Nicki James – Essex-based personal brand strategist, best-selling author and champion for female entrepreneurs, Nicki James, 31, is the founder of Just Brand You https://justbrandyou.co.uk.
With a career that has seen her involved in the communications of iconic brands such as National Geographic and a creative steer for the much-loved mag, Olive, Nicki is no stranger to creative communication, and she’s now known as a champion of female entrepreneurs, promoting visibility. She is on a mission to release the magic of other women in business by giving them permission to be themselves – show up, get visible and kick imposter syndrome into touch.
“I learnt a long time ago that you can’t hide behind logos and websites. You have to be seen, be heard and use who you are to help and attract your clients,” says Nicki. ”Women have a right to step into their genius, celebrate themselves, own their purpose and be true to who they are!”
Sharing stages across the world alongside the likes of Google, and with an online community of several thousand, Nicki is passionate about spreading her message to empower others.
Nicki’s whole approach to business is driven by her realisation that it is absolutely essential to be YOU to be happy, successful and fulfilled – she said; “I am passionate about fighting against the misconception that you need a split personality as a business owner – one person for work, one person for home – the rocket fuel that helps you fly – is you! The secret sauce needed to grow a business isn’t the latest ‘marketing magic’’ – but your own individual magic.”
Since launching her business in 2017, Nicki has experienced rapid growth as she sees the impact that truly connecting to your audience can have. She now runs a multi 6 figure business and has experienced highs of 50K months after ‘being more her.’ She practices what she preaches, but she hasn’t always had a voice.
“When I was 6 years old,” remembers Nicki, “I was told it was better ‘to be seen and not heard and that it was indeed safer to keep quiet and hide.” – Nicki grew up with an alcoholic father with aggressive tendencies who had regular visits from the bailiffs. “Blending into the background was actually a honed skill. It was my coping mechanism. It’s taken me a lot of personal development work to fight against this intrinsic belief that it’s not safe to stand out, and I see many of my clients struggle with deep-rooted beliefs from past experiences that are also keeping them hidden. It’s important to seek support if you feel parts of your belief system is holding you back – don’t let imposter syndrome win – it’s crucial to stand out and stand up when starting out.”