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

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

March 2020, the world changed. Everything that we worked towards or for, crumbled.

I just passed my Personal Training Certification test Feb 2020 & the world shut down. No gyms, no social gatherings, no work, etc.

I could’ve easily taken a deep dive into the depression & anxiety of the unknown…. I felt in my heart that there can be a miracle of some sort, even though that hope felt crazy to think about.

Being I love my morning walks/ workout routine, for my mental & physical health, I pushed myself
Past my own darkness to try to find the light, walking outside.

Walking in rain, snow, sunshine, etc. with the idea that we will walk out of this pandemic like a butterfly.

I was single, approaching my 30th birthday. This was an age to feel secure and set to make decisions in my life. Meanwhile, I’ve never felt more lost.

The only thing that kept me grounded & mentally stable were my long walks- 8 miles. The fresh air felt amazing. Pushing myself out of my own comfort zone to complete this walk despite the “chaos” around me (weather, news, life at the time) was the moment I recognized my resilience.

I wanted to share this experience with others. Who ever wanted to call
Me to complain about life, I asked to transition our calls to “Walk and talks” because I knew this will help them mentally and physically.

My walk and talks became something that helped me connect with others and complete the “daily steps goal”!
Sometimes you just need to talk it out, when going through a hard time. The physical exercise of walking while talking was the best combination to help anyone feel better or more at ease with life.

Walk and Talks were something my mom created with me when I was younger. I was bullied & called “fat and ugly” most of my elementary school and middle school years.

I’m thankful my mom suggested walking around the HS track and talking with her because it was how we bonded. It was the first healthy habit I learned and grew to love.

A lot of other miracles happened from walking outside. Besides the benefits of walk, my mood was so uplifted.

“Your vibe attracts your tribe” is a relatable quote for me because I know when I am in my flow, great things happen.

I met my boyfriend walking in montauk, July 2020. It was one of the miracles of this pandemic moment. He saw me walking and enjoying myself- listening to music and he found me!

We are so aligned and am so grateful I found someone who saw strength & beauty in me, I did not know existed.

Beauty, Fashion& Fitness are my three passions and blends of professions I took on over the years. I always knew how to help someone find a beauty product, fashion trend that fit their personality and fitness routine to help but could not see anything for myself. The reality is that I live and love those experiences and could not see from within.

My passion in life is to share stories and experiences with people
Because I want to remind my clients and peers of how amazing life can be.
We all bring something to the table of life. When days get tough, let’s walk and talk about it and bring out the Best in you, like best friends do!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I graduated with a BA in Mass Communications & TV Production. My passion was to be a host on a talk show to share ways to help bring a smile on someone’s face.

After college, my life took so many directions. Living in NYC, juggling acting with any job that worked with that schedule.

I was a beauty educator for multiple brands at department stores and Sephora. I personally assisted a shoe designer and traveled to Europe to trend shop and attend design expos, worked with other designers and their fashion brands, and helped keep them inspired to stay on their health routines to avoid burn out.

Despite my different hats that I take on with freelance careers, the consistent themes of beauty, fashion, and fitness still spark a fire in me and attract people to ask what products I wear, how to shop and stay fit.

Beauty, Fashion, Fitness BFF was created in 2020 to teach people how to enjoy the routine of self care and find the confidence to help you shine.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The pandemic was the biggest pivot in my life, as well as others.

Looking back, my whole life seemed like a pivot. I naturally learned how to be willing and able to tackle anything on my plate or right in front of me.

In 2016, when I was working as a brand beauty educator, I met a shoe designer who liked my personality and motivation to stay fit. She asked me to travel to Europe with her and motivate her to complete workouts and stay on a healthy regiment.

I was so nervous because I’ve never done something like this before. It was one of the best risks of my life taking that first plane with her and traveling to the major fashion cities (London, Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Antwerp) and continuing until 2019.

Not only did we work well
Together, she taught me about the details in fashion design and sparked my intuition for trends in design. We still are great friends and walk and talk together as well as create mood boards and trend shop.

It was my first real lesson of stepping out of my comfort zone and taking a risk that can lead to a really cool path, I didn’t expect- fashion.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My resilience shined bright like a light when I pushed myself daily to go on morning walks during pandemic.

I wanted to walk the depression off. Deciding to show up for myself daily
Proved how resilient I am. Showing kindness to others while I am in a fear and pain state, shows my strength. Wanting to cry and knowing that every day is a great opportunity to take on life and learn from it, was the new mindset to continue to be resilient

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikieleni.com/
• Instagram: Niki_Eleni
• Other: TikTok- Niki_eleni7 Website: Bodybonanza.com– health website with other trainers

Image Credits
Constance Faulk Photography took all of the photos of me in her people “familiar yet different”workout set by Angela Jones The Blue shorts with rainbow in back are “Familiar Yet Different”by Angela Jones