Welcome to LiveWell Week!
Wellness has been a buzzword for the past few years, and this burgeoning industry valued at over $3.7 trillion globally, has spawned several brands home and abroad committed to helping us, in millenial speak – live our very best lives. This juggernaut industry covers not only the typical areas like fitness, nutrition and beauty, it’s evolving more and more to include mindfulness, mental health and well-being in our careers and at home.
In this series, we explore wellness on the continent, not only tapping into this trend but speaking to various individuals and brands about what wellness and self-care means to them and spanning different aspects of the industry from wellness tourism , alternative medicine, workplace wellness, beauty and anti ageing as well as the reactive and proactive elements in wellness and self-care.
People see right through you when you are trying to keep up with other people.
What inspired you to start the Nicole Code?
Naeto did, actually. One day I was excitedly walking him through my latest Nighttime Beauty Routine, and his eyes glazed over and he asked me if perhaps I wanted to share all this HIGHLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION with other people (and by that he probably meant anyone but himself). I had been toying with the idea for years, but everything just sort of clicked in my mind when he said it. I’ve been obsessed with beauty (specifically skincare) since I was 15, and I talk to anyone who is around (whether you are interested or not is of no importance to me) about all the products I have tried in my quest for perfect skin.
The Greatest Challenges & Rewards Of Being A Blogger & Owning Her Own Business:
TheNicoleCode
Creating content is fun but time consuming. The biggest reward is getting to meet the people who read my blog! I’ve had a number of people come up and hug me (hugs are always welcome) because they feel like we are best friends. I LOVE THAT. It makes me happy to know that the blog is fun and relatable.
On TrimKitchen
The biggest challenge is definitely being away from my children. I usually do not get home until late evening and my rugrats are usually asleep by 7.30pm. The biggest reward is being able to employ people and actually see them grow in confidence in themselves and in their roles.
Advice For Future Entrepreneurs To Monetize Their Influence
Stay on brand. This way it is easier for your followers to believe what you are selling. Also, incorporate your other interests into your content organically so you can pivot. For example, I built my influencer brand to accommodate my interest in Health and Wellness, which is why I was able to successfully launch of TrimKitchen.
The influencer economy has become more competitive and I’m sure there can be criticism and competition from readers and other influencers. How have you learned to deal with criticism and stay focused?
By being true to myself. It sounds super cliche, but its important to be as authentic as possible. People see right through you when you are trying to keep up with other people. Luckily, I’ve always sort of marched to the beat of my own drum so comparisons don’t really bother me. It also helps that I don’t follow a lot of other influencers so I don’t subconsciously put myself under pressure as well.
You have thousands of social media followers and blog readers. How do you decide what to share and what to keep private? Are there any aspects of your life that you always keep offline?
I share basically every aspect of my life- my family, business, friends and Church- in order to give a true glimpse into my everyday life But I try not to share TOO MUCH of those super private aspects such as moments with my children.
After the launch, traffic grew steadily but we have spikes (and gain a pretty decent increase in traffic) when we are mentioned on influential websites such as BellaNaijaStyle
A Day In The Life
Okay- So I arrive at around 9am because I drop the Rugrats off at school around 7.30am, then I head to Mass right after that. I spend most of the morning in the kitchen working alongside my TrimKitchen Chef getting orders ready. Things usually get crazy around lunchtime so I’m expediting orders and running logistics to ensure the food gets where it needs to go. Then the second half of the day I use to reply emails, do some accounting and work on The Nicole Code.
One Thing You Wish You Had Known When You Were Starting Out
That my initial enthusiasm and excitement would burn out, and I would need to find a ‘Second Wind‘ from deep within myself. And the ‘Second Wind’ is what really sustains you and keeps you going.
[I wish I’d known starting out ]That my initial enthusiasm and excitement would burn out, and I would need to find a ‘Second Wind‘ from deep within myself. And the ‘Second Wind’ is what really sustains you and keeps you going.
On TrimKitchen’s Mission
TrimKitchen was started in order to encourage people to eat better, healthier and happier. We strive to spread the message that eating healthy does not mean eating boring food or miserable portions, but eating adequate amounts of real food cooked using cleaner and healthier methods will encourage people to not just diet, but adopt a healthier lifestyle altogether. We plan on doing this by making mindful eating easy and convenient by delivering right to your home or office. Whats more, unlike most other healthy food delivery services, you do not have to be locked into a weekly plan or call the day before. You can call at anytime from Monday to Friday and have your food delivered to you shortly afterwards.
Her Definition Of Self Care
Self Care has now become way more internal than external for me. I am now a bit more conscious about what I am feeding my psyche.The older I have gotten, the more I have found that I find receiving too much information at a time overwhelming. I have taught myself how to take regular breaks from my phone, doing more spiritual reading and I’m currently trying to break the hold that ratchet TV has on my life. Self care of course involves…wait for it…eating TRIMKITCHEN and drinking 3 Litres of water a day.
Her Daily Rituals For Intentional & Purposeful Self-Care
Daily Mass, prayer, drinking 3 Litres of water, eating clean most of the time, working out, minding my business and an extensive skincare routine detailed on thenicolecode.com. Consistency is everything.
What does wellness and self-care mean to you? Do you think it’s important ? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments
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