Meet Nakiya Douglas

We were lucky to catch up with Nakiya Douglas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nakiya , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

As a creator, both for myself and behind the scenes helping others build behind their brands, confidence is something I practice daily. But it wasn’t something I naturally had. It was built over time.

I grew up in an environment where there wasn’t always stability or affection. There was a lot of moving and adjusting. As a child, I did not always understand my emotions, and that showed up in school. I got in trouble often, was suspended, and even kept back. I was confident, but in disruptive ways. I was essentially acting out, using behavior as a way to be seen because I did not know how to express what I was feeling.

When my mom moved us again, everything shifted. I entered predominantly white spaces where I was one of the only Black girls. I became hyper-aware of how I showed up and began code-switching to avoid being stereotyped. I stopped being outspoken and started shrinking. Ironically, that season forced me to redirect my energy, and I discovered I was actually capable and academically strong. That was my first experience with confidence rooted in discipline rather than attention.

At the same time, I compared myself to the white girls at school and the Spanish girls in my grandmother’s neighborhood. I adjusted my hair and softened parts of myself to fit what I thought was more acceptable. Over time, I realized I was shrinking parts of my identity.

At the same time, small lessons were shaping me. I was taught to walk with my head up, to correct people when they mispronounced my name, and to carry myself with intention. Eventually, I stopped seeing my Blackness as something to minimize and began seeing it as something to stand firmly in. My confidence shifted from comparison to acceptance.

As I grew older and my exposure expanded, through more cultured friend groups and seeing Black women take up space in media, I began seeing beauty, intelligence, and success reflected in women who looked like me.

Even then, I still lacked an understanding of healthy love. My household was not very affectionate, and I grew up without a father, so I did not have a model for how to love myself or be truly loved. Years later, I found myself in a dysfunctional, verbally and emotionally abusive relationship. I stayed because I believed enduring and holding someone down meant love. I genuinely lost myself.

After the military, I struggled deeply with my sense of purpose. I felt hopeless and battled depression and suicidal thoughts. There were seasons where I did not know who I was outside of survival. Confidence felt distant and almost impossible.

By the grace of God, I found small anchors. I started a floral business after the military because flowers brought me a small sense of joy in the middle of chaos. I began working out again and practicing self care. Toward the end of that relationship, I held onto anything that reminded me I still existed outside of the dysfunction.

When it ended, I knew I had to rebuild, personally and publicly. I rebranded and started over on social media, going from over a thousand followers to zero. It humbled me, but it grounded me. Like Paul writes in Philippians 4:12, I learned to be content with little and with much. Growth has been steady and intentional.

Rebuilding forced me to rediscover myself, my standards, my joy, and how to protect my peace. I still battle self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but confidence for me is no longer about attention or survival. It is about alignment and choosing to show up anyway.

Today, through my work and social media, I show others how to “be her” every day because that is what I am actively doing for myself. I don’t want this to sound cliche, but I really had to learn that growth is not linear. Not all the boxes will be checked. Life rarely unfolds as we plan.

My confidence has been built in layers, through discipline, discomfort, faith, and rebuilding. And I am still becoming.

I am doing this for my inner child.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a creative strategist, content creator, florist, doctoral student in Health Sciences, and military veteran. My work lives at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and empowerment.
Through my personal brand, and my upcoming baby on Instagram “@KapturedByKiyah Inc”, I create content and help brands and individuals bring their vision to life through social media strategy and event highlighting. What excites me most is helping people show up confidently and authentically in their own space.
My floral business, “@KsArrangements_”, on Instagram, began after the military during a season when I was rebuilding my sense of purpose. Flowers became therapy, and that therapy became a business. If it were not for the flowers, I would have never met my mentor.
At the core of everything I do is helping others, being a testimony in my own season of growth, and pouring into those who pour into me, whether in life, business, or creativity.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three qualities have been most impactful in my journey: resilience, self-awareness, and discipline.

Resilience carried me through seasons where I felt lost, especially after the military and during unhealthy relationships. There were moments when survival was the goal, not success. Learning how to rebuild, even when I did not feel ready, shaped who I am today.

Self-awareness changed everything. Understanding why I acted out as a child, why I shrank in certain spaces, and why I tolerated dysfunction allowed me to grow intentionally instead of repeating cycles. Confidence did not come from perfection. It came from reflection and honesty with myself.

Discipline was the bridge between where I was and where I wanted to be. Whether it was going back to school, building my floral business, starting over on social media, or pursuing my doctorate, discipline helped me stay consistent even when motivation faded.

For anyone early in their journey, I would say this: do not rush your becoming. Invest in self-awareness first. Pay attention to your patterns. Build discipline in small ways. And understand that resilience is not about never falling, it is about choosing to stand back up.

Growth is not linear. Give yourself grace, but do not lower your standards.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Maya Angelou’s words have anchored me through many seasons. One quote I live by is, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” That reminder shaped my understanding that setbacks are not the end of the story, they are often the beginning of deeper self-discovery. Her writing helped me see that resilience is not about avoiding hardship, but rising through it.

April Lewis, my mentor, truly helped change the trajectory of my life. I met her through a moment of discernment when I felt led to donate flowers to one of her events. That simple act of obedience connected me to her and the work she was building. Today, I serve as her assistant with The Duval Babes, supporting networking initiatives, women’s empowerment efforts, and youth outreach in Jacksonville, Florida. Being part of that mission has strengthened my leadership and allowed me to pour into others the way she once poured into me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.site/Nakiya
• Instagram: _itsnakiyaa

Image Credits

Lady in the photo- Mentor April Lewis Founder of Duval Babes