What’s up everybody. I’m Shontavia
Johnson and this is another episode of The Shontavia Show, where I want to
inspire you to build a brand, a business, and a life that you love.
It’s Thursday, y’all. Y’all know what
I like to do on Thursday. I love to pontificate. I know that’s a big word–that
just means I like to talk about the stuff I like to talk about. And what I love
to do most of all, is answer your questions. So if you want my thoughts about
something, reach out to me at askshontavia@gmail.com, and you might hear your
question on a future episode.
So let’s jump into this question,
which is really, really interesting because it is something that I did a lot of
in my former life, working with people on copyright and trademark-related
issues, and patent related issues too when they worked for other people.
All right, so here’s the question.
Hey Shontavia, thank you so much for
your work and for this show. I’ve learned so much in just the first few
episodes. I’m not quite ready to jump 100% into entrepreneurship, but I do have
a side hustle. During the day, I work in a hospital providing nutrition
training. My side hustle is related but with a different focus and clientele
altogether. In both, I write workbooks and make videos along with doing live classes.
I’m in a perfect situation right now because I have some downtime at work. I
can use that time to work on my business idea. I want this to become my primary
source of income, but I’m not there yet. As a side hustler, I want to make sure
I’m thinking everything through. What advice would you give a person working on
their business as a side hustle to their day job, especially when they hate
hate, HATE their day job.
I mentioned I’m in a perfect
situation because of the downtime, but I’m so ready to jump ship.
And there’s no name, so I’m not going
to give you a name since you don’t have a name.
But this is an amazing question and I
like it a lot cause I’m a side hustler too. I have a day job and I do this work
when I am not doing that day job.
So many thoughts about this and about
what you can do when you’re side hustling. You hate your day job, but it’s good
for you because you get to work on a bunch of other stuff for your business.
(1) So number one, I know you’re not
gonna want to hear this, No Name, but you’re gonna have to change your attitude
with your current hustle, with your main hustle. So remember, these are the
people who gave you a chance to come and do this job.
These are the people who are paying
your bills and keeping food on your table. And one of the things I think you
just have to do, even when you hate your main hustle is, is change your
attitude about it. Show up with energy. Show up being the best possible version
of yourself that there is.
Show up and bring your great energy.
You are not going to be able to–after work–I don’t know what your hours are
at a hospital–I know a lot of people at hospitals work long shifts. You’re
going to spend a whole, you know, 10/12 hour day in a hospital and be angry and
upset about being there. How are you going to come home and flip that switch
and do really amazing, great work in your side hustle? So my first suggestion
to you really is to change your attitude about the current position you have.
I know it’s tough. I know you want to
get out there and do your own thing, but I do think you have to show up on
point in your main hustle. And I heard another podcaster talking about this
recently–I’ll drop a link in the show notes about that show–I think it’s
called Switch, Pivot or Quit. And she was talking about this, about you know,
showing up in your current position in a way that attracts positive energy. I
talk a lot about my energy. If I don’t have great energy, everything suffers.
So my first suggestion to you is show up on point. Have great energy in your
main gig, with your main hustle.
(2) Number two, work on your side
hustle at the right time. So you mentioned you have a lot of downtime at work
and you’re using that downtime maybe to work on your side hustle.
So you have to be real, real careful
with this. So my background is intellectual property law. One of the things
about intellectual property law that is you know, kind of tough for people when
they have a day job and they’re working on their other stuff at the day job is,
when you are working as an employee within the scope of your employment, your
employer probably owns all the stuff you’re creating.
And so you don’t want to get in a
situation where you’re working on your side hustle at work and somebody finds
out or whatever and your employer ends up saying, “Hey, I own what you’ve
created and you can’t use it anymore.” So be real careful about that. Work
on your side hustle ON THE SIDE.
And if I can make another suggestion,
work on your side hustle on your own laptop, on your own phone, on your own
iPad.
And that might be a little bit
extreme. But if you ever get in a situation where you know you’re working on
your side hustle and you’re using work equipment, work hours, work time, you
might be—you might get screwed, frankly–because your employer may own that
stuff that you’re creating.
So I know this is frustrating to
hear. I don’t know if you can take like an official break. I don’t know if you
can squeeze your hours in a little bit so you can literally leave work. But I
would suggest working on your side hustle literally on the side.
Because you don’t want to be in a
position where your employer can own your intellectual property just because
you didn’t take the right steps.
(3) And then my third suggestion,
respect your side hustle. So as you are thinking about creating a side hustle,
going out there, doing something new, treat your side hustle like a real
business.
Go out and register that business
with the Secretary of State. Get yourself some business cards. Show up like the
owner and founder of whatever the businesse is you’re creating. Set aside time
each day to work on your side hustle, not during work hours, if you’re doing
things that are within the scope of your employment–I don’t know what your
employment contract says about all of this–but treat it with respect. Set
aside some hours each day to work on that side hustle.
I think if you do these three things,
you’ll be well on your way to creating a well-founded side hustle that you own,
and when you have really, really good energy to make that stuff happen.
So, just in summary, (1) show up on
point to your main hustle, (2) work on your side hustle at the right time, and
(3) respect your side hustle. So No Name, I hope that helps you.
I hope I’ve given you some tools and
things to think about. I hope you consider really working on your side hustle
on the side, because I would hate to see your dream be negatively impacted by a
decision you’re making that, you know, you could easily make another decision.
For everybody else, if you have questions about this or about anything else,
please reach out to me at askshontavia@gmail.com. I’d love to take a crack at
your question. If you disagree with me, reach out to me. If you agree with me,
reach out to me.
Love to talk more about all of your
questions and thoughts on Thursdays on the show. Thanks for listening.
Shontavia: What’s
up, y’all. Welcome to The Shontavia Show, where my goal is to help you start a
business based on your life’s vision. This ain’t gonna be your daddy’s business
advice. I’m laser focused on entrepreneurship in the 21st century, vision and breaking
the traditional mold. If you can get with that, you can get with me, be sure to
visit shontavia.com for more episodes, blog posts, and other content. Thank you
for listening. The show starts now.
Shontavia: What’s
up everybody? I’m Shontavia Johnson and this is another episode of The
Shontavia Show where I help you start a business based on the vision you have
for your life. And I am so excited everybody to have with me Dr. Nika White.
Thank you so much for being here.
Nika: Thank
you for having me, Shontavia.
Shontavia: I just
love your work. I love what you’re doing, and I should introduce you to
everybody so they know your work and know what you’re doing.
Shontavia: So Dr.
Nika White is a national authority and fearless advocate for diversity, inclusion,
and equity. She’s an award winning management and leadership consultant, a
keynote speaker, a published author. She’s written two books. The Intentional
Inclusionist is that one, right?
Nika: That
is correct.
Shontavia: Okay.
Alright, so y’all pray for me with the next one. This is a little bit of a
longer title. The Next Level Inclusionist: Transforming Yourself and Your Work
for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Success. Is that it?
Nika: You
did it.
Shontavia: Alright,
awesome. So Dr. White helps organizations break down barriers and integrate
diversity into their business frameworks. Most recently, this is what I know
most recently, in November of 2019 you were named one of Forbes’ 10-what was
it-10 Diversity and Inclusion Experts You Should Know.
Nika: Top
10 Trailblazers for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Shontavia: Got it.
So congratulations and welcome. Thank you for being here.
Nika: Thank
you for having me.
Shontavia: So Nika,
so many questions for you. So I follow you. I’ve been watching your work for
such a long time. Where are you from? How did you get here? What is your story?
Nika: Oh,
you’re going way back.
Shontavia: Where
are you from?
Nika: So
I am from Belton, South Carolina, so a small town in the upstate, specifically
in Anderson County. That’s where I grew up. Born and raised and um, really,
really small town. In fact, the town is so small that it required two small
towns coming together to form one high school–Belton-Honea Path. Yeah. That’s
how small it is.
Shontavia: Oh wow. I’ve
heard of that. Yeah. Okay. Alright, cool.
Nika: Um,
and so my story is, is pretty traditional to what I believe is probably a lot
of people’s story. I grew up in a home with both parents, loving home, both
working parents, um, who always instilled in myself and my sister that the sky
was the limit.
Nika: We
could do anything. They were ones, um, from a parenting perspective who always,
um, would challenge my sister and I to drive towards our potential. And that’s
important. And I’ll come back to that at some point, I’m sure in this
conversation because everything that I have been able to accomplish in my life
has been because I have, um, viewed barriers and obstacles as nothing but an
opportunity to overcome. And so I remember even like in school, you know, if
you would bring home like a B, my mom would always say, okay, B it’s okay. It’s
not that i’s bad, but I know your potential. Your potential is an A, so what
are we doing here? And that is how I live my life, you know? And I have
instilled that in my kids, and so anyway, um, matriculated through
undergraduate. I went to the University of South Carolina.
Shontavia: Whew,
let’s stop right there.
Nika: Okay.
Shontavia: Right.
So I went to Clemson. For those of you who don’t know, Clemson and Carolina have
a little bit of a rivalry–a historic rivalry. IJust a little bit, a little
bit. I still love you, Nika. That’s okay. You have done wonderful things. Even
given your background…
Nika: You’re
way too kind. Give me credit for being a Gamecock. That’s okay. You know? See
what’s interesting is that because like grew up in Anderson, as I just
mentioned, Anderson County, I grew up loving the Tigers. So Clemson was my
team, and although I went to USC, my husband is a Clemson grad. And I always
tell people that both the Gamecock and the Tiger pay the bills in my house. And
so, gotta like both teams, right? So anyway, so yes, I went to University of
South Carolina–actually went through their J-School. So….
Shontavia: Oh cool.
Nika: I
thought that I wanted to work in the field of marketing communications forever,
and that has given me such a solid foundation. I absolutely love the industry
of marketing communications. I love the on time, on budget, on strategy, the
rat race, right? All those dynamics. I felt that I was really in my element.
And so when I went through the J School, um, I actually graduated with a
concentration in advertising public relations, and I think I graduated on a
Friday, and on that Monday began working in an advertising agency, a really
large, a nice sized advertising agency that’s actually based here in the
Upstate.
Nika: And
I was in between both the New York office because they had an office and a
presence there and the Greenville office and just really fell in love with the
industry. That is where I began to realize that I had this, this draw and this
concern for diversity and inclusion. Because I was met with every single day,
so many circumstances whereby as marketing communications professionals, you
were charged to be smart, effective marketing partners for your clients whose
consumer constituencies represented diverse America.
Nika: So
why aren’t we doing more, to be more intentional about creating that level of
diversity in the workforce so that we can produce smart campaigns, positioning
strategies for our clients. And so anyway, that, that’s kind of how I ended up
in this space that I’m in now.
Shontavia: Excellent.
So your background, diversity, equity, inclusion, marketing. What I want to
know about is the entrepreneurship behind it. You have taken all of these
really amazing educational backgrounds, professional backgrounds, and turned it
into a full time entrepreneurship strategy. So how did you do that? So how long
did you work, like, in your former position? How did you transition to being
entrepreneur?
Nika: So
that’s an interesting story. Entrepreneurship somewhat found me. And I say that
because again, my background is marketing communications.
Nika: I
understood that aspect of, of, of the world and how powerful marketing
communications, really was to different brands. And so I saw that just in my
career path. As I was continuing to operate in this space of diversity, equity
and inclusion within still an advertising agency environment, I then was
presented with an opportunity to begin doing this work, on a larger scale for
the Greenville Chamber (of Commerce). They were creating a new position–it was
VP of Diversity and Inclusion–and they did a national search. I was the lucky
beneficiary right in their backyard. I had some trusted mentors that said to
me, “Nika, this seems like it’s something in your wheelhouse. You want to
take a look at it.” And, so I trusted my instincts and of course the
confidence that I had in those mentors, and I ended up putting my name in the
hat and, um, I appreciated that leap of faith.
Nika: And
I do call it a leap of faith because on paper the position was funded for three
years. And I knew the history. I knew that there was some baggage there. I knew
that I would have to spend a good bit of my time trying to regain the trust of
those constituents that, quite honestly, felt that the Chamber was not relevant
to their needs. But in doing so, I’ve surrounded myself around many
entrepreneurs who were just perseveringly, willing to give it all that they had
to make it work. Not to mention my husband is a serial entrepreneur and has
been since day one that he and I met. And so, I saw it and, um, I guess I kind
of viewed it as, you know, it was his season. So I supported him in his
entrepreneurship endeavors.
Nika: And
after he was doing that for so many years, um, and I was, you know, really
progressing in my career as a D and I practitioner. I started getting tapped,
and people were asking me, can you come help with this? Can you come and kind
of consult with me around this project? And then I started noticing that this,
this area, this discipline is high in demand, you know? And so I saw it as an
opportunity. So even while I was working still as VP of Diversity and Inclusion
for the Greenville Chamber, surrounded by all of these entrepreneurs, all of
these key business community leaders, I was being very strategic, and I was
kind of developing my exit strategy, if you will. I didn’t know the timing of
it, but I knew that it would come and I knew that I wanted to be ready. And so
I started preparing myself.
Nika: But
what did that look like? I ended up, writing books. I ended up on the topic, of
course, that was, you know, really, um, in the center of what I wanted to be
known for in terms of my brand. I began to accept speaking engagements. I
asserted myself in many different community endeavors and boards, um, being
able to operate directly with the lens of, of equity and inclusion in those
spaces. I pursued my doctorate and I didn’t do it because I wanted some
additional letters behind my name. I did it because I felt as though it was
going to be pretty instrumental in setting me up with the credibility that was
needed. And even, I was intentional about the, the route. I did not go the PhD
route. I went the, um, the D.M. Route and that was important for me because my
intent was not to be a part of some type of, you know, research higher learning
institution.
Nika: Um,
I wanted to be able to go into organizations and drive change. And so my doctorate
is in management organizational leadership. And I could’ve probably gone even
more specific to diversity and inclusion, but that wasn’t my intent. I wanted
to be seen as someone that could bring thought leadership to all areas of
business, within an organization. But yet and still, I knew that, um, part of
that was going to be certainly a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. So
that’s my story.
Shontavia: Wow. How
did you find time? So you mentioned writing books, accepting speaking
engagements, pursuing a doctorate degree. You’re married with children– you’ve
mentioned your husband and kids. How did you manage the time?
Nika: So
Shontavia I have somewhat of an addictive personality. I have to be, I have to
be honest about that. I mean, while I think a lot of it was really just, um,
being intentional with my time and my planning, um, I began to really operate,
true to my calling, which is, you know, knowing when to say yes and when to say
no.
Nika: That’s
what I kind of teach and coach other people around. And so I began to do it for
myself. And there were seasons in my life where I was not open to a lot of
different opportunities to extend myself. You know, I have, I have two kids and
my kids now are pretty self sufficient. I have a senior in high school and I
have a daughter that’s a sophomore in college. Um, but when my kids were
younger, that’s when I was in this support mode of helping my husband build his
business, supporting him while he was building his business. So fortunately for
me, when it became my time, uh, my kids were older and again, more self
sufficient, but I had that support. My husband was the one that was kind of
cheering me on. And because his business had already reached a foundation where
it was very profitable, we were able to fund the start and launch of my
business.
Nika: And
so a lot of it is just, again, knowing where you have those gaps and being
communicative enough to be able to try to put people in your corner and your
tribe that can help support you. And, knowing that there’s a season for
different things and I just had to wait for the right season and that’s what I
did.
Shontavia: So how’d
you know it was the right season? You mentioned being at the chamber–were you
there for the full three years or longer than three years?
Nika: I
was there for about six years in that role before I then transitioned out. Um,
so I knew it was time because, again, my calendar was starting to fill up. Any
kind of PTO that I had. I was, you know, filling it up with accepting, you
know, opportunities to go and speak and train and consult. And so I remember
one day we were having, I was having conversations with the leader of the
chamber, the president and CEO, who was very supportive of the work that I was
doing within the chamber.
Nika: And
we just had an honest conversation about the trajectory of my career path and
where I wanted to go. And he within his own words, you know, basically shared,
“your reputation proceeds you. I know that if I’m going to have you around
to continue to help building upon this great equity that you’ve created in the
work here at the Chamber, that we probably going to have to be creative.”
And um, and so that led to just an honest conversation for me to be able to
share and disclose what I wanted to do. Um, and you know, then it was, it was
how do we make this happen cause I want to see you be successful, but I also
want to see you be closely connected to the efforts here. And um, and from
there it, it just, it happened very quickly.
Shontavia: So, so
many questions, Nika, I don’t know how much time we have here. But, so you
mentioned your PTO, so your paid time off. It sounds like you were maybe beside
hustling, but building.
Nika: It
was a side hustle! I really didn’t consider it a business at that time. It was
exactly that. It was a side hustle, um, before the benefit of, at some point
this is going to mean something. And I knew that what ever it was going to mean
was going to be related to some type of future entrepreneurship endeavor.
That’s all I could tell you at the time. But I was committed to it because I
knew that it would eventually pay off and it did.
Shontavia: So, so
many people I work with who have full time jobs say “I don’t have time. I
don’t know how to start on whatever this entrepreneurial endeavor is. So you
mentioning paid time off makes so much sense for so many people, right? Were
there other things you were doing? Were you traveling on the weekends? Were you
doing anything else to manage your time? It sounds like you were juggling a lot.
Nika: I
was investing in myself. I was, um, immersing myself in the industry. I became,
um, a certified diversity executive through the Society of Diversity
Certification. I was reading lots and lots of books. Even my dissertation
research was, you know, grounded in the work of diversity and inclusion. So I
was intentional. And that is, that’s an important word for me. It’s actually
one of my favorite words. That’s why the first title of my book is Intentional
Inclusionist. I believe there’s such power in intentionality. And it has a
certain look about it. It’s very calibrated, it requires, you know, foresight
and it requires believing in all the steps of a process to get to an end goal
that’s worth it. And so, you know, it’s interesting, I tell this story often,
Shontavia, but when people go and it’s time to do the strategic planning for an
organization, right?
Nika: We
have no issues walking into a conference room with our flip charts, our markers
and you know, a draft of the mission statement, vision statement, just tearing
them apart, right? Just tearing them apart to refine them and then identifying
those goals and objectives and then how are we going to track and measure it.
But I rarely find that people are just as diligent about doing that for their
personal lives.
Nika: And
I believe in personal strategic planning. And so I remember when I started
having these thoughts about, okay, so what can be, again, what are the
possibilities here? Because again, I’ve already shared with you that I’ve been
grounded to be this person that believes in true potential, not just what you
can see, but you break through that glass ceiling. Right? And so as I was
really strategic visioning around what I want my future to look like and what I
want it to be attached to, I began to map it out. And that’s where some of
those decisions came from.
Nika: They
were informed by this ultimate goal. And so if I find myself kind of wavering
from that goal, I will, I will pull out my strategic plan and we will get the
markers and the flip charts and we will, we will refine it. But I think that’s
what has allowed me to stay to course. And I’m a real big fan of people doing
personal strategic planning.
Shontavia: Brilliant,
brilliant, brilliant! So six years in the Chamber. You decide to jump
completely…
Nika: Leap
of faith!
Shontavia: …into
entrepreneurship. What were your first steps? If you could give people advice
on like the three things you have to do if you decide to become an
entrepreneur, what would those things be?
Nika: Well,
I think first and foremost you need to be clear about your product and your
service. And that requires doing enough research to understand is there a
market for it? What’s going to be the distinction that separates you from
others? How do you differentiate yourself? What is your brand? You know, and as
a marketer that was important to me. I spent a lot of time developing my brand.
What does it look like? You know, what are the colors? What’s the message? And
also, being true to understanding, “What am I good at?” Because I
knew that with this type of business as a consultant, I was my brand, you know,
so I needed–that’s why I mentioned before–I needed to really invest in myself
and make sure that I was prepared. And then I think just again, surrounding
yourself with people that have been where you are, that can support you, that
can give you that sense of community whereby sometimes you feel a little
vulnerable, because you know, you’re thinking this is territory that’s new for
me.
Nika: How
do I do this and do it successfully? No one has gotten to where they are on
their own. We all have people in our corner that are supporting us, that are
mentoring us, coaching us. And, and so I think that building that network was
really important. For me, my husband was a great part of that because again, he
had been on that journey and quite successful. He had built businesses, sold
businesses and started other businesses. And then he and I together as a
couple, we also have two other couples that we align with and we call this
group Fuel Up. And it’s just for that purpose. We will pour into each other and
make sure that where our cup gets empty, we’re encouraging each other,
supporting each other, being thought partners to each other around our own
business endeavors. And so those were the things that became really important
to me.
Shontavia: Who
helped you? So you mentioned your husband, you mentioned your group, you
mentioned mentors. Who were your mentors? Were there people you were following
online or reading about?
Nika: So
it was interesting, and someone said this to me once before and I thought,
“well that’s strange, is that even possible?” And it is possible and
this is what they said. They said, you’re my mentor and you don’t even know it.
I know it’s because they were following all of my work and they would find it
very appropriate and intentional to position themselves in environments where
they probably knew that I was going to be, maybe it was an event that I was
putting on. And I found that to be a little odd, but when I started really
thinking about it, I thought, you know what? I think I have some of those
mentors too. They just don’t know they’re my mentors.
Nika: And
so a lot of the people that I learned from, and I say learn in the present
tense because there still are folks that I’m closely connected with in terms of
following their work. And even many of them I’ve been able to have, you know,
direct formal relationships with. But, um, I remember when I was starting out
in this role, a dear friend of mine who used to be directly in the upstate
area, but now in Charlotte as a chief diversity officer, Kinneil Coltman, she
was a big inspiration. I saw that she was able to have conversations with
people around these complex issues that allowed such a level of comfort and a
level of transparency. And I love that style about her. And she had this
incredible way of making people feel like whatever areas that they felt caused
them to want to, you know, cover or mask or hide, she would bring that out of
them and the best way. So I just kind of loved her style.
Nika: And
there’s several others. But to me it’s not about just finding people who are
directly in your space. It’s also finding other attributes of people,
especially from an entrepreneurship perspective, that you then want to try to
emulate. You know, I love people who are so confident in their business. We
hear oftentimes, particularly from women that, you know, the imposter syndrome,
right? That we’re kind of faking it a little bit. Well, I know some great
imposters. I will tell you, behind closed doors, they make it happen. And so
even just that fortitude of having the confidence to know that I may not know,
I may not know exactly how to get to the end goal in this particular
conversation immediately, but I’m going to let you think that I do, and I’m
going to go figure it out and whatever that looks like.
Nika: And
so I’ve had people that have coached me through those types of scenarios. And
then just building relationships, you know, relationships are King and knowing
what you don’t know. And so I’m a big, you know, advocate of surrounding
yourself with people that are smarter than you. So that you can begin to really
understand how much you don’t know. I think there’s a lot of power in that too.
Although it can be a little intimidating, it’s also liberating because then it
kind of gives you greater inspiration to want to go and learn more. And so
anyway, all of those things I think is what led me to a place where I began to
feel like entrepreneurship was something that certainly could be in my future.
And um, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Shontavia: Awesome.
So you say entrepreneurship, when I hear the term entrepreneurship, I think
about people who solve problems, right?
Nika: Not
just solve problems, but solve problems for a profit, I believe in capitalism!
Shontavia: Amen to
that. Amen to that! And get paid to do it. So what does it look like for you?
How are you solving problems? What is your business model? How do you make
money? What does it look like, the day to day?
Nika: So
we were talking about this just a moment ago. So I consult and I train. The
premise of my business is to intersect the work of diversity, equity and
inclusion with leadership and business. And so I go all over the country, even
some international clients that I do work for, and I train, I consult. I really
help them to think strategically about diversity and how to operationalize
inclusion. And there is a difference there because I’m one of those D and I
practitioners, that I really believe in getting to the crux of the matter,
peeling back all of the layers, identifying what are the root causes that’s
compromising inclusion and a sense of belongingness that can keep people from
showing up at their best and less address that.
Nika: And
so it’s not just about a program or an initiative because those have start and
end dates, right? I am big on let’s think about systems, culture, policies,
procedures, and really shift the mindsets of all of those that are part of this
organization to where everyone is owning this responsibility of creating
inclusivity. And what that looks like varies from organization to organization.
You know it really depends upon where they are within their journey of
diversity and inclusion. I really like to meet clients where they are. And
oftentimes that starts with a pretty deep dive cultural audit or assessment.
And I always have to warn clients that, you know, sometimes when you hear audit
or assessment, people perceive that you’re trying to find everything all that’s
bad, right? But to me it’s also about taking inventory of what’s going well and
then trying to amplify that. How can we put some greater intentionality around
those efforts as low hanging fruit opportunity, to be able to then create this
momentum that leads to greater traction and results and outcomes.
Shontavia: So how
do you find people, you’ve talked about your consulting and your training. How
do people find you and you know, sign on that dotted line and say, “Hey,
yes, I’ll hire Nika to do X, Y, Z. I think so many people are afraid of asking
for money, asking to be paid and figuring out, you know, navigating all of
that. How do you navigate that?
Nika: Well,
so, um, you know, I’m a firm believer that if you’re going to be an
entrepreneur, you’re an entrepreneur, you’re there to make money. To be
profitable. You’re not there for a hobby there. There’s, there’s other ways in
which you can satisfy your favorite pastimes without really calling it a
business. And so I’m here to make money and my husband reminds me of that all
the time as someone who again, is kind of like my business coach in many
regards. But for me, I think that the way in which I attract my clients has
everything to do with relationships. You know. And again, remember I mentioned
that I was very strategic when I was, you know, transitioning towards that exit
strategy. So I was planting seeds, I was building relationships, cultivating
those relationships. They knew that this was something that I was already kind
of doing a little bit on the side.
Nika: And
so it was, it was pretty commonplace for people to hear now that she’s doing
this on her own. So I had already built up a pretty nice sized clientele. And
then beyond that, when I go to speaking engagements, that is one of the best
ways to build your business because people hear you. They can hear that you
have a high level of, of credibility around the topics that you are connected
to you. And it never fails. It always ends up resulting into additional
opportunities and additional business. Um, and then, you know, I’m also a
marketer at heart. That’s where I started, of course with my career. And so I
believe in marketing, communications and branding. And so I do a lot of that to
keep my name out there. I develop a lot of content and, um, I just, you know, I
think that being visible and being visible in meaningful spaces, and creating
those meaningful relationships, is a large part of it.
Nika: I
am fortunate to be at a place in my business, and again, we’re just talking a
little less than three years, where I can be very selective about the
opportunities I say yes and no to, and that’s not always the case, you know?
And again, as a consultant, I am my brand. Now what I’m going to have to, um,
think more strategically about is how do I scale? We were talking a little bit
about that because right now I am my brand and I feel like a lot of the way in
which I make money is very contingent upon me, you know? And at one point in
time I said that I was not really interested in having this large enterprise
where I had all these W-2 employees, I was really set on building my business
around partnerships through 1099s. But now I’m having to revisit that, because
of the sheer volume of, um, of you know, potential opportunities that are coming
to me.
Shontavia: So when
your business, you mentioned consulting, you mentioned trainings, are there
other things you do to actually make money? So you have two books you’re
selling. Are there other things? Do you have classes? Do you have other things
that you do?
Nika: Well,
I do offer virtual training opportunities and that doesn’t require me to
physically be there. So that’s something that’s creating some consistent
revenue. I do have a number of clients that are retainer based, and so it’s not
just kind of a one and done. They’re ongoing relationships. And in that regard,
I serve as an outsourced chief diversity officer, if you will. And so if you
think about that role and how big that role is, I’m always looking for other
ways to be able to bring value to the organization. And so that tends to lead
to other projects as well. Of course, again, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m
constantly looking for those opportunities.
Nika: But
yeah, the majority of my work is consulting and speaking. I do a lot of
speaking engagements around this broad topic of diversity, equity and
inclusion. And I’ll tell you something else that I’ve been very deliberate
about as well. You know, while my space and discipline is DEI, um, it’s all
about leadership. And so, you know, again, this organizational leadership
decision in terms of my doctorate was very strategic because I want it to be
able to put diversity, equity and inclusion in the center of leadership. I
believe it’s a leadership competency. And so that tends to open up a lot of opportunities
as well. Sometimes people aren’t quite as willing to engage or invest in
dollars relevant to diversity, equity and inclusion, but they are for
leadership, right? And so sometimes you have to just be strategic about how in
which you position yourself in the work that you do.
Shontavia: So one
final question about your business. You are doing so many dynamic things that
are hard for people — to put themselves out there, to create content that they
share, to negotiate with large brands and large companies. How do you figure
out how much to charge? How do you set rates? How do you navigate all of that,
particularly when it’s you and a large enterprise. How do you do that?
Nika: So
it varies based upon the organization, the scope of work. Is this a repeat
client? You know, there are certainly some nuances that informs those
decisions. But generally speaking, I know the market value of what people are
charging for these sorts of things. Because, keep in mind, before I
transitioned to a business owner, I was hiring and sourcing these types of
entities to do this work for a lot of the clients that I was working with or
even the organizations that were kind of in my circle. And so I knew what those
going rates were. And then also I have to look at the amount of time that’s
being required of me. And so, I always like to tell people that what I charge
has nothing to do with just the amount of time for when I’m in front of you.
There’s a lot of background work that goes into getting prepared for that type of,
you know, consulting opportunity or speaking engagement, including, you know,
the years of experience and the credentials that I had to invest in to be able
to invest in myself to have that knowledge base. And so, they are paying me,
you know, for the convenience of not having to reinvent the wheel. So sometimes
you have to position yourself in that regard. I have as part of my media kit, a
page that says at the top “A word on value.” Basically that’s where I
just express, I don’t desire to be the cheapest D&I practitioner, and I’m
probably not, but I know the value that I’m going to deliver to my clients. And
in that regard, it’s not really an Apple to Apple comparison. And so usually I
find that being very transparent about that it actually lands on people in a,
in a positive way. They want to know that you’re fully committed.
Nika: Um,
so, you know, and I’ll tell you something else that helps me, especially if I
don’t want to potentially rock the relationship with all those negotiating
conversations that can be a little awkward and complex. I have a buffer, so I
have someone that serves as my executive assistant and she is very skilled at
helping to negotiate. And so usually she’s the first line of defense and she
kind of knows my parameters and it keeps me from kind of having to be in that
tough spot, you know, where I really can just build the relationship and work
primarily on the content and delivery of the content instead of getting to the
weeds on some of those other issues. That helps tremendously.
Shontavia: Brilliant.
I signed with the Speaker’s Bureau about a year ago, best decision I ever made,
because they handle all of that for you, which is wonderful.
Shontavia: So
you’ve made a ton of really good decisions, it sounds. What are some of the mistakes?
What are the things where you think, “Ugh, I really wish I wouldn’t have
done that, or I learned a lot from that mistake.” What are some of those
things?
Nika: So
one of the things that’s reoccurring in my life is that I am so results driven.
And being results driven sometimes can cause an imbalance between people
orientation and you know, being someone that’s task oriented or where you just
want things done. Even sometimes to the point to where the way in which you may
go about the execution of getting them done could cause some people to feel
alienated, not quite as appreciated and valued.
Nika: So
I’ve really had to learn to slow down and, even in the midst of my ambition, to
recognize that, you know, we’re working with people and you know, people have
feelings and you know, they could be having a bad day. And so to drive just
towards results, results, results, while that’s admirable in some regards, you
know, you also have to balance that to make sure that people are on your team,
because they want to be on your team, they want to follow you, they want to be
under your leadership. And so I think I’ve made some mistakes, you know, quite
honestly, just historically around being so task oriented that I didn’t take
enough time to recognize and cultivate relationships. And so I think I
overcompensate for that now because of it. You heard me say just a moment ago
that relationships are so critical. And such a big part of an entrepreneur’s
success and just success in general. So yeah, hopefully, I’ve learned from it.
Shontavia: No.
Great. Forbes has recognized you. I see you on every top 40, top 30 top
whatever list. So you’re doing an amazing job.
Nika: Thank
you.
Shontavia: Of
course. What’s the future? What’s the vision for Nika White Consulting and your
brand?
Nika: It’s
interesting that you ask. And I think that it will all be crystallized for me,
Shontavia, mid-month, when I get away, out of the country. Quiet time, just
reflection time. And literally I will pull out my pen and pad, my flip charts
and I will revisit my personal strategic plan, which includes of course my
business strategy, growth strategy. And I will let that inform what’s next for
me. I certainly want to grow. I certainly see that continuing this line of work
is in my future. How in which I grow–it’s going to require me to rethink my
business model and that’s, I’m at that crossroads now. And so that’s what that
exercise is going to help me figure out.
Shontavia: Excellent.
So if people want to find you, people want to work with you, people want to
learn more about your story and your background, where can they find you? So
the easiest way is to go to my website, which is nikawhite.com and that’s N, I,
K, A , W, H, I T E–just like the color–dot com. And it has all of my social
media platforms out there. It has access to where you can order my books. Um, I
produce a lot of content, white papers and articles that are free for
consumption. And so I hope that you will join me and follow me and learn a
little bit more about what’s going on with Nika White Consulting. Oh man, this
is wonderful. I’ve wish I had a pad and a pen. I should have been taking notes
right now. This has been wonderful. Thank you so very much.
Nika: Thank
you for thinking of me. I appreciate you more time.
Shontavia: Well
I’ve been following your work for such a long time. And I remember when you
were at your former employer and then at the chamber and seeing your work and
thinking, man, she’s really doing it!
Nika: Well,
we are similar in that nature because, Shontavia, I’ve been following you as
well. You are, you’re kicking butt on your own. And I am just, you know, you
may think that I inspire you but you inspire me in so many ways as well. So
that’s what we have to do. We have to support each other.
Shontavia: Amen, my
sister. We do. Alright everybody. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as
me. Head over to shontavia.com. Leave a comment if you have questions or
feedback about this episode. If you have questions for Nika, please go to her
website– nikahite.com I’ll make sure to drop a link in the show notes and in
the notes below so that you can find her easily. You can also ask questions
about other things.
Shontavia: So Nika
has talked a lot about pricing and strategy and I love this idea of a personal
strategic plan. I teach, myself, a lot about vision and creating a vision for
your business and brand. So head over to shontavia.com for more resources.
Thank you. Thank you.
Shontavia: Thank
you so much for listening to this episode of The Shontavia Show. If you enjoyed
this episode, please be sure to like, subscribe and leave a comment wherever
you’re listening. You can find me on social media everywhere, Facebook,
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Shontavia: The
information shared in this podcast and through my other platforms is designed
to educate you about business and entrepreneurship and I love to do this work.
While I am a lawyer, though, the information I provide is not legal advice and
does not create or constitute an attorney client relationship. The Shontavia
Show is a LVRG Incorporated original. The show is recorded on site in South
Carolina and produced at Sit N Spin Studio in Greenville, South Carolina.
Original music and sound design is by Matt Morgan and Daniel Gregory. Mixing
and mastering is by Daniel Gregory and the video is by GVL Media.
