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

Hi Nina, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I used to believe in risk, it actually controlled a lot about how I acted and what I would do. Once I started asking questions I found out that risk is entirely made up. We create false walls for ourselves that tell us limits as to what we can and should do. One of the biggest things about stepping out and being an entrepreneur is that I learned to walk into the fire, the only risk is never having the chance to learn. I get to create my story and if I let someone else tell me my story I wouldn’t survive as a company. By never stopping and by continuing to stay in my passion there doesn’t exist risk that I can’t walk through.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One thing I can say for certain, I did not come here to lead a mediocre and easy life. What I did come here to do was challenge the norm of what art and beauty are. Art is subjective and beauty is perception and by that I mean that there is no one definition for either of those topics. Working in the hair industry I learned that the true art was understanding the soul of the person in your chair and to have genuine connection. I don’t create to solely appease the eyes and how someone sees themselves, I tap into the connection of their true self so that mirrors the outside self. We don’t want to be told, we want to experience and all art is is about having and grasping a visceral experience. I honestly did not do a lot of media for my brand, I wanted people to connect because they connected. I created a line, a beautiful, simple, and creative line of beauty products in my kitchen that are safe enough from birth to those with complicated immune systems to be used head to toe. No other line touts a whole line where every product is below 10 ingredients and safe for premature babies and for those going through chemotherapy. What the world doesn’t see is that beauty isn’t when we feel our best, beauty is also when we feel small or compromised, when we are told that we don’t fit in. I speak up for those that don’t have that voice to remind them that beauty can be simple because that soul that exists on the inside hasn’t ever changed even though the outside might.

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?
I love nature and I love being close to a river. In Austin we have many natural preserves that have trailheads that are close to the center of the city. I would take them meandering down the trails of the Green Belt and to sit along the banks of Bull Creek. Other than that I’m not a planner because I live life in the moment and rely 100% on intuition. I could give all of the “hot” spots but that doesn’t count for really experiencing and traveling the city. I also want to be on an adventure so I purposefully get lost to find the hidden gems.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Undoubtedly, Chelle Neff, the founder of Urban Betty has been a friend and one of the best mentors I could ever ask for. I had been through enough hardship before coming to work for her over a decade ago and she had the determination and drive that taught me how to focus on myself and my goals.

Website: Www.ONLYbyNina.com
Instagram: @onlybyninafitzgerald
Facebook: ONLY by Nina Fitzgerald

Image Credits
Vanessa Cerday Photography Tina Russel Photography