Welcome to the Shift!

Hiya 🤗

Adventures in indie journalism, from a GenXy writer who walks*.
Your weekly hit of optimism and grit.

*My productivity OS. Because my feet are wiser than my head.

The antidote to internet brain and being chronically online.

Join now

Why the Shift?

Because the world 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.

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, worker-owned co-operatives, platform promiscuity, the rise of the Substack Motel…

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 help shape the future of media. Tell big-hearted stories, share intel, and build community so we can figure this out together. I believe 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.

Nika :)

Q: How do we bring back the glamour of magazines and create an experience when there’s so much online content and everything looks the same?

Leave a comment

Current project

🌐 Talbot Travels: Workation series - a year of walking my way to stories, to live like a local and connect with communities.

I’m housesitting my way around the world to explore the impact of tech on how we live and work. The rise of remote work and rural relocation, coastal regeneration, and shifting perspectives on work-life balance.

My little corner of the world (Hastings & St Leonards) is getting £20m regeneration funding to improve neighbourhoods and create opportunities. I’m curious to see what changes (or not!) and will be recording it here (short texts, picts, audio).

The Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Battle of Hastings, is set to return to the UK on loan in 2026 after 900 years. You can see it at the British Museum in Sept.

What you get

Be part of the gang growing and shaping the Shift.

Paid subscribers (Friends of the Shift) get:

• Weekly letters on culture, media, and creative work

• Community perks - chat, calendar, 1:1s and more — fun, friendship, collective solidarity

Free subscribers are cherished — you get public posts and the community calendar / events.

Billy No Mates? Write with us! Writers’ Café in Hastings is open to all.

However you support, THANK YOU. It means the world.

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: telling stories for change and helping writers to thrive in the creator economy.

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 Friend of the Shift or buy me a block of writing time.

☕️ Make a single payment

Who’s Nika?

📍START HERE: On the Wild West of freelancing, creator journalism—and choosing yourself. Why I’m here for it.

In a nutshell, I love a good story.

I believe in the power of writing to connect people and create a more compassionate world.

Using my skills to make an impact and working on things I care about - culture, travel, activism, creator journalism.

• 12x book babies on health & wellness

• NUJ social media officer (42K+ media pros)

• Julieta’s mum (at U of York so I’m an empty nester for now ;-)

Outside the Shift, I help culture-led brands grow with editorial content, while also helping writers thrive in the creator economy - see my services.

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 & 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. - Sarah Fay, Substack Writers At Work.

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! 💎

Gold star for reading this far. 🤩

Have a content project, a link suggestion or just want to say hello?

Fill in this form and I’ll be in touch.