Welcome to the Shift. ✨
Hiya 🤗
Welcome to the Shift - weekly letters on culture, tech, and new media 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.
2026 project - 52 Walks - a year of walking my way to stories, which I’ll be sharing here (picts, short letters). I hope to turn it into some kind of book/zine.
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, and the rise of worker-owned collectives.
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, amplify creators, and help shape the future of media. Tell big-hearted stories, share ideas, 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, in service of culture, 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 :)
Free Subscribers get:
Be part of the gang growing and shaping the Shift. One big experiment :)
Public posts and Bold Types interviews.
Billy No Mates? Join our Writers’ Café (coworking and Walk & Talks) irl + url.
Paid Subscribers (Friends of TS) get:
Everything above plus an arm around you (work is weird).
Weekly letters + roundups - what I’ve been reading this week. Stay up-to-date without doomscrolling.
Access to the comments / chat - chip in, share your work.
20% off Pocket Editor: Your writing wingwoman for one week. Async writing & editing support via Voxer.
However you support, THANK YOU. It means the world.
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 so new beginnings for both of us).
I’m working on things I care about - mainly indie media, social change, travel and culture, and living well (RA Warrior). Using my skills to make an impact.
Outside the Shift, I run Firebird, a one-woman content studio.
I help tech + creator brands build authority with longform art/content.
12x book babies on health and wellbeing. NUJ Freelance Officer - supporting 3.5K indie journos and media workers.
Why Upgrade?
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 culture, sharing stories (especially women’s), and shaping the future of media.
It’s an invitation to go deeper, co-create this with me, and bring your ideas and experiences to inform what I write next.
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
Thoughts? Email nika@nikatalbot.io | See my services: https://nikatalbot.io.
