Ciao Bella — Welcome!

A business and creativity newsletter with ideas, interviews and inspiration, especially for entrepreneur-writers. Big life, small biz 😘

Hey, it’s Nika from The Shift 👋

Rethinking work/life in the AI age, and how we can better shape it.

People, ideas, machines - in that order! - Colonel Boyd

• I write to think deeper about my craft, content connection, communication as culture, and the future of work (entrepreneurship) as we live longer.

• I interview creative folks I admire. Delightful & insightful chats about courage and craft.

• I curate links to make you think and take action now — every job will change.

“The Shift” means two things to me:

1. Moving from 9-5 London life to solopreneurship by the sea after having my daughter in 2006.

2. Making the shift towards being an AI-assisted entrepreneur-writer.

And now, more big shifts in Internetland:

• OpenAI’s GPT-5 is coming soon. “I’m telling you, it’s gonna blow people’s minds. Everything I’m seeing - it’s gonna be so much more powerful.” - Robert Riggs. Let’s see if a personalised AI health coach can help me get my RA into remission!

• Future of Creativity: Jack Conte’s keynote on the death of the follower + the future of creativity on the web. The solution: a direct-to-fan biz model and deeper connections. Let’s see how the next wave of internet companies tackles this.

• The Age of the Sovereign Creator: I think newsletters are the best thing since sliced bread. The most intimate form of journalism and a powerful (yet often underrated) tool for really engaging with your audience.

I believe a newsletter will become as ubiquitous as a Facebook account in the next few years. — Boye Akolade, co-founder, The Future Party.

What a time to be alive! Whether you sign up for free or become a member, I hope you join me on this wild ride.

What you get

A network of cheerleaders - newsletter pals, peers and supporters - on your entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be lonely.

Free subscribers get weekly(ish) columns and collabs.

Paid subscribers get all of the above plus community benefits. You’re buying me a block of writing/thinking time and enabling me to do more mentoring via the Girls’ Network. Massive thanks!

• Community Access: Private chat - join & initiate chats, discussion threads, bonus posts from behind the scenes.

• Creative Hour: Monthly idea jams/virtual co-working on the last Thursday/mo from 3-5pm BST. Nerd out about Substack, share your highlights/horrors and enjoy some silent writing/reading time.

• Ever-growing Archive: Juicy ideas and inspo for your creative career.

• What else do you need? I’m figuring this out as I go. Let’s co-create this space!

Either way, welcome and thanks. I appreciate your time and interest.

Why I write

In a nutshell, I love a good story. I believe in the power of writing to connect people and create a more compassionate world.

I’ve been writing online since ‘99, working independently as a journalist/comms and author. 3 x startups. 12 x book babies!

I have a portfolio career that fits in with my life as a lone parent with a health condition.

I work with the NUJ London to help freelancers survive and thrive in an expensive city and a modern, messed-up media world.

My quest is to help more women achieve time and financial freedom through entrepreneurship and AI.

I want to see more female founders succeed and fill my feed!

Home is a tiny apt on the English Riviera with my favourite human being: my daughter.

Saving for a grown-up gap year to find out how to Live to 100+: Secrets of the Blue Zones (we can do it, with AI’s help).

Have you seen it yet? Turns out the secret to a long, healthy, happy life is connection and community. We evolved by listening to stories around the campfire.

Gotta have big, hairy, audacious goals, right?

Life’s too short for the in-between.

Nika 😘

Work with me

I offer startup stories & (non-salesy) newsletters to help you tell compelling stories and really engage with your audience.

A healthy content library is a strategic asset for your biz that will save you time and money. Reuse and repurpose ♻️

Do you know anyone who needs this?

Grow the write way. Fill out this form to get started.

Wall of Love

“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, HotFlash Inc.

“If you’re interested in a lifestyle-first one-person model too, subscribe to The Shift, the newsletter for content entrepreneurs. Written by Nika Talbot, a fountain of knowledge in creating online!” — Ellen Donnelly, Founder, The Ask.

“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—your emails are 🔥🔥” — Adriana Tica, Founder, Ideas to Power Your Future.

“Thank you for your thoughtful questions. Answering them felt more like a journaling session than an interview. Very great!” — Johanna Renoth, Founder, Bye, Social Media! 

Gold star for reading this far. If you’re a fellow Substacker, I’d love to chat! 🤩

Yes Please :)