NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
The holidays are a time to enjoy family and friends along with baked goods and wonderful food. The last thing on anyone’s mind while crushing that fudge is fitness and diets. Although you can find that rare breed who stays strong through this time of year and keeps things under control. We hit the last weeks of 2018 with one of our last spotlights of the year, and get to know a young lady who is new to the scene and has big-time goals. Armed with a plan and real passion. Coming to us from Michigan lets get to know Raynisha Nicole!
JC: You describe yourself as an entrepreneur what business are you starting up and what is the goal with it?
RN: My goal is to own multiple fitness businesses. I want to get more involved with fitness coaching as well as making programs for people, so they can become confident with fitness and start living a healthy lifestyle. I also eventually want to start my own sports/fitness clothing brand. Besides just fitness, I also am a brand ambassador, model, and influencer so I want to continue to expand my brand in those areas as well.
JC: How did fitness become a part of your everyday life?
RN: Fitness became a part of my everyday life in college. I was always the tall “skinny” girl growing up and was bullied for it. I was fascinated by the idea that I could gain weight, get curvier and feel better just by working out and eating healthy. It seemed fitness in the past was always about only losing weight so proving you can do the opposite was a motivator for me. I had a friend who worked at planet fitness so I purchased a membership there. He would help me because I was terrified of the gym at first. He would teach me the basics and after that, I just fell in love with the fitness lifestyle.
JC: Did you play sports growing up and do you still play any?
RN: I was a dancer growing up. I did Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop, up until middle school. I also was in gymnastics for a short time. In high school, I was very active. I played volleyball, basketball and ran track. However, track was my main sport. I was varsity all four years and really enjoyed it. I was a sprinter and races were the absolute best time for me. Track kept me in good shape. I was in all the relays, so it was a proud moment for me growing up as well.
JC: When you first started out in the fitness world what was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
RN: My biggest challenge was the anxiety that came with it. Beginning a fitness journey can be terrifying as I previously stated it was for me. I had no idea about lifting, form or anything. I barely had muscle mass and was very shaky when I first started. I also have dealt with anxiety in general, so I felt uncomfortable being around so many people especially while not knowing what I was doing. I was not confident at first when I started going to the gym. It helped so much going to the gym with others and having people who were experienced with fitness help me. That is how I got to the point where I could go to the gym by myself and feel confident. It just shows with practice things become second nature and today I feel more confident than ever stepping into the gym.
JC: Wearing so many hats businesswoman, model and fitness coach how do you balance it all?
RN: I have always been the type of person who had a lot going on. Whether it was in high school doing sports and extracurricular activities or in college working multiple jobs and being involved socially, I just enjoy being busy. I take pride in doing multiple things that advance me while also helping others along the way. I balance these things by planning which is key. I always map out my goals, progress, and schedule weekly. It is also important for me to take it day by day to make sure I do not get too overwhelmed by all the things I have going on.
Social media can be a gift and a curse how do you manage it and get past the uglier side of it?
Social media can be tricky. I would say I am blessed enough to really not have any negativity on my platforms and with my brand. People always show me love and respect and I am so grateful for that. When people are constantly negative or lean more towards the uglier side, I simply just block them because I do not want any negativity for myself or any of my supporters and followers.
JC: How important is it to you as not just a female, but a black female to be a positive role model for young girls?
RN: This is one of the most important things to me in my life. I always strive to be a role model in everything I do. It is the best feeling ever when people tell me they look up to me and I inspire them. My main goal is to be that positive influence and role model to others. This is especially true for young girls who look like me because we don’t always have the same opportunities as others. I want to show black women that even though the odds are stacked up against us in many ways, with hard work and dedication nobody can take anything away from our dreams and goals.
JC: Who inspires and motivate you and why?
RN: Cliché answer but my mom. She is literally the epitome of the woman I want to be when I grow up. I want to be as gentle and understanding as she is. She motivates me every day to always see the best in people and to grow as an individual. She has taught me so many valuable lessons in life and she has taught me to be the strong person that I am today. She has taught me to not care about what people think and has always believed in my journey wholehearted. Somebody who inspires me in the fitness world is Whitney Simmons. She is one of my favorite fitness influencers and I have her on all social media. I follow her workouts and love the positive energy she always brings. She inspires me to be authentic and live my best life.
JC: How have your family and friends reacted to the career choice?
RN: My family and close friends are always extremely supportive of my career choices. I have always made sure my values within follow me where I go such as education, and integrity. I always make sure to tie those into my everyday life while also engaging in my own personal passions like fitness, modeling, and influencing. I would say the overall reaction from my loved ones is always positive and they motivate me to do more and be more. Everything I do within my career is to support my family and close friends because they have always supported me.
JC: For the rest of 2018 what do you have on deck?
RN: In 2018 I plan on expanding up my online business full force and expanding my clientele. I want to start organizing my own fitness programs so I can answer the questions people ask me on a more broad form and so I can start sharing my passion with the world like I want to. I also want to travel a lot more and expand my modeling career with different brands and magazines. I just plan on focusing on my overall brand and expanding every avenue.
Bonus Questions:
JC: In terms of modeling what location has left you speechless?
RN: New York City. NYC is always the most rewarding beautiful trip of my life. I have gone for modeling work, with family, and gone with friends and even for New Years. Each time it just absolutely blew me away. Doing modeling work in NYC is so much more fun than anything else I have done so far and has been some of my best work. I am so in love with the city. I do plan on living in NYC eventually because it is amazing and has always been a dream of mine to live there.
JC: You can invite 4 people to dinner dead or alive. Who is coming to dinner and why them?
RN: Michael Jackson. He is literally a legend and I love everything about him. He inspires me so much and I would love to be graced with such greatness. I have so many questions I would ask him, and he seems so genuine and sweet. He’s just an icon I would love to chat with.
Beyoncé. I would love to be able to sit down and hear how Beyoncé started her empire. She is literally so inspiring as a black woman to look up to and I love how she represents for the culture. She seems so sweet and I really look up to her in many ways.
Cardi B. She is so real and energetic. I feel like she would be an extremely fun time. I feel like she became so successful so fast just by being herself unapologetically and that inspires many people. I would love to hear her funny stories and laugh all night.
Tyra Banks. She is an inspiration, especially in the modeling world and I would love to chat with her about how she started her modeling career and hear her tips for being a black woman in the modeling industry.
JC: Before the end of this year I have to____________?
RN: Expand my online business and inspire thousands of people to live their best healthy life.
JC: What has LeBron James meant to Ohio?
RN: I feel LeBron James means the world to Ohio. I grew up in Michigan, so I have honestly never been a Cavs or LeBron fan but have more recently than ever started to respect him so much more. I feel his fans really look up to him as not just a basketball player but a positive role model for the black community and I would definitely agree with that. As much as I love GSW, I definitely respect what LeBron is doing on the court but most importantly off the court. LeBron gained my respect when I found out how active and vocal he is when it comes to civil rights and black issues. He is truly a leader and an inspiration.
Thank you Raynisha for talking with me and sharing your story. You can follow her on her social media accounts.
Twitter: @raynishanicole
Instagram: raynishanicole
Facebook.com/raynishanicole
Main: www.raynishanicole.com
With only a few weeks left in 2018 who will the last athlete be under the spotlight? Stay tuned and as always keep it locked on www.nutsandboltssports.com
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