She Comes With Baggage: How Kirstie Nicole Turned Her Search for Belonging Into SCWB Media
Kirstie Nicole turned a search for belonging into SCWB Media, an independent LGBTQ+ media company built on human connection.
Growing up queer in the American South, Kirstie Nicole did not always see a future where someone like her could live openly, build a career and create something meaningful on her own terms. Today she is the Founder and CEO of SCWB Media, an independent LGBTQ+ media company built on a simple belief: we are more alike than we are different.
Her path from that search for belonging to a company with a global audience started with travel, storytelling and a willingness to share real experiences.
Where It Began
“Growing up queer in the American South, I experienced firsthand the impact of limited representation and the importance of finding spaces where people feel seen and understood,” Nicole says. Those early experiences shaped her career and her belief that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for influencing culture, challenging perceptions and creating human connection.
Her professional journey began through travel, digital storytelling and content creation. By sharing authentic human experiences, she built an international audience. As her platform grew, she saw a chance to move beyond individual storytelling and build something with broader cultural impact.
From a Personal Platform to a Media Company
That vision led to She Comes With Baggage, an idea rooted in the notion that everyone comes with experiences that shape who they are, and that there is power in being willing to share them. It grew into SCWB Media, which Nicole describes as an independent LGBTQ+ media company dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through original editorial content, interviews, podcasts and creative collaborations.
She did not take a traditional path into media or entrepreneurship. “I had to create opportunities for myself, learn an industry as I went and find the confidence to take up space in rooms where I didn’t always feel like I belonged,” she says. Building an independent company has also meant working in an industry where access and resources are not always distributed equally.
Turning Difference Into Purpose
One of the biggest challenges Nicole says she has overcome is learning to turn the experiences that once made her feel different into the things that give her work purpose. “I used to think success meant overcoming my past,” she says. “Now I see it as learning how to use everything I’ve experienced to create something meaningful for other people.”
She says the parts of our stories we spend so much time trying to hide are often the very things that connect us to others. She is proud that she has turned her own search for belonging into a career dedicated to helping others feel seen, heard and understood.
Milestones Along the Way
Nicole has built a personal social media audience of more than 800,000 people and a YouTube channel with more than 22,000 subscribers. She was named WITS Creator of the Year in 2025 and received The Points Guy Trailblazer Award in 2023. She has collaborated with Google, National Geographic and Virgin Atlantic, and she founded The Amistara, an international friendship-first community spanning more than 17 countries.
She hosts the SCWB Podcast, and in 2026 she presented at the IGLTA Global Convention in Los Cabos, Mexico, on authentic LGBTQ+ representation and values-driven partnerships. She was also invited by Focus Features to conduct red carpet interviews at the Los Angeles premiere of Sense & Sensibility in 2026.
What Comes Next
In 2027, SCWB Media plans to expand internationally, starting with London and the United Kingdom. The company will introduce new voices to the SCWB Podcast and feature more artists, creatives and changemakers through its editorial platform. Nicole says she is especially excited to explore the UK’s LGBTQ+ creative community.
“Long term, my vision is to build SCWB Media into one of the most influential independent LGBTQ+ media companies in the world,” she says. “But beyond the growth of the business, what excites me most is the possibility of bringing people together who might never have crossed paths otherwise.”
Her Advice
“Stop waiting for permission to build the life or career you envision for yourself,” Nicole says. “If there’s no seat for you at the table, don’t be afraid to build your own.”
She also encourages entrepreneurs to get curious about the world around them, to ask questions and to listen to people with different experiences. “You can be incredibly ambitious about your future while still appreciating where you are today. You can dream about tomorrow and still love today.”
Follow Kirstie Nicole on Instagram at @kirstienicole_ and TikTok at @kirstienicole__, and learn more about SCWB Media at scwbmedia.com.