You didn’t come into this world to be popular. You came into this world to be your wonderfully authentic self.
Meet Nikki Karis – The GodDogger
Hello, Friends! I’m Nikki Karis, and thank you for visiting my site.
For those of you who don’t know personally, my given name is Nikki Marie Kavouklis. I was born and raised in Tarpon Springs, a small town on the west coast of Florida, to parents who were trailblazers of sorts at the time.
When word first got out that my mother was pregnant with me, well, it caused quite a stir as my mother and father, forty-three and forty-seven years of age, respectively, were, according to the town gossipers, way too old to be having another child.
This wasn’t the first time my parents had caused a stir though. In the mid 1940’s, my father, who was full-bloodied Greek, fell in love with my mother, who had not a single drop of Greek blood in her. My mother, who was just twenty years old at the time, had ventured to Tarpon Springs as a single female in search of a better way of life.
At the time, the Greek community did not willingly accept the marriage of a Greek to a non-Greek for fear that a non-Greek would either steal the family money or dilute the precious Greek bloodline. Moreover, the Greek community did not look approvingly at a single female who had the left the family farm in search of work and opportunity.
Well, I am happy to report that my parents, who refused to cave into narrow-minded thinking at the time, were married nearly sixty-two years when my father passed away in February of 2007. And my mother, at the age of ninety-three years old, still worked in my law office two days a week writing checks and keeping up with the monthly accounting. In other words, I come by trailblazing personality honestly, thanks to the influence of both my mother and father.
Now, back to my personal story …
Since Childhood, I’ve Been Inspiring Others – A True Calling
Since I was a young child, I have had a passion for connecting with people of all ages and from all walks of life. To this day, my mother still shares stories of how, when I was five or six years old, I would visit the elderly neighbors and sit for hours talking with them, listening to their stories.
As a child, many people, including my parents and several teachers, told me I possessed a special gift of influencing people via the written and spoken word. I was the person many of my peers came to for advice as I never shied away from diving in head first to help someone in need much like my father who helped thousands of people when he was alive.
During my youth, besides helping others, I spent my days with my nose buried in a book, studying or reading for pleasure, with my foot on a soccer ball, or my mind focused on whatever creative endeavor I was involved with at the time. In high school, I excelled in journalism working as a stringer for a local newspaper and then winning numerous awards as editor of my high school’s newspaper.
After high school, I went on to obtain my BA degree and later, my juris doctorate degree, both from the University of Florida. After graduating from law school, I returned, albeit reluctantly, to my hometown to practice law. In 1999, I started my own law firm which grew into a successful practice with several locations in Florida.
Giving Birth to My Creative Projects – My Books and Merchandise
In 2009, I dusted off my notebook containing the ideas for my book series, Escape the Swamp (formerly The Toad Chronicles), which I started in early 2001, but put into a drawer, feeling the time to begin writing book one wasn’t quite right. I finally put my fingers to my laptop on April 24, 2009, finishing the final rewrite of book one early 2019. Yes, I traveled a ten-year journey before I finally finished my first book, but I also awakened during this time to my Divine potential, meaning I finally figured out who I wanted to be in this lifetime.
Unfortunately, before I had an opportunity to launch my projects, my beloved mother, Ruth, passed away in April of 2019 at the age of 95. Her passing put me into mourning for nearly a year, during which time I envisioned a second series: GodDogs. I was then nearing the finish line of writing book one of my GodDogs series when the pandemic hit March of 2020. Long story, short … after several months of being in isolation, I came up with the idea for my web-sites, T1 Rise, a super-brand of eight social risings, and Tail Life, devoted to uniting humans and their pets around the world.
It’s been my dream since childhood to create a company selling merchandise with inspiration attached to every piece, and I’m proud to say that dream has finally become a reality (visit Tail Life Shop). T1 Rise, on the other hand, is devoted to uplifting and inspiring Humanity, as we make our way, together, as ONE, into a new paradigm known as New Earth. We’re supposedly headed into the Golden Age, so hang onto your hats as we fly through this transformation at quantum speed.
Loving My Rescue Animals – My Cherished Treasures
Besides writing and speaking, I enjoy spending time with my rescue animals, who inspire me. I love animals of all kinds and have rescued hundreds through the years … cats, dogs, possums, birds, turtles, you name it. At my home in Tarpon Springs, Florida, I have a sanctuary of rescue cats and dogs hailing from around the world, who have been an integral part of my journey to becoming who I’m meant to be.
I also enjoy writing, reading, traveling, collecting art, and decorating the circa 1925 home I have been renovating for well over a decade. My future plans include owning a home and animal rescue center on Eleuthera in the Bahamas, where I frequently retreat to write.
