Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Incandela.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nikki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I spent most of my life not liking photos of myself. There just wasn’t a light and beauty that I felt in my heart that was ever mirrored back in any photo. In fact, in high school, I decided to stop trying to like photos of myself and take the hardship out and declared that I needed to be ok never seeing a great photo of myself and that was to be my new expectation!
So, you know when situations like this happen, we have a tendency to then create stories and lies about ourselves. A few of mine were that I must just be ugly and that maybe no one will ever really SEE the real me.
Have you ever come to a point like that where you make a realization based off of something you told yourself and it made you sad and feel a little hopeless? That was where I was at that time. And it took me quite a few years to see the truth in that and climb out of that story enough to fix it!
And it is no wonder that I attract a client base now that I help with the same challenges…. but at an accelerated rate because I’ve figured it out myself. How to have the essence of who I am captured in an honest and beautiful way. And also how to enhance the features I like about myself (through makeup, clothing and my energy during a shoot) so that I actually love seeing photos of myself instead of peering out of one eye at them!
After designing clothing in New York City for over 10 years, I decided to follow my passion for photography. I LOVED capturing moments and people’s connections, hearts and essence. I started out as a typical family photographer and shot weddings with other photographers also. I felt all over the place as I was narrowing down what it was that I wanted to really focus. It’s a road we have to work our way down though, and so worth the experience and growth!
I’ve owned my business for over 11 years now and I’m now (and have been for a few years now) in my brilliant space. I help entrepreneurs create a personal brand IMAGE with their true essence in order to attract their ideal clients with their photos. I do this through coaching them on how to not just build their business but how to create and attract the visibility they will need to live the life and have the business of their dreams.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being an entrepreneur period is not easy. It has a lot of challenges, which is why not everyone owns their own business. I get to be courageous daily to be a business owner, and the reward is incredibly fulfilling!
I get to be in service to amazing clients and change their lives and their businesses….and it comes with a lot of areas that I have to do that I’m not so good at too. Taxes for example! My brain just doesn’t work that way. And then there are the legal pieces, and keeping clients happy with customer service, and marketing and sales.
I believe so much in high level mentorship because I’ve needed it at every new level I’ve been able to grow my business to! I don’t want to waste a ton of time trying to figure things out myself. I want to work with the right mentor that has gotten themselves through the same path I seem to be on so that I can reduce my frustration and stress and get to milestones faster and easier.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nikki Incandela Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m an International photographer & speaker as well as a personal branding coach.
I help entrepreneurs create a personal brand IMAGE with their true essence in order to attract their ideal clients with their photos. I do this through coaching them on how to not just build their business but how to create and attract the visibility they will need to live the life and have the business of their dreams.
What I do is way beyond just photos, which is what sets me apart from other photographers. You cannot hire me to photograph your wedding because I’m clear that it’s just not my brilliant space. And with that being said, you probably won’t want to hire your wedding photographer to help you build your business.
I’m very clear and honest about what I can help my clients with and I’m very happy to send them to another photographer if I can’t fully support what they’re needing. I believe in honesty and generosity at high levels!
I’m also very clear on what the focus of my marketing and messaging needs to be and I create a visual voice around that. That includes my own photos and how I show up on social media platforms. I have done a ton of portrait shoots, and photographed royalty and celebrities, but you won’t find me marketing to that because people will get confused as to what I do.
I love who I get to work with and groups that I get to get on stage and speak to! The rest is just a bonus for me 🙂
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck to me is staying on track and staying aligned with who you are and who you choose to show up in the world as. I fully believe that we create our lives and I work whole heartedly in being a positive, loving, empowering and an inspiring force for myself and others.
I believe in the magic of life and the law of attraction…. that if we love life, it will love us back!
I get to see miraculous and beautiful things unfold in my life when I stay true to who I am and how I feel. That includes loving how imperfect I am too.
I believe that a lot of amazing things have happened for me as a result of taking full responsibility for the way I think, the energy I put out and making sure that love is the backing to all communication I have with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nikkiincandela.com
- Phone: 646-872-0020
- Email: nikki@nikkiincandela.com
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
