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

Ahni, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

The biggest risk I’ve taken was probably moving from Florida to New Jersey (right outside of NYC) with 1 large suitcase and no job lined up. Let me give you the back story.

When I left college, I didn’t leave as a college graduate. I didn’t leave because I wanted to. I actually wanted the complete opposite.

It was during my second year as a Fashion Marketing and Management student, that I came to the realization that I would be forced to leave school due to insufficient funds. Looking at my options, the only route I had was to move back to my hometown in St. Petersburg, Florida.
At this point in my life I was completely heartbroken. I had HUGE dreams of graduating college and moving to NYC to begin my career in fashion. From there, I planned to move to London to further my studies in fashion. It would be in London that I would prepare the debut of my first fashion collection.

I guess it’s safe to say that those plans went out the window. After leaving school, I had a hard time accepting the fact that my dreams were crumbling right before my eyes. As I began spiraling, I worked tirelessly at getting a paid internship to work in London, nearing where my father lived. I received promising letters of interest, but after evaluating the travel and moving costs, I was faced with yet another “insufficient funds”. This felt like rock bottom for me. After a few days to mentally compose myself, I bit the bullet and started applying to retail jobs near home. The first interview I went on was the first job offer I received.
I took it. 3 years went by and I had touched the likes of Retail, Visual Merchandising, Cosmetics and Assistant Management. It was fine, but it wasn’t where my heart was.

Lucky enough, I kept in touch with a close friend from college named Jasmine. Soon we began speaking of our goals to move to New York City together. I believed we could make it happen. There wasn’t much to lose on my end, so I gladly left the retail world and got a job working at a call center. It was here that I would be able to work crazy 12 hour shifts that would afford me the money to move to the north.
After praying, hoping and consistently speaking of our dreams, Jasmine heard that one of her cousins in New Jersey was leaving their 2-bedroom apartment and needed someone to take over the lease. It was right outside of the Big Apple and that was close enough for me!
I put in my 2 weeks and soon my life was packed into 1 large suitcase. I landed in New Jersey with no job lined up, no degree, no rich parents, but a whole lot of hope. This was in 2017. It wasn’t until 2019 that I officially moved to New York City.
The journey was tough, but I’m so glad that I took the risk and I’m so glad that I didn’t give up.

Ahni, 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?

Of course. I’m an Artist and Designer naturally and for my day job, I am a User Experience Designer and Strategist.
Shortly after leaving college, I began working on my brand and I launched Ahni Nichole L.L.C. in 2016 as an e-commerce store that sold eyewear, accessories and handbags that I custom hand-painted. I always knew that I wanted to create my own brand and having not graduated college, I knew I would have to just start, whether I was prepared or not.

Today, I describe Ahni Nichole as a lifestyle brand that embodies art, fashion, design and community. Our goal is to design an innovative and experiential atmosphere that inspires a community of creative individuals to connect, share and build with one another. More recently, we’ve managed to create a digital space that allows entrepreneurs to sell their featured work alongside ours. We’ve been a little quiet lately, working behind the scenes to build on the strategy of the brand but in due time, we’d like to move from the digital space to creating IRL events. As we continue to plan, promote and execute through our business goals, challenges and missions, we hope to build something that people can really connect to. Growing up, it wasn’t easy finding creative groups that inspired and poured into you as an independent artist or creative. I want to create a space for people who don’t have that, both digitally and in-person.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Definitely: Resources, Creativity and Connectivity.

These are all facets that I’ve worked very hard to have the freedom in. Let me dive into each a bit deeper.
The internet is probably one of the largest resources, but sometimes it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. That said, one of the plans for Ahni Nichole is to be a business that provides creatives with resources they need to push them a bit closer to the best version of themselves.

Creativity: Freedom to create is something that really drives me: I’m a painter and Fashion designer at heart. In order to fund the ideas and designs that I have, I’ve had to work multiple jobs that can provide me stability while also allowing me to pour back into my brand. Ahni Nichole will provide a space for artists to share their creativity and connect with like-minded individuals.

Leading me to our next one, Connectivity:
I’m a person who has struggled with social anxiety. This is something that is very tough for a person with goals that require you to communicate, share and connect with others. It’s so important that anything I do creates a safe space and gives off a safe energy so that those who are shy or struggle with anxiety can feel comfortable and inspired to connect and interact.

These are the missions that drive me and my brand, Ahni Nichole.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding feeling is sharing my story and seeing how the dreams that I’ve chased have inspired people in a myriad of ways to chase after their own. I love to see how your personal growth can really inspire someone on a similar path — or even a completely dissimilar path but that one thing you’ve said, really encouraged them that day. That feeling has always been rewarding and it has inspired me to keep going and to continue sharing along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ahninichole.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ahninichole?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Ms. Ahni Nichole photographed by CME Originalz L.L.C. Ahni Nichole brand shots photographed by Ahni herself. The models wear designs from the brand.