Welcome to the Shift. ✨
Hiya 🤗
Join the Shift - letters on culture, tech and creative work, from a GenXy writer who walks*.
*My productivity OS. Because my feet are wiser than my head.
The antidote to internet brain and being chronically online.
New project: Walking Hastings: a year of walking my way to stories. Hastings & St Leonards are set to receive up to £20m regeneration funding over the next decade to improve local neighbourhoods. I’m curious to see what changes (or not!) and will be recording it here (short texts, picts, audio).
Why the Shift?
Because media is chaotic. Journalism is a struggling industry, and freelance rates have been stagnant for YEARS, so it’s about building something new and networked—through Substack and beyond—that empowers writers financially and emotionally.
We’re seeing a massive shift in how media gets made and who controls it. No more gatekeepers—the audience decides. Beyond pale, male and stale - legacy media learning from creators (and vice versa). Papers hiring Influencer Creator Correspondents, the Substack Motel, the rise of worker-owned collectives, platform promiscuity…
It’s fast, messy and a bit Wild West—and also the most exciting and trusted area of journalism imo. People are paying for it! I’m here for it.
I started the Shift in 2020 to celebrate culture and amplify creators. Tell big-hearted stories, share intel, and build community so we can figure this out together. We can achieve more collectively than alone.
I’m fascinated by the shift towards indie media and the rise of entrepreneurship (the future of work), mobile offices, and portfolio careers—trying to make peace with my own!
These are heavy topics, so I promise you vintage gifs, jokes and joyscrolling too.
I want the Shift to be people-powered, collaborative, and fun.
Nika :)
Paid subscribers get:
Be part of the gang growing and shaping the Shift.
Weekly letters and Bold Types Q&As
Walking challenges - get your steps in!
20% discount on Pocket Editor: your writing wingwoman for one week - async writing & editing support on Voxer
However you support, THANK YOU. It means the world.
Free subscribers are cherished and receive public posts.
Billy No Mates? Write with us! Writers’ Café events.
Why Upgrade? Because journalism ain’t cheap.
I’ve been writing this letter for five years. It’s changed a lot but my mission is the same: celebrating the spirit of independence and empowering people to tell their stories online.
It’s an invitation to go deeper, co-create this with me, and bring your ideas and experiences to inform what I write next.
Become a paid subscriber or buy me a block of writing time.
About Me
In a nutshell, I love a good story.
I believe in the power of writing (and walking!) to connect people and create a more compassionate world.
I’m an author, journalist, and proud mama of Julieta (just started at U of York - empty nester for now ;).
12x book babies on health and wellness.
Using my skills to make an impact and working on things I care about - arts & culture, activism, indie business, living well (RA warrior).
Outside the Shift, I run Firebird, a one-woman content studio. I help tech + creator brands build authority with longform art/content.
NUJ London Freelance Officer - supporting 30k+ media pros.
Wall of Love
“They should frame this newsletter in the Louvre—simply a joy to read!” - Eoin Whyte, Chief Revenue Officer & co-founder, Savvy.
Here to help with your content gaps! 💎
“Nika writes a really helpful newsletter for the intersection of writing, the digital world and entrepreneurship, which can be a lonely place for many people. Her guidance is greatly appreciated.” - Ann Marie McQueen, Founder & Editor, HotFlash Inc.
“Nika has written 12 books relating to health and wellness. There is fun to be had as we make the Shift to work smarter and live better—recommended reading for Workforce Futurists!” - Andy Spence, Founder, Workforce Futurist.
“Nika Talbot is a hidden gem on Substack—writing about the business of writing in a way no one else is and the intersection of writing and AI.” - Saray Fay, Substack Writers At Work.
Gold star for reading this far. 🤩
Work and collaborate with me
Contact me if you have a content project, a link suggestion or just want to say hello. nika@nikatalbot.io. See my services
