Niki Middleton - Actor-Model-Spokeswoman-Entrepreneur-Indigenous

Unknown: 0:04

You're listening to fascinating women with Mark Laurie. And now, Mark Laurie.

Mark Laurie: 0:09

Hello, everyone. This is Mark Laurie here from fascinating women. Now normally, as you know, I usually have women in front of a camera taking awesome photographs of them. But we have such great stories that I thought it'd be doing podcasts and you hear some of the women's stories and today I've got Niki Middleton Hello, Niki. Hi. Niki has been, has been with me for a long time we've been doing on how far back it goes. She's an amazing model to work with fearless. But she's also a whole bunch of stuff. So we thought we'd introduce you to Niki's story for give us a little bit of background just really for like.

Niki Middleton: 0:41

Gosh, a short background background. Um, I have about six careers. So let's see modeling for 16 years runway modeling for 14 years internationally I should say and award winning, acting purport teen years Brand Ambassador 16 years security officer and search and rescue for five years. And I'm an organic coffee connoisseur. So distributor. And

Mark Laurie: 1:07

And you're one of the most focused people I've what else? Oh, a world championship bodybuilder competitor and bikini. Which I didn't start till my late 30s. That was let's say 14 years ago, 10 years ago. I don't know they all mix together. So a little bit of everything athlete model, fitness model you name and the whole mix of it. Yeah, I get bored. So what else don't I challenge. ever met. So what three beliefs guide you

Niki Middleton: 1:42

the same as my tattoo that I'm indigenous. So that's why there's a father, I don't know if you can see that. Live Love left. Okay, I'm left as in bodybuilding because I live and breathe it. And it's good for mental and physical health. And I like to live life to its fullest. So live love Lift, lift others. So I would say those are my three.

Mark Laurie: 2:07

Of course, is great. Have you come across those like those that some of that you've that you've spent some time thinking about if you make a tattoo with them?

Niki Middleton: 2:16

Well, the lifting is the bodybuilding. So you've always did the lifting. I don't know it just came to me one day. And it's funny because I never, ever wanted to get a tattoo was never my thing. And a friend of mine passed away who was a tattoo artist. And a few months after that the live love lift just kind of came to me I'm I'm spiritual. And we used his tattoo gun to get it done. So it had to really truly mean something to me. And it just seemed like the right time to do it. So I don't know, it's always just I think it's always been my mantra. I just never thought about it. And I think things come to you when they're supposed to. So it just happened at that time when it was supposed to happen.

Mark Laurie: 3:08

That's true for a lot of people who inspires you.

Niki Middleton: 3:11

Who inspires me? I hate that question. Because people want you to say, Oh, my mom, and both my mom's had passed, or they want you to see some hero or Spider Man, which is my husband. Who inspires me? I would I don't know if it's who, life inspires me. Challenges inspire me. I don't wake up and think one set thing inspires me or one set person. I inspire myself. And I don't mean that in an arrogant way. But I'm the one who, at the end of the day, I have a great support system. But I'm the one who asked to brush myself off and pick myself up and carry on. So I would say life and myself.

Mark Laurie: 4:07

So you mentioned picking yourself up have you had many big failures?

Niki Middleton: 4:12

I've had many challenges from the time I was three years old and lived in the back of a car with my mother to my dad's parents, taking me and raising me to losing my mom, my dad and my grandparents to death to kidney surgery that went wrong years ago and left a nine inch scar to a broken thumb recently with a new security job. There there's always challenges it I never have. I guess what bothers me is a lot of people will be like the look at my huge success and my many fan base and they'll say, Oh, you're really lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it. I've had many challenges, and I've never had anything handed to me. I mean, I grew up in school being the nerd that just kind of blended into the woodwork went into corporate life and being female and, and having a hard time because it was a boys clubs. So as a female, you have to prove yourself more. I went into modeling in my late 30s. So you got to push more, because it's supposed to be a younger person's job. So it's always been a challenge. I've never had anything come easy to me. And I would never call it a while I'm lucky. I feel grateful that I wake up in the morning, I feel grateful for the people around me that support me. I feel grateful for health. I feel grateful for the life that I make and the challenges that come my way. But I wouldn't call it luck that really, it's one of my pet peeves.

Mark Laurie: 6:10

I appreciate that. So I noticed you don't refer stuff as a failure. But the challenge that's a perception. Try and how you twist things around. Would that be correst?

Niki Middleton: 6:21

Definitely. Yeah, it's not that I twist things around. It's how I look at life. And I always have looked at light, and that my grandparents always looked at life that way, they came from nothing. And were successful because they worked hard. And so I've always looked at life that way.

Mark Laurie: 6:46

How you define success then?

Niki Middleton: 6:49

I would say success is whatever you feel success is. It comes down to judging yourself. My idea of success isn't going to be the same as your idea of success.

Mark Laurie: 7:03

What's your what is your idea of success?

Niki Middleton: 7:05

My idea of success is that I'm doing what I enjoy. I'm breaking the challenges. I'm breaking barriers, I'm paying my bills. Success like I would say, health and wellness and financial stability are my ideas of succes.

Mark Laurie: 7:30

Since we met them up yourself. We made sure that you had two moms how was that?

Niki Middleton: 7:36

Because my my mother gave birth to me and my grandmother raised me so my dad's parents raised me I have more family on the other side than they do on Earth. I've had a lot of loss in my life.

Mark Laurie: 7:54

Did your grandparents give you your drive? Like your your approach was that something always had inside?

Niki Middleton: 8:01

I think that you're born a certain way I think genetics have something to do with it. But it has to do with it used to bother me that I grew up in school and be the outcast and bullied and then I realized that that actually made me a stronger person now and it's made me a kinder person. I think that if I hadn't been popular and everything handed to me I might not be the kind good person that I am now because I approach everything with kindness um strength kindness and strength go together to me a lot of people think go up your kind than your weak no kindness is a strength and my grandmother was a very strong woman because she came from nothing and she never had the added she was she grew up a tomboy so she never had that attitude that women were we can should stay in the kitchen and excetera she had the old fashioned values as and be kind treat others while those what we consider old fashioned values. But she didn't have a frame of mind that women have to stay at home and manner the strong people she was like if you want to do it, do it brush yourself off carry on Don't Don't cry about it. Do something about it. So yeah, definitely that molded me for sure.

Mark Laurie: 9:34

So I gave you and so the the bullying in your in your grandmother gave you the steel sub iron, so to speak that. Yeah, the thing that you could break windows and ceilings, I suppose is a better appropriate term. Yeah, go through them for sure.

Niki Middleton: 9:48

I never had the victim mentality.

Mark Laurie: 9:52

Was that a choice or that just you just sort of stepped into that realizing it

Niki Middleton: 10:02

Little both, I always chose to, like I said, dust myself off and carry on. So I mean, I was mentally abused, physically abused, I survived a mentally abusive marriage. I'm a survivor. I've never been a victim because the victim mentality isn't going to get me anywhere. I've never hid behind anything. Sometimes I have to be reminded about certain limitations I have, and then I decide that's not a limitation. If I want to make it a limitation, I have anxiety disorder, you'd never know it. I've never hidden behind it. I've always just found a way around it.

Mark Laurie: 10:52

How did you deal with it? Like, what? How did you discover first of all that you had the anxiety? And then once you discover, okay, this is what's shaping so my perspective of the world? How did you sidestep it, I guess.

Niki Middleton: 11:04

Cuz back in the day, when you're bullied and you're the misfit kid, you discover a pot. So I was the pothead. So you discovered the soft drugs to hide away from things. And then early 20s, I'm like, I think I'm having a heart attack. And we realized that the marijuana was actually doing the opposite of because now I mean, people are open with the gummies, etc, etc. It relaxes them. It does the opposite to me, it stresses me right out, and I'm gonna have a heart attack, which didn't shock me because I've always been that person where family's like, well, that's Nikki, you know, I've always been the one that Oh, of course, it's gonna be the opposite for me jockeying right. Just the way it's always been. I've always done things differently and drove teachers nuts, but because they're like, this is the way you have to get to the solution. And I would find another way to get the same solution. And that's what I've done in life forever. I'm like, Okay, well, this is an issue. Am I going to let it stop me? Or am I going to figure a way around it? So they, I mean, back in the day, they didn't know a lot about things like anxiety disorder, they didn't know much about fibroids, long your uterus, which I have, and things like that. And back in those days, too, oh, you can't be a model, you have a nine inch scar around your waist. And now it's like, well, who? Who are they? Who are they to say I can't do this? Why? Why can't I do this? Right? So yeah, I just that's where it started, as I realized, oh, every time I smoke the pot to calm down, it's doing the opposite. And then that's when we discovered what anxiety disorder was.

Mark Laurie: 12:57

Okay. So you discovered your anxiety, this or that? How did you with that knowledge overcome it? So yeah, so it has become a limit to your life.

Niki Middleton: 13:05

I was always a reader. And I was always one who liked to look into things and discover things and get around things and figure out well, what can I do? So then I discovered Oh, okay, yoga helps, but not really my thing. And I also smoke cigarettes. So that helped. But then I just discovered health and wellness. Oh, look, that working out really helps and, and de stresses me and started learning more about myself. What are the things that I can I never like to say? What do I need to fix about myself? What do I need to work on to become better? Because none of us are perfect. So I just started working on things what what are my interests? What can I do? Reading helps breath exercises. Oh, that really helps. And just went from there. And again, it helped that I've never had the victim mentality.

Mark Laurie: 14:07

if there's something that you believe in that most people don't agree with you on.

Niki Middleton: 14:13

I believe that there's such things as empaths and psychics because I've discovered I've I've hidden away from it for many years, because back in the day, okay, you're mentally ill. Now we're in this new era. We're really lucky where people are more open to things. If, even 1015 years ago if you said oh, I'm an empath. I'm psychic people will be like, oh, yeah, okay, you're crazy. Now, people are more open to things like that. So you don't have to hide and you can be who you want to be. So I'm definitely open to ghosts and things like that because I've experienced those things firsthand. And I know I'm not mentally ill. So Got all the voices say I'm fine.

Mark Laurie: 15:05

Well, as long as they agree with you, you're all good. You're all good.

Niki Middleton: 15:09

And I and I, it took me many years to realize, I think that's the thing when you get older and you become more mature and more comfortable with who you are and discovering who you are, it doesn't matter what other people think, the people that love me, and the person me that loves myself, I'm good with who I am. And that's all that matters.

Mark Laurie: 15:29

How do you utilize your empathy that? You said? Yeah, the empathic power, your psyche power? How does that? How do you use that?

Niki Middleton: 15:38

It works really well, in a lot of the different jobs I do. Because I can relate to people more I can pick up on their their, I can emphasize at the pet size can't talk to begin with how they're feeling, how they're feeling emotionally, even if they don't quite realize it. So makes you a bit of a chameleon, for lack of better words, there. There's not that many people I can't connect with or get along with. So if I meet with someone who's more high energy than them more high energy with them, if they're lower energy, and kind of more calm, I can go that way as well. And I'm still staying true to myself, I just have many different features of my personality.

Mark Laurie: 16:34

What's the best advice you've received?

Niki Middleton: 16:40

The best advice I've received. Don't know, that's a good one. I think just be yourself.

Mark Laurie: 17:09

Be true to who you are.

Niki Middleton: 17:10

It's small, but it's large. There's lots of good advice out there appear open to it. So it's hard to choose.

Mark Laurie: 17:22

What because you're involved in so many things and working on stages, and so on. Of all those things which one has given you or what moment gave you the biggest adrenaline rush where you just walked away and go, that was the peak of my excitement.

Niki Middleton: 17:35

I always find it interesting. People always ask me this question. And they're expecting one set, or they'll say, what you enjoy more acting or modeling? And they're expecting that? The answer is, I don't have an answer for that. Because I'm not an adrenaline junkie. I just like every day to me. I guess one of the best things than the last few years I've learned is don't think about an hour from now a month from now a week from now a year from now live in that moment. So once that's accomplished, I'm already on to the next thing. I'm like, Well, what's going to happen tomorrow. So I don't have that set. Oh, when I got this award or when I did this. I mean, there's big moments, but I have that bucket list. Like my last bucket list was that. Models have certain bucket lists where they want a billboard. So then when I got the billboard, I was excited. But now I'm on to the next thing.

Mark Laurie: 18:47

What's the next thing?

Niki Middleton: 18:48

I don't know yet it hasn't happened yet. You don't know. And I like living like that. Because I mean, I do have things that are bucket lists and things that I put on my list. But I don't have that it has to be this. I have a few things where I'm like, Okay, well, I've done London, Milan. I've done all the Fashion Week's Paris is next. And I knew in the last few years, okay, Paris needs to be on there. And then I wait for that moment, and this year is going to be Paris. But I don't have that. Okay, I got that. Now on to the next thing. It's not an adrenaline junkie thing. I do have goals that I want to set. And here's the other thing. There's no time limit when it comes to acting and modeling. There's no age limit, so I have lots of goals to hit. And sometimes they just pop up. Like after this interview. I could go home and get an email or a phone call and something bigs come up that maybe I subconsciously thought about or I wanted but wasn't sure when that would happen.

Mark Laurie: 20:00

If you write your bucket list ideas down and just kind of hold it in your head,

Niki Middleton: 20:02

I just hold them in my head. Because sometimes a bucket list is something that you didn't realize was a bucket list. You're like, Oh, I wonder, like, no part of me ever wanted to be on a reality TV show. And it popped up. And I'm like, I'll give it a try. And people are like, well, there's 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of people all over the world applying, why would you bother? And that's what sets me apart from other people. I've always been never afraid to try. Because people be like, I don't know if I should ask. And I'm like, Well, if you don't ask how do you know, the worst case scenario is you get a no. Oh, well, what did you lose? But people don't seem to think that. So there was over 700,000 people that applied for this reality show, and 23 spots, and I was one of the 23 spots. But there wasn't one person I knew who thought oh, okay, you're gonna get down if you have a car, Niki you, but and I'm thinking do we know me by now? And if the if it didn't happen, oh, well, what did I lose? I lost a few minutes applying Oh, no.

Mark Laurie: 21:19

What was the experience like?

Niki Middleton: 21:22

It had, it's not what I thought it was going to be. So but it was it was interesting. I'm an actor. I'm a model. I'm not a reality TV show type person. But I also like to try things and see what you think. Just like when I did theater, I enjoyed it. But I'm not a theatre person. But how do you know? You don't know. I guess here's another mantra. You don't know what you don't know. And I say that all the time. It seems cheesy, but it's true. Yeah, it was a good experience. I got to fly to South Africa. I got to meet some people that it was good timing, because AJ McLean is the host and they're coming back with a vengeance Backstreet Boys. And I met a few people that it's a friendship for life. So there you go, I already won, because I was chosen to try it. And I've made some lifelong friends. So it's pretty much a winner with spirits that you have their Oh, I not afraid of water. But I don't enjoy water. Water Slides, or I'd rather poke my eyes out the waters. So of course, let's face our fears and go down the longest waterslide knot you've ever seen. Yay. Yeah, it was so terrifying. Which is funny, because I'm a strong person. It was so terrifying that at the end, I couldn't even stand up for a few minutes, because my legs were full jello. So that was that was pretty crazy. And seeing South Africa because it's never been on my bucket list. But it was definitely amazing to go see South Africa who wants to say no to that. So. So that was an experience right there.

Mark Laurie: 23:17

Africa, was there, because most people have some preconceived ideas of what it's like, or what they're going to see was any surprises of what you encountered there?

Niki Middleton: 23:25

No, because we are in a resort. And my bucket list all this sudden, on the way was, well, I want a safari. I don't care what else happens. I'm gonna do a safari and I got my Safari. So, um, there wasn't any surprises because again, I'm not one that does pre I don't preconceived things. I'm, I'm rarely. I'm my own personal. Take a long time to peel the layers. But I am not a CI preconceived type person. I'm like, Okay, well, let's see what we get when we get there. Let's do this. I'm not like okay, well, this is what I'm thinking. I'm like, let's go there and see what happens and see what it's all about.

Mark Laurie: 24:12

Those two lines of thought there's the go with the flow, which is what you do, and I mostly do. And then there's the detail planning Do you ever felt going with the flow, you miss some of some things because they would take a bit of planning.

Niki Middleton: 24:30

No, because I mix it together. Yeah, like I went with the flow with that. But the one definite plan was Nikki's going to do it somehow. And there's no ifs ands about it. I'm doing a safari before I leave South Africa. So it went exactly how I planned it is good and over platings too much for me because my husband, his family will plan a vacation so much that you You actually get, I'm surprised I didn't get a pie chart. They they actually send you an Excel spreadsheet wrote this set times everything. And then when I get back home, I feel like I need a vacation from the vacation scheduling. Generally what I do is mostly work vacations, okay, I'm going for this photo shoot, or when this filming or whatever, we're doing odd a couple extra days. And I'll do a Google search. Because I mean, Google is great. It'll tell you all the things you can do somewhere. And I'll be like, Okay, these are the few things I definitely want to do. And then whatever happens, otherwise happens, and it'll be fun. So then I'll have a plan of say the five definite things I want to do, and then be tweaked. But I don't have a set time. Okay, I have three days. These are the six things I want to do. In the meantime, when I get there, if I run into something cool, I'll check it out. So I kinda like the happy medium.

Mark Laurie: 26:02

You have a game plan, and then you've got opportunities for spontaneity.

Niki Middleton: 26:08

Exactly. And that's kind of that's how I live my life. I have a game plan I'm not like whoo, world bring it on. But I'm not like oh, let's lay I'm not happy medium for sure. But I was like that as a kid even.

Mark Laurie: 26:23

So you're doing body weightlifting competitions.

Niki Middleton: 26:26

Yeah, I'm a world championship bikini competitor.

Mark Laurie: 26:30

Does that see bikini competitor, but there's a weightlifting? That's two separate things.

Niki Middleton: 26:34

No, that's a division within the bodybuilding.

Mark Laurie: 26:37

So within bodybuilding,here, bikini specialist are correct. Correct. Okay. Okay. And how'd you pick that?

Niki Middleton: 26:45

I quit smoking, and was driving myself nuts. Okay. So I'm like, Well, let's try the gym. Oh, I like that. Then it turned into, Oh, okay. Now I'd learned the gym. I'm going to become a trainer. Oh, what's this bodybuilding about? Oh, I really enjoy that, oh, why not compete in my mid 30s. The worst that happens is I don't win, oh, well, right, and then just move from there.

Mark Laurie: 27:14

So you have to be very disciplined to get into that. That's shaping the booth. So if you're the bikini stage, that's where shaping your body then the strength is that correct?

Niki Middleton: 27:22

I to bodybuilding and strength training are two different things. Most people do bodybuilding because they want to look a certain way. I did bodybuilding and strength training. I look as strong as I actually am. So I do both. And the bodybuilding is all about health and fitness. So I'm quite stringent to both my meal plans and etcetera. But that's helped me in all my other careers. Because if you're not mentally and physically healthy, it causes an issue with everything that you do. So I'm disciplined about my sleep, my eating etcetera. And it keeps you which helps with my anxiety disorder, because I don't have a bunch of sugars in my system, etc, etc. It all ties together, and we're not getting any younger. That is true. That's one health and fitness adds years to your life. It doesn't take away years to land,

Mark Laurie: 28:22

You're indigenous, how's that work for you or against you? Or is it has it been kind of a routine darker society has changed quite a bit over the last number of years. It's got a long ways to go. But how's that? How's that worked into your personality into your objectives?

Niki Middleton: 28:36

It's a loaded question. It's given me many opportunities because I'm indigenous, which of course I enjoy because it's helped the community. And it's given me opportunities because I'm indigenous, which I'm not thrilled about either. Because I we should be accepting of everybody and I I really worry about this whole breaking people apart, like be proud of who you are, but sometimes it goes too far. So I don't ever want to see okay, only Asian, this only Caucasian, this only indigenous this. And sometimes that becomes a problem. And but so I'm not sure what to say. I mean, I don't, I'm not going to shy away from getting something. I'm not this perfect person who's going to shy away of getting something because of my heritage. Of course, I'm gonna take that opportunity, but in another way, is that really fair? I don't. It's that's a big long conversation for another day. Yeah, so I'm both ways with that one. It's, it's fair and it and it helps the community. And I'm proud to do that. But on the other hand, I feel like maybe it divides people.

Mark Laurie: 30:16

So I find boxes when people get labels, they're, they're easily boxed in when you're in the box, you're easily manipulated by, by bigger groups. Whereas if you're out of that, and think, Well, I am who I am.

Niki Middleton: 30:32

I'm a very I am, who I am. So that's a hard one. And sometimes you'll wonder, did I get the job because of being a minority? Or did I get the job which because of who I am, especially on the corporate side of things, because they have to fill in the boxes? I'm female and indigenous? Did I get the job because I'm the best candidate? Or did I fill in that box? So we need more female, indigenous, so that corporate is happy that we've filled in that box? And I'll never know, right?

Mark Laurie: 31:07

So the times when you suspect you probably got it? Or do you have an edge? Because you're indigenous? Or because you're female? How'd you feel about that?

Unknown: 31:18

The problem is, you never know. When I know I have an edge because of indigenous, then I'm picky about what jobs I do. Because I want to do it for the right reason that I am that I'm representing something important and actually helping compared to okay, I can do this, because I'm indigenous.

Mark Laurie: 31:47

So yeah, so you're saying that what I understand is a few if you take a role on that, either there because you're indigenous or because you're a woman, you recognize that's the mantle you're wearing and alter a bit how you do things. Not a whole bunch, because you're you who you are.

Unknown: 32:04

I don't think I've been able to be altered since oh, five, but

Mark Laurie: 32:10

You must been a very interesting child.

Unknown: 32:11

I would I, I would, I think without saying it, I was always that kid who was like, I'll take that under consideration. And I'll get back to you on that. And then Nikki would do it. My friend she used to say, Oh, she's just doing it the Niki way.

Mark Laurie: 32:28

I didn't consider my my dad had that he did try to to give me guidelines or rules. So if you do that this is going to happen, right? And then dad told me, We never got the idea that you were that you were not going to do it. Because that was always like, you'll take into consideration that. And then if someone decided your head math that doing it was worth the consequences. You do it? Yeah. We never knew what was gonna happen.

Unknown: 32:51

Yeah I was never like, oh, let's break the rules. I was never in my head. It was just, it's illogical to me. Does that make sense to me? Is that something I really should be doing?

Mark Laurie: 33:05

So yeah, we've under consideration

Niki Middleton: 33:07

and the Niki way.

Mark Laurie: 33:10

That must become a banner I find once you start carving your way out, and people recognize that they tend to reinforce your approach. That sounds about right.

Niki Middleton: 33:19

It's true. Well, because I've always done things unique. I mean, when I started my social media, I mean, you see how it is now. I always started with transparent and who you see on social medias who you see in real life. And I never went against that even if agents are like, oh, you should do this, or you should. I mean, if photos are posted that are professional, of course, they're gonna do what they're gonna do to it, whatever edits, but my stuff personally, when I post on there, I'm not an I'm not a filter girl. I'm not an edit girl, what you see is what you get. And I stuck to that 16 years ago, and it's worked for me. Whereas from the start of getting into the industry to now even people are always trying to get me to change that, oh, that's not going to work for you. Well, I'm at 70,000 pounds internationally. And I host a TV show that 3.4 million fan base, and they seem to be okay with the way I'm doing my social media. So I think I'll stick to that. Or I'll take that under consideration. You'll find people whether you work in the corporate world, which I worked in for many, many years, or the entertainment world, you'll always have people trying to change you or who know better. And I'm not saying that people don't always know better. I mean, my acting agent knows better than I do when it comes to things like that. But ultimately, if you don't stay true to yourself and do what works for you, it's gonna cause you problems, you need to stand strong. And if it works, do it.

Mark Laurie: 35:12

That is so true works out quite well that way. I found that you should only take advice from people who are doing better than you. But so many people give unsolicited advice, the ones that really aren't at your levels at what you're doing.

Unknown: 35:26

Well it depends where you live, because sorry, Calgary, sorry, Alberta. But we tend to be more arrogant than we are experienced. And people who have never left Alberta and never left Canada. And are, let's just go with the model side of things. Who, who are very hobbyist models that will tell you how much better they are than you and how much experience they have and what you should do. So you got to look at it that way too. Like there's people out there who really think that they're better than you and and you should do things this way. And it's like, Well, okay, but you've never left Alberta. So I think I won't be listening to that. But you come across that as well. Right? There's always going to be people are trying to push you around, there's going to be people are trying to take you down, and there's gonna be people who really do think that they're more experienced and are doing better than you. So you just have to let it just kind of....

Mark Laurie: 36:40

So you've traveled quite a bit, I take it, did you find that changed you. Have the perspective of the world perspective of yourself?

Niki Middleton: 36:48

It changed me in so many different ways, because the number one change was realizing that we're not the fashion capital. Alright, bye. And made me realize how business really works outside of Alberta outside of Canada. It just, it just opens your eyes to so many things.

Mark Laurie: 37:18

What's the most pronounced thing that would have changed your perspective?

Niki Middleton: 37:25

Let's go with the acting side, there's people who truly believe that if they do background acting, that one day they're gonna be discovered on set and be this a big A-lister, right? In Alberta. Across the world of acting, even if you're a Hollywood, it's very hard to find that one story of that person who is discovered, you know, so people just get certain beliefs in their head and you can't change that. And that's fine. Like it's not, it doesn't affect me in any way. But the people just believe a lot of baloney, I guess. And you just kind of have to weed it out. But you don't realize until you've actually succeeded and and left to your comfort zone of your city or town or country and seeing what it's really like in the world and see where you really do stand with things. But the biggest pet peeve I've had in the last 16 years as soon as I leave Alberta, I'm a lot more successful. I'm taking more seriously, I do more. But when I'm here it seems like I don't stand out. It's very I don't know how to explain it to your friends or okay. I came from one of the fashion weeks I can't help. I flew from New York Fashion Week. I just literally got off the runway, came to Alberta. That day, I just come from the airport and I went with my portfolio here in Calgary and I'm like, oh, there's this charity runway. It's not paid for I can't remember the charity. Okay, I'm gonna donate my time That sounds interesting. applied and they're like Cool, thank you. We'll get back to you and never did just wasn't good enough for here but just came off paid New York Fashion Week and beat out hundreds of girls for this. So and it seems like that happens a lot. So I don't know why that is

Mark Laurie: 39:43

In photography we have a lot with this excited a lot speaker did a lot speaking slowly. Yeah. It's the specialists from a fire. So you can have a local local photographer local model, who is really top of their game and when they go anywhere outside of their hometown their reknowned and recorded, the whole bit.

Niki Middleton: 40:02

Yeah, I know words from all over the world.

Mark Laurie: 40:05

And that's when they expect expert for far But and if anybody from afar comes to Calgary or comes to their hometown, they're like, oh my god, John's here, Susie's here, kind of stuff. And the guy goes, Yeah, you know, I've got more words, I got more experienced, you know, but he's coming from over there.

Niki Middleton: 40:20

I know, like, so I don't know what it is they they'll pick their friends and, and some girl who did runway once or so I don't know how why that is. But it's been like that for the 16 years of my career. I've had awards from all over the world, I've done amazing things. And but when I'm not a big deal where I live, not that I want people to kiss my butt, I'm just saying trying to get work locally is 10 times harder for me than outside of country. And I don't know why that is.

Mark Laurie: 40:58

Could part of that be the jobs are taken overseas, the stakes are much higher, so that people can't fool around. Like they've got to really pick the best people because there's so much more riding on it. Locally, it's a bit more homebound, so there's not as much riding on it, so they can be a bit more relaxed or there and get friends we get just more relaxed standards. Does that make sense?

Niki Middleton: 41:20

I have no idea what the deal is. Who knows? Who knows what, but you don't see it in the entertainment industry. Here you see it with the makeup, friends, mind your makeup artists, photographers, models, actors, etc. It happens a lot. It's like they don't seem to care what your portfolio is. So I don't know why that it used to bother me. And then I was like, man, it doesn't matter. Like the whole thing. It's their loss. Oh, well. I was gonna volunteer my time for you. And that wasn't good enough. Why is that going to bother me? Like now I have that time to go do a paid gig or relax and hang out at the gym or do whatever, right? Yeah, that's cool. So I don't know.

Mark Laurie: 42:12

Why I appreciate your time today. Thank you so much. If you want to contact Niki, there'll be some some connections down in the bio section there. And thank you for joining us too. That was been wonderful.

Niki Middleton: 42:22

Thank you. Have a great day.

Unknown: 42:25

This has been fascinating women with Mark Laurie. Join us on our website and subscribe at fascinating women does he a fascinating woman has been sponsored by inner spirit photography of Calgary, Alberta and is produced in Calgary by Lee Ellis and my office media.