Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikita McKenzie.
Nikita, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
IAmShe was birthed out of the many transitions that I have had to go through. However, it started to take form when I became a teenage mother. It was that journey that taught me that I get to decide what happens next. It was through this experience that I learned that circumstances do not define you, but it is your response to your circumstances that matter most. It was through this and many other things that I have had to overcome that I learned that I AM and can be whatever I say!
The more I experienced, the more I grew and the more resilient I became. I began to understand that as painful as some of what I had to go through may have been, it was not just about it. It was all a part of a bigger plan. So, with a strong commitment to become everything that God intended, I made the decision to choose faith over fear. After a 21-year career, obtaining my Bachelor’s and Master degrees in Business Administration, and earning a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship, I closed the door to corporate America.
It was through my compassionate heart to help women confidently pursue purpose and maximize their potential that my vision finally met my purpose. My strong sense of leadership, wisdom, and passion for seeing women discover and embrace their identity is what drove me to establish the nonprofit organization in which I also serve as the executive director of.
I Am Someone He Empowered, Inc. (IAmShe, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization that supports women through life transitions. Using a combination of my personal experiences with adversity and my desire to see women become whoever and do whatever they have been destined to be is what allows me to serve as their midwife. Everything that I have endured has been, for now, it is what has equipped me to coach, empower, and assist other women in developing a plan to successfully get to their next. “I am not my sister’s keeper. I AM MY SISTER.” I am my brand. I Am Someone He Empowered!
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing about my journey has been smooth, but neither did I expect it to be. My very 1st challenge was becoming a mother at 15 years old. I was clueless. Not only did my daughter have to grow with me, but she had to go through with me. However, I was determined not to allow this to define me or prevent me from setting high expectations for my daughter and I am very proud of who she has become. I survived an 8-year marriage that was designed to break me. And these are just of the many transitions that I had to overcome to get where I am and do what I do.
The reality is, as painful as my transitions have been, they were not all bad. Everything I experience prepared me for it. There was purpose in my pain. I am who I am because of it. The beauty of it all is that I get to use all of it to help other women transition. God has graced me to do what I do. So, nothing is wasted. I have been empowered to empower!
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
I Am Someone He Empowered, Inc (IAmShe, Inc.) is on a mission to encourage and inspire women to discover their inner strength to successfully transition through life with confidence. We achieve this through one-on-one coaching, quarterly empowerment sessions and by helping them develop a plan to get from where they are to their next (whatever it may be), which includes vision board activities. We are also running a campaign to open a transition home to provide temporary residence to women (and in some cases, children) who require it.
Although we didn’t officially launch until June 2019, which was a year after the organization was founded, we hit the ground running. When people see the heel logo or someone in one of our IAmShe t-shirts, they are excited to say that they know me or have heard about the organization. I am no longer known as just Nikita, but I am IAmShe Nikita. I have really become my brand.
What makes me most proud is the many people who are a part of our tribe. They continuously support us by purchasing or products or making donations. We are able to support women going through a transition in tangible ways because of it. We have… Adopted families during the holiday time, Advocated for causes such as lupus awareness that allowed us to spotlight someone amazing women warriors. Assisted women and their children, either by giving them the down-payment to get their own place or making sure they have what they need after they move in.
In light of the pandemic and virtual schooling, we are running an ongoing school supply campaign to provide support through the various phases of this transition. These are also the same things that set IAmShe, Inc apart from other nonprofits that support women in transition. It’s not just what we do, but it is how we do it!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I am not a resident of ATL, but ATL has always been one of the most talked-about cities. With some of my closest family friends in ATL I have been able to make great memories each time I have been there. I can not say that there is anything that I don’t like about ATL.
Pricing:
- IAmShe products range from $5 – $40
- Coaching packages are also available.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iamshenikita.org
- Phone: 2158398165
- Email: iamshe.nikita@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamsheinc_nikita
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAmSheincNikita
- Twitter: www,twitter.com/IamsheNikita
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