A Piece of Nicole's Story
Meet Nicole Benzio a communications student with a new blog and passion for health + fitness. Read about how she stays motivated by watching the sunrise and her future plans. To her, being bold is more than just a trait, it's being fearless and leading. Thanks for filling us up with some major inspiration!
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO RIGHT NOW?
Currently, I am in my last semester at Liberty University and I am writing my senior thesis. But, I do a MILLION things other than just school related things. I write my own blog that is still in the baby blog process. I am a personal assistant for Sarah Krycinski, who has a lifestyle blog and is currently flipping a home that is in the area. I am an Account Manager for our student run PR firm, Innovations. I do contract work for the company I interned at this summer, OneHope. I am also obsessed with fitness, friends, & my faith. It’s a lot of roles, but I love every aspect of it!
WHAT'S YOUR DAILY ROUTINE LIKE? ANY UNIQUE MORNING RITUALS?
I am a total morning person & I have been one for my whole life. Mornings are calm and peaceful because no one tries to contact you in the morning! I am a total people person, but they normally get in the way of my productivity, so, this is the time I look forward to. I always try to get ready & not rush myself. Waking up to leave extra time for doing devotions, responding to emails, or just making a nice breakfast is very important to me.
I try to keep my mornings pretty productive before I hit my “tired time” which is approximately from 3-5PM every day. So during this time, I normally plan a break in my day where I rest or I do something that I am excited about. Basically, I try not to put my hardest task of the day during this time.
Then, normally in the evening I get to the gym. This is great because normally I’m up late doing work & the endorphins really rejuvenate you! Other than that, I just try to keep everything super planned & written down or I will forget what I need to do.
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED ON A DAILY BASIS? IS THERE A PLAYLIST OR A PERSON OR A PLACE THAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
I stay motivated by finding the things that make me feel great & I do those things! It sounds so simple, but many people can’t tap into their own positivity. For example, I love the sunrise. I try to wake up every morning just to see a glimpse of the sunrise in order to keep me going. Like I mentioned earlier, I love the mornings. So giving myself that time in the morning to relax or to spend time with myself is really important. I also love to watch YouTube vloggers. I few of my favorites are Aspyn & Parker, Christian Guzman, Casey Holmes, & Emily Hayden. These people are all motivational & positive influences in my life.
I also feel motivated by writing things down. It is a way to make my thoughts a reality & to stay on top of things. The more things I write down, the less I forget. And the more things I write down, the more things I can cross off as I complete them! Different things motivate every person, but every person needs to learn the magic of writing their goals and tasks down.
SO YOU HAVE A BLOG, TELL US HOW THAT STARTED AND WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE IN THE NEAR (OR FAR) FUTURE!?
So many people have always told me that I should have a blog or have asked if I have a blog. I have always loved talking to people and teaching people about what I love. I also love social media & marketing. My blog is a work in progress. I have such a vision for what I want it to be, but I do not have the time to execute that right now, which makes me sad! I am really trying to just consistently take strides to make it better.
As far as the future goes, I would LOVE to develop my blog even further & use my platform to help people build their own personal brands. It is amazing to see how people can use their personal platforms to create a life for themselves.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FOUR PERSONALITY TRAITS AND WHY?
BOLD- Boldness is about being fearless and strong. I strive to be bold every day (I even keep a sign in my bathroom to remind myself to).
LOYAL- Since I was young, I have valued loyalty. I never liked people who were flaky or irresponsible with their relationships. Loyalty is so important to me because it makes me feel assured & valued.
CREATIVE- Even though I was very good at math, I thrive in creative environments. This is probably why I am a communications major because I love to think of new ideas & plan how to execute them.
SASSY- Sass is a language I speak very fluently (Sometimes too fluently). But to me, sass is a sense of humor. It’s good to know that there is a time for sass and a time to hold back.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS IN LYNCHBURG WORTH MENTIONING (THINK RESTAURANTS, BARS, CAFES, MUSEUMS)?
If you ask anyone, the best thing about Lynchburg is the mountains and the sunsets. Almost every night, there is a breathtaking sunset. As far as eating goes, Millie’s Café has the best acai bowls and they are located only a block away from my apartment. Rivermont has the best pizza (the Malachi is my personal fave because pineapple on anything is amazing). We also love going to Locked Up Lynchburg, which is an escape room (also located a block away from my apartment). This is such a fun thing to do with your friends to add a little competition. Lynchburg is starting to grow even more than ever and it has gained a few new cool restaurants that I still need to go try!
WHAT DOES YOUR HEALTH ROUTINE LOOK LIKE AND WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
I exercise 5-6 times every week. It may seem like a lot, but I love it. Some workouts are a lot more intense than others. But, I try to get my blood moving at least once a day. My workouts are focused around cross training. I do something different every time that I am in the gym and I love pushing myself to do different exercises. I try to stay away from just the stationary weight machines. I may incorporate them sometimes, but they do not require much athletic ability. I try to focus on movements that build strength and require balance. For example, I have been in love with TRX bands lately! You can get a full body tone with just one piece of equipment! My friends and I also started taking a bootcamp class that kicks our butts!
Overall, my goal is to just be strong. Working out helps you to become strong both mentally & physically. I want to be able to tell myself that I can do anything, even if it’s hard. I recently started virtually training my sister and brother-in-law. This is a new endeavor that I have loved doing because I made it a goal of mine to help inspire others to get motivated with their lifestyle.
HOW DOES YOUR BOLD AND SASSY PERSONALITY COME THROUGH ON YOUR BLOG, OR IN YOUR LIFE?
The word “bold” embodies everything that I want to be. Jesus was bold. He did not just follow everyone else. He knew he was created differently and he embraced it. I know I was uniquely created and I try my hardest to stay true to that. Being bold is about leadership and understanding the difficulty that lies within thinking for you. As far as my blog goes, I think my bold & sassy personality entices people to read what I’m writing. I like being who I am without ever looking back. Being bold and sassy is a part of me that can sometimes be a great thing, but it can sometimes be my downfall. I try to be very careful to not be too negative or stubborn.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLE? (BESIDES BLOGGING) ANY INTERESTING, UNIQUE HOBBIES?
Crafting has been a part of my life since I came out of the womb. I was always doodling or taping things together. I love to create and make things beautiful. I have been getting into painting again since my boyfriend bought me some watercolors for Valentine’s Day!
I also listen to a lot of podcasts and watch a lot of YouTube. I love to hear people talk and to learn from them about all different things. Whether it is a TedTalk or a grocery haul, hearing how people process information for themselves is fascinating for me & definitely stretches my creativity.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF? WHAT ABOUT YOUR FUTURE SELF?
I would tell my younger self two things. First, stop buying things. I have spent too much money on things that I do not even need. I wish I had saved or put that money into more valuable possessions. Second, you don’t always know what you want. I am someone who likes to know everything and be in control. I thought that I knew a lot of things that I wanted in life, but God has shown me countless times that I do not know what is best for me, but that he does!
Check out more from Nicole below!
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | nicole.joy.benzio@gmail.com