Meet Sasha Nicole | Founder, The Shine Side

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sasha Nicole and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sasha, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance has been a very important aspect of my life, especially over the last two years as a Master’s student, a full-time employee, and business owner. In the past I had trouble managing my priorities and boundaries, as I rarely provided myself space to decompress. I made the common mistake that most of us do, early on in my career I was eager to take on more projects and hustle, not always thinking about self-care. I am thankful for the work I have done, and experience I have but for years there was an imbalance between my work and life.

Now I think about the balance a lot differently by building goals, priorities and boundaries. I work on managing my time effectively through creating attainable goals, and tracking towards them with clear steps. I plan my day through time budgeting, and always leave space for a creative activity I enjoy like painting, or crocheting to give myself the opportunity unwind.I prioritize my day by each task, thinking about what needs to happen now and what can wait. This helps me not get overwhelmed with everything I want to accomplish. Finally, boundaries are extremely important especially while working and going to school remotely. Because my home is my space for so many different activities, I learned early on that I needed to clearly define my areas and build boundaries for myself. For example, I leave room during the day for breaks to get outside, stretch or even listen to my favorite podcast away from my computer while transitioning from work to school mode. I also never do work in areas of rest and always sit at a table to ensure I have clear physical boundaries for myself of where I conduct different parts of my day.

Of course I can fall into old habits at times, but these tactics help me to feel better about my work, keep up with all of my responsibilities in a manageable away, and also find enjoyment in each day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

In 2021 I founded The Shine Side, which provides consultant services in strategy, synergy, styling, and storytelling along with aiming to shine a light on talent from the disability community.

My mission to advocate for talent with and affected by disabilities while providing the opportunity to advance their social presence and work with brands. Additionally, the company is aimed at making a difference through educating brand partners on the importance of producing inclusive and accessible campaigns.

The process has not been easy, but I am glad that I started when I did as I have learned so much along the way. The biggest lesson I have learned is that everything does not have to be perfect, and to utilize my resources. I think in the past I may have wanted to start something but been too scared because I did not know absolutely everything. What I have found through working on The Shine Side is to have patience, and be open to learning and growing. I am the most proud of the talent I have been able to meet through this journey, it was been an honor to meet each person and hear their story.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here are some of my favorites!

Food

Breakfast:
Griddle Cafe
Alcove

Brunch/Lunch:
Casa Cordoba
Castaway
Folliero’s
Porto’s
Openaire

Dinner:
Casa Bianca
Carousel
Mamita’s
Bacari
Yamashiro

Visit/Day Activities

Los Angeles Observatory
Descanso Gardens
Cabrillo Marine aquarium
Rose Bowl Flea Market
Paradise Cove
Calamigos
Catalina Island
Beach Cycle
The Getty
Academy Museum
El Capitan

Night Out
La Descarga
Clifton’s Pacific Seas
The Comedy Store
Apotheke
The Edison
Walt’s Bar
Big Foot Lodge West
Beetle House LA
The Friend
Break Room 86
Dirty Laundry

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Over the course of my career I have had so many experiences with different managers, and colleagues who have shaped the way I conduct business today. I was fortunate that my first real jobs were for strong female leaders who taught me to always use my voice, and push for what I believed in. I have also found that a lot of my success has been due in part to support from those who believed in me, fought for me, and consistently challenged me to be better and step outside of my comfort zone. Having that mentorship gave me the drive to strive for higher goals, and also having role models who fought for their beliefs taught me so much.

Because of how grateful I am for everything I have learned thus far, I have dedicated my time to mentoring students which has been one of my greatest joys over the last few years.Through this experience I have learned the importance of humility, gratitude for where I am in my career, and the strength in supporting others and building a community.

A book that I recommend to all is Finding Your True North. This was the first book I read in my Master’s program and it changed the way I thought about my career, and life. It helped me take all of my knowledge and put it into work that aligned with my passions and purpose.

Website: TheShineSide.com

Instagram: @ontheshineside

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashanicole/