Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Anetipa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
My creative journey really began unexpectedly when I was 21, because of some major life changes and a need for a new source of income. My husband and I had just found out we were expecting our second child and shortly after that exciting news, I lost my job. There were other things going on in our life at the time that impacted my ability to get another job so the only career pivot that actually made sense was entrepreneurship. While I don’t regret starting when I did, I often wonder what it would have been like to cultivate my creative skills earlier. To be completely honest, I would much rather I had student loan debt for a creative or business degree and not healthcare administration! If I could get into a time machine, I’d tell younger me to start studying my creative passions sooner but start my business ventures a little later. Maybe register the LLC after reading a couple books on business structure or maybe apply for business funding before getting up to my eyeballs in personal debt trying to bootstrap my own business- you know fundamental things that would’ve been helpful.
The biggest change in my business experience if I would’ve started my business later would most likely be the amount of money spent and made in/on my businesses. I was so set on doing everything myself and I genuinely wasn’t aware of the many resources that are available to small businesses so I didn’t participate in any accelerator programs or even apply to grants until very recently. I had to work through a lot of self-doubt issues because I hid behind this narrative of wanting to build my empire from the ground up, all by myself, with nothing but my raw talent against all odds- you know, a classic unrealistic triumphant story. In reality, I didn’t think I was special enough to qualify for a grant or any outside help to grow my business. Deep down, only I knew the true purpose and reason for my madness so to speak, and I felt like no one else could understand what I truly hope to accomplish.
It took me years to realize that it’s a blessing to have dreams as grand as I do and the gall to go after them. I’m not a person who has regrets because I truly believe things happen exactly how they should, as they should- whether it’s good or bad. My lesson isn’t necessarily about the timing of my life events or my creative ventures, but more so around my rush to accomplish them. Like most, life has thrown some crazy curveballs my direction but it never ceases to amaze me how things I thought were once in a lifetime opportunities that didn’t work out the first time, came back around. With the extremely high highs and incredibly low lows I’ve hit, I can confirm- what’s meant for you will never miss you.
Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I love to say I’m a multifaceted creative because that statement really just encompasses what I do, but it’s a little vague. Nicole Malia is my handbag and accessory line, where I create pieces that empower women. NiMa Creative is the creative agency I founded, specializing in photography, creative direction, and brand consulting. If we were just having casual conversation, I’d probably just say I’m a fashion designer and photographer just to get my point across, but I’m working on elevating my one-liner to feel more on brand. Ask anyone who knows me personally or even as an acquaintance, describing myself as just a fashion designer or photographer barely scratches the surface.
I got started in fashion design back in 2016 with no real fashion design skills other than basic sewing skills courtesy of some childhood lessons. I was driven by a deep-rooted need to not only produce something people would love but also to support my family financially and become a positive force in my community. Aside from the basics of sewing, I taught myself everything through videos online and good ol’ trial and error! Ever since I was a young girl, there was always this running joke in the family that I only partially read directions. And it’s true for most everything, even to this day although I do try to be a little more conscious of it, haha. Well my tendency of only partially reading directions carried on into sewing also when I would get bored following along with tutorials so I’d cut them off and continue however made sense to me. While this did cause a bunch of messed up projects and a whole lot of seam ripping (if you know, you know), I also learned about sewing, my sewing machine, and how to fix a mistake. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.
It’s hard to pinpoint when I started photography but 2016 was also the year that I purchased my first DSLR camera and lens kit, so that’s what I consider my start. It wasn’t anything fancy, in fact, it was refurbished. But for me it was perfect and a step towards professional. I used it to photograph my kids but also did product photography for my new business.
I started my business originally making baby blankets and expanded into making accessories for moms like diaper clutches or zipper pouches. I was now a mom of 2 so baby things were consuming my world, while also discovering who I was as a woman. I always had a love for handbags as a young girl so once I mastered sewing zippers and gained the confidence to add straps, all of a sudden I was sewing purses.
From the very conception of my business, I had wanted to make a positive impact with the pieces I made. Being ethical and responsible in the fashion industry was very important to me so I held onto my values by making intentional choices with fabric and producing in small batches. It can definitely get overwhelming as a young business owner or even as someone wanting to make their wardrobe more sustainable because reading about fiber content and microplastics- it can be scary honestly! There is so much information out there on sustainability in fashion and I personally believe that intentional choices, knowledge, and doing the best to your abilities where you should start. The small changes add up over time.
Eventually, I stopped making baby blankets and put my focus into vegan leather handbags made from recycled plastic bottles. The true birth of Nicole Malia, the brand. All of my handbag designs started from my own personal need in a bag- for example: one of my most popular bags is a simple crossbody but it was popular because of its size. I designed it specifically because I needed a bag large enough to carry my iPad Pro, but chic enough that I could dress it up for a dinner date, but also fit essentials I need as a mom without having the look of your typical mom bag. In a way, I felt I was reclaiming my sense of self through fashion by not conforming to the popular designer handbags or basic diaper bags. I didn’t know that through my own self discovery, I’d be creating handbags that would be doing the same for other women.
I have been blessed with some talented and artistic friends who have stepped in to help me through some rough patches, but for the most part, I’ve been a soloprenuer for my entire career. I did a lot of product photography and taught myself lighting and set design, but didn’t have any real experience with portrait photography let alone wedding photography…and yet I ended up as a second photographer a few months after purchasing that refurbished camera I mentioned. It was the longest day ever but I came out of that experience wanting to do it every single day. My favorite pictures from the day were blurry, slightly out of focus but had so much emotion in them. I didn’t quite understand the uniqueness in every photographer’s style at the time, so part of me thought they were bad photos. It took many years, and some brain rewiring if I’m being honest, for me to see me for the artist that I am and actually acknowledge the fact that I am an artist.
This year marks eight years of entrepreneurship, and I’m most proud of consistently maintaining my passion for making a positive impact on people’s lives and our community. No matter what has happened in my life or in the world, it’s almost crazy how my first reaction is to come up with a way to help whether that’s through drawing a unique design for shirts and tote bags that benefited the Native Hawaiians protecting sacred Mauna Kea, sewing thousands of cloth masks, importing and distributing 5,000 KN95 masks to essential workers during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, running diaper drives to benefit hurricane victims, donating handbags as part of a dress for success initiative with the San Diego nonprofit Generation Hope or donating to various other charities across the U.S.
I believe art heals. Art is currently healing me and my biggest wish is that the art I create can leave an impact that lasts long after I’m gone. My art might not be the type to be hung in museums, but I hope my art can spark lasting change, inspire others, and pave the way for more multifaceted creatives like me to see that there’s never just one path to a destination. It took time but when I introduce myself, I hold my head a little higher. My name is Nicole, I’m a mother of 3 incredible boys, a wife to an amazingly supportive husband, and I’m a multifaceted creative. I create handbags for women who want to feel like their most empowered selves, I document movement and emotion through photography, I inspire my community and sometimes my facets merge together…like a disco ball reflecting and illuminating.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There was a brief period of time from 2018-2019 that I had quit my business. I was going through a dark period mentally; I had a miscarriage and it was a heavy mental health recovery for me. I was very openly sharing about it on my social media and I was even blogging at the time- it was a very intense but community-filled era. During that time, I got another 9-5 job and had almost completely switched gears to be back to the corporate girly mindset.
I had some complications towards the end of my pregnancy that had me working from home and eventually on disability. Basically to make a short story even shorter, I took that time to refresh my brand and got active on my instagram again. I used my paycheck and reinvested in my brand, used my free-ish time to sew up inventory, and had flash sales to get reacquainted with my customers. By the time my maternity leave was coming to an end, I was 6 months into reviving Nicole Malia but now I had 3 kids and needed to be able to afford 3 kids in childcare. Somehow between my full time salary and my husband’s full time salary we still couldn’t make it work. I asked my job for a reasonable pay increase, also explained needing to afford childcare to continue working, and was turned down. I turned in my resignation letter and went right back to full time entrepreneurship!
This was probably one of the most significant pivots in my entire career thus far and I went on to have my most successful year in business. I’ve read tons of books on successful entrepreneurs and there’s always those stories that leave you feeling like yeah right, that life changing stuff could never happen in my life. But that was mine and if any of my old supervisors ever come across this, I feel like deep down, they knew. They knew I was there for a good time, not a long time.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
From an outsider perspective, I feel like everything about my journey is confusing. Whenever I meet someone new, I tend to keep anything about myself or my story quiet because I’m not good at giving the gist or TLDR of my story. I always need to give a back story because there’s layers to how we got here.
My journey as a creative hasn’t been easy and it definitely hasn’t been straightforward. My journey is like a cookbook, filled with the countless recipes I’ve tried. Through years of trial and error, I’ve curated a unique recipe- my secret sauce. The one everyone craves. Of course not everyone will understand the intricacies of the cookbook, how long it took to put together, how many obstacles needed to be overcome, but that’s okay. At the end of the day, it’s the secret sauce they came for anyway.
I don’t think I’m unique in this experience, but when someone finds out you’re a creative or you make art of some sort for a living, their tone changes. “You’re a photographer, but are you good?” How does one even answer that? I mean I certainly think I’m good, I think I’m on my way to being one of the greatest ever if I’m being completely honest!
For a period of time, longer than I would like to admit, I would say I couldn’t draw. I would beat myself up internally because how could I be a fashion designer and design my own fabrics if I couldn’t draw? It hurts my heart to even write that now because I was judging myself based off of other people’s talents. It took time but it was something I just needed to work through and realize I was trying to create what I thought I was supposed to create vs what I truly wanted to create. When I hear someone say they aren’t creative, my immediate thought is that they just haven’t been introduced to their thing yet or given the right space to explore their creativity.
If you’re someone who doesn’t consider themselves a creative and struggles with understanding the mind of a creative, you’re definitely not the only one. The more I create, the more I learn about the way I think, see the world, hear sounds, and experience life all together. Every day I’m grateful for the art of noticing. If you want to explore more of your creative side, I implore you to start with noticing. When you’re able to slow your mind down just enough to notice the bee that stopped on your car mirror at the stop light, the heart shaped piece of gum dried on the sidewalk on your evening walk, or the way the sun reflects off your loved one’s eyes, I promise something will start to unlock with your creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nimacreative.agency
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolemalia.irl
- Other: www.instagram.com/nicolemalia.co
www.instagram.com/nimacreative.agency
www.nicolemalia.co
Image Credits
Nicole Anetipa
Cayden Anetipa