More than me

Nichole Mischke was a reporter and web/social media producer for KHQ, in Spokane, WA. Her passion is to tell other people’s incredible stories. She has seen first hand the power of sharing her own story and how it has freed her from the shackles of shame and has been one of the most healing and liberating experiences of her life. She is now working to build a business as a photographer and entrepreneur, while diving into a passion project which is to live a life to inspire while sharing stories of shame in other people’s lives so that other women and men can experience the freedom that comes with imperfection.

what Nichole can offer you

Storytelling:

With my broadcasting background, I am a storyteller at heart. If you have a story that you feel should be told, please contact me.

Photography Services:

• Weddings
• Engagement Sessions
• Professional Headshots
• Lifestyle & Social Media Branding Photos
• Family Photos
• Senior Photos
• Maternity & Infant Photos
• Event Photography

about nichole

Where are you from?

I grew up near Portland, Oregon, moving around to various cities within Washington County including Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Banks and Beaverton. I moved to Spokane, WA to attend Gonzaga University and now live there with my husband and two kids.

In one sentence, what is your business?

I recently left a job on a morning television news show to pursue a career in photography while also diving into a passion project which is to share stories of shame, whatever that looks like in a person’s life.

What was the greatest advice you have received?

“Promise me that you will share your pain. Share your pain because if you don’t it will grow and it will fester and it will become something nasty inside you.” – Leon Logothetis

What have you found as the greatest challenge as a woman navigating all the roles we play?

Oh my goodness! How can I pick just one?! I will answer this question with the challenge I’m currently battling in this phase of life: Finding Balance! I don’t think we ever truly achieve a balanced life but I think it’s something we can always work towards as we continually examine what our priorities are and should be. Leaving a job with a guaranteed paycheck to try and make a living from home was one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made, yet for some reason, the way it was all supposed to work out in my head is that by being home, I would finally have a balanced life where everything was manageable (I know… you’re already laughing). The conversation happening in my head was basically this: “This will be amazing! I will wake up early, start each day in meditation and prayer, head to the gym as soon as the kids are in school and my house is going to be so much cleaner!” I’ve since realize this was a fantasy… my life is so far ordered and routine but I try to focus on the areas I can improve, remembering that a stressed life is not our best life.

Who is your favorite female superstar?

I LOVE Oprah! I grew up watching her show and I really admire her story and how she got to where she is today. To me, she is the perfect example that you can achieve any goal for yourself (even if it feels like all the cards are stacked against you) if you simply work hard and don’t take “no” for an answer. She is also the first person I ever heard preach the importance and practice of living a life of gratitude, which I believe is one of the greatest cornerstones to achieving your greatest dreams.

What is something about you that most would not know?

I was the super awkward reporter who interviewed Flossie Dickey during the longest 3 minutes of my life. (If that doesn’t make sense to you, you can just Google “Flossie Dickey”)

What is your superpower?

Making friends with strangers and being blessed when those strangers feel like they can open up and share their heart with me and then being even more blessed when those stranger become friends.

When you’re feeling down or low on motivation what have you found that helps you get back up?

Listening to inspiring podcasts, YouTube videos or audiobooks. I’ve realized even in our loneliest moments, we’re really not as alone as we think we are. There are countless other women out there feeling the exact same way, dealing with the same struggle, and so many women who have been right where you are, but made it through. Listening to the stories and lessons learned from women who have been there really helps me.

Share with us your greatest accomplishment or achievement?

Well, this may not really sound like an accomplishment, but the first thing that comes to mind is deciding to quit my job in television news so I could focus on my family, hopefully make money with photography and use my story of struggling with bulimia to help other people be set free from the shame that holds them back in their lives. Leaving that job was one of the scariest decisions I have ever made. Yes, I was walking away from a paycheck, but if I’m being honest, I think the greater pull to stay was that I was walking away from a job that made me look successful to the people in my community. It can be so tempting to stay in a position where people instantly respect you because of what you do. However, I knew in my heart it was a dangerous thing to let my identity be attached to a job title and I also knew God was asking me to step out in faith, even though I didn’t really know what my new path would look like. My decision to listen to my heart has proven two things to me: 1.) Always listen to your heart! If you have a little voice that’s been telling you to do something, no matter how crazy it may sound, listen to that voice because I truly believe that voice is God breathed and it’s the voice that’s desperately trying to set you on the path of a purpose driven life. 2.) Opportunities are everywhere and as long as you have the will, there will always be a way. I continue to be amazed at home many new opportunities I have and continue to be presented with simply because I allowed myself to be open to them. When I quit my job, I didn’t have all the answers, I didn’t know how I was going to successfully make an income, but the path I’m allowing myself to walk along has already been greater than I ever could have imagined.

How do you deal with your worst critic, yourself?

Oh isn’t this a great question! I for one have definitely struggled with severe low self-esteem and body image issues. I don’t know if this will make sense to everyone, but what has helped me overcome self-doubt is realizing that it’s not all about me. That’s what I love so much about this community Tiffany Smiley has started… our lives are meant to be greater than ourselves… more than me. We don’t have to have all the answers and we most certainly will never be perfect, we just have to be willing to step out and say “Yes” to whatever path our heart is telling us to take. I overcame my eating disorder once I finally realized that the purpose of my life was not supposed to be trying to achieve a perfect body. I have been able to overcome my fear of failure by taking the pressure off myself, realizing I will never be in control, no matter how hard I try to be. It is so much easier to go through life thinking of yourself as one of God’s vessels, put here on earth to accomplish the mission he has placed in your heart, instead of thinking of yourself as the captain of the ship, who all the blame will fall on if you don’t reach your destination. If we can just be willing to listen to that little voice in our hearts and say “yes” to it, that’s all we have to do, God will work out the rest and let me just say I promise you, amazing things will happen if you take that step of faith.

Favorite quote or verse?

“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice. Your mind. Your story. Your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” – Neil Gaiman

How can you help More Than Me readers?

I’m really just here to humbly share my pain, shame and struggle in hopes that other women will realize they are not so alone. We are living in a world where the pressure to be perfect just seems to grow greater with every generation. We scroll through the highlight reels of our virtual friend’s lives and if we’re not careful, only knowing and seeing the perfect can cause us all to feel deeply inadequate and unworthy. My biggest message to the women of today is that your battles and your shame do not disqualify you from ANYTHING. They actually make you more qualified because we are living in a world where people are desperate for the REAL. I challenge everyone to get in touch with your story and then share it, not as a victim, but as a victory, because your story has the power to not only heal you, but to heal everyone who hears it as well. Your story will give others permission to share theirs too. What a beautiful thing it will be when the women of today can stand together, no longer hiding our imperfections, but shining through them.