succeed in your personal brand without burning out and what the industry demands to be successful. Louise shared her take on the influence of the patriarchal way of doing things in the world, how it affects women entrepreneurs, and what you can do to prevent it. 

We also talk about self-awareness, the importance of defining success, the hustle culture, values, and much more. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- Why you need to start by defining success

- How to recognise the patriarchal way of being in the world and break that cycle

- What is the Never Well Since Scenario, and what is the message that leaders in the space should send to their peers

- The incongruencies existing in the "hustle less, align more" trend

- The fallacy of seeing business and life as separate things 

Louise is convinced that it is not the big trips and holidays but what you do in day-to-day life that can take you on a completely different trajectory. In over 20 years of listening and observing people's stories, she realised that the constant and consistent neglect of someone's emotional, mental, physical and physiological needs is what makes the body say, enough!

Resources:

- Louise Westra website: https://www.louisewestra.com/ 

- Louise Westra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisewestrahealth/ 

- Louise Westra Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louisewestrahealthmastery/ 

- Louise Westra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisewestrahealth/ 

- Book: Louise Westra - You First: Your Body, Your Needs, Guilt-Free: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Louise-Westra-ebook/dp/B09DGCZB9L/ 

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In today's episode, I want to share what I've learned from a conscious decision I’ve made about a Mastermind I’m about to launch. After spending some time with inspiring business women, I felt an urge to accelerate the launch I had initially planned for next year and launch it right away. Rushing up things put me on the spot physically and energetically, and it made me realise the importance of making decisions from a place of power. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- Why it’s so easy to fall into the comparisonitis trap

- What made me take a step back to reflect on accelerating my launch

- What happens when you make decisions based on fear or on what others will think about you

- Why you need to stay away from the online space noise

- Why it is crucial to remain in alignment with who you are, and how that helps you close more deals

As a personal brand builder, the face of the company, its CEO and the person running the business, you must make personal decisions. You need to ignore what other entrepreneurs are doing and do what feels right for your company and you. I want you to know that it is okay to deviate from the original plan as long as the decision to shift comes from a place of power. 

Resources: 

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

I'm thrilled to bring my first ever guest to the show, the astonishing Regina Martin. Regina is a Brand Illuminator, a self-crowned Queen and one of the clients I have the fortune to work with. She is an empowered woman who stands in her own power, knows her worth, knows what makes her brilliant, as well as her limitations. 

In this episode, Regina and I discuss imposter syndrome, diversity in the online space, and how competition can create havoc in our minds, stopping us from getting ahead in our businesses. Regina shared her experiences with imposter syndrome, she explained how being a woman of colour added even more weight to that feeling and how she managed to deal with it and stand in her own power. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- Regina Martin’s background and what she experienced when she made herself visible in her truth for the first time 

- How imposter syndrome hit Regina when she started out in the online space

- What were the extra barriers she had to overcome as a woman of colour coming into the online space

- How owning her culture and her story has helped Regina overcome the imposter syndrome

When it comes to the online space, I believe there is plenty of room for all of us. We all have different things to offer and help our clients in our unique way. As women, we must support each other and forget about competition. We get to choose whether there is a competition or not. It makes no sense to doubt working with someone ahead of us on their journey. Just reach out to the person you're an imposter of, knowing that you most likely have something of value to add to their lives. 

Resources:

- Regina Martin website: https://reginamartindigital.com/ 

- Regina Martin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_regina_martin/ 

- Regina Martin Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/TheReginaMartin/ 

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/ 

In this episode, I will talk about brand building. I want to dive into something I see many people in the online space are doing - spending too much time building relationships, which actually serves to build their brands, not yours. I'll approach this subject being completely honest, saying that this is something I did in the past and still catch myself sometimes doing. Throughout this show, you will understand how and when you should shout out to other brands, colleagues, and mentors and what you must ask yourself before doing it. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What mistakes I've made in the past helping others build their brands instead of mine

- Why you shouldn't stop yourself from doing what you believe will be good for your business

- Why your brand will remain stagnant if you wait for someone else to build it for you

- The questions you must ask yourself before approaching any business decision regarding partnerships

Before associating yourself with someone else's business, you need to check on their values in business and see if they align with yours. Taking care of your brand and your company is not selfish. You must allow yourself to think about how a partnership will benefit you and if it is the right thing for you at that particular time. 

Resources:

- Nicki’s Website: Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk/ 

- The FREE Wonder Woman Story Guide https://justbrandyouprograms.co.uk/wonder-woman-journey/

- Just Brand You on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Just Brand You on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justbrandyou/ 

- Nicki’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-louise-james-3832651b/