Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

Jessica Knoll is the best-selling author of the novels Luckiest Girl Alive, Bright Young Women, and The Favorite Sister. On this episode, Knoll discusses how her own relationship with money and power informed the writing in her newest novel Helpless, which hit shelves on July 7. She also delves into what true success as a novelist would look like to her and how she feels in retrospect about her 20...

Comedian Michelle Buteau is the star and co-creator of the hit series Survival of the Thickest, which dropped its third and final season today. On this episode, Buteau discusses not knowing if she had enough trauma to be a comedian, why she started making money as soon as she leaned into being herself, and the deliberate decision to make her main character in Survival of the Thickest a stylist. Pl...

Maria Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam tennis champion, but after retiring from the sport in 2020, she pivoted into the world of entrepreneurship, taking on business roles for companies such as Supergoop!, Bala, and Therabody. On this episode, Sharapova shares her tips for creating a strong business pitch (hint: shorten your deck!), how she learned everything she knows about money, and details...

Tia Williams is the best-selling author of books such as Seven Days in June and The Perfect Find, and her most recent novel, The Missed Connection, just came out on June 9. In addition to her career as an author, she also spent over 15 years as a beauty editor at magazines including Glamour, Lucky, and Essence. On this episode, Williams discusses what it was like working in print magazines during...

Laverne Cox is an actress, producer, and LGBTQ+ advocate, and as of June 9, she’s also the author of her memoir, Transcendent. In this episode, Cox discusses how her childhood love of thrifting has evolved into a vintage Mugler obsession, why it feels "divine" for her memoir to come out in this political moment, and what it was like being “broke and fabulous” in New York City before she booked Ora...

Whitney Leavitt first rose to fame as a member of the TikTok group "MomTok" and as a star of the subsequent reality show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Since then, Leavitt has evolved her entertainment career time and time again, competing on Dancing With the Stars and making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Now, she's embarking on yet another new chapter in her career with her pro...

Becky Kennedy, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, founder of the parenting platform Good Inside, and a social media creator with over 3.5 million followers. Today on the show, she’s bringing us all the methods, strategies, and mindsets people can use to become sturdy leaders in their lives—whether that’s at home with their kids or at work with their teams. She shares how she app...

Ego Nwodim is an actor and comedian known for her seven-year tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, as well as projects like Mr. Throwback and Mindy Kaling’s Not Suitable for Work. On this episode, Nwodim discusses her time at SNL—including the casting process, why it felt like a really cool corporate job, and the deep friendships she formed with colleagues, including Heidi Gardner. Plus,...

Cleo Wade is a poet, artist, and New York Times best-selling author whose latest book, In a World of Sunrises: 365 Days of Heart, Soul, and Hope, debuted this April. On this episode, Wade shares insight on what she's learned from her early career in fashion, the influence growing up in New Orleans had on her style, and how she’s navigated her money anxiety. Plus, she shares the one prompt she alwa...

Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen are two of the WNBA’s brightest young stars. Today on the show, they each sit down with Nikki to discuss how they’re preparing for the upcoming season, the future of the league, and why they view the mental game of basketball to be just as important as their physical training. Jackson also lets us in on how she creates and styles her tunnel outfits, and Iriafen shar...

Haley Sacks, or Mrs. Dow Jones as she’s known on the internet, is on a mission to demystify personal finance and turn everyone into a “future rich person.” After realizing in her early career that she didn’t know much about finance, she set out to educate herself and now shares that knowledge with her 1.3 million Instagram followers. Her new book, Future Rich Person: The New Rules for Building Wea...

Anna Cathcart is an actress best known for playing Kitty Song Covey in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise and her character’s own spin-off series, XO, Kitty. On this episode of Nice Talk, Cathcart dives into everything she’s learned about herself, her style, and what it means to be a leader on set after playing Kitty the past eight years. Plus, she shares the details behind attending...

Emma Grede is the serial entrepreneur behind massively successful businesses including Skims, Good American, and Off Season. She’s also the author of the new book Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life, which released on April 14. On this episode, Grede discusses how her East London background shaped her career, perception of power, and relationship with money. She also shares the nua...

Ten years ago, Marie Claire released a series of stories investigating the relationship between women and guns. A decade later, our team decided to return to this topic to see how that relationship has evolved over the years. Today on the podcast, Marie Claire Executive Editor Andrea Stanley and Deputy Editor Noor Ibrahim join Nikki to discuss the 2026 version of "Women and Guns: A Marie Claire In...

Many people first came to know Padma Lakshmi during her 19-season tenure as host of Top Chef, but now she’s returning to the world of competition cooking shows as the the host, creator, and executive producer of America’s Culinary Cup. The new CBS series features some of the biggest names in the food industry and boasts the largest monetary prize awarded in culinary competition show history. Today...

Lauren Sherman is a fashion correspondent for Puck, host of the podcast Fashion People, and author of the must-read fashion newsletter Line Sheet. Today, she’s here to discuss all things fashion month. Not only do Nikki and Lauren chat about their favorite moments from attending the fashion shows this season, but they also dive into what the collections say about the overall culture and economic t...

As soon as Yvonne Orji performed her first stand-up set during the talent portion of a pageant, she knew comedy would be her calling. Today, she’s a comedian with two HBO specials under her belt and an actor, known for playing beloved characters like Molly in Insecure. In this episode, Orji discusses how her Nigerian American background informed her view on money, why she likes to get dressed up t...

Jordyn Woods wears many hats: she’s a model, the founder and CEO of her fashion line Woods by Jordyn, a content creator with over 11.6 million Instagram followers, the newly minted Chief Creative Director of the beauty brand Glosslab, and more. Today, she’s sitting down with Nikki as a part of our NBA All Star Weekend mini-series to discuss the big three—money, power and style. She discusses what...

Malika Andrews is an Emmy Award–winning sports journalist and host of ESPN’s NBA Today, NBA Countdown, and WNBA Countdown. Not only is Andrews one of the most prominent sports journalists in the industry, but she’s also a trailblazer. In 2018, she became ESPN’s youngest sideline reporter, and in 2022, she became the first woman to ever host the NBA Draft—a position she’s held every year since. On...

Taylor Rooks is a two-time Emmy Award–nominated journalist and producer who currently hosts NBA on Prime Video and Thursday Night Football on Prime. In addition to being one of the most important voices in sports media, she’s the founder of the Taylor Rooks Foundation—an organization that supports communities by providing school supplies to teachers, helping people pay their utilities during the h...

Courtney Mays is a renowned sports stylist and menswear consultant. She's known as a fierce advocate for size and gender inclusivity in fashion, and her client list includes big-name athletes like Chris Paul, Brittney Griner, and Sue Bird along with actors like Anthony Anderson and Winston Duke. On this episode, Mays tells us how she learned to ask for a raise, why she loves celebrating queerness...

Amy Smilovic is the founder and creative director of the independent global fashion brand Tibi. In addition to helming her beloved brand, Smilovic also runs an educational "style class" on Instagram and is the author of two books: The Creative Pragmatist: An Intelligent Conversation About Personal Style and Almost Reckless: A Creative and Pragmatic Approach to Taking Risks, which is available for ...

Jennette McCurdy is the best-selling author of the memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died and her recent debut novel, Half His Age. Many people were first introduced to McCurdy when she was a child actor, but in her early 20s, she stepped away from her acting career to pursue writing. On this episode, she discusses the messy and uncomfortable power dynamics at play in her new novel, the deeper meaning behind...

Erin Walsh is the stylist behind some of Hollywood's best-dressed celebrities, including Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez. Now, after years of styling some of the biggest names on the red carpet, Walsh is sharing all her coveted knowledge in her new book The Art of Intentional Dressing: Your Essential Style Guide for Manifesting a Magnetic Life. On this episode of Nice Talk, she discusses all the de...

Financial translator Erin Lowry is back! On this episode, the Broke Millennial author breaks down everything we need to know to set ourselves up for financial success in the new year. She details the nitty-gritty of credit scores, budgets, and cutting costs, while also giving tips on how to set big-picture goals and approach financial conversations. Plus, Lowry shares why we all need to let go of...