Meet Carlnika Hooks

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carlnika Hooks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Carlnika, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

The development of my confidence and self-esteem started the moment I understood my identity could not be found in anyone, or anything but Jesus Christ. I had to surrender my life completely over to the One who created me. In order for me to be CONFIDENT in who I am, I first needed to know who I am. In order for me to know who I am, I first needed to know who Jesus is.

I was someone who was insecure, suicidal at times, angry, perverted with lust, and a young lady who tried to find love and attention in all the wrong places. I was depressed from a lack of self-worth. I allowed people to tell me who I was. I allowed young men to place a value on me that did not align with the value Jesus placed on me before I was born.

There was this deep cry from within me that only Jesus could see and hear. Jesus began to pursue me through various ways. He understood the deep cry within me could only be met with an unconditional love that could only be found in Him. This led me down a path where I would seek for more of Him. I learned what it is to have an authentic relationship with Him along this journey. I learned for the first time in my life what true love is, because of His love for me.

I began to read my Bible consistently. Now, I was someone who did not like to read. I had to pray for the desire to read. Jesus gave it to me. He said in Psalm 84:11 that there is no good thing He would withhold from me. The Bible also states in Hebrews 4:12 that the word of God is alive and active. That means there is power in scripture, and when I choose to speak it out of my mouth it will create what I say when I speak in faith. This lets me know the Bible is definitely a good thing that I need. The more I read it, the more I wanted to become like Him. The more I read it, the more I understood there is power in the words I speak. There was a mindset shift that took place as a result of speaking scripture over my life. How I lived my life and viewed my life begin to changed.

My life began to transform as Jesus took me through a process. He gave me grace to grow. He gave me grace to transform into the likeness of Him. As I became like Him my confidence and self-worth grew. I now know that my value cannot be found in the words of man, what I do, or money. My value, self-worth, and confidence today is rooted in TRUTH. JESUS… THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.

Now that I know who I am, and have gained confidence to be who I am without apology, so much has come forward in my life. I’M FREE TO BE ME! I’M FREE TO BE THE FULL EXPRESSION OF WHO GOD CREATED ME TO BE! CONFIDENT BECAUSE OF MY CREATOR!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I would say I’m multi-faceted. I’m an entrepreneur. However, my life is ministry. Meaning, whatever platform or sphere of influence I’m given it’s so God can be glorified through me.

My brand is Carlnika Hooks Expansion. Within my brand there is a part of it where I get a chance to do what I love, and that’s create and design with Jesus. I call it “Uniquely Modest Designs”. I make handmade and hand painted products that I sell on my website. I also love fashion where I also design and create different unique and modest looks. I create fashion vision boards giving people out the box ideas for different seasons, along with consulting and styling clients through REVIVE.

I have a coaching program called “ACTIVATE”. Through “ACTIVATE” I do destiny coaching as well as business coaching. ACTIVATE’s destiny coaching initiative was created to build up, equip, and disciple God’s daughters. As their destiny coach I help them to become established in their God-given identity by given them kingdom strategies to overcome. This is one of the most rewarding things I get a chance to do with Jesus, because of the fruit I see as the women come through “ACTIVATE”. To see women break free from anything that has hindered them, and then choosing to become the full expression of who God created them to be is one of my greatest rewards.

ACTIVATE’s business coaching was created to help kingdom entrepreneurs learn to do business in the marketplace the kingdom way. As kingdom business owners we should steward the businesses the Father (God) has entrusted to us with the spirit of excellence. We should have a clear understanding for the purpose of our business, and how to impact those we come into contact with in the marketplace with the light of Jesus Christ effectively.

I am also a graphic designer and an author. I design websites and I have written seven books that I believe are tools to help us win the kingdom way in life.

I have a non-profit called The Who is She Affect. Our mission is to be God’s agents of environmental change for families, communities, cities, states, and our nation through our creative abilities and choosing to fight for the voiceless. We have done several workshops for women, and the last event was a fashion show called “IMPACT the City”. We seek to build transitional homes for the inner city teenagers who seek for a place of safety and shelter, while being taught kingdom principles to win in life the right way.

I have several things on the horizon coming up for the new year. Things that I’m not at liberty to share right now. You can subscribe to my email list on my website (carlnikahooks.com), or follow me on my social media platforms where I’ll keep you updated on what’s to come.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back on my journey I would say living a lifestyle of humility, integrity, staying focus with gratitude, and learning the skill set I need to fight against spiritual warfare that has given me the ability to be resilient has been the most impactful to me as far as my journey.

The best way to develop in humility is choosing to relinquish control concerning your life and business to Jesus. It’s choosing to trust His leading, timing, and the path He has chosen for you to take, and choosing not to focus on someone else path. Stay in your lane and build at the capacity that has been allotted to you. It’s remembering you do not know it all, but Jesus do. He knows your ending from your beginning, and He is the definition of wisdom. The wisdom you need to succeed at life. All decisions should not be based off logic thinking, but rather seeking for guidance in prayer. You learn what it is to wait on Jesus, which produces patience. Fight against being anxious, by choosing to meditate on the truth that can be found in the word of God (Bible). Making Jesus Lord over your life and business gives room for very little error.

Be a person of integrity. God sees all and He knows all. Be a person that can be trusted regardless if eyes or on you or not. Make sure you have a team of integral people as well. Don’t cut corners when the Lord is leading you to take the long route. There is purpose in the path He chooses for you. There is knowledge and wisdom that can be gained along the path He chooses for you. If you choose to cut corners, the moment you enter the door that you cut the corners for, you will find yourself unprepared for what’s on the other side of the door. You did not obtain the knowledge and wisdom that you could have if you had taken the path Jesus led you to. Doing it God’s way gives you favor with the Lord. He will began to open doors for you that others been waiting for years to open.

Remain focus with gratitude in your heart. When there are so many things to keep us distracted it is extremely important you remain focus on what you have been given to steward. Choosing not to compete nor compare, but rather choosing to have a heart of gratitude for what you have been entrusted with puts you in a place to create and build beyond what you could ever imagine at a pace that would have people marvel at what the Lord is doing in your life.

Lastly, I had to learn to war in the spirit realm against the opposition sent my way with a variety of tools given to me by God that can all be found in the Bible. Prayer, meditating and declaring scripture, and worship were three prevalent ways for me to overcome opposition. I found that the opposition I faced was sent to stop me, discourage me, or delay me. By having the right tools to fight back I was able to remain hopeful, steadfast, and resilient.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

My biggest area of growth in the past 12 months is my love walk. Learning to love people beyond their flaws. Learning to love those who may seem unlovable. Choosing to remember that I wrestle not against flesh and blood. That I have a real enemy and his name is Satan. It’s not people. Loving well has helped me forgive quickly. It doesn’t mean that I have to allow people to have a certain level of access to me, but it does mean that I have to forgive and love them with the love of God that’s unconditional. This has been one of the most painful, but beautiful journeys. To look pass the attack and see the brokenness in a person helps me to see with clear vision. To truly pray for those who are influenced by the darkness of this world, so they too can be set free. Love is not without truth, but it is without hatred. No one can say they are a follower of Christ, but does not love well. Christ is love. To be like Him, is to love well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carlnikahooks.com
• Instagram: @carlnikahooks
• Facebook: Carlnika Hooks
• Youtube: Carlnika Hooks

Image Credits

Tracie Harper- next generation photo