Checkbox Other with Nikki Innocent

How often have you heard about slavery from the perspective of the enslaved people who were forced to be there? In this episode, Brigette Janea Jones joins Nikki to talk about her experience of being the first Black tour guide at the Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, TN. She chronicles her journey from being a visitor to tour guide to program creator to Director of Equitable Partnerships focuse...

The days of leaders ruling through fear, intimidation and dehumanization are numbered. We're shifting from a fascination with identity, power and privilege to prioritizing empathy, authenticity and inclusion. In the face of this change, the old way of doing things is looking more and more outdated. Lately, we've been seeing the negative impact of oppressive leadership models that operate within th...

"Where are you from?" is a question that so many of us who don't fit the mold are met with in a white-centric society. But what if you are from, influenced and impacted by so many people, places and cultures around the world? In this episode, Lilly Bekele-Piper talks about her experiences of being born in Ethiopia, immigrating at a young age to the US and then in her adulthood moving back to East...

In our current culture, death isn't a topic that we spend much time understanding. More often than not, the topic of death results in a subject change, a tidal wave of emotions or a sense of detachment. Last week, Damar Hamlin, a professional football player collapsed on live TV during the NFL's Monday Night Football game and millions of people around the country and the world had a real time expe...

As you step into the potential and planning for 2023, there can be a lot of pressure to have everything figured out or a perfect step-by-step process mapped out to achieve your goals flawlessly. This episode invites you to reframe your relationship to resolutions and rather than seeing them as a mountain top or a rigid finish line, allowing them to be a directional nudge to explore with the focus...

The holiday season usually comes with a mixture of emotions and experiences, add that to closing out the year and there's often even more to juggle. In our culture that centers productivity and achievement, this a great time to give yourself permission to release the death grip the illusion of control and hustle culture has on you and create space for judgment-free reflection, releasing and refram...

Ever gone shopping and no matter what you choose, nothing fits? For so many women who have a large chest but a small frame, this is all too familiar. We know when systems, structures and options aren't available for you, it impacts your sense of belonging and value. In today's episode, the founder of PerfectDD, a fuller bust sustainable clothing company, Alice Kim joins to talk about creating a bu...

Hustle culture, urgency, FOMO are all a given for so many of us these days, but what if you had the chance to opt-out? What would your relationship to time be if you would wave a magic wand and start anew? In this episode, Nikki discusses the process of acknowledging, learning and/or unlearning the time patterns we are taught either in our families of origin, our communities, our schools that sepa...

When you think of the phrase "Be a man", do you think about showing your emotions, asking for help, being vulnerable, or making deep connections? Probably not, but what if we adjusted our belief of what the "man box" should include? In today's episode, Devan Sandiford, visionary storyteller from the Gates Foundation and The Moth, joins Nikki to talk about the true transformative power of vulnerabl...

There's a generational shift that's been happening for years as Boomers hit retirement age, Gen Xers are in positions of seniority and the Millennial generation is now the largest demographic in the population and workplace. However, the expectations of the passing of the torch aren't matching reality. And if Boomer retirement is indeed happening, the power isn't being passed to the next generatio...

Imagine if we could completely reinvent the education system. What would it look like? Well in today's episode, Dr. Adrian K. Haugabrook joins us to talk about a new approach to education that puts the learner at the center and creates systems and structures that are focused on that individual's success. Dr. Haugabrook talks about his viral TED Talk that offers a three step process to reimagining...

Layoffs are happening left and right lately and yet when it happens to you, it can feel so disorienting, upsetting and isolating. While for most it is an abrupt and disrespectful experience as many leaders are fumbling significantly in their delivery and communication, this episode is a space to create clarity and talk about the many emotions, realities and struggles that you navigate when you los...

"Use your privilege" is something we hear a lot, especially lately, but often we aren't given concrete examples of what that looks like. Today's episode with Mercado Global co-founder Ruth Alvarez-DeGolia is a deep dive into what it looks like to own your privilege and activate it as a platform for those who have often been marginalized or cast in the shadows. Ruth changed her life and career plan...

If you feel powerless in the job search process, this episode is for you. Whether you are in the resume building, application, interview or offer phase of the process, there's so much indecision and pressure to do everything "just right." But what if there's no such thing? In this episode, Nikki discusses the importance of being in the driver's seat in taking the next step in your career path, und...

What does learning mean to you? Do you have a practice for unlearning too? Today's episode is a special one because we're sharing a conversation that Nikki had with OwnTrail founder Kt McBratney about the value or the purpose of having a practice of continual learning and unlearning to navigate an ever-changing world with authenticity. Originally a video livestream, this conversation dives into gi...

Sharing your story can be a truly healing process but for so many of us, the practice of stepping into vulnerability to share aspects of our experience that are outside of our comfort zone can be scary and discouraged. In a world of social media where everyone can have a digital platform in moments, it might seem like the barriers to telling your story have vanished. But with filters and trending...

The summer of June 2020 activated so many people to speak out, march and take a stand against oppression, but as time has gone on, we've seen the energy and participation around social justice efforts lose steam. But what if taking action only took 60 seconds a week? This week's guest, Mariangela Anzalone, talks about her newsletter, Actionable Activism and the importance of identifying the issues...

As more of us are being more fully represented in media coverage, storytelling and in positions of power, there has been pushback in the form of disinterest, disengagement, and even destruction – whether it be conscious or unconscious, it's resistance to change, for things to "go back to the way things were". For folks who have grown accustomed to seeing one particular version of a main character,...

Feminism is a word we hear alot but often times without a clear definition of what it means and what it looks like. Sometimes it even gets used as a badge of honor that is used as a veil to distract from oppressive behavior, beliefs and actions in direct contradiction to feminist theory. In this episode, Amelia Hruby, PhD feminist author, educator, podcaster, and the founder of Softer Sounds, a fe...

Representation Matters. It's something we hear a lot but we aren't always encouraged to notice it or bask it in when it happens. This episode is all about soaking up the beauty of bearing witness to representation through the pop culture moments that played out over about a week's span to illustrate the power of representation – from The Little Mermaid trailer with Halle Bailey to Ms Marvel to a s...

Multiracial people make up the fastest growing demographic in the United States but there's little research that's been done to understand the unique dynamics of living in the inbetween in a society that has for so long been segmented by race. In this episode, Shawna Gann, certified diversity professional and PhD candidate joins Nikki to talk about the importance of creating space for deeper under...

If capitalism and the state of the current economy don't feel like they align with your values, the way you interact with the world and how you envision a more expansive future, this episode is for you! Sacred Commerce Priestess Asha Ramakrishna joins Nikki to talk about what a soul centered approach to trade and commerce looks and feels like. Asha shares her story and her incredible work of recon...

If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go? And why? What if you could let your heart lead the journey? If you've been feeling the itch to make a move over the last few years, this episode is right up your alley! Nikki shares her journey of twists and turns, stops and starts to her new "heart home" in New York City. This process wasn't for a job or for another person, it was inten...

Black history has been systemically erased for centuries. For so many, our family history and lineage have been hidden from our understanding, but today's guest is telling those erased stories while creating space for collective healing. Portugal was the birthplace of the Trans Atlantic slave trade and Naky G takes folks on a walking tour back through time to bear witness to the humanity and stori...

How many times in your life have you heard "trust your gut" and felt like "cool, great but what does that mean!?" After the last couple years of survival mode, gut feeling or intuition can easily be confused with a fear response, but it's not the same thing. In this episode, the final installment in this 6-part series on surviving burnout, Nikki talks about what it means to trust your gut/intuitio...