Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nikki King. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Nikki , great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
There are few things you can control in life. You can’t control what people think or say about you. You can’t control the past or the future. You can’t control the weather, time, or even death. But you can control how you show up for yourself and what you choose to do with your precious time on earth. And for me, that means taking risks. I am someone who values above all else, growth. I want to leave this earth feeling like I gave it my all and like I lived a full existence. And that means looking failure in the eye and saying “come at me, bro.” Because what is failure anyway? I believe “failure” is a healthy part of the human experience. Because without “failure,” how can you truly experience success? And isn’t failure just a construct anyway? You and you alone decide how you show up in the world. You decide what narrative you believe about yourself. I have lived many lives during my 31 years of existence. One version is that I’m a failed actress and singer. That I had everything going for me when I graduated NYU’s Tisch at the tender age of 19 and I blew it. That I started many companies, worked in many industries, and when I did finally get that corporate job and climb the corporate ladder, I saw the corruption, the emptiness and the lack of care for employees’ well-being. And when I couldn’t swallow the corporate kool-aid, I fell from grace. I fell in the middle of buying my bougie house in New York City that was supposed to fill the void of me selling out. But the way I see it, is that I am grateful for the many many lessons I have learned from my vast resume. That getting out of the entertainment industry allowed me to discover who I truly am and not just try to be what people want me to be. That all of those experiences led me down a path of entrepreneurship, where I was able to learn not only the resilience required to succeed but what is worth fighting for. I strive to be a CEO who cares deeply about what my brand represents. I strive to bring abundance and joy to who I employ and bring confidence and courageousness to those who wear my pieces. Desert Rae is a bespoke, cape and kimono brand, all about activating your highest self and I am so proud of myself that all of my failures have led me here. At Desert Rae, we believe that fashion is a sacred space to seek haven in your own body, attracting the right vibrations to those who wear our pieces. Redefining beauty standards, we focus on statement pieces that flow and liberate, making you feel like royalty. Because we all deserve to shine brightly like the desert sun.
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 the founder and CEO of Desert Rae, a luxury cape and kimono brand all about activating your highest self. One of the main reasons I started Desert Rae is to transcend gender boundaries and traditional beauty standards within the fashion space. By prioritizing neck and shoulder widths, we have de-prioritized measurements like waist size to create a more inclusive garment. The pieces are small-batch, handmade in Turkey, and limited run, meaning that you’ll be among the privileged few to own one of these exquisite pieces, and most importantly, we can support local artisans in the production of each piece. The pieces have been designed to be much like a tarot card. The piece that calls to you is meant to tell you something about where you are in your life’s journey and remind you of your innate royalty within. When creating Desert Rae, it was my dream to make those who wear the pieces feel like royalty and my favorite part of the business has been seeing how the pieces actually bestow great confidence onto the wearer. It’s one thing to have that intention and it’s another thing to actualize that. I am so grateful.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Courageousness, flexibility in thinking, and authenticity are the three qualities that have been most impactful to my journey. There were times in my life where money was the main priority and I found that to be very empty and not true to who I am at my core. You only have one life to live and no matter what you are doing, I believe it is important to show up as your whole soul, with the courage to be who you want to be. So if I’m not showing up with grace, love, gratitude, courage, flexibility, humor…all of these components I believe myself to be, why am I doing it? There are many paths to success and I believe it is important to have the flexibility in thinking, courage, and honestly, self love, to choose the path that allows you to show up authentically.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Meditation, breath work, connecting with nature, working out, getting a massage, journaling, therapy, and listening to Esther Hicks are all amazing resources for me when I feel overwhelmed. It is so important to interrupt the cycle and keep your self talk and self love high…you deserve it! And if you can’t muster up that positive self talk, meditate and breathe, it will help get you there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.desertrae.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedesertrae & www.instagram.com/iamnikkiking
Image Credits
George Evan, Casey Eiland
