Empowerment and Optimism Archives ⋆ Kilee Nickels

TW: This episode and blog post features discussions about eating disorders, anorexia, depression, and anxiety. This content may be difficult for some, and listener discretion is strongly advised.

National Mental Health Day passed a few weeks ago. I was so inspired by everyone who not only acknowledged the day but shared their unique stories. I was reminded of my own the struggles and achievements and how much hearing other people’s stories helped in my recovery. So, I wanted to take some time to share more about my own personal mental health journey in the hopes it will help someone else who might be listening.

Throughout my teen years and into my twenties, I struggled with eating disorders. For probably ten years, I had an unhealthy relationship with food. And every time things got stressful, I would focus on what I could control, and for me, that was what I ate and how much I exercised. It really wasn’t until I was in college, newly married, and under so much stress that I realized this obsession was making me miserable. I found a therapist and spent a year going to weekly meetings and counseling appointments. Since then, I’ve remained proactive, checking in with my thoughts and working to stay away from extremes in my own behavior. Eventually, I had to relearn who I was, my interests, and my passions which ultimately led to my first Etsy shop and company, One Little Belt.

Choosing help is never going to be easy. How and when I got help made all the difference to me. The work is never comfortable, and you must be vulnerable and empathetic. But no one is alone, and we can learn so much from supporting one another. Putting in the work is worth it. The future you and I are rooting for you.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there is help.

National Eating Disorders Association or NEDA Helpline at 800-931-2237.

National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI Helpline at 800-950- 6264.

Listen on Apple.

Listen on Spotify.

Hello friends! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted here on the blog and if you aren’t following along on social media or elsewhere- I’m happy say hello again and to share some updates. 2020 has been a strange year for all of us- between Covid-19, social issues coming to the forefront, Sahara dust clouds, earthquakes, and more- it’s just been a little extra of a year. In past year’s I would have been blogging along- sharing thoughts and feelings and posts here at OLM through all of this. But wow, has that been a challenge. Because even outside of natural disasters, Corona virus and more, my life has been shifting and looking very different too. I’ve been evolving everywhere in my life, but for some reason didn’t want to evolve this space. Today I wanted to get down some thoughts on evolution and where I’m headed- and boy it’s it feel good to get it all out!

Since starting blogging in 2012, the blog has definitely evolved. It was originally intended to help our first etsy shop and then I found I really enjoyed sharing my style and my voice. And I found my groove. And my audience and that really helped us our start business and has been such a support for our family. Since starting N&S, I have held onto style blogging for as long as I could- and tried to keep showing up in the same way here, despite what other changes were happening in my career and with our family. I had a great assistant who was helping me continue to have a presence here- heck, we even did a full blog redesign. (Doesn’t it look great?) But my time and attention and where I needed to be- wasn’t here anymore. I was holding onto the old and trying so hard not to change anything, when really a lot of things were changing.

Over the last 11 months I’ve been working full-time in learning and leading mode. Nickel & Suede has needed all of my time and attention. We’ve been digging in deep into our brand messaging, planning for the future, hiring, opening stores and more. It’s been a huge learning curve for me to really own the hat of CEO and learn day in and day out what it looks like to fail, try again, learn some more and keep going. I’ve wanted to quit and come back to blogging more times than I can count. I know how to blog, I’m good at it. It’s my safe place. People like my style and they buy stuff when I share good deals. They like my kids and family updates. Can’t I just go back to that?

And I say that, but I don’t mean it. My entire brand and sense of self is built around pushing past the average or the normal and finding ways to grow or improve. I don’t stay stuck, so I usually keep biting off more than I can chew. Sometimes it’s a little naively, but the idea is that I can figure it out. Soren and I figure it out. So leading and learning the CEO role is new and harder than I thought or different than I thought, I actually do like it. I really want to succeed at it. I really, really want to give Nickel & Suede it’s full potential for changing lives and influencing as many women and girls as it possibly can.

And the influence that we want to have as a brand, is not so different as the influence I’m trying to make here. I’ve been working hard to get Nickel & Suede on track. To really make a focused and full effort at empowering women, spreading optimism, and making style approachable. Sound familiar? That’s what OLM has been about since the beginning. I love to share my stories and my style and my sense of optimism with you. The goal of the blog has always been to put out content that would help you, make your life better, be positive and uplifting, and to help you see that you too can be yourself.

I’ve learned that by sharing my stories (mainly on social media) of muddy messes in motherhood, frozen meals for dinner, arts and crafts projects and more- that you have felt like you have permission to do the same. It’s okay to do what works. And what works today may be different than what works tomorrow and what works for you is different than what works for another mom or woman. It’s all about breaking out of the box, letting go of what other people think of you, and continually improving in the ways that you make yourself proud. I do it, I share it, you feel empowered to do it too.

One other point to note is that about two months ago I changed my Instagram handle from @onelittlemomma to @kileenickels. That was just as much or more of a big decision as you might think. It seems small, but my whole Instagram identity has been @onelittlmomma for years, and changing from being that almost-mascot-type persona to just being me- was pretty scary. What if no one recognized my name as me? What if people stopped following because things were changing? What if someone else somehow got control of the name @onelittlemomma? All of the questions surrounded it- but, I knew it was still the right thing to do. As an entrepreneur, as a thought leader, as a leader, I knew I was now more than @onelittlemomma and that to really be me- I wanted to just be me. I want to be known as Kilee Nickels. So I did it. And not all of my fears came true, although I have lost a lot of followers- and I’ve NEVER lost followers. But I’ve weathered it and I feel so much more FREE to post what I want, come what may.

So you may be thinking, these seem like great messages to be blogging about Kilee. And you would be right. I miss writing. I miss getting my thoughts down on “paper”. In the Fall I started my podcast and it’s purpose is really starting to take shape for me as of late. I’ve been learning how to do it. Not every episode is a gem- but that’s what it takes when you start something new. I’ve been putting my thoughts about fear, evolving, confidence and more- into the podcast. It’s been a great thing and now I’m thrilled to really start interviewing more women who align with the purpose.

The goal of the podcast, With Kilee Nickels, is for women to listen and to hear stories of powerhouse women that inspire them to step out of their comfort zones and to be more bold in living out their own stories. My guests and I want to inspire the listener to go after her dreams and to live her life more authentically. I’ve had some great guests already and I can’t wait to share more.

So where does that leave blogging? Well I still really do love to share my personal style, trend ideas, some sales and more. As much as I can, I’d love to do that. It may be on social, but hopefully here too. It brings me joy to share my personal style with you. But it brings me more joy to help you find the courage to develop your personal sense of style. I love that some of my readers love my outfits or replicate my haircut, but in my mind, it’s not about copying my hair or my clothes. It’s about hopefully, eventually finding YOUR HAIRCUT and YOUR favorite way to wear something. But first I have to convince you that you can.

So hang in there- the blog is evolving- and my messaging will be getting stronger and I’ll of course be sharing our favorite banana cake or family updates too if possible. I appreciate the love and interest you have in our family, in the things we do and in our story. It means so much!

Are you following along in all of the other places I post content? I’d love for you to join us there and then to stay tuned for what is to come here. It’s pretty freeing to just let go of the old box and just be you!

Instagram: @kileenickels

FB: @onelittlemommablog

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/with-kilee-nickels/id1481506472

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KileeNickels

N&S Instagram: @nickelandsuede