Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Niamh Cullen from Dublin and I am a bubbly out going 24-year-old. I run Behind the Braids blog, currently living life in the fast lane and loving it! I work as a brand manager in Brown Thomas and currently blog about my four favourite things: fitness, fashion, hairstyles and beauty.
Why do you do what you do?
Probably because it is something that I actually enjoy waking up in the morning and getting out of bed for. Especially for my 5am workouts, no snooze button on my phone!
I was always a sporty girl growing up but then again I was the biggest girly girl too.
I shared my outfits, hairstyles, food diaries and workout regime on my Instagram until eventually my family and friends said I should start a blog. My dad was especially encouraging and as they say daddy knows best.
Describe your audience?
My audience ranges across all ages but it would be more women than men that follow me. However I really think that what I share relates to everyone, even men. I am all about positivity and mindfulness especially on my Snapchat and I post things like ab workouts and quotes that I think anyone could enjoy!
Whats your media diet?
Sky news: I need to know what's going on in the world plus the weather to see if I need my umbrella. Nine times out of ten its a yes.
Snapchat: I go through all my favourite beauty and fitness Snapchatters on a daily basis.
Instagram: All my favourite Instagrammers #fitspo posts usually gives me a kick of motivation.
Three people you respect .
- My parents, always.
- Family and friends.
- Work colleagues.
But I think that you should always have respect for everyone in your life, especially yourself.
What excites you and why?
Definitely what I'm doing right now, I wake up most mornings excited. I am constantly being given opportunities to do lots of exciting things that associates with the content on my blog.
Finest moment to date.
I have been blessed with quite a few! Becoming the face of Cocoa Brown Tan has definitely been a highlight but I will always go back to my body transformation photo which I shared on my social media one evening.
My phone blew up, it was such an achievement for me. I was so happy with my results and everyone else who has seen the photo was too.
It was definitely the moment that I decided in my head.. "the blogging needs to start niamho".
Proudest moment to date?
When I built up the courage to tell my Snapchat followers about how I had suffered slightly with my anxiety and my nerves and what tools I use to calm those feelings. Later that evening I received over 30 messages from girls and woman thanking me and telling me how much I've helped them and encouraged them to take up a healthier lifestyle.
Embarrassing moment.
I have so many! I am so clumsy and such a dope sometimes! Probably the most recent was when I wore my gym gear inside-out for half a day without realising while walking around my local shopping centre.
What channels are your fav?
Snapchat: I love watching and listening people I follow. I feel like I'm their friend! I do often agree with them out loud and my boyfriend does look at me and be like... "really?"
Instagram: I look up everything from hairstyles, #fitspo, and all things fashion - my storage is full .. but I continue to screenshot.
Tell us a secret!
I once scored a date on TV3's Take Me Out ... yeah scarlet! Secret's out!! But my boyfriend did hunt me down after he saw me on his telly one Friday night and now we're 6 years together this winter.
Whats the master plan/dream?
To free all the whales in sea world and stop animal cruelty would be the dream.
I have lots of plans, the main one is to be the best version of myself and to be as successful as I can in doing what I love doing the most, which is this!
Where can we find you online?
These are the social media platforms where I share most things fitness fashion hair and beauty... and maybe the odd dog pic. I am a lover of dogs. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
My Snapchat is niamhycxo. This is where I share all my meals including cheat days (they are so allowed!), workouts and my infamous abs before bed. My feel good quotes and night time inspos, my good days and sometimes bad, even my boyfriend makes the odd appearance and generally it's hilarious.
My YouTube channel with all my hair tutorials and workouts that you can do.
My website, where you can find all my fitness, beauty and hair tips including healthy and easy recipes. The website also has all the latest news and updates on my lifestyle and events that I attend.
If you would like to feature here, we'd love to hear from you e: rtelifestyle@rte.ie or find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
