Nick North is a husband, dad to five kids, and a Branding Strategist, but this wasn’t always the case. He began his adult life as a woman, a mom, and a photographer. Eventually, Nick chose bravely and came out as transgender. This act changed everything.
Rocky Beginnings
For Nick, life as a woman never felt right. Even as a child, he knew he didn’t identify as a girl. However, he still followed through with the things typically expected by society – a gender-specific appearance, marriage, and children, to name a few. Nick birthed four children, in fact. During this time, he felt incredibly sad and empty. The loneliness overwhelmed him until he fell in love with his best friend, Katherine.
Coming Out – The First Time
Initially, Nick came out as a lesbian. He expressed his feelings to Katherine, divorced from his husband, and started down a new path. This path was not easy, of course. After 12 years of marriage and raising four children together, the situation was bound to be challenging. But difficult as it was, Nick knew this was the first brave step he needed to take towards his future. In essence, the pathway to happiness was found in that place of total vulnerability.
A Full Transition
After a few years as an out lesbian, Nick embraced his truest self. He knew that transition would change everything. So with the love and support of Katherine and his children, Nick came out officially as transgender.
Today, Nick lives what he refers to as a perfectly ordinary life. He's happy, and his children are thriving. Bravery comes in many forms and Nick reminds us that living as your authentic self is certainly an act of courage.
Gender Roles in Society
Nick’s unique perspective, from both sides of the gender coin, provides quite a bit of insight into society’s influence on gender. He's experienced life as a mother and father. He knows he received different treatment in each of those roles. Frustratingly, Nick is given more praise as an involved father than he did as an involved mother. His parenting style and involvement stayed exactly the same, but society now views him differently. Gender roles and biases are real, friends!
More about Nick
Nick is a Branding Strategist and public speaker. He's passionate about helping others get clear on how they can impact their audience, make money, and tell their story all while navigating life as their truest self. He works like he lives – with courage!
Want to connect with Nick or learn more? Here's his website. You can also connect with him through Facebook and Instagram.
Creating a Documentary
Nick and Katherine are working on an amazing project. They received a grant from Storyhive to create a documentary! They're sharing the story of their family, subsequently launching into a full-blown movement. With a conference, podcast, and online support community, the “Beautiful Families” project is what this world needs – empowerment for all nontraditional families.
The “Just Another Beautiful Family: An Extra-Ordinary Transgender Life” documentary will be out this summer!
If you enjoyed this episode check out these other interviews related to transgender: Queer Recovering Homophobe, What Happen's if I'm a girl and Life From The Other Side.
