Over the last year and a half, I’ve been doing a lot of internal personal development work. In our culture today, Personal development or self help seems to have a negative connotation as if “something is wrong with us” In the grand scheme of things, no matter who we are, we all have blind spots we cannot see about ourselves. Blind spots that hold us back from our full possibility. The only thing that holds us back from our dreams is us, meaning our inner game. We are emotional beings, the single thread that connects us all as human beings. Emotions are what drive us, and if we can learn to steer then we can achieve greater results in our lives from deeper connected relationships, to leadership and running empires. Honing our inner game is what will take us to the top. Emotional intelligence is the most important intelligence we can have as human beings living in a relational world.
Here are 5 reasons developing your inner game changes everything:
1. More Power – Accepting that we are responsible for everything that we create in our lives we take the power to create what we want. While circumstances might not always be in our favor, we ultimately have the power to choose what we do with what we are dealt. Getting to that place in our lives can take a lot of internal work.
2. More Confidence – Self worth, and what we believe about ourselves is what drives us, and most of the decisions we make. When we believe we aren’t worth something, then we act differently. Self worth is a belief that we create, and operate from. It’s a deep lining and a lot of times subconscious thing that we don’t even think about consciously. Most of us don’t want to admit we don’t feel worthy of success.
3. Deeper Relationships – Relationships are the essence of life, and what keeps us all going. It’s what keeps us connected. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” Deep relationships with other people is a reflection of our relationship with ourselves, our internal relationship. The better our relationship with ourselves, the better our relationships with other people will be. The better our relationships are, the further we will get in life.
4. Less Stress – What you resist persists. We are the creators of our stress, and mostly due to not letting go of the things we can’t control. We get worked up and over think things most of the time. Overthinking is the ‘art’ of creating problems that don’t exist. aka STRESS. Letting go of these things consciously and subconsciously will lessen the stress in our lives. It’s one of the biggest things I’ve been working on in my life. It takes a lot of conscious effort.
5. Better Results – Lets face it, our lives are our results. Happiness, relationships, money, family, career, etc. etc. Our results are based off the actions we take to get those results. Those actions are based off the decisions we make to take those actions. Those decisions are based off our internal conversation/thoughts. AKA our inner game. We have around 100,000 conversations in our heads a day, and on average 80% of those conversations are negative and subconscious. If we could A: learn what those conversations are(our blind spots) and B: how to change them, we can achieve better results across the board.
Our thoughts are our inner game. If we can learn to master our thought life, we can master our lives. Shift our thoughts, and change what we attract into our lives. I have seen first hand how that’s been at play over the last year. It is some seriously deep work, but the more I’ve worked on it, the more I find myself riding the wave of synchronicity and attracting bigger things into my life. The moment you think you’ve got it mastered is the moment you don’t.
I went through an emotional intelligence and leadership training over the last couple years that is like an emotional gym to learn more about myself. It was powerful. If you’re interested in knowing more, feel free to get in touch with me.
Here are a few of my podcasts that dive deeper into strengthening your inner-game:
Quddus – The Power of Vulnerability
Over the last year and a half, I’ve been doing a lot of internal personal development work. In our culture today, Personal development or self help seems to have a negative connotation as if “something is wrong with us” In the grand scheme of things, no matter who we are, we all have blind spots we cannot see about ourselves. Blind spots that hold us back from our full possibility. The only thing that holds us back from our dreams is us, meaning our inner game. We are emotional beings, the single thread that connects us all as human beings. Emotions are what drive us, and if we can learn to steer then we can achieve greater results in our lives from deeper connected relationships, to leadership and running empires. Honing our inner game is what will take us to the top. Emotional intelligence is the most important intelligence we can have as human beings living in a relational world.
Here are 5 reasons developing your inner game changes everything:
1. More Power – Accepting that we are responsible for everything that we create in our lives we take the power to create what we want. While circumstances might not always be in our favor, we ultimately have the power to choose what we do with what we are dealt. Getting to that place in our lives can take a lot of internal work.
2. More Confidence – Self worth, and what we believe about ourselves is what drives us, and most of the decisions we make. When we believe we aren’t worth something, then we act differently. Self worth is a belief that we create, and operate from. It’s a deep lining and a lot of times subconscious thing that we don’t even think about consciously. Most of us don’t want to admit we don’t feel worthy of success.
3. Deeper Relationships – Relationships are the essence of life, and what keeps us all going. It’s what keeps us connected. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” Deep relationships with other people is a reflection of our relationship with ourselves, our internal relationship. The better our relationship with ourselves, the better our relationships with other people will be. The better our relationships are, the further we will get in life.
4. Less Stress – What you resist persists. We are the creators of our stress, and mostly due to not letting go of the things we can’t control. We get worked up and over think things most of the time. Overthinking is the ‘art’ of creating problems that don’t exist. aka STRESS. Letting go of these things consciously and subconsciously will lessen the stress in our lives. It’s one of the biggest things I’ve been working on in my life. It takes a lot of conscious effort.
5. Better Results – Lets face it, our lives are our results. Happiness, relationships, money, family, career, etc. etc. Our results are based off the actions we take to get those results. Those actions are based off the decisions we make to take those actions. Those decisions are based off our internal conversation/thoughts. AKA our inner game. We have around 100,000 conversations in our heads a day, and on average 80% of those conversations are negative and subconscious. If we could A: learn what those conversations are(our blind spots) and B: how to change them, we can achieve better results across the board.
Our thoughts are our inner game. If we can learn to master our thought life, we can master our lives. Shift our thoughts, and change what we attract into our lives. I have seen first hand how that’s been at play over the last year. It is some seriously deep work, but the more I’ve worked on it, the more I find myself riding the wave of synchronicity and attracting bigger things into my life. The moment you think you’ve got it mastered is the moment you don’t.
I went through an emotional intelligence and leadership training over the last couple years that is like an emotional gym to learn more about myself. It was powerful. If you’re interested in knowing more, feel free to get in touch with me.
Here are a few of my podcasts that dive deeper into strengthening your inner-game:
Quddus – The Power of Vulnerability







Over the last year and a half, I’ve been doing a lot of internal personal development work. In our culture today, Personal development or self help seems to have a negative connotation as if “something is wrong with us” In the grand scheme of things, no matter who we are, we all have blind spots we cannot see about ourselves. Blind spots that hold us back from our full possibility. The only thing that holds us back from our dreams is us, meaning our inner game. We are emotional beings, the single thread that connects us all as human beings. Emotions are what drive us, and if we can learn to steer then we can achieve greater results in our lives from deeper connected relationships, to leadership and running empires. Honing our inner game is what will take us to the top. Emotional intelligence is the most important intelligence we can have as human beings living in a relational world.
Here are 5 reasons developing your inner game changes everything:
1. More Power – Accepting that we are responsible for everything that we create in our lives we take the power to create what we want. While circumstances might not always be in our favor, we ultimately have the power to choose what we do with what we are dealt. Getting to that place in our lives can take a lot of internal work.
2. More Confidence – Self worth, and what we believe about ourselves is what drives us, and most of the decisions we make. When we believe we aren’t worth something, then we act differently. Self worth is a belief that we create, and operate from. It’s a deep lining and a lot of times subconscious thing that we don’t even think about consciously. Most of us don’t want to admit we don’t feel worthy of success.
3. Deeper Relationships – Relationships are the essence of life, and what keeps us all going. It’s what keeps us connected. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” Deep relationships with other people is a reflection of our relationship with ourselves, our internal relationship. The better our relationship with ourselves, the better our relationships with other people will be. The better our relationships are, the further we will get in life.
4. Less Stress – What you resist persists. We are the creators of our stress, and mostly due to not letting go of the things we can’t control. We get worked up and over think things most of the time. Overthinking is the ‘art’ of creating problems that don’t exist. aka STRESS. Letting go of these things consciously and subconsciously will lessen the stress in our lives. It’s one of the biggest things I’ve been working on in my life. It takes a lot of conscious effort.
5. Better Results – Lets face it, our lives are our results. Happiness, relationships, money, family, career, etc. etc. Our results are based off the actions we take to get those results. Those actions are based off the decisions we make to take those actions. Those decisions are based off our internal conversation/thoughts. AKA our inner game. We have around 100,000 conversations in our heads a day, and on average 80% of those conversations are negative and subconscious. If we could A: learn what those conversations are(our blind spots) and B: how to change them, we can achieve better results across the board.
Our thoughts are our inner game. If we can learn to master our thought life, we can master our lives. Shift our thoughts, and change what we attract into our lives. I have seen first hand how that’s been at play over the last year. It is some seriously deep work, but the more I’ve worked on it, the more I find myself riding the wave of synchronicity and attracting bigger things into my life. The moment you think you’ve got it mastered is the moment you don’t.
I went through an emotional intelligence and leadership training over the last couple years that is like an emotional gym to learn more about myself. It was powerful. If you’re interested in knowing more, feel free to get in touch with me.
Here are a few of my podcasts that dive deeper into strengthening your inner-game:
Quddus – The Power of Vulnerability

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A Brand Isn’t Just a Logo — It’s a Mirror Your personal brand isn’t a website, a color palette, or a polished grid. It’s an evolving expression of who you are — and who you’re becoming. More than that, it’s a container. A space that calls you to rise. To embody your message. To stay […]

Let’s put it this way: If you want stiff headshots in a gray suit against a beige wall — probably not. If you want a photoshoot that feels like an editorial spread, emotional breakthrough, and creative awakening all in one — then yes. Nick Onken is very good at what he does. What Makes Nick […]

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The Problem With Traditional Brand Photograph Most brand photos are surface-level. They might be polished. Perfectly lit. Technically solid. But they lack soul. They don’t make you feel the person. They don’t communicate energy, depth, or identity. They look good — but they don’t resonate. And that’s a problem if you’re a thought leader, coach, speaker, author, or […]

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For most people, a photoshoot is about looking good. For Nicky Clinch, it became a mirror for transformation. Nicky is a master maturation coach, author of Surrender, and co-leader of the Emanate Mastermind. When she came to me, her brand was successful—multiple seven figures, sold-out programs, a global community—but something wasn’t resonating. She had reached a plateau. […]

Los Angeles is packed with creatives. But when it comes to personal brand photography, Nick Onken stands in a category of his own. He’s not just snapping pretty pictures. He’s crafting transformation. With a focus on visual storytelling and strategic brand elevation, Nick’s shoots go far beyond portraits. Every session is a creative collaboration—designed to […]

Introduction Lewis Howes, host of The School of Greatness and bestselling author, was ready to elevate his personal brand with a visual identity that matched his next chapter of leadership. He had already built a massive platform. But he was stepping into a deeper, more embodied version of his brand—one that integrated emotional intelligence with […]

Leadership isn’t just something you declare — it’s something people feel the moment they see you. And in a world where your first impression often happens online, your photos need to do more than look good. They need to position you as a leader. A personal brand shoot isn’t about winging it with cute outfits […]

Let’s cut to it: The cost of a personal brand photoshoot depends on one thing—the level of transformation you want to create. You can hire someone to take nice portraits. Or you can co-create an identity-elevating experience that reshapes how the world sees you. So… How Much Does It Cost? At the top of the […]

If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or speaker looking to stand out online, then you know photography is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. But hiring the right personal brand photographer can feel overwhelming. With so many options, styles, and price points, how do you find the perfect fit for your vision? Let’s break it down […]

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I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.