Welcome! Start Here
A weekly letter for creators and media makers doing work their way.
🤗 Hiya
I’m Nika—a creator and journalist exploring media, culture, and creative work.
The Shift is my weekly letter for creators and media makers doing work their way.
Why The Shift?
2025 is shaping up to be a big year for indie media and creator-led journalism—the fastest-growing and most exciting space in journalism, imo!
I’m here for it.
As music journalist Sean Adams wrote:
The rise of influencers and content creators isn’t just a trend; it’s a fundamental shift in how stories are told—and who gets to tell them. [CJR].
The pale-male-stale old guard may resist, but it’s made journalism more democratic, inclusive, and community-led.
The global creator economy will be worth $500 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. More writers are going solo, building their own worlds and a direct relationship with readers, away from the algorithm. From Bullshit Jobs to Made-up Jobs!
Brands are starting to think more like creators.
And now, another shift: AI is transforming our lives and work.
I’m a tech optimist—we all want growth, right? Bigger brains, more money.
I also see the bigger picture—they’re trying to cure cancer with this. Let’s see if it can help get my RA (Wayne the Pain) into remission.
Just imagine, when AI’s doing the grunt work, we can get back to our Coffee Viennese, chatting and plotting. Making media.
What a time to be alive. I hope you'll join me on this wild ride.
What You’ll Receive
Free Membership:
💋 Weekly-ish letters on media, culture, and creative work
Access to WorkFrom - a remote work map
Access to WorkWith - find newsletter collabs
Paid Membership:
The Shift Club Members get:
🎪 The Shift Calendar (media events & creative opportunities). Choose your own adventure!
💬 Access to community chat
👀 Occasional publisher updates
🎁 All digital gifts on The Shift+ page
Patron Membership:
Love my weekly letters and want to help The Shift grow?
Your support enables me to spend more time writing, curating, and celebrating the analogue - Writers’ Cafe, netwalking, and Happy Hours.
Includes: Everything above and a 1:1 call or meetup
However you support The Shift, THANK YOU. It means a lot to me.
A Bit About Me
12x book babies. 3x startups. 3x awards. 1x teen (my proudest achievement!)
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 (remember Y2K? We’re still here…). I started The Shift in 2020 to explore where media is moving.
I grew up in the golden era of women’s mags—fearless, fun, and a big part of female culture. They inspired me to move to London and try my hand at fr££lancing.
In my 30s, I ran a digital mag called Rude. Loved it but burned out trying to juggle love & money work with lone parenting.
So here I am, having another go (the tech is better—we can monetise!). The Shift has become the foundation of my creative work and I’m having the time of my life.
Outside The Shift, I run Firebird, a one-woman content studio.
Connecting brands with people and culture. → This way, reader
A Digital Neighbourhood
I’m growing an interesting, intelligent community—and I love how intimate this space feels. For email zen and reading on the go, download the app and join the chat.
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🗣️ 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🗣️ 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. I love connecting with passionate souls. Get in touch if you want to work together or find out more.
Love these weekly letters? Support my work with a paid subscription or buy me a coffee.