Kristi Addis Hickman

Kristi Addis Hickman is a former Miss Teen USA and model. As a Christian based public speaker and author, she opens up about the unrealistic expectations and intense pressures women often feel. In her memoir “Finding Beauty Without a Mirror” she shares her journey through joy, despair, and healing.

Presently, as an Interior Decorator with The Hickman House, Kristi helps women create their own unique styles of beauty.

She believes our authentic beauty blossoms from our rich life experiences. She loves teaching Zumba, having coffee with friends, and most of all, being with family. She is a wife of 25 years and the mother of two wonderful children.

“Finding Beauty Without a Mirror” chronicles a woman’s journey from childhood to motherhood while navigating through societal norms and unrealistic beauty expectations. It is full of innocent laughter, bitter tears, and, ultimately, the tender promise of hope.

This story is unique yet universal. Authentic beauty blossoms in unexpected places. Beauty isn’t defined by the mirror’s reflection or someone else’s opinion, but through our rich life experiences.

Beauty nudges us through the scent of freshly cut grass, faded family photographs, or sandy feet still damp from high tide at the day’s end. An intangible moment savored in the heart shines forever from the face. Beauty isn’t a formula. Beauty is an experience.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

This book you hold in your hands is a treasure that could change your life or that of a loved one. Kristi offers a compelling combination of vulnerability and wisdom as she discloses her personal story and ultimate triumph over some of the toughest challenges females face along life’s journey. She will make you cry, laugh out loud, and regain hope about your future. As a licensed psychotherapist, I will be recommending this to my clients. If you are a woman, parent of a female child, or a person that loves one, this is a must read. Angela Buttimer,

MS, RYT, LPC – Founder/CEO Atlanta Center for Mindfulness & Well-Being, licensed psychotherapist, media contributor, keynote speaker, author

Kristi’s vivid storytelling brings her life to life, allowing you to almost smell her Memaw’s biscuits, feel her joy, and sense her struggles. You’ll meet a young girl seeking beauty through her appearance and follow her journey through challenges to discover genuine beauty through inner change. Kristi exemplifies true beauty, offering a profound message beyond her visage.

—Vivian Hanes, Principal and CEO at Hanes Strategic Consulting

Finding Beauty without a Mirror is a guide on how to see beauty in every moment of life. Through Kristi Hickman’s life story she teaches us how to navigate through the ups the downs and the unrealistic expectations society imposes upon us. Most of all Finding Beauty Without a Mirror energizes and inspires us to live freely in our own comfort zone.

Tanya Mendoza Journalist 28 years WAGA/FOX 5 Atlanta

Every young girl dreams of feeling beautiful and worthy in her own skin, and Kristi’s story inspires us to believe in that dream. She reminds us that our flaws are part of a real and raw beauty. Through her journey, Kristi encourages us to abandon the fears and doubts that block our hearts and minds from seeing the beauty within. Her vulnerability offers a glimpse of the life God desires for us—imperfect yet deeply cherished.

—Kelly Brown, Women’s Ministry Leader and Motivational Speaker (USA, London, Paris, Prague, Ukraine, Caribbean countries)

"Finding Beauty Without a Mirror" is captivating because it’s genuine. Kristi Hickman’s stories don’t rely on twists—they resonate because they’re real. The book made me feel comforted, like visiting Mississippi and spending a day with Kristi’s grandmother. It asks, "Is beauty something you see or experience?" By the last page, you’ll know the answer—and feel beautiful, too, as I did. This is a must-read, especially in a world full of distractions.

—Michelle Royer Jefferson, Miss USA 1987, University of Michigan Sparrow Foundation Caregiver/Occupational Therapist, Public Speaker, and TV Personality

With candid (and refreshing) vulnerability, the author (or Kristi) walks us through her story, starting with the simple, quiet peace of life on Meemaw’s front porch to the darkness that succumbing to societal pressures brings in all of us to her heroic battle to take back her life. Her description of each stage is so vivid that you walk into her story. I was brought to tears on the journey and to hope and redemption with the outcome. She then, gently takes us to the mirror to take an honest look at ourselves and offers practicals to discover that Beauty is found Healing and to practice, not only “Finding Beauty” daily, but to dive in and experience it. A beautiful, tender story of the strength and resilience of the human spirit and the life giving healing and hope that God brings.

Lin Beaty OttenwellerLife Coach / Live Your VisionWomens Ministry Leader/ NY, GA, Missionary/ Africa, India, Bolivia, Caribbean Islands