finding self-love within
a podcast interview with shelby leigh and nikki gal
In this episode I was joined by Nikki Gal, former fashion model, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. We discussed career paths, self-love as a model and beyond, pursuing passions and a creative career, and finding self-love within.
Nikki started modeling when she was 15—10 years ago. One thing we discussed in this episode was her decision to leave the modeling industry to pursue her passion of digital art. She said that she began to feel uninspired and limited career-wise in modeling. “I couldn’t really do much outside of modeling,” she said, “just because it was so mentally and physically time-consuming, and there wasn’t really any other doors open outside the industry.” Nikki reminds it’s important not to limit yourself or categorize yourself as just one thing or one career, but to have an open mind.
this episode
Many people struggle with switching careers, especially if we’ve been doing one thing for so long. But how do you know if it’s time to switch careers? What were the signs? For Nikki, it was the constant feeling of being tired, and being bored of doing the same routine day after day. Deciding to change careers was deciding what she wanted for herself and for her future, and she said it was an important change for her mental health and well-being. If you’re unsure if a career change is the right step for you, Nikki’s biggest piece of advice is to trust your gut and it will guide you in the right direction.
Manifestation played a big role in Nikki’s career change and healing. To practice manifestation, you can write down your goals and look at your list every day and remind yourself of what you want to do. Taking career risks can be intimidating, but you have to do what’s best for your well-being and for your future. When Nikki was making the leap into digital art, she reminded herself, “If it fails, it fails, but I can at least say that I tried,” and I think that’s a great way of looking at things. You won’t know if you’ll succeed until you take that risk and try.
“It's hard to do but it's possible, it's absolutely possible. You can never limit yourself.”
When we hear about the modeling industry, a lot of the conversation seems to center around body image issues and insecurities. I asked Nikki if her self-love has changed or improved since leaving the modeling space. She mentioned that when we look at instagram pictures or celebrities, we think those people must be so confident, but in reality that’s often not the case and it takes a lot of inner work to find that confidence. “It's not easy, it does not come overnight, it takes years and it never ends. self love is a journey but it can also be a battle.”
A few main ways Nikki Gal practices self-love:
Prioritize taking breaks
Take a bath
Spend time outside
Make your bed and have a morning self-care routine
overcoming the fear of failure
What have you done in moments where you felt like maybe you would fail with your business and how did you push through that or overcome that?
a few tips from nikki:
Number one, believe in yourself. It’s a common thing to hear but so important. And also have a support system around you like family and friends, or even clients.
Number two, don’t beat yourself up.
Three, don’t nitpick your craft and who you are.
Small step
In every episode I have a small step that I give to my listeners on their self-love journey. For this small step, write down a goal that you want to achieve and also one one risk that you can take soon. Just a small risk, small baby step that you can take to get closer to a goal that you have.
Where to listen
you can find this episode on your favorite podcast site, or by following the button below!
Thank you for tuning into another episode! i was also interviewed on nikki’s podcast, raw talk with nikki gal, where we talked more about self-doubt and mental health! you can tune into that episode here! I hope you have a wonderful week filled with self-love and compassion and kindness!