December 19, 2024 • 31 mins
Join us as Heidi Herkes shares her inspiring journey of resilience, style, and self-discovery. Paralyzed from the chest down after an accident in 2014, Heidi transformed her life from bridal hair and makeup artist to personal stylist, specializing in seated body types. Her story is a testament to embracing beauty amidst adversity and how style can redefine confidence.
Heidi’s outlook is a beacon of hope for anyone navigating life-changing challenges or disabilities. In this episode, she shares how humor and positivity became her allies, breaks stereotypes about disability, and inspires thousands through her vibrant social media presence and as a speaker. From pre-loved fashion tips to celebrating small victories, Heidi shows us how to turn obstacles into opportunities for joy and empowerment. Don’t miss this uplifting and colorful conversation!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as you can imagine, life was hanging upside
down on a really thin thread.
Everything that I once knew haddisappeared.
So I really had to start fromthe bottom up, you know, and I
found it very difficult toaccept the changes in my body
and how it challenged myidentity.
So, you know, I just, I guess,over time, realised that you
(00:21):
know, beauty isn't about fittinginto a mould, it's more about
embracing your sense of self.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Hello and welcome to the James Granstrom podcast
super soul model series, where Ihelp people tune and tap into
their natural state ofwell-being.
This week's super soul model isHeidi Herkes.
Heidi is a disabled lifestyleinfluencer and she is a
messenger of hope as well,helping people and be inspired
that you can travel and stillhave adventure despite your
(00:48):
conditions.
I am so thrilled to welcomethis week's Super Soul Model.
Welcome, heidi.
Hello, hello, thanks forinviting me, it's a real
pleasure to have you on the showthis week.
I think your story and you arejust tremendously inspiring and
I'm so thrilled for the audienceto be able to listen to some of
your nuggets of wisdom.
(01:09):
And, you know, just share apart of your story and your
mindset about how you've beeninspiring so many people.
So, if it's possible, just tellus a little bit about your
story and you know where you'reat and so we can understand your
journey.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, sure, and you know where you're at and so we
can understand your journey.
Yeah, sure, okay.
Well, back in 2014, I may aswell start from the beginning I
fell down the stairs and I brokemy neck, which left me
paralyzed in the chest down,sadly, um, and you know,
paralysis can really strip awayyour identity, if you allow it.
But I was determined not to bedefined by my disability, which
is why I paid particularattention to style.
(01:48):
In fact, I retrained as apersonal stylist, learning
everything about colour and howto dress a seated body type,
which I found immenselyempowering and it really helped
with my self-esteem andself-confidence at the time.
And I've also had to be quitecreative and think outside the
box and adapt a lot of myclothing, because there doesn't
seem to be a lot of accessibleclothing out there for people
(02:09):
with disabilities, you see.
So, unless you want to kind ofwear baggy trousers the entire
time, which, ironically, is whatI wore when I was at the
rehabilitation centre for nearlya year, learning all about
wheelchair just wheelchair life,you know, but it doesn't really
prepare you for rolling backout into society, and that's
(02:30):
when it really hit home, Isuppose, and how.
You know how style really didhelp, because people perceive
you differently.
So it was very important for methat people saw the real Heidi
and not just Heidi in thewheelchair, and I'm a great
believer that if you look good,you feel good, and that's been
my ethos ever since.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Really, yeah, that's so important.
Yeah, because the better you dolook, you know, when you make
an effort out into the world,the world will respond
differently to you.
What came with that shift inidentity for you?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Well, as you can imagine, life was hanging upside
down on a really thin thread.
Everything that I once knew haddisappeared.
So I really had to start fromthe bottom up, you know, and I
found it very difficult toaccept the changes in my body,
um, and how it challenged myidentity.
So, you know, I just um, Iguess, over time, realized that
(03:25):
you know, beauty isn't aboutfitting into a mould.
It's more about embracing yoursense of self and sense of being
and what makes you unique toyou.
And you know, prior to myaccident, I used to run my own
bridal hair and makeup company,specialising in weddings.
So I did a lot of makeup,little a lot of hair as well.
I didn't want to sort of losethose skills as such, um, and
(03:48):
thankfully, you know, these daysI can still do my makeup thanks
to various different handoperations that I've had that
allow me to pick things up, um,not just, you know, makeup
brushes, but all sorts of thingsthat give me the independence
that I need.
So I suppose it's been really ajourney of rediscovering my
(04:08):
identity in my own time, andthat's been quite transformative
, yeah, but it has taken timefor sure Did it take way more
time than you thought.
I suppose it's just the littlewins.
You know you do menial tasksevery day.
You just don't think much ofthem.
And then you look back aftermaybe a year and then you
(04:32):
surprise yourself how far you'vecome.
So I think that's what kept megoing and always keeping busy.
I think is is it is a wonderfulway to, to you know, get over
um traumatic experiences, so tospeak yeah, and you're, you're a
bit of a creative, you know, Iwould say you're a massive
(04:52):
creative.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
When I met you, uh, about a month or so ago, with
with greg and john, we were like, oh wow, god, he's so creative,
she's so stylish oh, it'sfantastic to see and witness
your sense of humor as well.
Um, and it's just, it justexudes from you and you know,
for me, having worked in themarketing industry for 20 plus
(05:15):
years, I noticed that, you know,one is always judged on the
external before you get to seethe heart and the soul of the
human being definitely so youknow it doesn't matter.
Uh, you know we're always kindof getting judged, and I guess
that leads me into my nextquestion.
You radiate such confidence andstyle and it's so great to be
(05:35):
able to be around you when youknow you are there, or even you
can see it on your social mediachannels, particularly on
instagram, on your videos.
If you haven't seen them,you've got to see heidi's videos
and skits.
She's so talented and so funny.
But also you've got ones thatare sexy and you've got, like,
videos that show heart, and Ijust really love this blend.
(05:56):
So I guess you know, like, hasthat expression evolved over
time?
That's always obviously been apart of you, but has that
evolved, that style and thatself-expression?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I would say definitely, yes.
I mean, as mentioned before,you know, a lot of it has been
trial and error and figuring outwhat works and what doesn't
work.
Um, I think having a sense ofhumor, like you mentioned before
, for me is just so key.
I love to surround myself withpositive people.
I think you know people thatlift you up is just so wonderful
, and if something doesn't workout for you, then you just try
(06:32):
again.
But, yeah, I think my expressionhas definitely come from
sharing the hard times and thegood times with really good
people, and they just build youup.
And just showcasing my lifewith a disability in the hope to
inspire people throughInstagram has been really
rewarding in that way, because,yeah, I think that's one thing
(06:53):
that surprised me the most isthe people.
Um, they, they look at me andthey think that I'm an
inspiration, which I think iswonderful, but ultimately, you
know, all I've done is survivedan accident, um, but their
support and their encouragement,um, I find inspiring too.
So it's this sort of wonderfulcycle of connection and growth,
(07:15):
um, and it wasn't something Iwas anticipating, but something
I'm really grateful for.
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So when did you actually start the the channel
and sort of producing your likevideos?
Because they are veryentertaining and they're like,
very clever as well, and what Ilove is you just come across
just as a real, naturallybeautiful human being, and I
think that's what I love to seeand one of the reasons why I
(07:41):
really was so adamant on gettingyou on this show to just share
your heart and soul.
So I find you incredibly funnyand inspiring at the same time,
and I think that that's a greatcombination for everybody.
Quite frankly, no matter whereyou're at and everybody's got a
series of different challenges,but you just exude this sort of
hope, even on those tough days.
(08:02):
So you know, how long ago didyou start creating this, these
videos?
Uh, to uplift and inspire oh,when did I start?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I think I probably started about five years ago.
I mean, my sister told me tostart with the whole Instagram.
I started with YouTube actuallyshowcasing my life with a
disability, but then, yeah, withthe Instagram thing, it was
probably about five years ago.
I didn't really understand thepoint of it and afterwards you
just find a rhythm and way andit's really good fun, but
ultimately you have to be thedirector, the model, the actress
(08:35):
, the editor.
So for most of the people outthere who do social media,
they'll, they'll know and,including yourself, you know how
much work really goes into it.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But it's very rewarding when people really
appreciate it so yeah how oftendo people write into you and ask
you for?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
quite a lot.
I mean, you know the responsesthat I get and a lot of the work
that I do.
They all just find meincredibly uplifting, which is
so wonderful.
And you know, I've helpedpeople, I've helped women
especially.
I've helped style them as wellwhen I retrained as a personal
stylist.
So out of that, um, you knowyou, you just give back and I
(09:14):
find that incredibly rewarding.
It's, you know, it's it's justme being silly on Instagram, but
actually it is changingpeople's lives and they tell me
that and it's just wow, it'squite yeah, that's quite
wonderful yeah, yeah, that's soimportant.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I mean, the whole thing is the art of giving back
fills us up, even though we haveour tank empty for one reason
but when we find a way to giveback and serve and and uplift,
even with whatever talents orskill sets that we have, and
yours is clearly in being ableto to share travel and and style
and makeup and beauty, yeah, Imean that's a gift in itself to
(09:55):
be able and I think it's reallynice to fill people with hope,
because I know how I felt when Ifirst had my accident.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
You feel in despair and you feel like you're the
only person having to go throughall of that.
So you know, I feel that bygiving hope to people, it's not,
you're not going to be in adark place for very long.
I think for me it's alwayshelped by having a positive
mindset.
I think that really can changeyour life.
It's quite easy to focus on thenegatives, but you know, if you
(10:24):
can really change your mindset,that will be your best friend
life.
It's quite easy to focus on thenegatives, but you know, if you
can really change your mindset,that will be your best friend,
because it's the only thing thatcan help you drive forward.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I've got to ask you this question.
Then, would you have seenyourself prior to the accident
as a positive person?
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I think I've always been quite resilient in certain
aspects in my life and I just Ican't cope with the pity party.
I just am one of these peoplethat I have to be busy, I have
to see results and I like justto keep moving forward.
(10:58):
I like to laugh and you knowshit hits the fan.
Apologies, but you just got tokeep going with it.
And you know, just don't giveup hope, because everyone has
hard days and that's okay, butthere'll be better days that
come your way for sure.
But you've just got to keepgoing, keep, keep trying, keep
working towards your goal andkeep busy yeah, love it.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So what surprised you most about yourself and what
surprised you most about howothers have perceived you like
on this journey and this chapterin your life?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I think, most probably what surprised me the
most is how strong I've becomeand how um confident I've become
in that sort of way and youknow, it's not in spite of my
challenges, but most probablybecause of them and also
people's reception.
So, as I've mentioned before,where they look at me as an
(11:56):
inspiration, that's reallysurprised me.
It's not something that I wasanticipating but, as I've
mentioned, you know, it's their,their support, and they're
always cheering me on to to keepgoing.
I think that's really it's notsomething I was anticipating and
I'm just so grateful for thatthat I have that um around me.
(12:17):
So I think that's whatsurprised me the most.
And do you pick?
But on the flip side sorry to uminterrupt, but on the flip side
, you know, you, I have allthese wonderful people, but I
also think that there's stillquite a lot of social anxiety
around disability, um, andthat's potentially because those
people are not used to spendingtime with someone who's
(12:39):
disabled, you know, in any sortof realm, which is fine, um.
But I'll give you an example.
So if I go into a shop and I'mthere with a friend and I'll ask
a sales assistant or I don'tknow, a jumper, rather than them
addressing me and and speakingto me directly, they'll respond
to the friend my friend next tome and it all becomes slightly
(13:00):
awkward.
So I'll ask another question oh, do you have this in a size
blah blah?
And rather than looking at me,they'll still address my friend,
and so it can be reallyinfantilizing and just really
awkward but, I, I just thinkit's.
I don't take offense to it Imean, it happens more often than
not even restaurants, bars andthings like that.
(13:21):
But yeah, it's definitely acertain sort of social anxiety
around how to, um, yeah, speakto people that have a disability
, which is a bit bit odd.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But I'm wondering if that's just like people's
inability to actually know howto connect with people quite
possibly, quite possibly yeah,because I'm always fascinated
that the the our ability toconnect improves the quality of
our relationships.
And if our relationships are,it's because we're rubbish at
(13:52):
connecting.
And I'm not saying that if youwork in retail, you know you're
a poor connector or you're notgood at relationships.
I'm just saying that I thinkthat what I really appreciate
about you is you have an abilityto connect with people
regardless and you're like goinghey, and you're happy to people
regardless, and you're likegoing hey, and you're happy to
(14:12):
speak up and you're happy to sayI'm still here and you know,
and and you present yourself insuch a way that is rarely seen
and you and I think that thatlight shows.
And you know, you've got anincredibly dry sense of humor as
well, which is welcome.
So, yeah, I'm always fascinatedbecause I think that if people
(14:35):
can't connect with their socialanxiety, I just think it's an
inability to actually know howto connect with another human
heart quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
But you know, I do break the ice by with with humor
and I sort of always work.
Yeah, it always works you know,and so, um, I think I put
people at ease and then theystart realizing, well, yeah,
okay, I can be myself, or butyeah, I know that's an
interesting um observation forsure do you have, do you have
(15:05):
like a break the ice type ofthing that you say often to
people?
Not really, I just you know.
At the moment it might just besomething tongue in cheek and I
don't know, just a bit giftedthe gab, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, you've got the gift of the gab.
When you check out ourInstagram, you're going to see a
sense of humor and you'll seeexactly what I'm talking about,
so make sure you go and checkthat out.
I feel like you've become areally powerful force from what
I've seen and what I've noticedchecking you online and and
having spoken to you, beingbecome a really beautiful,
powerful force for educatingothers um into the awareness of
(15:41):
disability.
My main question is what's thebiggest misconception you've
discovered about all of that?
Speaker 1 (15:49):
um, I think the biggest misconception is that
when people see people withdisability, they automatically
think that we are less than that, we can't live fulfilling lives
in certain aspects, whichcouldn't be further from the
truth.
Um, you know, just because youhave a disability, it doesn't
(16:09):
change your sense of self, youknow.
So I just think that, yeah,it's just coming back to the
whole pity party.
It would be just really nice ifpeople could see the strength
that we bring, the joy and,ultimately, all the stories that
we bring to the table.
(16:30):
Joy and, ultimately, all thestories that we bring to the
table.
Um, because, you know, once youlook behind the curtain, you
start realizing that people withdisabilities actually do lead
fun and fulfilling lives andwe're not this, that home,
sheltered away, you know, justliving really sad lives.
It's, it's.
Yeah, I think that's a bigmisconception be further from
the truth.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I mean awards party recently on one of your videos.
You know you're, you're, you'reout and about, you are busy, um
, you're busy empowering andyou're busy with the style parts
of your life and and you'rebusy with public speaking.
Yeah, I have to ask thequestion where do you find all
the time?
Speaker 1 (17:07):
no, I know that's, it isn't it it's trying to find
the time to do all of thesethings, but you, yeah, I mean
you just do, and the more you do, the better you feel about
yourself and it's wonderful.
I mean I'm doing so many thingsnow that I never thought I
would ever do.
Possibly, you know, my life hasobviously changed in a huge
direction, but the people that Imeet and the things that I've
(17:30):
done since my accident have justbeen, yeah, really life
enriching.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
So you know there's a .
There's a lovely thing that thefive people you hang around the
most Jim Rohn was sayinginfluence you the most.
How do you?
You know, how do you choosethose people?
Very wisely.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That's a very good question, isn't?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
it.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
I've had to choose people when it comes to my PAs.
So obviously I have PAs thathelp me with daily life, and now
I employ them privately, whichis a godsend, because before I
was having carers sent to mewilly-nilly through an agency
(18:10):
and you know, know, when peopleare living with you in your home
, it's very important that youget on very well with each other
.
So I've become, I'd say, quitea good judge of character over
time to know if, if I'm gonnagel with that person and vice
versa, you know.
(18:31):
So, um, I look for people thatare that just have a good energy
and a good can-do attitudeabout them, you know, and people
that love adventure, and thatpeople who are up for
facilitating living thatadventure with me.
Um, and I've met some reallybeautiful people over the years
(18:53):
and they've become really goodfriends.
They've become, you know, likepart of the furniture.
And then, obviously, you know,care work isn't forever, and
then they have to leave and it'sso sad, but then you start
reinventing the wheel and havingother people join the team, and
so the cycle keeps goingbecause I'm going to have to
have care for the rest of mylife.
Um, but I do have to choosewisely on who you are having a
(19:18):
business.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's exactly like having yeah, I guess the right
team.
Yes, and heidi's got the visionand you know like some people
stay, some people go um, butultimately your vision is to
keep you know, sharing yourmessage of empowerment and hope,
and definitely don't get mewrong.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I mean, I've had like I think I mentioned you I don't
know if I did mention to youbefore but I've had some
dreadful carers.
You know, one day I'd reallylike to write a book and some of
the crazy stories that I've hadwith these crazy carers called
Careless, which I think would bequite quite an interesting one.
But yeah, you can laugh aboutit now, but at the time it can
(19:57):
be pretty daunting sure but yeahso this is interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So I love this topic of relationships because we we
have to go through the yin andyang of relationships, but you
know, how has your part playedin building relationships number
one and into love and romanceand sex and your own state of
well-being, because life doesn'tstop when you hit a wheelchair.
There's more that's going on.
(20:23):
So how has your life evolvedand changed?
And you know, tell us a littlebit about how relationships have
evolved, because I think thisis the part that most people do
not understand, that I thinkthat you're an absolute beacon
for.
So, yeah, if you could tell usa little bit about your sort of
experiences with relationshipsand love and romance and sex and
(20:44):
all these times are things, sothat people have a clarity and
an understanding for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I mean, look, it's been a long journey and I'll try
and keep it short, but when itcomes to everybody's, love life
can be a long yeah, um, sex anddisability and all of those
things.
I think that, again, it'sanother misconception that
people assume that people withdisabilities can't have intimate
, um or fulfilling relationships.
(21:11):
Just because you have adisability, it doesn't change
your sexuality and it certainlydoesn't change your desire to
want to meet people in thatregard.
Um, I mean, at the time of myaccident, I was together with my
long-term partner of 14 yearsand, um, you know, despite this
huge life changing accident, itdidn't really move the dial on
(21:31):
our sexual relationship.
We just, you know, we werequite imaginative.
We were also very curious abouttrying all these other sexual
aids that are out there thathelp facilitate people with
disabilities, one of them beingthis swing which we have bolted
above our bed.
I mean, getting me into thisthing was ridiculous.
(21:52):
I think it was more funny timethan sexy time, um, but you know
, and there's also somethingcalled a wedge, which is a
really large piece of foam andit helps support people with, um
, limited upper body strengthand things like that.
But then, obviously, thenyou've got the good
old-fashioned way of enjoying um, and you know, I mean I
(22:14):
remember the first time makingout with my partner, uh, after
the accident, and as lovely asit was, I just couldn't help but
feel a tremendous amount ofemotion, I suppose loss um of
who I once was and how I couldparticipate and move and seduce
(22:34):
in a certain way, and instead Ibecame very aware of my
paralyzed body.
It all became very consuming,but over time it just got better
and I became a lot moreconfident.
And even though ourrelationship didn't work out,
I'm really glad that we exploredthose things together because
it gave me the confidence tomove forward.
(22:55):
And then, of course, internetdating.
I mean Internet dating at thebest times is hard, but throw a
disability in the mix andsometimes it can seem completely
impossible, because I think alot of the time Guys just see
the chair and they don't see theperson sitting in it.
Um, but you know, I had a mixedreception older, younger men
(23:18):
and I just feel that the oldermen are slightly more empathetic
towards the situation.
But you know, having some ofthese messages, messages that
I've received, have just beenpretty blunt.
Let's say that, you know,rather than introducing
themselves, they'll say um, canyou have sex?
When was the last time you hadsex?
I'm assuming you have it in awheelchair, or, yeah, you're
(23:41):
quite nice looking for someonewho's disabled, or what's the
other one.
Do you get out much?
What do you do all day?
So you know, thankfully I'm,I'm, I've got, I mean, I, I can
take them and I can laugh themoff with friends, but you do
become quite despondent sureuntil you know, life surprises
(24:02):
you.
and then you're kind of doingyour thing, thinking, oh, I
don't need a guy, it'sabsolutely fine, and um, and
then you meet someone and yeahmean, I was never particularly
looking for love, I've just beenlooking for companionship,
someone to hang out with andshare the good times with.
But then I met someone recentlyand, yeah, I mean we have a lot
(24:25):
in common, but in the sense thathe's also had a life changing
accident which left himpartially paralyzed on one side
of his body, but he's learned tomaster the art of walking
confidently with a crutch and,um, yeah, he's got one of the
sexiest limps I've seen.
So we have great chemistry andit's interesting because I never
(24:48):
thought about dating someoneelse with a disability.
But it just goes to show that,despite the challenges we face,
um, we can still create our own,yeah, sweet little love story.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
So, yeah, that's it in a nutshell and that's lovely,
because it's a sort of creatingyour own little bit of heaven
and you can both be empatheticto each other's needs even more
so absolutely, and I thinkthat's such a huge part in in a
relationship, regardless whetheryou're able-bodied or not.
It's just I'm trying tounderstand one another.
It's enough being male andfemale, but to actually have
(25:24):
something in common, um, it'squite beautiful and I think you,
you guys do that really, reallywell.
Yeah, those who don't know.
She's dating one of my bestfriends, so they are brilliant.
They're both one of thefunniest people I've met.
So I love the way that lifedoesn't hold you back and it
(25:45):
allows you to keepspringboarding forward despite
any challenges that havepresented themselves, despite
any challenges that havepresented themselves.
So I guess my next question isin facing these challenges, do
you feel that you've evolvedmore as a human being?
Do you feel that you've becomean even better version of
yourself post-accident?
I know that's a really toughquestion to ask, but it's quite
(26:11):
a bit of a soul-searchingquestion to a certain extent,
because it might give peoplelike an idea to really think
that sometimes challenges, eventhough we don't like them, can
can bring them with them a giftdefinitely, I think I've learned
the beauty of patience and alsokindness, um, I I feel like
I've become, as mentioned before, a lot of a stronger person.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
I've developed a certain wisdom, um, and, yeah,
resilience, because when yourback's against the wall, you
know you've got three optionsyou can either let it destroy
you, let it define you, or youcan let it strengthen you, and
I've really decided to go withthe latter and take it by the
horns and friggin, just make themost out of my life, and I do,
(27:01):
in a funny way, feel that I am abetter person than I was before
, because you take so manythings for granted yeah um, so
I'm in a really happy place, soyeah.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
That's inspiring in itself and I know that, having
met you, I see that all aboutyou.
I'm like.
I see this confidence radiating, I see this glow, I see this
cheerfulness and that's like youknow.
You see people walking down thestreet and they don't even have
that.
So to see Heidi doing that is,I think, an absolute inspiration
(27:39):
, which is why she's this week'ssuper soul model.
Heidi, it's been an absolutejoy speaking with you.
It's been enlightening tolisten and hear some of the
conceptions and misconceptionsthat people have.
I guess, just as a closingcomment, what do you think if
(27:59):
you were to share a message thatyou'd like people to know most,
that would really helpinspiring them if they were
facing any challenges of theirown.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I think you know, for those facing challenges it's
tough and there's no right wayof navigating dark times.
But, um, I think, as mentionedbefore, always have or try to
have a good, a good mindset,because it really will be your
best friend to help you goforward.
I think, appreciate the smallwins, because over time you know
(28:30):
you can look back and just beproud of how far you've come.
I think it's important to spendyour time with people that can
really lift you up, and I thinkit's okay to ask for help.
It's not a weakness, it'sactually a strength.
And, most importantly, I think,just enjoy the little things in
life.
If that's reading a fewchapters of your favorite book,
even though you should be doingsomething else, do it.
(28:52):
If it means going for a coffeewith your friend, do it.
Go outside.
I think nature is very, veryimportant.
Having fresh air, um, and justyeah, just really enjoying the
little things I think is reallyimportant and for and for the
ladies who might be listening, Ithink this is really quite a
question.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Where do you get your style ideas from?
And then how do you sort ofsource your, your clothing,
because you've got a fantasticwardrobe?
Uh, you pick your colors wisely, because I know you've studied
color.
Um, yeah, so how do you sourceall your clothing?
And?
And how do you go about doingthat?
Do you have a different way, ordo you have personal shoppers,
(29:31):
or how does it work for you?
Speaker 1 (29:33):
well, um, you know, retraining as a personal stylist
, it really opened your eyes.
I mean, I had to give awayabout 70% of my wardrobe because
apparently I was wearing thewrong color.
So color is such a powerfultool because people respond to
you in different ways whenyou're wearing a certain color.
Uh, it helps with your you knowglow, with your skin tone and
(29:56):
also finding styles that suityour body shape, I think is
really important, um, so youknow, there's lots of stuff on
google there that you canresearch and it really does, uh,
make a really big difference.
And just find your inspirationthrough travel and see what
(30:17):
works for you in that kind ofentity you know, and take note
of what other people are wearing.
But I mean, I I think it's allabout what you um feel confident
in the most.
I do a lot of my shoppingactually.
I love pre-love shopping.
I love going into boutiquecharity stores, and what's nice
(30:39):
about that is you don't have tohave a shopping list.
It's like a treasure.
You never know what you'regoing to get.
But as long as you know whatcolors suit you, then you can
literally bypass all the colorsthat don't, and it makes
shopping so much quicker and ahell of a lot more fun.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Yeah, excellent Heidi .
It's been a real joy speakingwith you and, for those that
want to reach you, have you gota website or where do people
find you and get to listen toall your stories and you can
maybe um, have a dabble on uhInstagram, you'll.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
You'll find me there doing goofing around, doing my
thing, most probably fantasticheidi.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Thank you so much.
Heidi herkus is this week'ssuper soul model.
Thank you very much, heidithank you.
Well, as you can imagine, life was hanging upside
down on a really thin thread.
Everything that I once knew haddisappeared.
So I really had to start fromthe bottom up, you know, and I
found it very difficult toaccept the changes in my body
and how it challenged myidentity.
So, you know, I just, I guess,over time, realised that you
(00:21):
know, beauty isn't about fittinginto a mould, it's more about
embracing your sense of self.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Hello and welcome to the James Granstrom podcast
super soul model series, where Ihelp people tune and tap into
their natural state ofwell-being.
This week's super soul model isHeidi Herkes.
Heidi is a disabled lifestyleinfluencer and she is a
messenger of hope as well,helping people and be inspired
that you can travel and stillhave adventure despite your
(00:48):
conditions.
I am so thrilled to welcomethis week's Super Soul Model.
Welcome, heidi.
Hello, hello, thanks forinviting me, it's a real
pleasure to have you on the showthis week.
I think your story and you arejust tremendously inspiring and
I'm so thrilled for the audienceto be able to listen to some of
your nuggets of wisdom.
(01:09):
And, you know, just share apart of your story and your
mindset about how you've beeninspiring so many people.
So, if it's possible, just tellus a little bit about your
story and you know where you'reat and so we can understand your
journey.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, sure, and you know where you're at and so we
can understand your journey.
Yeah, sure, okay.
Well, back in 2014, I may aswell start from the beginning I
fell down the stairs and I brokemy neck, which left me
paralyzed in the chest down,sadly, um, and you know,
paralysis can really strip awayyour identity, if you allow it.
But I was determined not to bedefined by my disability, which
is why I paid particularattention to style.
(01:48):
In fact, I retrained as apersonal stylist, learning
everything about colour and howto dress a seated body type,
which I found immenselyempowering and it really helped
with my self-esteem andself-confidence at the time.
And I've also had to be quitecreative and think outside the
box and adapt a lot of myclothing, because there doesn't
seem to be a lot of accessibleclothing out there for people
(02:09):
with disabilities, you see.
So, unless you want to kind ofwear baggy trousers the entire
time, which, ironically, is whatI wore when I was at the
rehabilitation centre for nearlya year, learning all about
wheelchair just wheelchair life,you know, but it doesn't really
prepare you for rolling backout into society, and that's
(02:30):
when it really hit home, Isuppose, and how.
You know how style really didhelp, because people perceive
you differently.
So it was very important for methat people saw the real Heidi
and not just Heidi in thewheelchair, and I'm a great
believer that if you look good,you feel good, and that's been
my ethos ever since.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Really, yeah, that's so important.
Yeah, because the better you dolook, you know, when you make
an effort out into the world,the world will respond
differently to you.
What came with that shift inidentity for you?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Well, as you can imagine, life was hanging upside
down on a really thin thread.
Everything that I once knew haddisappeared.
So I really had to start fromthe bottom up, you know, and I
found it very difficult toaccept the changes in my body,
um, and how it challenged myidentity.
So, you know, I just um, Iguess, over time, realized that
(03:25):
you know, beauty isn't aboutfitting into a mould.
It's more about embracing yoursense of self and sense of being
and what makes you unique toyou.
And you know, prior to myaccident, I used to run my own
bridal hair and makeup company,specialising in weddings.
So I did a lot of makeup,little a lot of hair as well.
I didn't want to sort of losethose skills as such, um, and
(03:48):
thankfully, you know, these daysI can still do my makeup thanks
to various different handoperations that I've had that
allow me to pick things up, um,not just, you know, makeup
brushes, but all sorts of thingsthat give me the independence
that I need.
So I suppose it's been really ajourney of rediscovering my
(04:08):
identity in my own time, andthat's been quite transformative
, yeah, but it has taken timefor sure Did it take way more
time than you thought.
I suppose it's just the littlewins.
You know you do menial tasksevery day.
You just don't think much ofthem.
And then you look back aftermaybe a year and then you
(04:32):
surprise yourself how far you'vecome.
So I think that's what kept megoing and always keeping busy.
I think is is it is a wonderfulway to, to you know, get over
um traumatic experiences, so tospeak yeah, and you're, you're a
bit of a creative, you know, Iwould say you're a massive
(04:52):
creative.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
When I met you, uh, about a month or so ago, with
with greg and john, we were like, oh wow, god, he's so creative,
she's so stylish oh, it'sfantastic to see and witness
your sense of humor as well.
Um, and it's just, it justexudes from you and you know,
for me, having worked in themarketing industry for 20 plus
(05:15):
years, I noticed that, you know,one is always judged on the
external before you get to seethe heart and the soul of the
human being definitely so youknow it doesn't matter.
Uh, you know we're always kindof getting judged, and I guess
that leads me into my nextquestion.
You radiate such confidence andstyle and it's so great to be
(05:35):
able to be around you when youknow you are there, or even you
can see it on your social mediachannels, particularly on
instagram, on your videos.
If you haven't seen them,you've got to see heidi's videos
and skits.
She's so talented and so funny.
But also you've got ones thatare sexy and you've got, like,
videos that show heart, and Ijust really love this blend.
(05:56):
So I guess you know, like, hasthat expression evolved over
time?
That's always obviously been apart of you, but has that
evolved, that style and thatself-expression?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
I would say definitely, yes.
I mean, as mentioned before,you know, a lot of it has been
trial and error and figuring outwhat works and what doesn't
work.
Um, I think having a sense ofhumor, like you mentioned before
, for me is just so key.
I love to surround myself withpositive people.
I think you know people thatlift you up is just so wonderful
, and if something doesn't workout for you, then you just try
(06:32):
again.
But, yeah, I think my expressionhas definitely come from
sharing the hard times and thegood times with really good
people, and they just build youup.
And just showcasing my lifewith a disability in the hope to
inspire people throughInstagram has been really
rewarding in that way, because,yeah, I think that's one thing
(06:53):
that surprised me the most isthe people.
Um, they, they look at me andthey think that I'm an
inspiration, which I think iswonderful, but ultimately, you
know, all I've done is survivedan accident, um, but their
support and their encouragement,um, I find inspiring too.
So it's this sort of wonderfulcycle of connection and growth,
(07:15):
um, and it wasn't something Iwas anticipating, but something
I'm really grateful for.
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So when did you actually start the the channel
and sort of producing your likevideos?
Because they are veryentertaining and they're like,
very clever as well, and what Ilove is you just come across
just as a real, naturallybeautiful human being, and I
think that's what I love to seeand one of the reasons why I
(07:41):
really was so adamant on gettingyou on this show to just share
your heart and soul.
So I find you incredibly funnyand inspiring at the same time,
and I think that that's a greatcombination for everybody.
Quite frankly, no matter whereyou're at and everybody's got a
series of different challenges,but you just exude this sort of
hope, even on those tough days.
(08:02):
So you know, how long ago didyou start creating this, these
videos?
Uh, to uplift and inspire oh,when did I start?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I think I probably started about five years ago.
I mean, my sister told me tostart with the whole Instagram.
I started with YouTube actuallyshowcasing my life with a
disability, but then, yeah, withthe Instagram thing, it was
probably about five years ago.
I didn't really understand thepoint of it and afterwards you
just find a rhythm and way andit's really good fun, but
ultimately you have to be thedirector, the model, the actress
(08:35):
, the editor.
So for most of the people outthere who do social media,
they'll, they'll know and,including yourself, you know how
much work really goes into it.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But it's very rewarding when people really
appreciate it so yeah how oftendo people write into you and ask
you for?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
quite a lot.
I mean, you know the responsesthat I get and a lot of the work
that I do.
They all just find meincredibly uplifting, which is
so wonderful.
And you know, I've helpedpeople, I've helped women
especially.
I've helped style them as wellwhen I retrained as a personal
stylist.
So out of that, um, you knowyou, you just give back and I
(09:14):
find that incredibly rewarding.
It's, you know, it's it's justme being silly on Instagram, but
actually it is changingpeople's lives and they tell me
that and it's just wow, it'squite yeah, that's quite
wonderful yeah, yeah, that's soimportant.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I mean, the whole thing is the art of giving back
fills us up, even though we haveour tank empty for one reason
but when we find a way to giveback and serve and and uplift,
even with whatever talents orskill sets that we have, and
yours is clearly in being ableto to share travel and and style
and makeup and beauty, yeah, Imean that's a gift in itself to
(09:55):
be able and I think it's reallynice to fill people with hope,
because I know how I felt when Ifirst had my accident.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
You feel in despair and you feel like you're the
only person having to go throughall of that.
So you know, I feel that bygiving hope to people, it's not,
you're not going to be in adark place for very long.
I think for me it's alwayshelped by having a positive
mindset.
I think that really can changeyour life.
It's quite easy to focus on thenegatives, but you know, if you
(10:24):
can really change your mindset,that will be your best friend
life.
It's quite easy to focus on thenegatives, but you know, if you
can really change your mindset,that will be your best friend,
because it's the only thing thatcan help you drive forward.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I've got to ask you this question.
Then, would you have seenyourself prior to the accident
as a positive person?
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I think I've always been quite resilient in certain
aspects in my life and I just Ican't cope with the pity party.
I just am one of these peoplethat I have to be busy, I have
to see results and I like justto keep moving forward.
(10:58):
I like to laugh and you knowshit hits the fan.
Apologies, but you just got tokeep going with it.
And you know, just don't giveup hope, because everyone has
hard days and that's okay, butthere'll be better days that
come your way for sure.
But you've just got to keepgoing, keep, keep trying, keep
working towards your goal andkeep busy yeah, love it.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So what surprised you most about yourself and what
surprised you most about howothers have perceived you like
on this journey and this chapterin your life?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I think, most probably what surprised me the
most is how strong I've becomeand how um confident I've become
in that sort of way and youknow, it's not in spite of my
challenges, but most probablybecause of them and also
people's reception.
So, as I've mentioned before,where they look at me as an
(11:56):
inspiration, that's reallysurprised me.
It's not something that I wasanticipating but, as I've
mentioned, you know, it's their,their support, and they're
always cheering me on to to keepgoing.
I think that's really it's notsomething I was anticipating and
I'm just so grateful for thatthat I have that um around me.
(12:17):
So I think that's whatsurprised me the most.
And do you pick?
But on the flip side sorry to uminterrupt, but on the flip side
, you know, you, I have allthese wonderful people, but I
also think that there's stillquite a lot of social anxiety
around disability, um, andthat's potentially because those
people are not used to spendingtime with someone who's
(12:39):
disabled, you know, in any sortof realm, which is fine, um.
But I'll give you an example.
So if I go into a shop and I'mthere with a friend and I'll ask
a sales assistant or I don'tknow, a jumper, rather than them
addressing me and and speakingto me directly, they'll respond
to the friend my friend next tome and it all becomes slightly
(13:00):
awkward.
So I'll ask another question oh, do you have this in a size
blah blah?
And rather than looking at me,they'll still address my friend,
and so it can be reallyinfantilizing and just really
awkward but, I, I just thinkit's.
I don't take offense to it Imean, it happens more often than
not even restaurants, bars andthings like that.
(13:21):
But yeah, it's definitely acertain sort of social anxiety
around how to, um, yeah, speakto people that have a disability
, which is a bit bit odd.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But I'm wondering if that's just like people's
inability to actually know howto connect with people quite
possibly, quite possibly yeah,because I'm always fascinated
that the the our ability toconnect improves the quality of
our relationships.
And if our relationships are,it's because we're rubbish at
(13:52):
connecting.
And I'm not saying that if youwork in retail, you know you're
a poor connector or you're notgood at relationships.
I'm just saying that I thinkthat what I really appreciate
about you is you have an abilityto connect with people
regardless and you're like goinghey, and you're happy to people
regardless, and you're likegoing hey, and you're happy to
(14:12):
speak up and you're happy to sayI'm still here and you know,
and and you present yourself insuch a way that is rarely seen
and you and I think that thatlight shows.
And you know, you've got anincredibly dry sense of humor as
well, which is welcome.
So, yeah, I'm always fascinatedbecause I think that if people
(14:35):
can't connect with their socialanxiety, I just think it's an
inability to actually know howto connect with another human
heart quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
But you know, I do break the ice by with with humor
and I sort of always work.
Yeah, it always works you know,and so, um, I think I put
people at ease and then theystart realizing, well, yeah,
okay, I can be myself, or butyeah, I know that's an
interesting um observation forsure do you have, do you have
(15:05):
like a break the ice type ofthing that you say often to
people?
Not really, I just you know.
At the moment it might just besomething tongue in cheek and I
don't know, just a bit giftedthe gab, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yeah, you've got the gift of the gab.
When you check out ourInstagram, you're going to see a
sense of humor and you'll seeexactly what I'm talking about,
so make sure you go and checkthat out.
I feel like you've become areally powerful force from what
I've seen and what I've noticedchecking you online and and
having spoken to you, beingbecome a really beautiful,
powerful force for educatingothers um into the awareness of
(15:41):
disability.
My main question is what's thebiggest misconception you've
discovered about all of that?
Speaker 1 (15:49):
um, I think the biggest misconception is that
when people see people withdisability, they automatically
think that we are less than that, we can't live fulfilling lives
in certain aspects, whichcouldn't be further from the
truth.
Um, you know, just because youhave a disability, it doesn't
(16:09):
change your sense of self, youknow.
So I just think that, yeah,it's just coming back to the
whole pity party.
It would be just really nice ifpeople could see the strength
that we bring, the joy and,ultimately, all the stories that
we bring to the table.
(16:30):
Joy and, ultimately, all thestories that we bring to the
table.
Um, because, you know, once youlook behind the curtain, you
start realizing that people withdisabilities actually do lead
fun and fulfilling lives andwe're not this, that home,
sheltered away, you know, justliving really sad lives.
It's, it's.
Yeah, I think that's a bigmisconception be further from
the truth.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I mean awards party recently on one of your videos.
You know you're, you're, you'reout and about, you are busy, um
, you're busy empowering andyou're busy with the style parts
of your life and and you'rebusy with public speaking.
Yeah, I have to ask thequestion where do you find all
the time?
Speaker 1 (17:07):
no, I know that's, it isn't it it's trying to find
the time to do all of thesethings, but you, yeah, I mean
you just do, and the more you do, the better you feel about
yourself and it's wonderful.
I mean I'm doing so many thingsnow that I never thought I
would ever do.
Possibly, you know, my life hasobviously changed in a huge
direction, but the people that Imeet and the things that I've
(17:30):
done since my accident have justbeen, yeah, really life
enriching.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
So you know there's a .
There's a lovely thing that thefive people you hang around the
most Jim Rohn was sayinginfluence you the most.
How do you?
You know, how do you choosethose people?
Very wisely.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That's a very good question, isn't?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
it.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
I've had to choose people when it comes to my PAs.
So obviously I have PAs thathelp me with daily life, and now
I employ them privately, whichis a godsend, because before I
was having carers sent to mewilly-nilly through an agency
(18:10):
and you know, know, when peopleare living with you in your home
, it's very important that youget on very well with each other
.
So I've become, I'd say, quitea good judge of character over
time to know if, if I'm gonnagel with that person and vice
versa, you know.
(18:31):
So, um, I look for people thatare that just have a good energy
and a good can-do attitudeabout them, you know, and people
that love adventure, and thatpeople who are up for
facilitating living thatadventure with me.
Um, and I've met some reallybeautiful people over the years
(18:53):
and they've become really goodfriends.
They've become, you know, likepart of the furniture.
And then, obviously, you know,care work isn't forever, and
then they have to leave and it'sso sad, but then you start
reinventing the wheel and havingother people join the team, and
so the cycle keeps goingbecause I'm going to have to
have care for the rest of mylife.
Um, but I do have to choosewisely on who you are having a
(19:18):
business.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It's exactly like having yeah, I guess the right
team.
Yes, and heidi's got the visionand you know like some people
stay, some people go um, butultimately your vision is to
keep you know, sharing yourmessage of empowerment and hope,
and definitely don't get mewrong.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I mean, I've had like I think I mentioned you I don't
know if I did mention to youbefore but I've had some
dreadful carers.
You know, one day I'd reallylike to write a book and some of
the crazy stories that I've hadwith these crazy carers called
Careless, which I think would bequite quite an interesting one.
But yeah, you can laugh aboutit now, but at the time it can
(19:57):
be pretty daunting sure but yeahso this is interesting.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So I love this topic of relationships because we we
have to go through the yin andyang of relationships, but you
know, how has your part playedin building relationships number
one and into love and romanceand sex and your own state of
well-being, because life doesn'tstop when you hit a wheelchair.
There's more that's going on.
(20:23):
So how has your life evolvedand changed?
And you know, tell us a littlebit about how relationships have
evolved, because I think thisis the part that most people do
not understand, that I thinkthat you're an absolute beacon
for.
So, yeah, if you could tell usa little bit about your sort of
experiences with relationshipsand love and romance and sex and
(20:44):
all these times are things, sothat people have a clarity and
an understanding for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I mean, look, it's been a long journey and I'll try
and keep it short, but when itcomes to everybody's, love life
can be a long yeah, um, sex anddisability and all of those
things.
I think that, again, it'sanother misconception that
people assume that people withdisabilities can't have intimate
, um or fulfilling relationships.
(21:11):
Just because you have adisability, it doesn't change
your sexuality and it certainlydoesn't change your desire to
want to meet people in thatregard.
Um, I mean, at the time of myaccident, I was together with my
long-term partner of 14 yearsand, um, you know, despite this
huge life changing accident, itdidn't really move the dial on
(21:31):
our sexual relationship.
We just, you know, we werequite imaginative.
We were also very curious abouttrying all these other sexual
aids that are out there thathelp facilitate people with
disabilities, one of them beingthis swing which we have bolted
above our bed.
I mean, getting me into thisthing was ridiculous.
(21:52):
I think it was more funny timethan sexy time, um, but you know
, and there's also somethingcalled a wedge, which is a
really large piece of foam andit helps support people with, um
, limited upper body strengthand things like that.
But then, obviously, thenyou've got the good
old-fashioned way of enjoying um, and you know, I mean I
(22:14):
remember the first time makingout with my partner, uh, after
the accident, and as lovely asit was, I just couldn't help but
feel a tremendous amount ofemotion, I suppose loss um of
who I once was and how I couldparticipate and move and seduce
(22:34):
in a certain way, and instead Ibecame very aware of my
paralyzed body.
It all became very consuming,but over time it just got better
and I became a lot moreconfident.
And even though ourrelationship didn't work out,
I'm really glad that we exploredthose things together because
it gave me the confidence tomove forward.
(22:55):
And then, of course, internetdating.
I mean Internet dating at thebest times is hard, but throw a
disability in the mix andsometimes it can seem completely
impossible, because I think alot of the time Guys just see
the chair and they don't see theperson sitting in it.
Um, but you know, I had a mixedreception older, younger men
(23:18):
and I just feel that the oldermen are slightly more empathetic
towards the situation.
But you know, having some ofthese messages, messages that
I've received, have just beenpretty blunt.
Let's say that, you know,rather than introducing
themselves, they'll say um, canyou have sex?
When was the last time you hadsex?
I'm assuming you have it in awheelchair, or, yeah, you're
(23:41):
quite nice looking for someonewho's disabled, or what's the
other one.
Do you get out much?
What do you do all day?
So you know, thankfully I'm,I'm, I've got, I mean, I, I can
take them and I can laugh themoff with friends, but you do
become quite despondent sureuntil you know, life surprises
(24:02):
you.
and then you're kind of doingyour thing, thinking, oh, I
don't need a guy, it'sabsolutely fine, and um, and
then you meet someone and yeahmean, I was never particularly
looking for love, I've just beenlooking for companionship,
someone to hang out with andshare the good times with.
But then I met someone recentlyand, yeah, I mean we have a lot
(24:25):
in common, but in the sense thathe's also had a life changing
accident which left himpartially paralyzed on one side
of his body, but he's learned tomaster the art of walking
confidently with a crutch and,um, yeah, he's got one of the
sexiest limps I've seen.
So we have great chemistry andit's interesting because I never
(24:48):
thought about dating someoneelse with a disability.
But it just goes to show that,despite the challenges we face,
um, we can still create our own,yeah, sweet little love story.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
So, yeah, that's it in a nutshell and that's lovely,
because it's a sort of creatingyour own little bit of heaven
and you can both be empatheticto each other's needs even more
so absolutely, and I thinkthat's such a huge part in in a
relationship, regardless whetheryou're able-bodied or not.
It's just I'm trying tounderstand one another.
It's enough being male andfemale, but to actually have
(25:24):
something in common, um, it'squite beautiful and I think you,
you guys do that really, reallywell.
Yeah, those who don't know.
She's dating one of my bestfriends, so they are brilliant.
They're both one of thefunniest people I've met.
So I love the way that lifedoesn't hold you back and it
(25:45):
allows you to keepspringboarding forward despite
any challenges that havepresented themselves, despite
any challenges that havepresented themselves.
So I guess my next question isin facing these challenges, do
you feel that you've evolvedmore as a human being?
Do you feel that you've becomean even better version of
yourself post-accident?
I know that's a really toughquestion to ask, but it's quite
(26:11):
a bit of a soul-searchingquestion to a certain extent,
because it might give peoplelike an idea to really think
that sometimes challenges, eventhough we don't like them, can
can bring them with them a giftdefinitely, I think I've learned
the beauty of patience and alsokindness, um, I I feel like
I've become, as mentioned before, a lot of a stronger person.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
I've developed a certain wisdom, um, and, yeah,
resilience, because when yourback's against the wall, you
know you've got three optionsyou can either let it destroy
you, let it define you, or youcan let it strengthen you, and
I've really decided to go withthe latter and take it by the
horns and friggin, just make themost out of my life, and I do,
(27:01):
in a funny way, feel that I am abetter person than I was before
, because you take so manythings for granted yeah um, so
I'm in a really happy place, soyeah.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
That's inspiring in itself and I know that, having
met you, I see that all aboutyou.
I'm like.
I see this confidence radiating, I see this glow, I see this
cheerfulness and that's like youknow.
You see people walking down thestreet and they don't even have
that.
So to see Heidi doing that is,I think, an absolute inspiration
(27:39):
, which is why she's this week'ssuper soul model.
Heidi, it's been an absolutejoy speaking with you.
It's been enlightening tolisten and hear some of the
conceptions and misconceptionsthat people have.
I guess, just as a closingcomment, what do you think if
(27:59):
you were to share a message thatyou'd like people to know most,
that would really helpinspiring them if they were
facing any challenges of theirown.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I think you know, for those facing challenges it's
tough and there's no right wayof navigating dark times.
But, um, I think, as mentionedbefore, always have or try to
have a good, a good mindset,because it really will be your
best friend to help you goforward.
I think, appreciate the smallwins, because over time you know
(28:30):
you can look back and just beproud of how far you've come.
I think it's important to spendyour time with people that can
really lift you up, and I thinkit's okay to ask for help.
It's not a weakness, it'sactually a strength.
And, most importantly, I think,just enjoy the little things in
life.
If that's reading a fewchapters of your favorite book,
even though you should be doingsomething else, do it.
(28:52):
If it means going for a coffeewith your friend, do it.
Go outside.
I think nature is very, veryimportant.
Having fresh air, um, and justyeah, just really enjoying the
little things I think is reallyimportant and for and for the
ladies who might be listening, Ithink this is really quite a
question.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Where do you get your style ideas from?
And then how do you sort ofsource your, your clothing,
because you've got a fantasticwardrobe?
Uh, you pick your colors wisely, because I know you've studied
color.
Um, yeah, so how do you sourceall your clothing?
And?
And how do you go about doingthat?
Do you have a different way, ordo you have personal shoppers,
(29:31):
or how does it work for you?
Speaker 1 (29:33):
well, um, you know, retraining as a personal stylist
, it really opened your eyes.
I mean, I had to give awayabout 70% of my wardrobe because
apparently I was wearing thewrong color.
So color is such a powerfultool because people respond to
you in different ways whenyou're wearing a certain color.
Uh, it helps with your you knowglow, with your skin tone and
(29:56):
also finding styles that suityour body shape, I think is
really important, um, so youknow, there's lots of stuff on
google there that you canresearch and it really does, uh,
make a really big difference.
And just find your inspirationthrough travel and see what
(30:17):
works for you in that kind ofentity you know, and take note
of what other people are wearing.
But I mean, I I think it's allabout what you um feel confident
in the most.
I do a lot of my shoppingactually.
I love pre-love shopping.
I love going into boutiquecharity stores, and what's nice
(30:39):
about that is you don't have tohave a shopping list.
It's like a treasure.
You never know what you'regoing to get.
But as long as you know whatcolors suit you, then you can
literally bypass all the colorsthat don't, and it makes
shopping so much quicker and ahell of a lot more fun.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Yeah, excellent Heidi .
It's been a real joy speakingwith you and, for those that
want to reach you, have you gota website or where do people
find you and get to listen toall your stories and you can
maybe um, have a dabble on uhInstagram, you'll.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
You'll find me there doing goofing around, doing my
thing, most probably fantasticheidi.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Thank you so much.
Heidi herkus is this week'ssuper soul model.
Thank you very much, heidithank you.
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