EP91 Nicky Burgis : A founder journey , its never too late to start something new

Embracing Change and Building Authentic Connections: The Journey of Nicky Burgis

In this compelling episode, Nicky Burgis shares her inspiring journey from corporate marketing to launching her own fashion boutique, Snoop. Her story highlights the importance of relationships, self-belief, and giving back through community and charity work, demonstrating that it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

Main Topics:

• The golden thread: relationship-building as a career foundation
• Recognizing when it's time for a change and taking the leap into entrepreneurship
• Overcoming challenges of starting a business and managing personal wellbeing
• How authenticity and understanding clients foster brand loyalty
• The power of giving back and supporting women through fashion and charity initiatives
• Practical habits for staying grounded as a small business owner
• Advocating for diversity, confidence, and real stories in the fashion industry

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - The golden thread: People and relationships
• 05:00 - Recognizing the need for a career pivot
• 12:30 - The beginning of Snoop: Passion driven, not strategic
• 14:55 - Challenges of entrepreneurship: Wearing many hats
• 17:30 - The journey of confidence and resilience
• 21:50 - Practical habits for mental wellness and focus
• 42:45 - Giving back: Charity fashion shows and community impact
• 53:44 - Top tips for entrepreneurs: Believe, listen, and act
• 62:45 - The importance of authenticity in building a brand

Resources & Links:

• Snoop Boutique
• Snoop Boutique Instagram
• Charity Fashion Events for Breast Cancer
• Emma Greed's Book "Start with Yourself"

Connect with Nicky Burgis:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Notable Quotes:

• "Relationships are at the heart of everything I do."
• "It's never too late to reinvent yourself."
• "Believe in yourself, listen, and act."

Listen :  to the audio version  Apple  Spotify .Amazon Music  Google Podcasts
Watch  and subscribe to my YouTube Channel   https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience
Follow    Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazersexperience/ 

Transcript

Trailblazers Experience 0:11

Welcome to another episode of the Trailblazers Experience Podcast, the podcast where we have candid conversations with women sharing their career journey. My guest today is the incredible Nicky B, Nicky Burgis, a woman who has loads of years of experience in marketing, media, agencies, you name it, and charity sector. She's done some amazing things in her career, which we're going to talk about, and built a reputation as a strategic people-centric leader. And after doing all of that, she's decided to embark on a road of entrepreneurship. So I'm really excited on this show to talk about her journey, what she's doing now, the lessons learned, which actually just shows that, you know, a career pivot could happen at any time. Welcome to the podcast, Nicky. Thank you. Pleasure to be here. Do you find when someone's bigging you up and talking about your career and things that you've done, you sort of need to give yourself a little pat on the back, isn't it?

Nicky 1:10

I think it takes someone else to go and talk about it because you just don't realise you you're into your 50s and you think, yeah, I've done quite a lot actually. And I don't remember ever, ever sort of creating that path or wondering what that path was going to look like. It just kind of happens and suddenly you're at a place where you have done some some good things and made a lot of mistakes along the way, but learned from them and done some good things. So it it's nice to hear someone else talk about it, to be honest.

Trailblazers Experience 1:35

Yeah, I mean, and you look good, girl. I mean, for those who are listening on Spotify, you need to watch the video version. Um, we need to talk about your skincare regime at some point um because you look amazing. Um so pivoting back, you know, you've done quite a lot of things. As you now look back, because I say hindsight is always an interesting thing. You can sort of see the thread of how your career has come together. What's been the golden thread that ties your career together?

Nicky 2:02

I think it's I think it's always going to come back to people and relationships. A lot of what my career and kind of how it's evolved to where it is has always relied on building relationships, whether that's with a brand or whether it's with a team of people or colleagues. People are at the heart of everything, right? And um building trust and relationships with people gets better results. It's better results in a relationship or with a client, for a client, for a brand. People are so interesting. We're all so different. And I think learning to get along with people of all different shapes and sizes and different backgrounds is really, really important. So I would say that relationship building would be the thing that ties everything together. Listening to people's journeys and using that information to make that relationship stronger. Um, a lot of roles I've been put in purely to build relationships, and they've had a real made a real difference to the to the outcome and the results of what we're trying to achieve. And I think it's it's important to look around you and and see all these people, and everyone's got a different story, and actually everyone's on a different journey. So definitely, as far as threads go, it's got to be for me personally, relationship building with with people and building trust without without it.

Trailblazers Experience 3:18

You know, when people say, oh, your network is your net worth and your reputation is that social currency, that PR that is carrying you through. It's the things that people don't write about, but it's what they say about you that is a good barometer of of where you are in terms of your people skills and relationships. When did it click for you that it was all about relationships and people building? Because, you know, we were talking about how our children are probably now navigating that next stage in their career. When did it click for you? Was it job number one, number two, number three? When did you know, okay, this is the elixir for me to moving forward in my career?

Nicky 3:57

Um I think it was, I don't know if it ever really clicked any point. I think you just realise more and more as you get older the importance of those relationships. And you look back at the ones that you've had for a couple of years that are suddenly now 20 or 30 years old and how important they were at the start, and they're even more important now. Um, and I think even with my children, um, you know, I try and and and and teach them about the importance of building relationships and trust in people. And um, so I don't know if it ever really clicked. I think probably has it never been more significant to me now than I've got my own business, in that um the relationships I've got now with my customers are my relationships. When you work for someone else, um it's just feels a little bit different because I'm not you're never really sure how long term those relationships are. But now it's very personal to me. My business relationships are very personal to me because it's my business. So yeah, I think I don't sure if it ever really clicks. I just think it evolves over time and you just realise more and more how important it is.

Trailblazers Experience 5:07

Was there a moment in your career that you realize you're ready for something different? Because obviously to become, you know, to run your own business is completely a different set of characteristics, skills, you know, you're relying on you, yourself. Um, what was that pivotal moment for you?

Nicky 5:24

I don't think that there was necessarily a dramatic moment. I think it was more a growing pull over the years. I've always had a good relationship with fashion, and I've often used it as a body armor, as a tool for myself through different periods of my life. And I've always had this dream that um one day I'd have a little boutique somewhere in maybe retirement or something. I never really saw it as a career move, I saw it as a lifestyle change. And now it's it's both. So I don't think that it was I'm ready for something different now. I had a bad experience in the job that I was in at the time, which I'm sure we'll talk about throughout this conversation. But that experience over a 12-month time made me realise there's a lot of people in my situation going through menopause, and not just the menopause, but my my body had changed dramatically over the years. As a young child, I was very small, I was athletic, I was a runner, I had no boobs, I had no shoulders, I was the little sort of runt of the litter as they used to call me at school. And then you go through puberty and then you go through childbirths, and then you sort of hit this menopause. You've been on this journey of ups and downs. My problem was with weight loss. Um, you know, my my marriage broke down and um it was a very traumatic time for me. I went into an abusive relationship straight after that, and I lost a lot of weight. And people used to comment, and people used to say to me, not be in order to be mean, but they would comment on it, but it was not okay to say someone who's put on some weight, but it seemed to be okay to say it the other way around, and it affected my confidence massively. So I used clothes at that time to cover up the fact that I was sort of skin and bone underneath. Um, and I wanted um I wanted to use that um kind of negativity to create something positive, and I think that I think that when I got the opportunity to turn that positive, that negative into a positive, I just had to do it.

Trailblazers Experience 7:19

Because most of the time when when people see you losing weight, it's compliments all round. Um, but it's always, I always say when you gain weight or lose weight, there's something, whether it's a a seismic change from a mental, physical perspective, or something going on in in your own life. So the fact that you're even sharing your story, I think thank you for being so vulnerable in the first place. Because, you know, there's so many women going through so many things, and there is a stigma in terms of talking about it, because we all want to put on our Instagram highlight reel, or you only see the surface and not anything behind. So it's interesting that that was a catalyst in itself to say, actually, there's an opportunity here in terms of what Snoop could be. Talk to me about coming to that realization and how you even started, because you know, starting a business is not easy. Um, and although you saw it as a lifestyle change, there probably were some building blocks and some steps to that.

Nicky 8:18

I think I really love to say that there was a real like strategy behind it and and a real kind of plan. But the truth really is that um I had three months, well, three months, probably a couple of months, of I'd hit hit a point in my job at the time where I couldn't take any more. And I'd been to the doctors and I'd been signed off, and that gave me time to really just think. And the time off made me realise how ill the job was making me, and I couldn't go back. And and I think that realisation that what was I chasing? A job title, um, a salary. No, I was like, come on, guy, you've done that for 30 years, you've got nothing to prove. Um, you know, and so I was my partner, I'm blessed with the most amazing partner. And he said to me, now's the time to do something for you. He's got his own business, he's quite a lot younger than me, and he was prepared to take on the the the the chunk of of what we needed as a family to allow me to do what I needed to do because he could see the difference it was making in me being away from something that was getting me down, who'd been getting me down for so long. So we had the talk with the the kids who are not so much kids now, but um around that change and how it would affect everybody. Because um, up until six years ago, I'd spent a long time as a single mum. I had to work, I had to I had to pay the bills. It didn't matter how that happened, I had to do that. I think a lot of women feel that pressure, particularly single mums. I mean, it isn't a go single mum thing, you know, or a girl power thing. It's just more that is the reality, is a lot of people out there in jobs that they're in because they just need to pay the bills. And I found myself in a fortunate position where I no longer had that pressure and I could just take a little bit of a deep breath. So all of a sudden, they said, What is it? My partner said to me, What is it? What is it you want to do for you that would make you feel good? Three weeks later, Snoop was born. I literally used all my 30 years of relationship building. So I turned to my network, I turned to people that had done what I'd done, didn't do it anymore. How did you do it? Why did you do it? Why don't you do it anymore? I spent three weeks asking questions and listening. And that was key to Snoop and how it evolved. And I went out wholesale shopping and bought nothing. I was completely underwhelmed by it and was like, oh no, this is a disaster. But I three it literally took three weeks from I'm gonna do this. I suddenly had three rails of clothes in my lounge, invited some friends round, they were loving it. A week later launched a website, and 18 months later, here we are. And I think I'd like to say there was this big strategy behind it, but it wasn't. It was just using my own personal experiences were the strength behind it rather than my career. It was pure passion and desire to help people in my situation that really drove Snoop to be born. And, you know, you realize then how many skills you've learned because you need to build a website and you need to market your own business rather than someone else's. Then the skills all kick in. Um, yeah, but it it it was down to just personal, I've got to help other people in my situation.

Trailblazers Experience 11:29

I mean, I can hear three nuggets of information there. You went through something and said, something's got to change. Otherwise, I'll keep on going through the same thing. You made a decision, you thought about what you wanted to do, you asked questions, and then lastly, you just did it. I think a lot of the time, like you said, if you start thinking too strategically about what you're gonna do, you'll never start. And starting is half the battle, isn't it? And you learn as you go. Yeah. What do you think has been the biggest challenge in building the brand so far? Oh, there's been loads, lots of challenges.

Nicky 12:00

Oh, yeah. I can't pretend that there hasn't been any. And I think, I think you're always learning, right? You kind of, and again, I say that to the children all the time. I'm still learning. I've not done 52 before, right? So, and I get to 53 and not done that either. And you just have to uh kind of look at, you know, a challenge is a way of learning. And I think the biggest challenge I've had is that I'd always worked for someone else, and there's always been someone to help you solve the problem. And suddenly you're everything, suddenly you're the marketer, you're the accountant, you're you're the decision maker, you're the buyer, you're everything. So the biggest challenge has been letting go and accepting help from people when it's offered. Because if if you can tap into some knowledge that other people have got the skills in and let them do their bit, then actually, and you just do what you're good at, building the relationships, buying the clothes, but let other people do their thing, then collectively it should happen. And you know, it is still just me, really. I do a lot of things with my daughter, but I do think the biggest challenge is trying to be all things, and you look around at the competition and you think, Oh my goodness, they're doing all these lovely videos, and I don't have a space for that because I'm doing it for my home, right? So I don't have a shop, physical shop. How have they done that? Then you look and they've been doing it for 25 years, you think I'm doing okay. Um, but I think it would be the biggest challenge is accepting that you can't be all things to all people, and you don't need to grow this overnight, and you don't need to, you know, sell a million products to be able to be successful, and you know, so yeah, that's definitely been one of the biggest, say one challenge. It's quite a few challenges all in one, but it all equates to the same thing, really.

Trailblazers Experience 13:41

Yeah. And you have you heard of the term that you put in your 10,000 hours to for you to become, you know, perfect at what you're doing. So when you're looking at others, those other brands, like you said, they've been doing it for 20 years or 10 years, they've put in those hours, all those challenges that you're going through, they've been through that. They've perfected how they're, you know, pulling their social media and things like that. And we we always forget that, isn't it? When we're in that moment, you're in month two or month three or 18 months in, thinking there's still so much for you to go along with. And um, I guess enjoying the chaos and and the journey as well, do you think? Yeah, oh, definitely, 100%.

Nicky 14:18

You know, and that that's what makes um a journey a journey, you know. Um if you go in a car and you have some issues along the way, they're the bits you talk about when you break down or you had the flat tie, you never talk about if if there's nothing went wrong on the way, there's nothing to talk about, right? So um, you know, it is the a lot of the challenges have become the highlights, really, um, because overcoming them is just so satisfying. And um, you know, I remember launching, you've got no followers on and you set up this Instagram account and you're suddenly like, okay, I have three friends, and then suddenly it's building. That that's a challenge in itself because you've got to be seen, and you can't be seen until you start telling us, you know, talking about the journey. And but yeah, the challenges are becoming the highlights. And I would I would say that to anybody at any point of their career, make your challenges your highlights, because if you can overcome them and face them and combat them and find a way of dealing with them, then you've created something good and it's positive. Like a lot of people say, you know, solutions, not problems, and and it's you know, creating solutions to the problems is can make you feel so good about yourself. That's really, really important to me. And I'd I'd pass that on to anyone. Just try and make those negative experiences positive and challenges, it will just take you so far in what you're doing. Because you can look back and it's amazing. I already look back. It was only 18 months ago, and I think, wow, I don't care how far we've come in 18 months. It's it's incredible, really.

Trailblazers Experience 15:43

Yeah, and just you know, let's let's talk about the nitty-gritty of practical tips because you've talked, you know, we all know that people go through challenges, but what are some practical habits or things that you've pulled together for yourself that A are keeping helping you keep grounded and focused as you're building your business?

Nicky 16:02

I think being true to yourself and and is is really important. Um, you know, uh I have to stay focused. So working for yourself by yourself is and can be a really lonely place. There's no use sugarcoating it and saying, Oh, it's amazing, great being your own boss. Yes, you can work the hours you want, but generally they're more hours than you've ever worked in your life. I've never worked so hard in my entire life. Um, so I think discipline and um, you know, I work from home, I work by myself. So I I try and keep a diary as if I'm reporting to someone, so and that person's not me. That that's been quite quite fundamental in making me accountable to myself. So making sure I still go to the gym, making sure you take time out. I I did some uh breathing training with an incredible lady in Norwich who I thought was I thought it was nonsense. I did it for as a favour to a friend and it was incredible, and took on board a lot of what she was saying, and also uh looked at a lot of well-being stuff to make sure that I'm looking after me, because unless you look after yourself, you can't look after the business, right? So I have things in my diary. So at the lulls that I've learned that everybody has a lull between 11 and uh sorry, around 11 and around two o'clock, I make sure I have in my diary to take breaks as often as I can at those times, and my alarm goes off, and I make sure I do that. I didn't always do that, so I can honestly say that it makes a lot of difference to take that time out because you just burn out and then you're no use to anybody because there's no one else to pick up the flat. There's no one else to say, can you just do this? You have to so you've got to look after yourself and make sure that your your sort of emotional and your nutrition and all those health things are are important. So I I have a diary and I try and stick to it as much as I can. Um, and and do the things that you would have done in you do in a normal workplace, you know, have a lunch, make sure it might be half an hour, but I actually diary to walk around the block once a day because otherwise you realize you go a whole day with no fresh air. You know, so they're actually not business things, but they're personal things that will actually help you to be better in your business. I I really feel quite strongly about that because it does make a huge difference. And I'd say to anyone who's setting out on their own, be prepared for the loneliness because it is lonely. And I miss colleagues, I do miss them. I'm very lucky that I'm still in touch with them, but they're not there on a daily basis. They're not, you don't have that for how is your weekend, how is your, you know, to share that exciting things with, or good news or bad news. You don't really have that. So you need to kind of prepare for that. So schedule in meet like meetings with your friends, a coffee over a FaceTime call or whatever with your friends, because they're the things that are going to just allow your brain to stay healthy.

Trailblazers Experience 18:44

Yeah. Do you know what is such an important nugget that you've talked about is about the scheduling the time for that break because it's a commitment you're making to yourself. Because the interesting thing, Nick, is even in offices, I see people when I go into the office, people are eating at their desk, you know, while they're working. So they're not even taking that time to say, actually, this is a break. I need to pause, whether it's go for walk, etc., and uh make those kind of things um happen, which are always so interesting. And then the second thing that you've uh said is, you know, people don't talk about how, so whether you're rising in positions of of importance, how lonely it is at the top, and the whole founders, you know, that community needs to be actually much bigger, isn't it? Giving you the space to uh talk to each other, to communicate. It's it's very lonely as an entrepreneur, isn't it? No one talks about that. How can we change that?

Nicky 19:36

No, and I think I think I think I don't know how we change it. I'd like to change it, you know, and I I speak to people all the time about I I think sometimes like when you talk to people about differ different things. I mean, for example, I went to a well-being thing recently and it was for CEOs of companies. I've never seen my side as a CEO of my company. I'm just little on me that set up a clothing business after a career that I'd kind of exhausted. So I think it I think if we can perhaps try and make things a little bit more real and bring things back to basics a little bit, people have been more inclined to talk to each other. Um, we put this kind of C label or whatever it is, we almost kind of big ourselves up. And I don't want to be, I'm just a normal real person. And then when you go out and do some networking, you talk to the lady who set up an interior design business or a lady that set up a personal training business or whatever. Young people. I spoke to someone young recently at a networking event. She does like the Nordic walking type thing. You know, she's young, she's fresh, she's but she doesn't see herself as a as a business leader. Um, so I think it it would just be nice if there were some real people networking experiences. It always seems to be at the sort of business owner and people of a certain job title or you know, whatever. It would be really nice, I think, to if businesses allowed networking for the real people in the businesses, allowing real people to get out and talk to other real people rather than having to be of a certain status, if you like. Uh, I think that would make a big difference. I don't know how that happens or if that would ever happen, because I appreciate that with businesses, time is money. But you just have to keep things real. There's so much stuff on LinkedIn. You see all these people, everyone's like, you know, blowing their own trumpet and talking about how wonderful life is. And like you touched on earlier, that's the be the bits we see on there are the bits we want people to see. And they're the bits that we're not talking about, the bits we don't talk about, the bits that we need to talk about and make it and make it real. So I don't know how we do that, but it'd be great if we could. I'm certainly up for a conversation if anyone if anyone's to help me do that.

Trailblazers Experience 21:38

Because I honestly, I I I you know, I'm up for it. Let's have a coffee about that, because I think you're right. Just humanizing, humanizing the experience of whether you're because a lot of business owners, I love how you introduce yourself. You said I was married before, I've got children, so I'm a mother, I was a single parent. You've humanized yourself so much, which is the reality. Of everybody out there, really, if you think about percentages of people who are starting businesses or people who are working because they have to, they have to be grafters. And that's what I like about the podcast is we want if someone clicks on and if they get one or two things from this, you know, session today, it's about look, you're human, you're going through stuff. And sometimes you just have to make decisions that are for you. So I um went to go and watch Emma Greed, who's written a book called, I mean, called, where is it? Oh my God, I love this book. It's called Start, is it? It's somewhere, it's somewhere here on the table. I will find it. It's called Start With Yourself. And one of the things that she said in there, which was so pivotal, was don't quit your job until you have something else, you know? So you need to, whether it's I'm quitting my job, I'm I'm burning out, you know, you said you're starting your business. You had a clear vision of what you wanted to do. And then you said, right, line in the sand, I'm moving on. If you didn't have the financial stability that you had in partner and so on, you probably, you know, would have said, well, I need to keep working or find a different job before I can do this. So it's like being practical and realistic of what the reality of life is, isn't it, sometimes, Nicky?

Nicky 23:14

Yeah, yeah, completely. And I think, you know, whilst I had financial stability, that probably, you know, that's not saying we're rich. That's just saying that I put my own personal health over income. So I'd saved enough to have to be able to pay a few mortgage payments, if you like. And I I never wanted to, as much as I've got an amazing partner now, I never have wanted and never will rely on a man. And so, although I had that backing, I still knew that I I'd had enough money in the bank to pay a few mortgage payments to, and I gambled. I gambled a little bit of savings. And I if if I'd got that money had all gone and I hadn't started to bring any in, then the journey would have been very short. But I think I wouldn't advise anyone like you say to just give up a thing, okay. I can go and do this because it's really, really hard work. But if you believe in yourself and you've got the support of family and friends, I mean, my goodness, my friends have been incredible. You know, all these charity things that we do, all my friends are my models, yeah. We're not talking vogue here, we are talking like you know, real people. Yeah, real people. And um, yeah, so I think um, you know, it's it's so, you know, this this whole kind of entrepreneurship and everything, it's not glamorous, you know. People see you in business, they don't see the other side of it. And that there is another side, and the other side is the reality side. Um, you know, even now when people see me, they're like, Oh, your wardrobe must be amazing. And I think 10 minutes ago I was scrapping around thinking, oh, I've got to get out, I've got you know, you just grab something from this ex expansive wardrobe and it's like and you go, because they don't see that you've been up since five o'clock because you have to create a quick social media post, or you've got to get an order in, or they don't don't see all of that. So it's it's not glamorous, really.

Trailblazers Experience 25:01

Yeah, do you know what? It's because I I've seen that as well with the entrepreneurship side with with launching a premium brand and look, the warehouse is gonna be the garage, you know, picking and packing is gonna be me and my boys. It's gonna be literally because also we want to do it. We know that we need to do these things. This humbles us. We want to be able to write and call our first customer when the order goes out, you know, that kind of stuff. But yeah, it's it's an interesting journey in itself. So let's talk about Snoop. How do you want, if you were to describe the brand and the products that you sell, and how do you want women to feel when they interact with your brand?

Nicky 25:39

I think the big thing is feeling seen and understood. You know, I had when we talked about challenges earlier, one of the challenges I had early on was I'm petite, right? I'm five foot four, I'm a size eight. Uh, genetically, we're quite small people, but I have to, you know, I work on myself as well. So when I need to put on weight, I do that. And if I wanted to lose some weight, I would do that. But I think people saw me and thought I instantly sold just small clothes, and actually bigger people couldn't come to me, etc. That soon changed. So a lot of what I do is uh is on like a one-to-one basis, and people just booking appointments and they come to my house and they see me. I want people to recognise Subers somewhere that they can come and completely be themselves, and they don't have to worry about they can come on their own, they can come with their friends, their mum, their daughters, whatever, and not be judged and be given some advice and and and be understood. That's massive to me. That the first thing I do is not just go into the room where all the clothes are and say, Right, have a look and see what you can find. The first thing you do is you sit down with a coffee and say, tell me about yourself. Not you know, I can't, I would never give someone advice just based on their size or age or shape, because people have a personality and the clothes come out in that personality, you know. And a lot of the time people will come here in, you know, I've got white on stay, but they'll come out in here in black and white and they'll leave in green and pink or whatever because they've suddenly got the confidence. So I think for me it's be seen and you don't have to be, it's not about fashion. I don't buy things because they're fashionable. I buy things because I think people will look good in them. I'd never buy anything that I wouldn't buy myself. It may not be for me and it may not suit me, but I would look at it and think, I love that. That would look really good on mother-in-law, that would look really good on this customer. So I think I think when people feel understood, I mean, if you think about if you go into any of us ladies, we go into a shop, any high street shop without naming them too much, but you generally pick up things to go into a change room that you've already got in your wardrobe because it's safe. And you're you know that you feel good in a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt. So you take another, you generally we all do it, we don't realise we're doing it, or you take a topping in a different colour, but you know you've got it in your wardrobe. So the idea behind Snoop is that people can come here, and the biggest thing I hear would a lot is I don't know who I am anymore. So they come here and we can say, Well, let's work out who you are, let's let's let's talk about the changes, let's talk about the weight loss, the weight gain, the emotional, the hormonal changes, whatever it is. Let's talk about that and how that makes you feel, and let's talk about how we can change that. And it sounds crazy, but it may be that someone has never worn a belt because they feel it emphasizes their waist. Actually, we can put that belt on, we just put it in a slightly different place and we tuck a little bit over, we tuck a bit in, and suddenly it's like, wow, that's really changed me. You know, we talk about weight a lot, but I'm working a lot with um people who have had body changes, so a lot of cancer patients, a lot of people have had massectomies because they go into a changing room, they come out, the change room next to them is an 18-year-old girl who's got it all going on, and then they have got the same outfit on as them, and they're like, I don't know like that, and off it comes, and they go away feeling depressed. So I'm working a lot with people with body changes, um, and that's great. They can come here, they don't have to worry about what they look like, and we can talk about how that has affected them mentally, and they don't necessarily want to stand out, they just want to feel seen for who they are and not seen as different. Some people just want to blend, they don't want to stand out, that's okay too. So it's just um I Snoop is about being understood, be seen for who you are, and being able to have the confidence and encouraged to try different things, to go out of your comfort zone a little bit, and realize that you don't have to wear what's all over Instagram, you can actually wear what's right for you and still look so good and feel good. That's that's the point, is you've got to feel good. And I get so much joy out of seeing people go out of out of here happier than when they arrived. It's an incredible feeling.

Trailblazers Experience 29:46

Oh, that's amazing. It's a curated personal stylist experience tailored to you, not based on trend, but based on where you are in your life, in your journey, in your body. And you know, it's so brilliant that that's happening because, like you said, whether it's high street or high fashion, it's all like samey same, isn't it? And catering to uh a look and feel of what society thinks people should look like. And yet there's so many different types, shapes, sizes of women, and everyone's going through different things in their lives. I mean, what a what a great way to give back as well. Do you see it as giving back as as well in terms of thinking of all the things that you've been through, probably something you wish you would have had when you were going through the challenges you were going through years ago?

Nicky 30:32

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think um, you know, giving back is something that's that's really important. Um and I've had a lot of um, yeah, I've got a great family, I'm very lucky and a lot of support over the years for things that have happened. Um, and now I've got you know a different family. I've got my partner when my children are older. Um, and I think um it's giving back in a sense that I feel now that I'm I learnt a lot from different leaders that have sort of managed me in the past, if you like. Um and at times I've thought I felt a little bit hard done by or whatever. And I realize now that that was actually a real positive point for me. That was a real learning point for me. You know, for anyone that's listening about like leadership, that it's really important to realise that a bit like your mum, your mum will tell you off when you're younger and moan at you and you'll you feel really hard done by, but actually she's just looking out for you and teaching you, and it's the same with leaders in business, right? Um so I think uh you learn a lot from that kind of um those people. And I feel almost like I'm giving back to those people that have been there for me because I'm thinking, thank you for that experience, because I'm able to now apply that to my business. And I think when I when I think about the times where, particularly in the 12 months, up to me starting snoop, I would dread going into the office. I absolutely dreaded it, and the only way I could do that was to put the heels on, to put the blazer on, to to put on the clothes that made me feel good, so I could swing that door open and say, Morning, you know. Um, and I think there is there are so many things that you don't realise that you're being given. And I feel now that I've got a voice to give something back, I've got a voice to say, come on, ladies, I've had all these experiences in life, and now I want to use all of them to help you. And there's nothing nicer than don't feel now that I've had any negative experiences because I'm genuinely helping people who have been through things I've been through and far, far worse, far worse. And yeah, that that's it's just massive. You know, when someone comes in here who's had huge weight gain or weight loss, or you know, I've got a customer who's got ME. Um, I didn't know her before this, and I had an amazing letter from her to say thank you. I met her in her pajamas. She she came to a pop-up in her pajamas and said, You've got to help me. I've literally been in my pyjamas for three years, I've got no confidence, I don't know who I am anymore. And I left my daughter to deal with the pop-up, and I spent three hours in a room with her on her own, and she bought some clothes and she wore them constantly for the next six months, and she sent me this lovely letter saying, Thank you, thank you for helping me to find who I am again. So that giving back, I mean, that was the first real moment I realized, wow, you know, I don't want Snoop to just to be another boutique, and it's not, it really isn't. It is something so much more, and people like her just make all the hours worthwhile, all their hard work worthwhile because that is exactly what I'm trying to achieve. Let me help you. I was in a really bad place, a really low place. Clothes really did help me to feel good, to face a day, and one day became two days, became three days, and before you know it, you're kind of looking back over your shoulder at feeling rubbish, you're feeling great. And there's something really nice. You know, we get to a certain age, your body's changing, your skin's changing, your ho your mind is changing, it, you know, the the brain fog that we all talk about, it's massive. And I don't think people realise, you know, I talk to my daughter about it and say, all this hormonal stuff you're going through, multiply that by 10 million, that's the menopause. And um, and it it's different. And it's so, you know, being able to give something back and say, I have really experienced this myself. You know, I'm not, you know, look at me, yeah, I'm I'm small, but I've actually experienced some kind of bullying with that. And, you know, I've got much bigger ladies come to me and they love the fact that I'm saying to them, I want that body. You look incredible, you know, because they do look incredible. And I think you don't get that when they go into a shop, right? So, yeah, High Street shop, no one cares that they're in there. No one cares what they're doing. Whereas here, I can really care for my own personal experience, no matter what that is. So I feel like I am giving back to, you know, women really. And um, yeah, it's just an amazing experience.

Trailblazers Experience 35:07

That's so brilliant. I mean, that lived experience is um, you know, worth gold, isn't it? As well. Yeah, yeah. Talk to me about how so how many pop-ups have you done so far who will be interesting. You know, 18 months you did the first one. How many have you done so far?

Nicky 35:22

I do know I don't actually know. So I do individual pop-ups in people's homes. So back to the old school, um, it was like Tupperware or Pippa and Summers, whatever it was. It's that kind of style. So literally someone will say to me, 'I've got this much space in my house, I'll go and look at it, and then we'll decide who the what the customers are like, ages, what sizes they've got, so I know what to take, because I've got so much stuff now. My three rails has turned into a lot more than that. Um, so and I will turn up on an evening or a weekend or whatever, and they invite all their friends, and we have a little party, and and then I leave, and it's amazing. Um, so I don't I I do that sort of pop-ups, and then I'll do pop-ups in public places. Um, I did one at a pub recently, which was Carnage in the best possible way. I think probably collectively over. Yeah, it is incredible. Everyone loves them. Um, I would say maybe 40, 50. Um yeah, we've got it down to a T now. People come here as well. So people, if they haven't got much space in the house, will say, Can I bring my friends to yours? Absolutely. Come in. We have some bubbles and we have some nibbles, and you know, and that's it. So yeah, we've done a lot. They're good fun. People leave having met new people while they're here. It's just brilliant. I've seen created through Snoop. Unbelievable. It's not just about clothes. It's I'm creating a community which I love, bringing people together. I've got friends now that will be my friends for life because they're they're customers, but they're now my friends for life. And I've created that with other people. And oh, it's amazing. Yeah, it's great.

Trailblazers Experience 36:57

Yeah, I mean, the whole bringing people together, I think what one thing we did learn from lockdown is that we thrive on, you know, being around people, creativity, listening to others, getting off those energies, and you know, it's it's such a positive thing. So the fact that you're creating that space is uh brilliant as well. Talk to me about the charity endeavor that you're most proud of, because you've done quite a few just for our audience.

Nicky 37:21

Yeah, sure. I think it's interesting actually, just going back slightly to the to the the COVID thing. We forgot how to blend as as as women. I mean, we're talking specifically about women at the moment with the brand, right? But we didn't go out shopping anymore together in groups. We didn't, we we stopped doing that. And and so when I started Snoop, I was very much focusing on bringing groups of people together because we had forgotten. If you go to networking events even now, they're not as busy as they used to be. So I think I think the COVID thing was really important. In terms of charity, the the biggest thing we've done today was I worked with a colleague at the local council who had helped me with business growth. I'd got a little grant from the council and they support small businesses that are growing. And we'd formed a really nice relationship. And she said to me, How do you fancy doing a she'd had breast cancer herself and she said, How do you fancy doing a fashion show for keeping abreast to support ladies who have had reconstructive surgery in the UK? And I was like, Yeah, why not? So we came together. So I'd been going about a year and I'd done odd fashion shows, but not to this level. Um, I was nervous about it. I was like, Will people come? Like the first one I'd had to sell tickets. The ones I'd done before were where you'd done them in the workplace, and so they were responsible for who came, and I didn't have to worry about that. So we sold the tickets. It sold out in five days, uh, which was unbelievable. 120 people in a room. Um, and again, uh, so the council gave me some of their, the some of the ladies were, can we model? Yeah, perfect. So they turned up at the house, I had a few of my own, and we created an event. And I remember looking out, I stood on the stage ready to speak to the ladies, and I looked out, I was like, wow. I mean, I've gone goosebumps talking to you about it now because there was a community of people that were all there to raise money first and foremost for keeping abreast, but had come to this event that my three rails of clothes had suddenly evolved. I was looking at these 12 rails at the back of the room, 120 women, and it was like, wow, this is part of the Snoop community. This is incredible. And I can't take full credit at all. My friend Jane, who who did it with me, was was just amazing. But she stood at the front and asked anyone else affected in the room who'd been affected by breast cancer to stand up. And I think 17 people stood up. There's only 120 people in that room, you know, and the place went silent, but within seconds, that silence turned to huge energy. Like the positivity, the support, when the lady sat down, you could hear the people next to them. You know, the round of applause wasn't one of sympathy, it was one of just pure admiration and a reminder of why we were there. Um it it was the best thing I've I feel like I've ever done from a personal level. It was an incredible evening. We raised just under £5,000. And yeah, off the back of that, we're now looking at doing a lot more. And actually, keeping abreast now have asked me to take part in their they do one every other year, which is much bigger. It's in Norwich, and um, it's all their models are breast cancer patients, people who have had reconstructive surgery, and I think there's 40 ladies modelling, um, and it that's a lot of fun. So that that's sort of come off the back of this one, which is lovely, and I'm really excited about that. That's in October, um, where we just dressed the models with another couple of really nice boutiques in Norwich. We're blessed with with a lot of those in Norwich, and um yeah, we'll all work together, collaboration to create something really special in the community. Um, and it was lovely to do it. And now I've been asked to do a few more now. Uh the charity doing it for charity is great. Did another one recently for Amber's Army, Little Girl Sadly that passed away locally with cancer. Um, got to know her mum through this event, but it was a collaboration of four businesses, me, two other ladies, and a local hotel came together to create a fashion show and had so much positive feedback from it because I try and get on the catwalk um sizes six to eight to sixteen to eighteen, and ages eighteen to anything, but at this time it was 18 to 65. Um, so we try and get everyone covered, and then at the end we did um, I've got a range that I do which is like a linen-y type range, and we created a rainbow range for amber, and it's all one size. So we had the size six to eight to the size 16-18 with all the ages, they're all wearing the one size. But it was all about if you wear this piece with that piece, if you're this shape and this piece with that, and it was all different colours, and it was incredible to see. I think, you know, those the charity fashion shows to be able to do be doing what you love doing with who you love for amazing courses causes. I mean, you know, it's incredible. And and also, actually, from that, while we're talking about people in careers, a couple of young girls contacted me and said, I see you're doing this event, I'm studying fashion. Do you mind if I come along? So they came along and they did some content and things like that. And one young girl, she was like 19, she was so shy. Um, never met her before. But to see her come and stand back, and she's contacted me since and said, I want to know more about your story. And if I can help her to have the confidence to follow her dream in fashion, because she clearly hasn't got any confidence, and I can say to her, I was like you, I didn't say boo to a goose when I was your age, and she she's a tiny, tiny, tiny girl. I was tiny like you, and I felt I didn't have a voice. You can do this, and I will help you. And you know, so these fashion shows don't just sell clothes, they raise money, they help young people, they give people confidence, you know. And I try and include people on the catwalk. My mother-in-law's been on a massive weight loss journey, and I said, Will you model for me? You know, she was taken back, me, model. Yeah, you're a real person that's been on a journey and I want you to shine. And she looked incredible and she looked 10 foot tall, felt ten foot tall, and it it's just unbelievable. You know, anyone that wants to model, phone me, come and do it, come and get on the catwalk and and be you.

Trailblazers Experience 43:14

It's great. I mean, Nicky, the whole confidence piece, isn't it? It's half the battle, isn't it? If we can get more women to be confident in themselves, that's already the first catalyst, the first, you know, catapult for them to start living their life to the fullest. And the charities that you've just talked about, we will put them in the show notes so people can also follow them and, you know, donate if they if they'd love to or share their stories. The whole thing about Oprah always says service is the rent you pay for your time on this. And that's the giving back aspect. And I can just imagine it, you know, all those different women, individual faces, all division, you know, individual bodies, experiences. It's um it's it's brilliant. I mean, well done, you. This is uh really great. I love I love that. Story so much.

Nicky 44:01

Yeah, it's it's it's great, it's good fun. And I think, you know, if you're gonna kind of put it into a kind of summary, it is about real people and making real people feel really, really good. My daughter had acne all her all all through school. She couldn't do anything about this part, you know, she's come through it, she's a beautiful girl. But I could help her from the neck downwards, I could help give her the confidence with what she wore. Um, even if it was school uniform, you know, you have you might have to break the rules a little bit, but you know what? It's okay because we need you to feel good. You know, right up to my mum in her 70s now, um, you know, my mum's five foot and and dinky, and she's oh my hair's thinning. And I'm like, well, you know, that's okay, that happens, but your clothes, you know, you can use your colour on your clothes to feel confident. Let's get you on the catwalk. Yaro, you know, I think it's important, so important to me that you know, I see people walking down the street and you see the young girls all come out, all looking very similar, and they're strutting and they're all confident. And I want to see people of my age doing the same thing. I don't want to dress like my 18-year-old, but I don't want to dress like my 80-year-old grandma either, you know, and I want to feel comfortable. So, for example, like the jeans I buy, they kind of go across two sizes. So when you're having a bloated day, you still can wear your nice jeans and they're not all kind of tight, and but you don't have to wear elasticated waist, and you know, and I think it's you know, let's talk about that. Let's let's talk about um I don't want elasticated waist. I don't, you know, I don't want to wear um, you know, I can't. Oh, yeah, a lot of big busted people who say to me, I can't wear that because I've got this. And that's, you know, you can can just wear it a little bit differently or wear something else with it. When I did the fashion show for the council, actually, I had one model come in um and she turned up at the door and said, I'm here, but I don't think you'll have anything that will fit me. And uh I said, Well And you're like challenging accepted. Yeah, I mean that's how I look. Um and I put her in satin. She was like, Oh, I'm not wearing satin. Um and she did wear satin. She looked incredible. She bought a couple of things that she wore. And I had a message from her husband that said, Whatever she doesn't buy, I'll buy it. Because I've never seen her, I've never heard her feel so good, I've never seen her look so good. That is it. Like you can and should feel amazing. So let's let's do that. And I think that's the gap in the market. For me, that was the gap in the market. It's someone to be honest with you. If someone puts something around here that doesn't look good, you know, we start with the question: are you happy for me to be honest? Are you offended by honesty? Because if you are, you're in the wrong place.

Trailblazers Experience 46:36

You're in the wrong boutique here. Yeah.

Nicky 46:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so that and it is really important that people can handle that honesty. And I am honest, and you know, it's not a case of you can't wear that. It's that's maybe not for you, but how about this? Let's have a solution to what you currently see is a problem. And when you look in the mirror, stop looking at the bits you don't like. Let's look at the bits you do like about you. Let's start with that, and then we'll work, we'll work from there.

Trailblazers Experience 47:01

And let's accentuate. And you know, and also the tip of having two pairs of jeans, one for the blow today, one for the other. That's a an incredible tip because that's just the reality of being a woman, isn't it? In terms of the various cycles and whatever you're going through in your life is a good one to have. Yeah, yeah, definitely. So, Nicky, we always end the podcast with three trailplacer tips. So things that you'd love to share, advice you'd love to give, nuggets that you'd love to impart. What would yours be?

Nicky 47:28

Oh, okay, so if I was gonna give three tips, I could give lots of tips, I think, based on the uh the things I've learned and the mistakes I've made. But I think first and foremost, it would be build relationships. You know, focus on building good relationships, um taking those, taking those with you, learning to to trust and growing other people's trust in you. Really, really important. I would say believe in yourself. Quite often no one else is, you know, everyone will tell you you can, but until you believe you can. So just believe that you can and make sure that you look after number one, look after yourself. So, you know, the the health tips that I talked about earlier, the the taking time out, really, really important. I mean, it all comes with believing in yourself because unless you look after yourself, you can soon get sort of down on yourself, some negative. But taking that time out, taking that hour out, that walk around the block, 15 minutes to twice a day, just take that time out. It helps your brain to reset. And I think in the other one would be don't wait until you're ready, because you're never going to be ready. Um, and I wasn't ready. I was more ready than I was 10 years ago, six years ago, but I wasn't ready. I was well, I hadn't even I don't know where to start, but I've had waited to try ready, I never would have done it. So if you're in a position where you can do it, would be my advice. Just do it. Don't wait until you're ready.

Trailblazers Experience 48:56

Nicky, amazing. Thank you so much for being a guest on the show. Just really telling your story about who you are and about resilience and about confidence at the end of the day, um, I think has made the story very inspiring and sharing lots of nuggets. And I guess it's just a reminder that it's never too late to reinvent yourself. So thank you so much for your time.

Nicky 49:19

Oh, it's it's a pleasure. Thank you for asking me. And, you know, even sharing this for me is giving something back. And, you know, if anyone wants to ever contact me, I will happily talk to anybody about my journey, my experience, and help anyone else on their journey. You know, I would give as much time as someone needs to, if they want to follow their dream or they're in doubt, they've got any questions, or they want to come to me about on the fashion side of it. And, you know, if they they want to help with fashion, with with clothes to give them confidence, I'm happy for anybody to contact me for that.

Trailblazers Experience 49:52

Amazing. So and where can people find you? Talk to me about the website, Instagram, socials. Where can they find?

Nicky 49:57

Yeah, so I'm on socials. Um I'm Facebook and Instagram. I'm not venturing into the world of TikTok. A lot of my suppliers don't allow that. So but what are your handles? So we're Snoophy.co.uk for the website Snoop Boutique uh on Instagram. I have to be honest, I don't know the Facebook off by heart, but if you Google Snoop Boutique, we're up there. We're up there, we are the only one. And yeah, give us a follow because you know most of what we do obviously online is based around products and items and pieces, but we also do a lot of things around confidence and also things we're attending. Actually, um I'm I know it's in Norwich or in Norfolk, but I'm attending a I'm speaking at an event not based around confidence, a really good um uh there's a few of us actually, and the lady who's an actress as well is speaking, and it's a female event around around confidence. So all those kind of details will be on the socials as well. So give us a follow and you get to find out. They're not all in Norfolk. I I kind of do things like that all over the place. So yeah, give us a follow and awesome. Yeah. Or even um, if you sign up on uh on the website for emails, I do a few kind of like um, you know, emails about my journey and blogs and things about the journey or or things that happen along the way that I can share with people.

Trailblazers Experience 51:12

So yeah, go and do that. That's brilliant. So we include all of that in the show notes so people can find you. If you enjoyed the conversation, make use of subscribe, you follow, leave a review, share this episode really with someone who needs a little inspiration today, and tell another woman about the podcast. So thank you so much everyone for joining and see you next time.