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

Fanisia, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Aside from my business, I work full-time as a graduate academic advisor. I had received a promotion from my employer at the time but I decided to randomly start looking for job positions in Tucson, Arizona where a close friend was also residing at the time. With no hesitation, I applied to three positions and received an invitation to interview within a week for two of those positions.

Backstory of why I chose Tucson: I had recently visited my closest friend for a Fall Girls Trip in 2019 and fell in love with everything about Arizona, mainly the scenery and sense of calmness that I felt within that short amount of time. 

Long story short, I interviewed for those positions, received an offer and was in Tucson within two months. It has been a rollercoaster of all the things (depression, regrets, homesickness, etc.). As I went through those emotional transitions more reasons were also being revealed as to why the move was necessary. Truth is if I wanted to achieve the amount of change or growth for myself and any aspirations that were attached to me, I needed to do it in place without distractions and would take me out of my comfort zone. I have tried to relocate numerous times and nothing had ever fallen into place but,this time my heart was also open to the leap, so I knew that God had me and one year later, his provision is truly unmatched. Being in Tucson has taught me to not only survive but how to thrive even while appreciating the beauty of the unknown. Best believe I’ve made a few mistakes, had setbacks, and experienced defeat since I’ve been here. However, I am no longer shying away from those things knowing that it is a part of the cycle of discovery. I am now breathing life into those deep desires and dreams that I am no longer afraid to speak aloud, all because I took the risk.

Fanisia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, now residing in Tucson, Arizona. I graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a BA in Communications and later obtained an MA in Communications, with a concentration in Ministry from Dallas Baptist University. I am a higher education professional from 9-5 and creative-preneur from 5-9. I am also the owner of a boutique faith-based graphic + web design company, Emunah Creative Agency.

Emunah (meaning ‘faith’ in Hebrew) is my offering back to God. Every design relies solely on the gift of creativity that I was divinely blessed with which means Emunah is more than just a business but a way of life. I was born to create but I didn’t always know or even think that I would own nor open a creative business to create for others. It wasn’t until I graduated from graduate school that I discovered I wanted to hone in on graphic and web design. Ultimately, my mission is to help small businesses expand with quality design services to improve and grow their brands. 

Outside of my business, I’m also a podcaster. In January of 2021, I debuted my first podcast platform The Unconventional Christian Podcast and now I am currently in the process of developing my second platform Life According to Nikita. This time around I wanted to dig a little deeper and touch on parts of my life that aren’t necessarily “christian”  like or solely focused around my faith. I wanted to create a platform to share life’s unpredictable ebbs and flows, while continuing to be a vessel of transparency with an eccentric point of view. My ultimate purpose is to reach and help others discover their best self while sharing my own personal discoveries, curiosities, and life lessons. Life According to Nikita is scheduled to debut this Fall and will be available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. 

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Putting a limit on change.

Reinventing yourself or your brand is never considered a failure and not all “L’s” are considered loses but lessons. In both my personal and business life, I have had to make plenty of readjustments while dealing with shame, guilt and disappointment. Within those failures, I found resilience because I was persistent and willing to unpack those weights, let it go, and believe again. You’ll feel like you don’t deserve another opportunity or chance to redeem yourself, but how can you apply those lessons without those opportunities to make it right.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to grad school, I wanted to focus on strategic communications and PR but, after I completed my program, I was producing more visual brand design projects than brand management. So, I ended up choosing graphic and web design as my niche. Great thing about this change is that I never saw it as an obstacle or challenge because I was able to redirect organic and intentional energy towards a gift where I can literally visualize a concept in my sleep and bring it to life the very next day. I love being able to bring these fresh ideas to my clients because they are just as excited to have a designer who can apply their imagination to their work. Being creative is not about following trends, you are literally able to find inspiration in everyday things, including life. I took my time to build a steady foundation with values and an authentic story that would capture and amplify my journey as a creative. This allows clients, many who are new business owners, that can relate when trying to capture their vision through visual design concepts tailored to their own brand story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emunahcreativeagency.com/
• Instagram: @lifeaccordingtonikita_ / @emunahcreativeagency

Image Credits
Photography credit: Right Time Solutions, R.Dot Photography, J Quin Cam