Welcome to The Shift
A digital weekly from Nika Talbot. News, interviews, culture picks, and creative inspiration—plus a community for indie publishers. Sign up below.
Hi there! I’m Nika.
Exploring a new and weird world of work, one newsletter at a time.
I write to think deeper about my craft,
contentconnection, communication as culture, and the future of work (entrepreneurship) as we live longer.I interview Bold Types. Delightful & insightful chats on courage, craft, and creative living.
I curate links to make you think and take action.
The so-called ‘creator economy’ has mushroomed and is projected to double in size from $250B to $480B by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs research.
Individual people with their own brands and online audiences have emerged as one of the biggest developments of the digital age.
2025 is shaping up to be a big year for independent publishing - the fastest-growing, most trusted, and most exciting space in journalism, imo!
Personality-driven newsletters are the beating heart of this - the most intimate form of journalism and a direct relationship with readers, away from the algorithms.
Women’s mags are also ripe for a comeback - in a new form - around fandom and communities. From gorgeous glossies like The Gentlewoman with its long-form interviews to the new mini-mag startups I’m seeing here on Substack.
What a time to be alive! I hope you’ll join me on this wild ride.
What you can expect
Paid members get the spicy stuff 🌶️, including…
👀Reads + Recs: A curated roundup of articles, mags, books, TV, and pods I’ve enjoyed this month. Plus, gift articles, an event calendar, and little surprises! Promote a project, link, or ask/offer - I’ll give you a shoutout in the next issue.
💬The Shift Club: Members-only chat. This is where I crowdsource ideas for upcoming posts, and I’d love your insights and ideas to help me shape The Shift. Invites to exciting IRL events. Leave comments, start threads and DM me.
☕️A 1:1 virtual cuppa with me: Arrange a time to talk about your Substack, writing, or whatever you want.
🙏Support Mentorship: Your membership helps me mentor more media students, empowering young women to go for it and share their stories.
Friends of The Shift get:
For those who want to go a bit deeper, help shape The Shift, and support my work. Become a Friend of TS - all of the above and in-person get-togethers.
Free subscribers get:
A weekly postcard from St Leonards. Collaborative resources - feel free to use and share.
However you support me, THANK YOU. I’m happy you’re here.
A digital neighbourhood
Join a fun and friendly community of indie publishers and mag lovers! ❤️
For the full experience, on the go (chat, DMs, email zen), get the Substack app.
What readers say
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, The Workforce Futurist.
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!
A bit about me
In a nutshell, I love a good story. I believe in the power of writing to connect people and create a more compassionate world.
Those who tell the stories run the world.
I’ve been writing online since ‘99 (remember Y2K, The Millennium Bug? We’re still here…), working as an writer and journalist. Always up for a new experience!
I grew up in the golden era of print magazines from the 1970s to the early 2000s (Jackie, Minx, More!, Company) when women’s mags were a big part of female culture - bold, fearless and fun (the gifts!)
They inspired me to get into journalism. I moved to London and freelanced for New Woman, Woman’s Journal, Marie Claire, More, Cosmo, Cleo, Eve, Now, Here’s Health, and Scarlet.
I was a mommy & sex blogger when blogging was in its heyday and an old-school raver (more like day raves now - in bed by 10 with my cacao).
12 x book babies. 3 x startups. 2 x awards. 1 x teen (my proudest achievement!).
Outside The Shift, I run Firebird, a delightfully tiny content studio. I connect my clients with audiences through creative content that’s interesting, inspiring and thoughtful.
I work with the NUJ London Freelance to help writers survive and thrive in an expensive city and a modern, messed-up media world.
I host Hastings Substack Meetups for indie publishers. Before that, St Leonards Salon - talks, workshops and coworking for creative businesses.
I’ll tell you the rest when I see you!
Cheers,
Nika 🥂
Gold star for reading this far. I love connecting with like-minded souls. Get in touch if you’d like to work with me or just fancy a chat :)