Checkbox Other with Nikki Innocent

Quiana Agbai is an influencer, blogger, public speaker, activist, community organizer, mother of two and leader who focuses on connecting people and meeting them where they are. Quiana has been blogging since 2009 as Harlem Lovebirds and is the Community Outreach Lead for the Boston chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She & Nikki discuss the evolution of digital content over th...

Felice Duffy is a natural born change-maker whose activism sparked in her fight for gender equity as a college freshman on UCONN's campus as the leading voice for Title IX reform in 1977 — all because she wasn't allowed to play the game of soccer. This activist fire continued to burn as this Hall of Fame player & coach fought for the rights and representation of women athletes and coaches. Felice...

Lillian Ellmore is a motivational speaker, artist, and newly crowned beauty queen. She is all about spreading the message that disabled people can do just about anything that able-bodied people can do. Lillian has a muscular disability that causes quadriplegia and lives that powerful message daily. Her positivity and wisdom at the age of 17, will leave you with sore smile muscles and a notebook fu...

Author, speaker and workplace trainer on sexual harassment, assault and violence prevention and response, Sarah Beaulieu joins Nikki to talk about the "uncomfortable" conversation around sexual assault, violence and the #MeToo workplace. Sarah shares experiences throughout her life that have shaped her path in doing this work and the obstacles and resistance she has faced. Sarah and Nikki discuss...

Dr. Tee Williams is a social justice expert, educator and all-around game changer. He joins Nikki for this episode of Checkbox Other and offers a transformative educational experience covering topics from toxic masculinity & male violence, to social justice work & burnout, to the oppression experienced by both dominant & targeted identity groups, to challenging your internalized oppression, to the...

Award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author, Jennifer Brown joins Nikki on this episode. During the episode they discuss the importance of Jennifer representing her voice and voices like hers in the LGBTQ community, the complex dynamic of passing and using it as a Trojan horse, finding your flow & path when life doesn't go as planned, using the tiny instrume...

Eduardo Placer is the founder of Fearless Communicators that focuses on overcoming the fear of using your voice. He was a professional actor for over 15 years and has taken his storytelling magic to the public speaking space. Nikki & Eduardo talk about his work focused on overcoming generations of societal silencing to use and amplify unheard voice, his journey of confronting internalized oppressi...

Janine Kwoh is the owner / artist / one-person assembly line behind Kwohtations, a handmade stationery company and letterpress print & design studio that celebrates a diversity of identities and life experiences. Janine & Nikki cover topics like belonging, grief, being an expat abroad and returning to America and being told to "go back to China," turning a side hustle into a full time gig, creatin...

Carla and Nikki dive into Carla's experiences as a "secret minority" during her life and how these othering experiences that have given her a very inclusive view on the world. They talk about self-discovery at any age, about trauma, boundaries, vulnerability, blended & chosen families, about parenting in today's social and political climate, about belonging and owning your story, about confidence...

Today's guest is Anna Oakes, she's a wicked combo of hippie and business with a mission to restore humanity! Anna is THE person to talk to about intrapreneurs -- the idea people, who display "entrepreneurial qualities," that are often under utilized within an organization. Anna and Nikki discuss the ups and downs of the TEDx experience, their shared experience of removing coffee from their lives a...

Erin Robertson is the founder of two nonprofits, the mother of two amazing kids and the wife of a World Series champion MLB player. To say her life now is different than what she expected back when she & Nikki went to college together is an understatement. Take a listen to hear her generously share some of the blessings and challenges that have shaped her incredible journey so far. Show notes: htt...

If you love talking social justice, empowerment, embodiment, self acceptance, doing the work, dating and laughing while you do it, this episode is for you! Nikki & Elizabeth DiAlto invite you behind the mic to listen in on one of their coveted catch-up sessions touching on all of these topics and more. Elizabeth is the founder of Wild Soul Movement and is a transformational leader that works with...

Courtney Sharpe is a change maker, whether it be through her work as the Director of Cultural Planning in the Boston Mayor's Office or simply by living her life and using her voice as a black, Jewish woman in America. Courtney & Nikki discuss topics around race and racial identity in America, immigration, education, millennials in leadership and much more. This episode is proof that opening up the...

If you've ever questioned whether or not you're enough or if anyone would ever truly understand you, this episode is for you. College classmates Jessica Skupien and host Nikki Innocent dive into the ins and outs of the Enneagram, the feeling of losing yourself in the search of corporate "success" and the tug of war between credentials and credibility. Show notes: https://www.nikkiinnocent.com/podc...

Meet Megan Baker, an entrepreneur, shamanic practitioner, women's leadership coach and so much more. After over 25 years as a middle school teacher, she embraced the calling to take her skills as an educator to an entirely new level. Right as she was about to put pen to paper for her business plan, her family dynamic changed and sent her on a new journey of stepmotherhood, community building and e...

This first episode of Checkbox Other is a reverse interview where Nikki's cousin, Meghan, interviews our host about the journey, through career shifts and personal obstacles, that has led to creating this podcast. You'll get a peek into a few key moments when both Nikki and Meghan have felt "othered" in their lives and a glimpse into some of the self-discovery work Nikki has been up to in order to...

Checkbox Other is a podcast from leadership coach and humanity activist, Nikki Innocent, that celebrates people who don't fit in a defined box or category. In Checkbox Other, we focus on creating a safe, warm and welcoming space to explore experiences where people are feeling the options provided by society don't match who and what they truly are. While the initial sentiment of "othering" experien...