📍Hey, I'm Nika! Start here
A business and creativity newsletter for entrepreneurial writers, rethinking work/life in the digital age—and how we can better shape it. Join our growing community.
Hey, I’m Nika.
I write The Shift, a business and creativity newsletter for entrepreneurial writers, rethinking work/life in the digital age, and how we can better shape it.
People, ideas, machines - in that order! - Colonel Boyd.
I write to think deeper about my craft,
contentconnection, communication as culture, and the future of work (entrepreneurship) as we live longer.I interview founders I’m inspired by. Delightful & insightful chats about courage, craft, and creative living.
I curate links to make you think and learn from what others have figured out.
‘The Shift’ means two things to me:
From 9-5 nest to solopreneurship by the sea after my daughter was born.
Taking my writing business to the next level. I’m blown away by what AI makes possible for us as soloists - fun, creative, empowering!
And now, more big shifts:
Innovation on the Internet: Jack Conte’s keynote at SXSW 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-gen internet companies tackle this.The age of the sovereign creator. I think newsletters are the best thing since sliced bread. The most intimate form of journalism—a powerful (yet often underrated) tool for really engaging with your audience. Substack is where newsletters become communities.
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
All readers get free posts, where I cover writing, the digital world, and entrepreneurship.
Free Resources:
Paid members get the spicy stuff, including… 🌶️
Exclusive Posts: Behind the scenes insights, living with Wayne the pain (RA), solo parenting a teen. Plus, AI guides and access to the full archive. Leave comments, connect, and engage.
Curated Roundups: Get The Shift Recommends: the monthly read/watch/listen/book guide.
1:1 Chat Support: A direct line to my inbox for questions about writing or life.
Weekly Writing Hour: Intro chat and work on your stack. 60 minutes with your favourite bunch of eyes watching. Every Thursday, 3-4 pm BST on Zoom (till March 2025).
Community Perks: Access our 24/7 live chat room where you can start threads, share updates, and connect anytime. Share a public link to your latest post so we can give it some love.
Support Mentorship: Your membership helps fund my mentoring with The Girls’ Network, empowering young women to go for it!
Join the community
A community of cheerleaders on Substack. Collective energy! For the full experience, on the go (chat, DMs, email zen), get the Substack app.
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.
“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 independently as a writer, author and journalist.
12 x book babies. 3 x startups. 2 x awards. 1 x teen.
Outside of The Shift, I work with the NUJ to help writers survive and thrive in an expensive city and a modern, messed-up media world.
I’m passionate about helping solopreneurs, especially women, use writing, communication, and AI to grow their businesses without burnout. So we can work less and enjoy life more.
Home is a tiny apt on the vegan Riviera with my favourite human being: my daughter.
My Second Act: Only good things. More fun, more friends, more travel. On a quest to learn how to Live to 100+: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
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, in small groups.
Gotta have big, hairy, audacious goals, right?
Life’s too short for the in-between.
Cheers,
Nika 🥂
Ways to pay me
☕️Don't like change? Leave it in the Tip Jar...
💬1:1 Chat Support: A direct line to my inbox for questions about writing or life.
✍️Hire me to write your newsletter. Let me build your brand on Substack!
If you’re interested in writing a guest post for The Shift, doing an interview for my ‘Bold Types’ series, or giving a talk/workshop for my readers, fill out this form to get started.
Voices from the community
“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!
Gold star for reading this far. 🤩
I love connecting with like-minded writers, entrepreneurs, and brands. Get in touch if you need help with content strategy, or if you just fancy a chat!