Nicole Zimmermann — On Sobriety, Breathwork & Rebuilding Identity
Shoot Wisely — The Creators Podcast
In this episode of Shoot Wisely, Amir Ebrahimi sits down with Nicole Zimmermann, a former model who transformed her creative journey into a deeper exploration of psychology, sobriety, spirituality, and healing.
Nicole’s path has taken her from studying psychology and pursuing a career in therapy, to modeling in New York and Los Angeles, and eventually to becoming a breathwork facilitator, guide, and teacher. Her story is ultimately about identity—what happens when the version of yourself you built no longer feels authentic, and the courage it takes to create something new.
Nicole opens up about discovering her creativity through art, writing, singing, music, and poetry before unexpectedly entering the modeling world after being approached while working as a waitress in upstate New York. While modeling gave her access to incredible creative experiences, it also exposed her to intense pressures around body image, eating, appearance, and the expectations placed on women in the industry.
We talk candidly about the personal cost of chasing success, Nicole’s struggles with eating disorder patterns, and the role sobriety played in changing the direction of her life. She shares how getting sober initially made life feel harder rather than easier—and how, over time, it allowed her to reconnect with herself.
A women’s retreat in Mount Shasta became another major turning point, introducing Nicole to breathwork and a spiritual practice that would eventually become the foundation of her work. She explains breathwork as a somatic practice that can help people regulate their nervous system, reconnect with their bodies, and access emotions that may have been stored or disconnected from conscious awareness.
Nicole also talks about the transition from experiencing these practices herself to learning how to hold space for others. Rather than calling herself a “healer,” she sees her role as a facilitator—creating an environment where people can access their own healing and discover what is already within them.
The conversation comes full circle as Nicole reflects on how much of her original interest in psychology still exists inside her current work, only now through a more embodied and experiential approach.
We also explore spirituality, astrology, emotional safety, authenticity, performative spirituality, and whether Nicole could ever see herself returning to modeling. Her answer reveals how different her relationship with identity and creativity has become.
At its core, this is a conversation about letting go of who you think you're supposed to be and learning to trust who you already are.
Key Topics
- Nicole’s early creative expression through art, writing, singing, music, and poetry
- Her original interest in psychology and desire to become a therapist
- An unexpected introduction to modeling while working as a waitress in upstate New York
- Moving from New York to Los Angeles and pursuing modeling professionally
- The creative freedom and opportunities modeling provided
- Body image, eating disorder patterns, and the darker side of the modeling industry
- The tension between self-expression and being asked to embody someone else’s vision
- Sobriety and the emotional challenges of getting sober
- The role of healing and self-discovery in rebuilding her identity
- A women’s retreat in Mount Shasta and her first experience with breathwork
- Spiritual mentorship and discovering her ability to hold space for others
- Leaving a comfortable relationship and lifestyle that no longer felt aligned
- Building a new business and creating her own breathwork school
- What breathwork is and how it relates to the nervous system and the body
- Trauma, stored emotion, and reconnecting with the body
- Why Nicole prefers the role of facilitator over the label “healer”
- Authenticity versus performative spirituality
- How psychology continues to influence her work
- Emotional safety and creating spaces where people can express themselves
- Astrology, intuition, and taking spiritual practices with perspective
- Whether Nicole would ever return to modeling
- What she would tell her younger self about trusting the process
Timestamps
01:18 — Nicole’s background: Virginia, Wisconsin, upstate New York, and California
02:30 — Early creativity: art, writing, music, and poetry
03:32 — Studying psychology and the desire to understand people
0:35 — College, modeling, and the decision to move to Los Angeles
10:20 — How modeling started with a random encounter at a restaurant
14:15 — Getting signed, body pressure, and early campaign work
16:25 — Eating disorder struggles and the toll modeling took
20:25 — What Nicole actually loved about modeling
22:11 — Self-expression versus playing assigned roles
24:00 — Rock bottom, sobriety, and 2018
26:02 — Coming back to life and finding alignment
31:13 — The retreat, spiritual mentorship, and discovering breathwork
34:40 — Learning to facilitate and recognizing a gift for holding space
37:16 — Leaving a fast-paced lifestyle and choosing a different path
39:43 — Building her business after another difficult year in 2021
41:28 — Creating her breathwork school and training others
43:03 — What breathwork is and why it works
45:06 — Breath, trauma, and the body as a storage system for emotion
47:20 — Why healing has to come from within
51:51 — Why Nicole doesn't identify with the label “healer”
54:46 — The problem with performative spirituality
57:14 — How psychology still lives inside her current work
58:39 — Emotional safety, authenticity, and why feeling matters
64:15 — Advice to her 2018 self: trust the process and remember who you are
67:06 — Astrology, Leo energy, and taking it with a grain of salt
69:30 — Would Nicole model again?
72:09 — Why Amir created Shoot Wisely and what he hopes to leave his daughter
Notable Quotes
“When we heal ourselves inside, it manifests into the outer expression as well.”
“The way that we breathe is the way that we live.”
“It’s not about becoming anything. It’s just about remembering who you are.”
About Shoot Wisely
Shoot Wisely is a creators podcast hosted by photographer and creative producer Amir Ebrahimi.
With more than 20 years of experience working across photography, film, television, branded content, and production, Amir created Shoot Wisely to explore the stories behind the people who make things.
The podcast goes beyond portfolios, credits, and finished work to uncover the creative process, personal experiences, failures, pivots, and decisions that shape a creator’s career.
While photography and filmmaking are at the heart of many conversations, Shoot Wisely is ultimately about creativity in all its forms—and the people behind the work.
Shoot Wisely Media
Shoot Wisely Media is a creative production company focused on documentary storytelling, photography, branded content, and cultural storytelling.
The company works with brands, organizations, and individuals to create authentic visual stories that connect people with their audiences.
Shoot Wisely
Stories behind the creators.
Host: Amir Ebrahimi
Podcast: Shoot Wisely — The Creators Podcast
Production Company: Shoot Wisely Media
