How I embraced my ‘weird’ and rebranded my life.

As humans, we’ve turned the word 'weird' into a negative. It's become a derogatory term, and something we all avoid being labelled as. When we were children, it was always the ‘weird’ kids who got picked on; as adults, let’s face it… it’s much the same; and as humans, our need to fit-in is intrinsically linked to our primitive reflexes of survival.

Yet, when it comes to branding and marketing, ‘weird’ is wonderful. In branding, weird is what makes your business unique. In branding, we embrace weird and leverage it for all it's worth, only we don’t call it ‘weird’, we call it ‘unique’.

For businesses, being different to your competitors is exactly what attracts customers. It’s your point of difference that makes people want to buy from you. This is what's known as your Unique Selling Point, or Unique Selling Proposition, depending on how old you are. Either way, it’s known in the industry as a USP.

I've worked in Branding for over 20 years. That's two decades of telling other people to embrace their weird. Two entire decades of me explaining and extolling the virtues of leveraging a USP to make a business stand out from the crowd. And yet, never doing that in my personal life.

I'd spent my entire life feeling (and acting) like a weirdo and not knowing why. All I knew was that I didn't fit in, and I was embarrassed of being myself. Sure, I made friends, my ability to empathise and connect with people made that an easy task, but as for actually ‘fitting in’ that was never a possibility. Even in a room full of people who loved me, I was still the odd one out. Just ‘Nikki being Nikki’.

Then at the age of 41, I was unofficially diagnosed with AuDHD and my whole world changed. Whilst a lot of people find it a point of shame or failure, for me, it was a huge 'aha' moment.

Previously, professionals had suggested that I was SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and ASD (aka: Autistic), which had both fitted, but I’d never felt the need to pursue a diagnosis. This acronym, however, was different. When the psychologist told me of her suspicions, I felt it with every fibre of my being. It wasn’t something that I had ever considered, or even knew much about, yet when she said it, my whole body resonated with her words.

ADHD. I had no idea what that meant in real terms, but I knew that I had to find out.

So, I did what we ADHDers do best and I hyper-fixated on that mo-fo until I knew as much about it as my brain could possibly handle. I disappeared right down the ADHD rabbit hole and researched everything from the history; the symptoms; different treatments; case studies; the routines of high-profile ADHD'ers; and current influencers in the field.

Everything in my body told me that this was the missing piece of the Nikki puzzle.

That being the case, I agreed to do the Connors test, and low and behold, my results were consistent with ADHD. Long story short, I chose not to go down the psychiatry/medication route at that time because for me, having the test result was enough. I suddenly understood why I was the way I was and after 41 years of feeling like an outcast, I finally made sense. I wasn't just a weirdo, I was Neurodiverse… and that was my USP.

Armed with this knowledge, I was able to apply the principles that I used in Branding and suddenly, I was proud to be who I was rather than feeling embarrassed. For the first time in my life, I realised that my weirdness was actually my best trait. The part of my personality that I’d previously seen as a negative, was a positive because it was what made me different from everybody else.

So, I leant into it, and I mean, I leant right in.

I shared it all over my socials like an 'f-you' to all the people who had ever teased me and put me down for being 'less than' or 'too much'. I shouted it from the rooftops and told anyone who would listen. And, most importantly, I allowed myself just to be who I was. I entered a beauty pageant on a whim (at the prompting of some friends) and, much to my own surprise, not only ended up representing Fremantle as a National Finalist in the Ms Galaxy Australia pageant, but even winning the People’s Choice Award!

I started a Podcast, published my third book and then went on to do another pageant. This time taking out 1st Runner Up, Best in Interview and Best in Fun Fashion.  

I stopped believing all horrible things that I’d been told about myself over my lifetime, and chose to re-write those old, outdated beliefs. I stopped caring what other people thought of me and, most importantly, I stopped trying to fit-in with all the neurotypicals.

I’d finally accepted that I would never fit in, and I was okay with that, because I’d finally realised that I didn’t come here to fit in, I came here to stand out. I came here to make a difference, and to be different… just like the biggest and best brands did.

I had begun treating myself as if I was a brand, but not just any brand… an exceptional, high value brand that deserved to be seen.

So, if you’re reading this blog, and nodding your head; if you’re feeling my words in your heart, your soul, and every fibre of your being… take a step back and remember:

whatever your particular brand of ‘weird’ is, it’s not a weakness, it’s a strength and you need to share it with the world.

If you’re ready to start treating yourself like the most important brand in the world, I’ve re-worked the Principles of Branding so you can apply them to your life:

How to Apply Branding Principles to Your Personal Life:

• Discover your USP (Unique Soul Power): Just like a brand’s Unique Selling Proposition, your quirks, passions, and lived experiences are what make you unforgettable. Don’t dilute them — define them. Then own them like the main character you are.

• Curate your vibe: Strong brands don’t try to appeal to everyone; they enhance their vibe to attract the right people. Same goes for you. Be intentional about your energy, aesthetic, and the story you're telling. Let your personal style and presence speak before you even say a word.

• Stand out, don’t blend in: Great brands don’t compete by being the same, they win by being different. Stop trying to ‘fit in’ with the crowd and start amplifying what makes you different. That's your magic. That's your advantage.

• Rewrite your internal brand story: If you’ve been telling yourself the same tired narrative about being ‘too sensitive’, ‘too much’, or ‘not enough’, it’s time for a rebrand. Your inner dialogue is your brand voice — make sure it uplifts, not undermines.

• Be visible, but on your terms: High-value brands don’t hide. They show up consistently, authentically, and unapologetically. Start treating your visibility like a sacred act of self-expression. Show up in your full spectrum. Your people are out there waiting for the real you.