Nikki Talks

How I Read Over 800 Books a Year

Today on the Nikki Talks podcast we’re talking all about BOOKS. In 2021 I read over 850 books and I’m unpacking the how, the what, and the why. I’m answering all of your burning questions like: How do I read that fast? How do I afford that many books? What genres of books do I read the most? We get a little nerdy with some science, I rant a bit about the failings of the education system, and then I answer some audience submitted questions to give you an even closer look into my big old weird brain. About Nikki Nikki (she/her) is the quirky purveyor of operational excellence for world changers, audacious thinkers, & heart-centered leaders. She loves feminist movie podcasts, espresso, and going down as many informational rabbit holes as she can find. Follow Nikki https://www.mcknightoc.com [https://www.mcknightoc.com/] https://www.instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc [http://instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc]

ROI = Return On Living with Maxine Cunningham

When we talk about “success” as it relates to start ups we often think about valuations, cash money, number of investors, but what would happen if we redefine success? What if we were to credit or reward people in different ways to motivate and inspire change? Or what if we just burned the whole system down and started from a place of curiosity and inventiveness? Join me and CEO of Pick My Brain, Maxine Cunningham, as she redefines the global economy and asks us “What is truly important?” About Maxine Maxine is an investment banker, turned economist, turned CEO of Pick My Brain. Maxine is on a mission to make the world’s most interesting people more creatively available, accessible and useful to society. How? By inspiring people to package, price and sell the knowledge in new and creative ways. Follow Maxine https://www.pickmybrain.world/profiles/maxine-cunningham [https://www.pickmybrain.world/profiles/maxine-cunningham] https://www.instagram.com/pickmybrain_ceo/ [https://www.instagram.com/pickmybrain_ceo/] https://www.instagram.com/pickmybrain.world/ [https://www.instagram.com/pickmybrain.world/] About Nikki Nikki (she/her) is the quirky purveyor of operational excellence for world changers, audacious thinkers, & heart-centered leaders. She loves feminist movie podcasts, espresso, and going down as many informational rabbit holes as she can find. Follow Nikki https://www.mcknightoc.com [https://www.mcknightoc.com/] https://www.instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc [http://instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc]

Parentpreneuring in a Pandemic

They say that it can take a village to raise a kid, to have a business, to just get through life as a decent human being. But what happens when you are a business owner AND a parent AND a human? Today on the Nikki Talks podcast, I’ve brought together three entrepreneurs who are also parents, to have an honest conversation about life, parenting and business. My guests today are Eliya Finkelstein, a Funnel Strategist, Conversion Copywriter, and was once dubbed the “Fairy Godmother of Copy”, Bex McKnight,  an Inclusive Design Consultant and Creative Director of McKnight Inclusive Design, and Blake Fly, an entrepreneur and 8-time TEDx Speaker. About Bex McKnight Bex is a 30-something mom of a toodlin' toddler, and a strong advocate of compassionate parenting. Working as an Inclusive Design Consultant and Creative Director of McKnight Inclusive Design, she loves to integrate her anti-oppression framework at home, and enjoys helping other parents curate more diverse stories for their bookshelves. She is obsessed with Jurassic Park, and loves travelling around as a digital nomad with her husband in their 1987 Volkswagen Westfalia Follow Bex https://www.mcknightid.com https://www.instagram.com/bexbikes/ https://www.instagram.com/mcknightdesigns/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bexmcknight About Blake Fly Blake Fly is a husband, dad, entrepreneur and 8-time TEDx Speaker. Blake's innovative sales approaches and relationship-building methods have gotten him hired to deliver keynote speeches on over 1000 in-person stages and invited to work with companies such as Lululemon, LinkedIn and Microsoft. Blake is also the producer of the 55-year event series for entrepreneurs, called “Thank U Live.” It is the annual gratitude experience for entrepreneurs to look back on their year, celebrate their progress and appreciate their people by delivering hundreds of gratitude messages in real-time. Blake loses every staring contest he engages in with his baby boy Koah (Pronounced like Noah with a ‘K’), and has a huge crush on his beautiful bride, Emily. Follow Blake https://www.instantconnecting.com https://www.instagram.com/blakefly About Eliya Finklestein Eliya Finkelstein is a Funnel Strategist, Conversion Copywriter, and was once dubbed the “Fairy Godmother of Copy”. She supports purpose-driven coaches and consultants in marketing, launching, and selling their high-ticket programs with integrity, ethics, and as much personality and humanity as we can pack in. Through developing unique frameworks and program promises, she helps her clients differentiate themselves in their market, develop sleek funnels that feel good to them, and sell their offers - without selling themselves out. Follow Eliya https://www.instagram.com/heyeliya/ Or email: info@heyeliya.com [info@heyeliya.com] About Nikki Nikki (she/her) is the quirky purveyor of operational excellence for world changers, audacious thinkers, & heart-centered leaders. She loves feminist movie podcasts, espresso, and going down as many informational rabbit holes as she can find. Follow Nikki https://www.mcknightoc.com [https://www.mcknightoc.com/] https://www.instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc [http://instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc]

Blue Whales, Skippers, and Fish, oh my! with Caryn Gillen

What comes to mind when you think about Alaska? Is it snow, 24 hours of darkness, or a movie starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds? Today we welcome Nikki’s friend Caryn Gillen, an Alaska native who spent her young adult life working as a commercial fisher(wo)man out in the vast ocean. Caryn shares her stories of growing up in a small town community, how she started working on a commercial boat, and her encounter with one of the largest animals in the entire world. About Caryn Caryn Gillen is a master certified life coach coming to you from Eugene, Oregon. She holds multiple coach certifications and has Masters in Counseling Psychology. Her experience includes commercial fishing, family business, project management, restaurant service and management, and the hotel management side of small ship cruising.  She has been concerned with revenue generation and client services since before she can remember, her earliest work being lemonade stands, sweeping the floor at her dad's shop, and performing traditional Norwegian folk dances for tourists who made it to Alaska's Little Norway. Caryn loves and coaches two distinct groups of people.  She mentors fellow life coaches in moving into their identity as business leaders, and is a mindset coach for founders who have had all the success they dreamed of initially and are now asking the question "What's next?" Follow Caryn https://www.instagram.com/caryngillen https://www.caryngillen.com About Nikki Nikki (she/her) is the quirky purveyor of operational excellence for world changers, audacious thinkers, & heart-centered leaders. She loves feminist movie podcasts, espresso, and going down as many informational rabbit holes as she can find. Follow Nikki https://www.mcknightoc.com [https://www.mcknightoc.com/] https://www.instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc [http://instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc]

The Sounds of Hollywood and Home with Samara Bay

Today’s episode of Nikki Talks features Samara Bay, a Hollywood Dialect and vocal coach committed to helping people discover their voice, their power, and make a change in the world. The human voice is a powerful tool for expressing ourselves, we not only talk about how the voice can help a movie feel more authentic, but we talk about the human voice and how we as human beings have learned to alter our voice to express different feelings or to feel safe in certain situations. Links in this podcast Discussing Hollywood’s accent discrimination problem: https://www.laineygossip.com/discussing-hollywoods-accent-discrimination-problem/66797 [https://www.laineygossip.com/discussing-hollywoods-accent-discrimination-problem/66797] The Guilty Feminist podcast with Deborah Frances White:  https://guiltyfeminist.com/ [https://guiltyfeminist.com/] Mummy returns: Voice of 3,000-year-old Egyptian priest brought to life: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51223828 [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51223828] About Samara Samara Bay is a speech coach for entrepreneurs, celebrities, politicians, rebels and dreamers, helping them show up in the moments that matter, with an emphasis on women and marginalized voices. She’s coached United Nations addresses, award show telecasts, creative and product pitches, media appearances, and TED talks. Her interest in calling BS on outdated tropes around public speaking and power inspired a podcast called Permission to Speak she produced and hosted on iHeartRadio, and a book of the same name for Penguin Random House, slated for early 2023. As a Hollywood dialect coach, she’s worked with Gal Gadot (Red Notice, Wonder Woman 1984), Rachel McAdams (Eurovision), and Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez (American Crime Story: Versace, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for both actors) and on projects for Amazon, HBO, Netflix, Apple, Sony, and Marvel. She's been featured in The New York Times Magazine, CBS Sunday morning, NBC, Vulture, and Slate. Follow Samara www.instagram.com/samarabay [http://www.instagram.com/samarabay] www.samarabay.com [http://www.samarabay.com/] About Nikki Nikki (she/her) is the quirky purveyor of operational excellence for world changers, audacious thinkers, & heart-centered leaders. She loves feminist movie podcasts, espresso, and going down as many informational rabbit holes as she can find. Follow Nikki https://www.mcknightoc.com [https://www.mcknightoc.com/] https://www.instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc [http://instagram.com/nikki_mcknightmoc]