Bold Beautiful Perfect

 

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“You have everything within you needed to accomplish all that God has created you to be.” – Niki

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Introducing Niki

I’m a lifelong Mississippi Gulf Coast resident (besides the year my parents and I went to Russia to be missionaries for a year – I have to mention it bc it’s one of the highlights of my life!).
I am married to a truly wonderful man and we have three beautiful children.

I’ve been a stay at home mom for the past five years after about 17 years in Corporate America. For the past two years, I’ve been so blessed to work from home with a company called Monat. There, I have a virtual outlet with others who are inspiring each other to be their best. I get to help my customers with skin/hair and wellness needs, to help those that join my team to reach their goals, to have opportunities for travel, and most importantly, I can work around the needs of my family.

 

How did you come to understand your inner beauty?

When I was a teenager, I went through a really difficult season where I was heavily picked on for my beliefs. My mom encouraged me to be kind, smile through it, and laugh anyway to show my confidence was in Jesus. I must admit, I struggled to do that some of the time. However, as I forced myself, it became a turning point in my life where I realized the power that inner beauty truly holds. The light in your eyes, the smile on your face, and the ability to walk into a room and look people in the eyes with your shoulders held high – that kind of confidence is truly invaluable and it’s what attracts others to you (much more than any physical feature).

I really believe going through that adversity made me a more compassionate human. From then on, I became and advocate for anyone that was bullied.

What parts of your story can you share to help women to understand their own beauty?

Beauty doesn’t come from lack of failures, but from the ability to address and learn from your mistakes. I graduated from college at 21 with big dreams, but it was a vulnerable season of change. I fell into an unhealthy relationship that I allowed to consume the next eight years of my life. I convinced myself that my mistakes defined me. I almost lost myself completely, but by the grace of God, I clawed my way out. Life can often be messy, and what makes you beautiful is how you choose to deal with your circumstances. Sometimes it’s your own doing and other times it’s just life.

 

True beauty comes from being brave, resilient, tenacious, walking in integrity and kindness even when it’s hard. True beauty comes from being genuine and not afraid of what others think, not hiding behind a mask, but being vulnerable with your struggles, taking responsibility for yourself and letting go of the rest. We will still fail, we will have set backs, bad days, but if we choose to continue to move forward through challenges, in spite of circumstances, that’s beautiful!

 

 

What was your experience with the photo shoot?

The shoot was an experience I will remember for a lifetime. Although beauty is certainly much more than outward appearance, God wants us to take care of our bodies, the vessels He has given us. I think it’s so easy for a lot of women to not make self care a priority in their life, myself included. But we cannot pour from empty cups, and it’s ok to take time to feel beautiful on the outside as well and to show respect and appreciation to our bodies, that God has entrusted us with.

Gosh, it was such a blast. Getting dolled up without distraction of my kids, just feeling pampered and even sexy was so empowering for me. Everyone should experience it at least once. Kasper made me feel like a princess and Brandi has such a way of making a person feel comfortable, yet confident!

Brandi and I discussed how we wish that we had the confidence in our 20s that we do now and that we wish more 20 year olds could truly get a hold of being confident in their own skin and seeing their value in their unique gifts that God placed on the inside of them.

 

Anything else you’d like to share?

I just want other ladies to truly see that they have everything within them they need to accomplish all that God has created them to be. I hope someone reading this is inspired to push past the fear, get some gumption, not be afraid to fail, and passionately pursue their dreams.

God has given us so much power in our minds with what we choose to believe. The Bible says as a man thinketh, so is He. So, even if you don’t believe it, start choosing to write down, listen to, think on positive, life giving thoughts and watch your life start to change for the better.

 

 

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You are made in His image – let’s celebrate that!

To book your own Portrait Session, contact us through the inquiry form below.

 

Much love,

Brandi

International Award-Winning Portrait Photographer