We recently connected with Nina Piccini and have shared our conversation below.

Nina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

A few years ago, I made a decision that, on paper, didn’t make a lot of sense. I walked away from a steady corporate marketing career — complete with the stability, benefits, and predictability that most people aim for — to bet fully on myself.

At the time, I was feeling deeply out of alignment. I’d built a successful career helping brands tell their stories, but I couldn’t ignore the disconnect between the life I was building and the one I actually wanted to live. I wanted to work with women founders, to build something creative and personal, to help others see themselves the way I saw them — through wardrobe, brand imagery, and message clarity.

So I left my job without a safety net and rebuilt everything from the ground up. I learned how to run my own business, taught myself photography, styling, and web design, and started consulting for small businesses and founders across Upstate New York.

The first year was terrifying — I said yes to everything to keep the lights on, but it gave me the raw education I needed. And over time, that risk turned into a multi-hyphenate business that now combines everything I love: styling, branding, storytelling, and visibility strategy.

Looking back, the biggest risk wasn’t leaving a job — it was choosing to trust that the unconventional path was my path. That decision set the foundation for everything I do now, from The Style Lab to Visibility Catalyst.

Nina, 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?

I’m a personal brand builder, wardrobe stylist, photographer, and marketing strategist. At my core, I help women leaders and founders show up clearly, confidently, and unapologetically.

My career has never been linear — and that’s something I’ve learned to celebrate. I started out in retail and visual merchandising with brands like Athleta and Anthropologie, where I fell in love with storytelling through texture, color, and space. From there, I moved into marketing and brand strategy, eventually teaching and consulting for small businesses and creative entrepreneurs. But the through-line has always been visibility — helping people and brands communicate who they are in a way that feels honest and magnetic.

Today, my business brings all of those worlds together. Through my company and programs like Visibility Catalyst and The Style Lab, I offer a mix of personal brand strategy, wardrobe styling, photography, and marketing support. That might look like a founder revamping her LinkedIn presence and wardrobe before a board pitch, a small business owner developing a cohesive brand identity and website, or a creative professional finally stepping into the spotlight with confidence and clarity.

What sets me apart is that I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all branding or styling. I approach every project through the lens of alignment — how your outward presence (what you wear, how you show up online, what your brand communicates) reflects your inner values, energy, and purpose. My clients often tell me that working with me feels equal parts strategy, therapy, and creative direction — we go deep to make sure their brand feels like them.

I’m most proud of building a business that mirrors the kind of women I love to work with: multi-passionate, mission-driven, and unwilling to shrink themselves to fit the mold. I want potential clients and followers to know that my work isn’t about chasing trends — it’s about creating clarity, confidence, and consistency in how you show up, so that the right opportunities and people can find you.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience, for me, hasn’t been about bouncing back — it’s been about staying in it when things don’t look the way you hoped they would.

A few years into running my business, I hit a breaking point. I had built a reputation for helping other women show up clearly and confidently, but behind the scenes I was burned out, second-guessing myself, and questioning if I even wanted to keep going. I was doing all the things — shooting, styling, managing clients, marketing — but I felt invisible in my own brand.

Instead of walking away, I paused. I stripped everything back and started asking better questions: What feels most alive for me? What kind of work lights me up? What do I actually want to be known for?

That season of rebuilding was uncomfortable — financially, emotionally, and creatively — but it forced me to get radically honest. I restructured my offers, built stronger systems, raised my prices, and stopped trying to do business the way everyone else was doing it. That’s when things started to click. I launched The Style Lab and Visibility Catalyst, programs that reflect the full spectrum of what I do — styling, storytelling, and strategy — and more importantly, who I am.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about constant motion. It’s about trusting that recalibration is progress, too. It’s the willingness to sit in the uncertainty long enough to build something that actually fits you — not just something that looks good from the outside.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of my biggest pivots came when I realized I didn’t want to just market other people’s brands — I wanted to help build them from the inside out.

At the time, I was running a small marketing consultancy, doing what I thought I was “supposed” to do — strategy decks, campaigns, content calendars. It was successful on paper, but something felt off. I was helping clients craft their message and visuals, yet I could see the disconnect between how they showed up online and how they showed up in person. Their wardrobe, their confidence, their energy — it didn’t match the brand we were creating.

That realization changed everything. I started offering wardrobe styling as part of my brand strategy process — something no one else in my space was really doing. What started as an experiment turned into a full pivot. My styling clients started asking for help with their websites, then brand photos, then marketing strategy — and suddenly, I was building holistic visibility systems that bridged personal style and professional presence.

It was risky to blur the lines between fashion and marketing, but it turned out to be the most aligned move I’ve ever made. Now, my work helps women leaders and founders create brands that feel like them — from what they wear to how they communicate.

That pivot taught me that evolution isn’t failure — it’s feedback. Sometimes the thing you’re known for isn’t the thing you’re meant for yet, and that’s okay.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ninapiccini.com
• Instagram: @nina_piccini
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-piccini