"Go that extra mile and prove your worth that little bit more...
work hard and let that speak for itself."
I'm excited to share my second Fearless Female feature talking to an inspiring mum of two Joanne White, who runs her own Southampton based Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA) fightwear clothing company, Rainha Fightwear exclusively for women. Having found there weren't any clothing companies that catered to women's bodies & sizing, Joanne decided to set out her own company doing just that! I originally heard of Joanne's unique business from an alumni entrepreneurs networking group at Solent University and had to hear more of how Joanne set up her business! So here's her story on her passion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and breaking the mould. This shoot also features a few beautiful photos of her youngest daughter Effie who couldn't stay away from the camera! Isn't she gorgeous?
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Nisha: What inspired you to start this unique business, Rainha Fightwear? When did you start?
Joanne: I had been training for about a year, and struggled to find anywhere fightwear that suited my style and also found that there weren’t any brands out there that had a wide variety in women fightwear at the time. So it originally started as a university final major project and developed from there.
I see you regularly train in martial arts, how did you get into this sport & lifestyle?
I've always had a love for martial arts, but had never tried anything like Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) before. My fiancee was training and kept pushing for me to give it a try. I was hooked from my first session.
As a mum of two young girls, what is it like being a full-time mum, businesswoman and sportswoman? Do you have a particular routine, lifestyle you work to?
As a mum of two young girls, what is it like being a full-time mum, businesswoman and sportswoman? Do you have a particular routine, lifestyle you work to?
Hectic! Yes our life is pretty much built around routine to fit in not only our work and training schedule but also our eldest daughters as well as she currently does BJJ, swimming and is starting street dance soon as well.
I imagine your beautiful daughters and fiancé are a big part of your business & brand. In what ways does the family get involved in the business?
We do everything together, so Jon and I both run Rainha and make all of the final decisions together if we ever struggle and can't agree on a design we let our eldest daughter Marlee be the deciding factor. We also get her involved in photoshoots, events and our social media. She loves getting involved and it has inspired her to create her own mini brands for fun.
I imagine your beautiful daughters and fiancé are a big part of your business & brand. In what ways does the family get involved in the business?
We do everything together, so Jon and I both run Rainha and make all of the final decisions together if we ever struggle and can't agree on a design we let our eldest daughter Marlee be the deciding factor. We also get her involved in photoshoots, events and our social media. She loves getting involved and it has inspired her to create her own mini brands for fun.
How do you come up with designs for your clothing range? Tell me about the process of getting specially made fightwear designed for females in mind.
Our first design was just a simple one we put together to help with brand recognition and also get our brand colours and everything out there. Since then we’ve actually had some very talented tattoo artist friends of ours Amber and Juliet who have created two of our most popular rash guards. We wanted to get designing our own more, that was the original plan, but where things took off so quickly and unexpectedly it caught us off guard. You can see of Amber and Juliet's work on Instagram @amberjanetattoo and @artycow.
Did you receive any funding for your business or was it all self-started?
We received a bit of funding from Solent University through their business startup scheme where we also took part in crowdfunding but we mainly scraped together what we could and crossed our fingers!
Having competed in BJJ & Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and won various competitions, do you feel the community of female fighters and this sport is growing?
Having competed in BJJ & Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and won various competitions, do you feel the community of female fighters and this sport is growing?
I have competed a few times last year, which I found incredibly nerve-racking but also so fun. I got to meet loads of fantastic female fighters which was amazing and create some great friendships. One of my favourite competitions I have done is 'Fight like a Girl', run by one of my best friends Chloe Moore. It's a female only competition and was great to see so many talented women in one room fighting and laughing all at the same time. I think its just going to keep growing, more and more women are not only trying BJJ every day but are also making themselves well known in the BJJ community for their amazing achievements in competition around the world.
Do you still compete in local/regional or national competitions?
Yes, I would love to do some bigger competitions eventually, but I’m not very confident and second guess myself a lot, so I want to spend this year really concentrating on my technique and training with lots of other women and prepare for a year of competing next year.
You’re very active in this community and social media, do you find this helps with creating your products & clothing?
Definitely, I think being active on social media is a big part of it, but we also really value every single one of our customers and do our best to make sure we give them the best service possible. We are only a tiny family-run brand so every sale for us is huge and we want our customers to know how much we appreciate them so I think that is more important.
You’re very active in this community and social media, do you find this helps with creating your products & clothing?
Definitely, I think being active on social media is a big part of it, but we also really value every single one of our customers and do our best to make sure we give them the best service possible. We are only a tiny family-run brand so every sale for us is huge and we want our customers to know how much we appreciate them so I think that is more important.
How did you go about building your Rainha brand? Your logo is gorgeous!
Lots of guessing and trial and error. Everyone is so lucky they didn’t see the list of potential names we had there was a lot of questionable choices!
Do you tend to find your customers are local or nationwide or even international?
We get a lot of customers over the country but we have found that we actually get a lot of love from America as well as Europe which is awesome and still totally blows our minds.
You talked about Fibromyalgia which you’ve described as chronic full body pain and fatigue. It’s amazing that you’re so active in the BJJ community and what you’ve done to overcome that. What major challenges did you have with running your business and did you have to make big changes in your life?
Do you tend to find your customers are local or nationwide or even international?
We get a lot of customers over the country but we have found that we actually get a lot of love from America as well as Europe which is awesome and still totally blows our minds.
You talked about Fibromyalgia which you’ve described as chronic full body pain and fatigue. It’s amazing that you’re so active in the BJJ community and what you’ve done to overcome that. What major challenges did you have with running your business and did you have to make big changes in your life?
Well it never goes away, so its just balance really. I try my best to live as healthy a lifestyle as I can and also make sure I schedule in time for me to rest and recover because that's a big part of it. Getting the balance is definitely the hardest.
I imagine in the sport of BJJ and MMA, there aren’t as many female role models. Do you have any role models you look up to?
There are loads of female role models it's amazing and it hard to pick just one. A couple of women that I love to watch compete at the moment is Ffion Davies, Samantha Cook and Gezary Matuda.
On the topic of female empowerment, have there been any obstacles being a businesswoman or in life and how did you overcome that?
I guess being a woman in a male-dominated sport starting a business for women in a male-dominated sport was really daunting and at first was a risk and also where I train at the moment I am currently the only woman. I guess you always feel like you always have to try and go that extra mile and prove your worth that little bit more, which is a lot of pressure in itself, but I just try and keep my head down and work hard and let that speak for itself.
Another interesting topic you’ve touched upon is confidence. As a business owner myself, there are definitely times I lose confidence in myself. Do you have any processes that help you with inner confidence in both your business and yourself?
I'm just very good at faking confidence! More often then not I have to check in with Jon, he helps me keep a level head and not over think things and try and stay as confident as I can. All you can do is try your best.
I'm just very good at faking confidence! More often then not I have to check in with Jon, he helps me keep a level head and not over think things and try and stay as confident as I can. All you can do is try your best.
What advice would you give to females interested in trying out BJJ or MMA for the first time? Would you have to have a certain fitness level or previous combat sports experience?
To just do it, you get fit while training so there's nothing to worry about, its great fun and you become a part of a great team and eventually become like family. I couldn’t recommend BJJ more, it has helped me so much not just with my fitness and health but also with my confidence.
If you're interested in trying Brazilian jiu-jitsu or Mixed Martial Arts, Joanne trains at Phoenix BJJ in Southampton where you can meet and learn more about this exciting sport. See their timetable of classes here.
You can find out more about Joanne's unique business below:
Rainha Fightwear Instagram
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Also some exciting news for this Autumn/Winter 2018 season. I'm currently working on a brand new venture, Girlboss Sessions - branding, portrait & lifestyle photos for fearless female entrepreneurs & kick-ass businesswomen who are bossing it at work. Can't wait to share more updates about this!
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Also some exciting news for this Autumn/Winter 2018 season. I'm currently working on a brand new venture, Girlboss Sessions - branding, portrait & lifestyle photos for fearless female entrepreneurs & kick-ass businesswomen who are bossing it at work. Can't wait to share more updates about this!
I'm very excited to celebrate 1 year of taking the plunge and becoming a full-time freelancer! Wooo!
So this year has been a pretty exciting, manic and a celebratory one, first being shortlisted as a finalist for the UK Wedding Awards 2018 for Best Wedding Photographer and being featured in Dorset, Wiltshire & Hampshire Bride Magazine 2018 in Jan, then moving house and getting a brand new home office in March, then celebrating turning 25 in May, then 3 years of running Nisha Haq Photography in June, then receiving an honorary degree of Master of Arts from Solent University in July and now over the moon that I'm celebrating 1 year of being a full-time freelancer! 🎉🎂🙌🏽
I can't believe it's been a whole year since going full-time with my business last month and it's certainly the best thing I've done! (You can read my blog post about it when I announced this news last year here.) If you asked me when I just graduated from university at 21 that I'd be living the dream as a full-time freelance photographer at 24 and all the amazing opportunities and experiences along the way, I would have laughed at how preposterous that sounded!
I can't believe it's been a whole year since going full-time with my business last month and it's certainly the best thing I've done! (You can read my blog post about it when I announced this news last year here.) If you asked me when I just graduated from university at 21 that I'd be living the dream as a full-time freelance photographer at 24 and all the amazing opportunities and experiences along the way, I would have laughed at how preposterous that sounded!
I think being British, it's often we don't share our accomplishments and celebrate the milestones in our lives as much as we should do, so this blog post is both a celebration and reminder that if you feel it's a big achievement in your life, career or family, CELEBRATE and share the great news with loved ones! For me, I remember this time last year I was so worried about taking the plunge into going full-time with my business and many self-employed folks will understand that it can be scary not having a regular monthly income and being responsible for everything, not having sick or holiday pay and also juggling all the ins and outs of running a business and feeling you're offering the best you can for all your clients. Though this may seem like a lot of disadvantages and pressure, having successfully achieved a year of being full-time, I wouldn't have it any other way!
Pros of being a full-time freelancer
Here are a few that I've discovered this past year:
- Job satisfaction - I absolutely love what I do and photographing weddings, shoots and meeting lots of different people. Getting to do what I'm so passionate about full-time is amazing and I'm always buzzing for the next shoot! Being able to reap the rewards 100% is a wonderful feeling and knowing I have happy clients means the world to me.
- Independence - I love having the freedom of setting my own hours, doing what I love doing when I want to. Basically getting to choose how I want to work that suits the lifestyle I want. (I love getting to shop on a weekday when it's not jam-packed on a Saturday!) It's the little things that make a lot of different and love having the independence of how I live my life. I love the quote, 'Work to Live, Don't Live to Work' and try and take that ethos in everything I do.
- Location - It's great being able to work from home and not having to get stuck in rush hour traffic anymore or get bogged down with office politics and company hierarchies. I'm currently writing this blog post in sunny South Devon for a mini-break (mainly getting to have a lovely different view out of the window!) I'm also very fortunate to be able to work in some amazing places and venues and get to see some epic views when I'm out photographing which is definitely one of the perks of the job!
- Salary - Although it was daunting having unpredictable finances and the lack of security being employed, growing my business to where it is today is something I couldn't have dreamed of and the growth has been amazing these past few years! The sky's the limit and I'm always working the best I can to grow my business. Being full-time has allowed me to grow both in business and personal development which is more than I could ask for.
I was thinking of ways of how to celebrate with my other half, Rob, we brainstormed with ideas like a bottle of bubbly, a giant balloon in the shape of the number 1, and then Rob suggested that he'd make a special cake for me to celebrate this milestone in the shape of a camera. Although it's a bit kooky, I love it and it's as homemade as they come! He tried to replicate my trusty Canon camera and I can just about see the resemblance! Tehe! Regardless, it tasted DELICIOUS and couldn't be happier to celebrate this special occasion.
I often talk about the rollercoaster of running a business, and I'm so grateful and blessed to have such a supportive network such as IPSE, Solent University, Somerset Art Works, Solent LEP to name a few, who've helped me get to where I am today and of course all my amazing clients, family, friends and my other half for believing in me and encouraging me to pursue my passion full-time! Thank you so much everyone!
A few behind-the-scenes snaps of being a freelance photographer. You can find them posted on my Instastories on Instagram if you fancied a follow (@nishahaq).
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Read more on being a #girlboss
Find out more on my new portrait & interview series, Fearless Females
More on my website of my latest weddings & photoshoots
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Read more on being a #girlboss
Find out more on my new portrait & interview series, Fearless Females
More on my website of my latest weddings & photoshoots
"Be brave; if you want something then go get it because no one is going to make it happen for you… it’s got to come from you!"
What does it mean to be a fearless female? For me, it's a woman who tries something new without the guarantee it’ll work but takes the plunge anyway. Those of are the females I’m inspired by and look up to. Being a businesswoman myself, I’m fascinated by how many females who are doing their own thing, making waves in their industry and community and being a #girlboss whilst doing it! This new project came together from the passion for bold unique women and wanting to tell their story.
For my first feature and launching on International Women’s Day today, I wanted to share the inspiring story of Jasmine Sandhu who set up her new Bhangra dance business in Southampton only six months ago. Having met on a photoshoot in August 2017, we were talking about our dreams and aspirations, one of which was Jasmine’s love for dance and creating her own classes. Two months later, she’s hosting a taster session with the dance hall packed of newcomers eager to try this new dance class in the South! Encouraging diversity, fitness and confidence, she’s had a phenomenal start. Meet 22-year-old, fun-loving, fabulous & fearless Jasmine.
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Nisha: What inspired you to start this unique business, South Coast Bhangra?
Jasmine: I always loved dancing and I always struggled with fitting in the conventional route so I thought that’s it… It’s time for this woman to go on a mission! I wanted to create Bhangra class on the South Coast. At weddings I would get compliments on dancing and wanted to start my own classes - so I did!
Have you always had a passion for dance?
Always. Even before I started to attend classes, I would always be dancing in the living room with my grandma and this is when I was four! I did some ballet classes in primary school but then my mum took me to Bollywood classes when I was about eight/nine years old; absolutely loved how bright and fun the moves and music were!
Then I went on to also learn Kathak dance which is Northern Indian classical dance - this was really interesting and different to the relaxed movie style moves from Bollywood. In college, I took Dance as an A-Level which was about contemporary dance and this was a whole new ballpark for me but I learnt SO MUCH about dance in general which made me into a much stronger, wiser and even more passionate dancer. Now here I am with my Bhangra classes!
Studying, training, and running a new business, you must be a busy woman! Do you have a particular routine, lifestyle you work to?
Oh dear lord… Well, my life consists of a lot of lists, lotsa lotsa lists! Lists on my phone, notepads, sticky notes and multiple whiteboards designated to different aspects of my lifestyle. Tick one thing off and three more are added but it is the only way to make sure you stay organised and most importantly, stay sane! Keeping all of this on your mind can cause you to break down and feel buried in a pile of thoughts and tasks which only end up growing and end up creating a big ball of anxiety.
Every day is different for me and that is just how I like it but the above needs to be kept under control since I do not adopt a particular routine. My daily list will alter and there is no specific time frame to get tasks done (unless required externally by others) - as long as those tasks are ticked off by the end of the day then it’s happy days.
I regularly see your sisters and mother attend your dance classes. Is family a big part of how you run your business?
Absolutely - my sisters love to come and dance and have fun. They love to come and see the whole group as we are all like a big family. The class is great on a Wednesday because it breaks up the week so they can dance off any stresses and dance on towards the weekend! My mum is an ABSOLUTE BABE! She helps me out with my admin and finances which can be so difficult to deal with when it’s just one person running the show. We are super close as a family; we are always there supporting one another, I love them a lot.
How do you come up with dance moves for the classes? Tell me about the process of thinking a new routine and teaching to a new class.
This is just something I end up doing at the most random times. I may be laying in bed post-midnight or in the car - anywhere where it’s just me and the music although I can’t force it! The best work, for me, happens naturally. Once I mentally choreograph I then tend to try it out physically and tweak bits and then I apply any knowledge I’ve adopted from my years of experience. I like to keep it fresh and I always like my choreography to have an element of uniqueness and originality.
What are your biggest inspirations when it comes to business, dance or both?
My biggest inspirations are my parents and also my grandparents; especially my paternal grandfather. He taught me that no matter how old you are, it is never too late to make your dream come true. He taught me that no matter what people say, you keep fighting and you keep moving forward. My granddad proved to me that you can be in the worst situation and you can completely turn it around. He taught me that your physical age is one thing but your spiritual and mental age can be whatever you want it to be. There’s only one way to go and that is upwards! Thanks Baba!
Tell me a little more about Bhangra dancing…
Bhangra originated in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. It is a folk dance originated in the North of India and was commonly performed on the Harvest periods of the year. Bhangra was predominantly performed by males and was also used as a way to exercise and gain strength. Over time, people created Bhangra teams and began competing which is where we are at now! Bhangra has evolved over the years from traditional folk style to modern bhangra inspired by other dance styles - it’s cool to experiment!
Name your greatest success (or something you’re really proud of) in your business:
Seeing my aims being achieved; there’s no greater feeling when you’re told that you’re an awesome teacher and you bring everyone together in a fun class while ensuring everyone gets a good workout. Not only do you learn how to do Bhangra, but you become part of a family. The focus is to learn together, dance together, smile together and grow as individuals, together! Our aim: to promote diversity, equality, mental wellness and physical fitness. Everybody is welcome, all ages, all ethnicities, all abilities.
As a business owner myself, there are times I lack self-confidence. Do you have any processes that help you with confidence in both your business and yourself?
I listen to Ted Talks - the app is amazing! You can listen remotely so the talks are always with you and there are loads of different topics you can choose from depending on how you are feeling - from uplifting content to content to help increase confidence.
Thoughts and feelings are directly linked to each other - it is not possible to be feeling bad and say you’re fine and you’re having good thoughts. I ask myself multiple times throughout the day “Jas, how are you feeling?” and if it’s not positive and not how I want to feel then I get myself to change my thoughts to positive ones. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t feel happy and great all day every day… that’s just not human. Just figure out what the true underlying issue is and you can address it. Also, I say surround yourself with positive people - these don’t have to be people happy all day every day but just people who can empathise with you and help pick you up and direct you the right way when you need it; true friends.
Name a woman (or women), past or present, whom you admire or look up to:
My mum; her career journey is incredible and again she has shown me that anything is possible - you can achieve what you want but it has to come from you (come from within). Only you can do it.
My mum; her career journey is incredible and again she has shown me that anything is possible - you can achieve what you want but it has to come from you (come from within). Only you can do it.
Often we see more male dancers in Bhangra, especially in Bollywood. Was that one of the motivations to create an inclusive place for anyone to try Bhangra?
Yes! I wanted all ages, all abilities, all genders and all ethnicities to feel like they are welcome at South Coast Bhangra classes. Funnily enough, the majority of our participants are female!
What are your plans for the future?
To inspire, to grow, to achieve - keep it fresh, have fun and continue meeting amazing people on the way!
What advice would you give to people interested in trying out Bhangra for the first time?
Would you have to have a certain fitness level or previous dance experience? No previous experience needed! I’d say to people to be prepared to get a good workout from my classes but don’t be afraid. I came across dance by chance and I found my passion in life! Whether people want to get fit, meet new people, learn a new style, or want to prepare for any weddings or parties - you’re all welcome! Try it out and see for yourself!
To celebrate International Women’s Day today, what message do you have for females or anyone looking to start or grow their business or to simply try something new:
Be brave; if you want something then go get it because no one is going to make it happen for you… it’s got to come from you! Start planning and build a picture and a plan then go ahead and implement it - try now and avoid any regret later. Keep motivated - people will be negative and you need to remember you can’t change them, but you can change you! Keep your mind free from any bad thoughts and keep thinking about how far you can grow - show them how it’s done and prove them wrong. Who knows, this might just be the best thing that ever happens to you...
You can sign up and find out more information on South Coast Bhangra dance classes and your nearest class here.
Currently run on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Currently run on Wednesdays and Fridays.
It's the world-wide day of profusely declaring your love and devotion to the significant others in our lives, often with flowers, love hearts, unicorns, cuddling things or a trusty hand-written Valentines card, it's one of those days that I look forward to every year. Even before I was in a relationship with my partner Rob of 6 years, I'd always give a card to a family member, usually my mum and share the love! I do love my boyfriend every day of the year (the adoration increases & decreases depending on how hangry we are!) but the love I feel is never less from one day to the other. Celebrating Valentine's Day is a fabulous reminder to spend a little extra time on our relationship in our busy lives, be it, researching the perfect gift (I love seeing his reaction when he opens presents!) spending time cooking together and sharing the little moments just simply on us.
I've decided to share a few of my favourite Engagement Session photos focusing on just that... all the little moments. That's why I love photographing couple shoots, it's such a wonderful way of spending quality time together, it's mega fun and love capturing the cute, giggly, romantic, silly, happy moments together.
Here's a round up of my favourite Engagement photos to date.
Happy Valentines Everyone!
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P.S I'm currently offering a Free Engagement Shoot when you book your wedding photography as my special Valentines offer this year! Book by 28 Feb 2018 to receive a complimentary couples shoot. :) Get in touch for more details
-Davina & Calvin (couple above)
"Wow wow wow!!!
How wonderful do they look!! Thank you so much you are a superstar for making us look so good! We are so happy with them and can't wait to share them with everyone this makes us so excited for the big day."
- Grace & James (couple above)
"Nisha as recently photographed our engagement shoot and will be photographing our wedding next year. We are absolutely over the moon with our engagement photos and cannot wait for her to photograph the wedding. Nisha made us feel comfortable and at home during our engagement shoot and we were always giggling 
:) I am honoured Nisha will be photographing our wedding :) x"
:) I am honoured Nisha will be photographing our wedding :) x"- Hannah & Stuart (couple above)
"Thank you so much they are gorgeous, I can't wait to go through them with Gareth tonight. What a great way to brighten up the day. We had so much fun on Sunday even with the wind! You make it all so easy and natural. Roll on next July! Thank you again. "
- Rachel & Gareth (couple above)
"We found Nisha by chance and we were ever so glad we did. Such an energetic, bubbly, friendly person. We wanted an engagement photo shoot and wedding photographer. We had such a great time on the photo shoot."
- Leigh-Ann & Tom (couple above)
"We have booked Nisha for our wedding this May and opted for a package including an engagement shoot. We are not naturally comfortable in front of a camera and were super nervous about this... We didn't need to be. Nisha was lovely and made us feel really relaxed about everything. We brought our (far more photogenic but not particularly cooperative) dog along with us and it didn't faze Nisha at all.
And the resulting photos are brilliant! We initially opted for Nisha because we were looking for natural, fun and candid shots that would capture the spirit of the moment. The engagement shoot photos absolutely do this and we have had so many compliments from friends and family.
Now we just know that the wedding photos on the day will be perfect and we cannot wait.
Thank you, Nisha! "
- Shelley & Ross (couple above)
"Thank you, they are AMAZING. Made me smile!"
- Tash & Simon (couple above)
"Thank you so much for the fun engagement photo shoot! I definitely had a blast!"
- Valerie & Oliver (couple above)
Happy Valentines Day! If you would like a couples or Engagement Shoot, please get in touch to book your session in.
