The holiday season usually comes with a mixture of emotions and experiences, add that to closing out the year and there’s often even more to juggle. In our culture that centers productivity and achievement, this a great time to give yourself permission to release the death grip the illusion of control and hustle culture has on you and create space for judgment-free reflection, releasing and reframing for the new year to come. Easing up on the to-do lists, the jam packed schedules and trying to m...
Dec 27, 2022•12 min•Ep. 112
Ever gone shopping and no matter what you choose, nothing fits? For so many women who have a large chest but a small frame, this is all too familiar. We know when systems, structures and options aren’t available for you, it impacts your sense of belonging and value. In today’s episode, the founder of PerfectDD, a fuller bust sustainable clothing company, Alice Kim joins to talk about creating a business to serve a gap in the fashion market that is much larger than initially expecting while also ...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 111
Hustle culture, urgency, FOMO are all a given for so many of us these days, but what if you had the chance to opt-out? What would your relationship to time be if you would wave a magic wand and start anew? In this episode, Nikki discusses the process of acknowledging, learning and/or unlearning the time patterns we are taught either in our families of origin, our communities, our schools that separate us from our own intuitive relationship to time. Coming out of the past few years of time distor...
Dec 13, 2022•41 min•Ep. 110
When you think of the phrase “Be a man”, do you think about showing your emotions, asking for help, being vulnerable, or making deep connections? Probably not, but what if we adjusted our belief of what the “man box” should include? In today’s episode, Devan Sandiford, visionary storyteller from the Gates Foundation and The Moth, joins Nikki to talk about the true transformative power of vulnerable storytelling, the imperative for men to be able to live as full emotional beings and how healing w...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 109
There’s a generational shift that’s been happening for years as Boomers hit retirement age, Gen Xers are in positions of seniority and the Millennial generation is now the largest demographic in the population and workplace. However, the expectations of the passing of the torch aren’t matching reality. And if Boomer retirement is indeed happening, the power isn’t being passed to the next generation in the same ways it has been in the past. Why? Well there are many factors. This episode dives int...
Nov 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 108
Imagine if we could completely reinvent the education system. What would it look like? Well in today’s episode, Dr. Adrian K. Haugabrook joins us to talk about a new approach to education that puts the learner at the center and creates systems and structures that are focused on that individual’s success. Dr. Haugabrook talks about his viral TED Talk that offers a three step process to reimagining the next frontier of education and how we as individuals have the opportunity to reclaim our relatio...
Nov 22, 2022•52 min•Ep. 107
Layoffs are happening left and right lately and yet when it happens to you, it can feel so disorienting, upsetting and isolating. While for most it is an abrupt and disrespectful experience as many leaders are fumbling significantly in their delivery and communication, this episode is a space to create clarity and talk about the many emotions, realities and struggles that you navigate when you lose your job in a layoff cycle — and the opportunities on the other side! If you are feeling lost or l...
Nov 15, 2022•36 min•Ep. 106
“Use your privilege” is something we hear a lot, especially lately, but often we aren’t given concrete examples of what that looks like. Today’s episode with Mercado Global co-founder Ruth Alvarez-DeGolia is a deep dive into what it looks like to own your privilege and activate it as a platform for those who have often been marginalized or cast in the shadows. Ruth changed her life and career plans after spending time with indigenous women in the rural Guatemalan highlands who were rebuilding af...
Nov 08, 2022•54 min•Ep. 105
If you feel powerless in the job search process, this episode is for you. Whether you are in the resume building, application, interview or offer phase of the process, there’s so much indecision and pressure to do everything “just right.” But what if there’s no such thing? In this episode, Nikki discusses the importance of being in the driver’s seat in taking the next step in your career path, understanding the impact of the pressure of the traditional company-first, transactional, urgency-drive...
Nov 01, 2022•12 min•Ep. 104
What does learning mean to you? Do you have a practice for unlearning too? Today’s episode is a special one because we’re sharing a conversation that Nikki had with OwnTrail founder Kt McBratney about the value or the purpose of having a practice of continual learning and unlearning to navigate an ever-changing world with authenticity. Originally a video livestream, this conversation dives into giving yourself permission to evolve, be wrong and ask questions; to understanding how different peopl...
Oct 25, 2022•43 min•Ep. 103
Sharing your story can be a truly healing process but for so many of us, the practice of stepping into vulnerability to share aspects of our experience that are outside of our comfort zone can be scary and discouraged. In a world of social media where everyone can have a digital platform in moments, it might seem like the barriers to telling your story have vanished. But with filters and trending memes, authentic storytelling isn’t the go to. In this episode, Nikki dives into some of the systemi...
Oct 18, 2022•28 min•Ep. 102
The summer of June 2020 activated so many people to speak out, march and take a stand against oppression, but as time has gone on, we’ve seen the energy and participation around social justice efforts lose steam. But what if taking action only took 60 seconds a week? This week’s guest, Mariangela Anzalone, talks about her newsletter, Actionable Activism and the importance of identifying the issues and embracing actions that align with your values and lifestyle. She and Nikki also discuss the pra...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 101
As more of us are being more fully represented in media coverage, storytelling and in positions of power, there has been pushback in the form of disinterest, disengagement, and even destruction – whether it be conscious or unconscious, it’s resistance to change, for things to “go back to the way things were”. For folks who have grown accustomed to seeing one particular version of a main character, hero or leader, it can be difficult to make space for the reality that others of different backgrou...
Oct 05, 2022•50 min•Ep. 100
Feminism is a word we hear alot but often times without a clear definition of what it means and what it looks like. Sometimes it even gets used as a badge of honor that is used as a veil to distract from oppressive behavior, beliefs and actions in direct contradiction to feminist theory. In this episode, Amelia Hruby, PhD feminist author, educator, podcaster, and the founder of Softer Sounds, a feminist podcast studio, joins Nikki to dive into the nuances of how feminist principles and practices...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 99
Representation Matters. It’s something we hear a lot but we aren’t always encouraged to notice it or bask it in when it happens. This episode is all about soaking up the beauty of bearing witness to representation through the pop culture moments that played out over about a week’s span to illustrate the power of representation – from The Little Mermaid trailer with Halle Bailey to Ms Marvel to a sneak peek of the upcoming Frida Kahlo broadway musical to the Obama official portraits to an incredi...
Sep 20, 2022•18 min•Ep. 98
Multiracial people make up the fastest growing demographic in the United States but there’s little research that’s been done to understand the unique dynamics of living in the inbetween in a society that has for so long been segmented by race. In this episode, Shawna Gann, certified diversity professional and PhD candidate joins Nikki to talk about the importance of creating space for deeper understanding of the multiracial experience and Shawna’s pioneering research around the experience of Bla...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 97
If capitalism and the state of the current economy don’t feel like they align with your values, the way you interact with the world and how you envision a more expansive future, this episode is for you! Sacred Commerce Priestess Asha Ramakrishna joins Nikki to talk about what a soul centered approach to trade and commerce looks and feels like. Asha shares her story and her incredible work of reconnecting us with the true essence of what it is to be wealthy, worthy and honoring your full value th...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 96
If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go? And why? What if you could let your heart lead the journey? If you’ve been feeling the itch to make a move over the last few years, this episode is right up your alley! Nikki shares her journey of twists and turns, stops and starts to her new “heart home” in New York City. This process wasn’t for a job or for another person, it was intentionally a process of tuning into the frequency of her heart, building a deep trust in their intuiti...
Aug 30, 2022•31 min•Ep. 95
Black history has been systemically erased for centuries. For so many, our family history and lineage have been hidden from our understanding, but today’s guest is telling those erased stories while creating space for collective healing. Portugal was the birthplace of the Trans Atlantic slave trade and Naky G takes folks on a walking tour back through time to bear witness to the humanity and stories of those who were kidnapped from their homeland and forced into labor and an oppressed life in a ...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 94
How many times in your life have you heard “trust your gut” and felt like “cool, great but what does that mean!?” After the last couple years of survival mode, gut feeling or intuition can easily be confused with a fear response, but it’s not the same thing. In this episode, the final installment in this 6-part series on surviving burnout, Nikki talks about what it means to trust your gut/intuition/inner knowing; why for so many of us, a relationship with our gut has been underdeveloped, discour...
Aug 16, 2022•52 min•Ep. 93
Layoffs, talk of an impending recession, employee burnout, and job search exhaustion have so many of us feeling like we’ve made the wrong moves, it’s unsafe to make a change or that we have failed in some way. Failure is a scary word for so many of us. We’ve been brought up to believe it is the worst outcome and we should avoid it at all costs, but what if that is false? It’s time to flip the fear of failure on its head. What if failure holds the clue to the wisdom we most need to learn? What if...
Aug 09, 2022•21 min•Ep. 92
The world around us is going through so many growing pains that naturally we’re having to make a lot of new decisions about how we want to show up in the world and where we want to put our energy. But with so much uncertainty it can be hard to feel confident. The power of positive thinking, the importance of being open and receptive, the need to keep your cool and have a smile on your face are all things we’ve been told lead to success, but in order for those tactics to work, first we must have ...
Aug 02, 2022•25 min•Ep. 91
You’ve done so much work to get where you are, after the last few years no doubt your relationship with yourself and the world has evolved, but does your personal style match how you feel inside? In this episode, Elsa Issac, professional stylist and image expert, joins Nikki to share how her story from a near death experience at 4 months old to a surprise invitation to style a music video to finding her own unique path in the fashion industry has shaped how she shows up in the world. Elsa dives ...
Jul 26, 2022•54 min•Ep. 90
Whether people know it or not, they react almost reflexively when you tell them you are taking a risk to do something outside of what is expected of you. The “Oh, I could never do that!” or “I’d be too scared” or “that’s crazy!!” responses are all too common especially when you are putting yourself and your needs first after long periods of neglecting them. This episode dives into what Nikki views as the most important reframe for anyone who is taking a leap to make a big change in their lives a...
Jul 19, 2022•22 min•Ep. 89
Being right, being certain, being perfect, being confident and unwavering. These are all things that we’ve been told are the penultimate goal in life and are what make you a successful winner or leader. But with the world changing so rapidly, being stuck in your ways or fixed on the old will create more problems for you than solutions. In this second episode of a six-part series from Nikki’s keynote “Surviving & Thriving after Burnout” the focus is on the importance of shifting your perspect...
Jul 12, 2022•18 min•Ep. 88
If you’re feeling burnout big time right now, you’re not alone. Feelings of worry, anger, and sadness are at a new high. Employee well-being numbers have dropped in half from their levels in May of 2020 when we were in the height of pandemic uncertainty. Almost half of employees say they experienced stress a lot during the previous day. We get it, it’s rough out there, but what can be done about it? How can you reclaim your energy and power? This episode is the first of a six-part series inspire...
Jul 05, 2022•19 min•Ep. 87
With the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the news media, social media and healthcare spaces are buzzing with outrage, emotion and extreme reactions. So many of us are grappling with our role in participating in a society that is now being ruled by a select few willing to rob people of their own bodily autonomy. In this episode, Nikki offers prompts to explore how to operate authentically to build a more representative and inclusive future while under the destructive influence of oppressi...
Jun 28, 2022•25 min•Ep. 86
If you find yourself stuck in fear, operating in nonstop survival mode and stress, there are steps you can take to create more ease and expansion in your life. Nikki shares three accessible tips for how to adjust your relationship to fear to create opportunities for expansion and abundance to enter into your world. She also shines a light on the dynamics of our society that have upheld the systems of oppression that have so many of us, especially those who are underserved and underrepresented in...
Jun 21, 2022•52 min•Ep. 85
What’s your relationship to social media like? Are you on too much or feel like you don’t do enough? Do you find yourself falling into doom scrolling holes that are hours long? You are not alone. In this episode, social media strategist Allie Mason joins us to dive into what it means to be authentic on social media and the ways that you can feel more empowered in your interaction on it. We talk about virality, accountability, bullying, and the mental health impacts of our current social media cu...
Jun 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 84
Host Nikki Innocent made it over two years COVID-free only to get it in Portugal, a country with over 94% vaccination rate after being fully vaccinated and boosted. She talks about navigating the recovery experience in a foreign country while at the same time processing the concurrent tragedies happening in the world as a result of other crises of oppression, white supremacy and gun violence. Also, Nikki talks about the transformative experience of participating in the African Tour of Lisbon and...
Jun 07, 2022•18 min•Ep. 83
