In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki addresses the frustrating reality of feeling stuck in your practice or business when nothing seems to be working, despite showing up and doing "all the things."

Speaking directly to chiropractors, practice owners, and entrepreneurs who've hit a wall, Nikki emphasizes that feeling stuck isn't a sign of failure—it's actually an important signal. She breaks down the three most common reasons plateaus happen: capacity mismatches (trying to pour 10 gallons of water into a 5-gallon bucket), avoiding uncomfortable moves like raising fees or letting go of underperforming team members, and misalignment with outdated goals that no longer serve your vision.

Throughout this insightful conversation, Nikki shares her own experience of hitting a plateau where she was chasing revenue numbers at the expense of her life, family, and free time, only to realize she didn't even care about those numbers anymore. She vulnerably discusses how Stephanie Wigner called her out at an event, saying "You don't have a team problem, you have a Nikki problem"—a moment that sparked exponential growth when she finally stopped micromanaging and trusted her capable team.

Nikki provides five practical strategies for breaking through plateaus: getting radically honest about what you've outgrown, auditing your capacity to ensure your team structure matches your goals, shaking up your schedule with breaks or new work locations, asking better questions like "what's trying to emerge in me right now?" and normalizing the experience as part of every business owner's journey.

This episode delivers powerful insights about recognizing when you are the bottleneck and how plateaus often signal that something new is waiting to be unlocked, making it a must-listen for anyone ready to break through stagnation and build the practice they actually want to run.

Join our Facebook group here: TWP Facebook Group
Follow me on instagram: Drnikkicottis 

Ready to break through? Join the free "Scaling to 300K" masterclass on August 13th - Sign up here!

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki shares a powerful reminder about gratitude and the people who helped shape our success, emphasizing that none of us achieve anything alone.

Inspired by a visit from a former patient who moved away, Nikki reflects on the early days of opening her practice when she took out a loan at a shocking 41% interest rate with only $8,000 in savings. This patient, learning about Nikki's financial struggle, offered to pay off the predatory loan and provide a new one at a much lower rate—an act of kindness whose magnitude Nikki didn't fully appreciate at the time.

Throughout this heartfelt conversation, Nikki traces her journey through different seasons of coaching, from her first systems coach who laid the foundation for what she now teaches others, to mindset coaches who helped her navigate new motherhood and business ownership, to business coaches who transformed her practice four years ago. She emphasizes how we can outgrow seasons but should never outgrow the gratitude that comes from them.

Nikki challenges listeners to identify the people who gave them encouragement during self-doubt, practical support when they needed it most, or chances when they didn't yet have the credentials. She encourages taking action by sending thank-you messages to these influential people and, equally important, becoming that person for someone else.

With the powerful reminder that "you're not self-made, you're community-made," Nikki introduces the concept of keeping a gratitude journal to document daily wins and milestones we often overlook. This episode delivers a compelling call to action about honoring your roots while watering someone else's, making it a must-listen for anyone ready to both express gratitude and pay it forward.

Join our Facebook Group here
Follow me on instagram: @DrNikkiCottis, @wealthypractitioners 
Challenge: Send a thank-you message to three people who helped get you started, then find one person you can support today!

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki explores the power of asking questions and shares how one missed opportunity taught her to never again let fear of rejection hold her back.

Opening with the reminder that "if you don't ask, the answer is always no," Nikki reflects on how children naturally ask for everything before life teaches them to fear rejection. She shares a pivotal story from a mastermind three years ago where she and her husband Jonathan were given the opportunity to make an ask of their mentors—and completely froze. Watching other participants receive incredible yeses, including one couple who asked for and received a full day of one-on-one business mentoring, became a life-changing lesson in missed opportunities.

Throughout this empowering conversation, Nikki reveals how that moment transformed her approach to asking for what she wants. She shares the story of her biggest ask ever—asking Stephanie Wigner for a job at The Wealthy Practitioner. During a mastermind in Colorado, after realizing their skill sets were perfectly complementary, Nikki mustered the courage (with the help of two vodka sodas) to propose working together. That bold ask led to her current role as Client Success Manager, which she describes as one of the best decisions she's ever made.

Nikki identifies the four main reasons people avoid making asks: fear of rejection, assuming the answer is no, feeling like they need to earn it instead of claiming it, and undervaluing what they bring to the table. She provides practical guidance for making great asks: be clear (not vague), confident (not cocky), willing to hear no, and anchored in mutual value rather than just personal benefit.

This episode delivers actionable strategies for reframing requests—like asking for a promotion by highlighting what you've taken off someone's plate and where you see gaps you can fill—making it a must-listen for anyone ready to stop talking themselves out of opportunities and start claiming what they deserve.

Follow me on instagram: @drnikkicottis 

Ready to make your bold ask? DM Nikki on Instagram—she'd love to give you a confidence boost!

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki explores the crucial skill of adaptability and how unexpected challenges can reveal capabilities we never knew we had.

Recording just hours before her deadline (again), Nikki shares how the past two weeks tested her adaptability in ways she didn't anticipate. With one of her associate doctors unexpectedly out for two weeks caring for his wife after a fall, and her recent promotion at The Wealthy Practitioner demanding more attention, she found herself needing to step back into full-time patient care while maintaining her coaching responsibilities.

Throughout this candid conversation, Nikki reveals her natural preference for structure, routine, and detailed itineraries—contrasting herself with her sister who prefers to "see what we're vibing with." This makes her recent experience even more meaningful, as someone who thrives on predictability was forced to embrace flexibility and pivot quickly when circumstances demanded it.

Nikki draws parallels between personal adaptability and the progress she discusses with patients during their progress exams, noting how adaptability improves with time and repetition. She reflects on how the "Nikki of a year ago" might have cried from overwhelm, while today's version confidently knows she can handle whatever comes her way.

This episode delivers important insights about resilience, capacity, and the growth that comes from being thrown curveballs. Nikki reminds listeners that we're always more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and that developing adaptability is a skill that strengthens over time, making us better equipped to handle future challenges with grace and confidence.

Join our Facebook group here: TWP Facebook Group
Follow my Instagram: DrNikkiCottis

Stay updated on Wealthy Practitioner events by joining the Facebook group and email list - August popup event sold out, but Full Send 2 coming in November!

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki shares her journey of dramatically increasing her capacity and reveals how the limits we set on ourselves are often just mental barriers waiting to be broken.

Nikki opens by reflecting on how becoming a mother forced her to completely reimagine her capacity. What started as a necessity, waking up at 4:45 AM to manage feeding, pumping, and getting both herself and baby Hazel ready- evolved into a powerful routine that unlocked entirely new levels of productivity. Six and a half years later, this early morning ritual remains the foundation of her expanded capacity.

Throughout this insightful conversation, Nikki discusses her recent promotion at The Wealthy Practitioner from support coach to client success manager, sharing how her expertise in systems made it possible to step back from daily patient care without sacrificing practice success. She reveals how having dialed-in standard operating procedures prevents the dreaded "people call Nikki whenever something goes wrong" scenario that keeps so many business owners trapped in their practices.

Nikki vulnerably shares her strategies for managing overwhelm when pushing capacity limits, including remembering that overwhelm is temporary, focusing on one task at a time, and avoiding overbooking herself. She emphasizes the power of surrounding yourself with successful people, noting how her circle of high-achieving chiropractic friends normalized what others might consider exceptional results.

Drawing inspiration from Ed Mylett's concept of breaking days into multiple segments, Nikki challenges listeners to push their own perceived limits—whether that's seeing patients every 10 minutes instead of 15, or simply questioning "what if" scenarios that stretch current boundaries. This episode delivers powerful insights on why the capacity limits we've set are often just "crap" and how pushing past them can multiply our impact and fulfillment.

Join our Facebook group here: The Wealthy Practitioner Facebook group 
Follow me on Instagram: @DrNikkiCottis

Book recommendation: "The Big Leap" by Gay Hendricks - mentioned for working through upper limit capacity issues!

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki shares the story of her first chiropractic job in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, revealing how the hardest experience of her career became the foundation for everything she's achieved today.

Fresh out of Life University in Marietta, Georgia, Nikki moved to Tuscaloosa to work as an associate chiropractor at McCracken Family Chiropractic under Dr. Michael McCracken. What followed were two of the most challenging years of her life—professionally and personally. Throughout this conversation, Nikki reveals how Dr. McCracken's extremely high expectations initially felt crushing. She went home crying daily, thinking he was being unnecessarily harsh as he made her practice report of findings and X-ray reviews repeatedly. At the time, she felt like she was failing at everything he expected from her, but years later she realized he saw potential in her that she couldn't see in herself.

Nikki shares how a recent conversation with Dr. McCracken transformed her perspective on that difficult period. When she apologized for "sucking" during her time there, he responded, "You didn't suck. I just always knew that you could do more, that you could do better." This revelation helped her understand that the hardest experiences often come from people who believe in our potential most deeply.

Now living in Gulf Shores, Alabama—initially by circumstance rather than choice—Nikki reflects on Dr. McCracken's wisdom that success isn't defined by geography. His advice to "build a life so sustainable and make enough money that you can travel to see the people you love anytime you want" became a guiding principle that helped her find joy and purpose regardless of location.

This episode delivers powerful insights about reframing difficult experiences as preparation rather than punishment, making it a must-listen for anyone currently in a challenging season who needs perspective on how today's struggles are shaping tomorrow's strength.

Follow me on Instagram: DrNikkiCottis

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki explores the natural rhythms of life and business through the lens of seasons and shares insights about becoming a student of your calendar.

As her practice approaches its 10-year anniversary in September, Nikki reflects on how different seasons of life have shaped her business growth. With her daughter Hazel now 6.5 years old and increasingly independent, Nikki finds herself transitioning from the intensive child-rearing season into a new phase where she can focus more deeply on business expansion. She shares how the exponential growth over the past six years happened while simultaneously raising a young child, proving that we often have more capacity than we realize.

Throughout this thoughtful conversation, Nikki discusses her long-term vision of spending entire summer months with Hazel, recognizing that these seasons of connection are precious and finite. She emphasizes how understanding and accepting your current season—whether it's a push season or a pause-and-reflect season—can make life exponentially easier.

Nikki then introduces David Meltzer's concept of being a "student of your calendar," sharing her observations about how many business owners lack basic awareness of their daily commitments. With refreshing honesty, she admits to scheduling "You need to shower" blocks in her calendar to protect personal time, illustrating the importance of intentional time management.

Drawing from her mirror principle teachings, Nikki challenges listeners to examine whether their own calendar habits might be attracting similar behaviors from patients and colleagues. This episode delivers practical wisdom about embracing life's natural rhythms while taking full ownership of your time and commitments.

Follow me on instagram: DrNikkiCottis

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki shares a quote from Tom Brady and explores how three simple qualities can put you ahead of 99% of your colleagues and peers.

Opening with Tom Brady's insight that "to be successful at anything, you don't have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren't: consistent, determined, and willing to work for it," Nikki breaks down each element of this success formula. She shares personal stories about balancing two jobs—as a business owner and as part of a team—and how her mother's career-driven example shaped her work ethic from an early age.

Throughout this conversation, Nikki reveals how her mom worked her way up in the newspaper industry to earn a corner office with windows, all while never making her three children feel neglected. This experience taught Nikki the importance of financial independence and the value of hard work, leading to her current practice of waking up at 4:30 AM every morning since COVID—a routine that creates consistency and eliminates rushing.

Nikki then addresses the toxic trap of comparison and jealousy, sharing insights from a recent podcast interview about being in rooms with high-level achievers. Rather than feeling intimidated or jealous, she explains how she uses these encounters as motivation, thinking "if they can do it, I can certainly do it as well." She emphasizes the importance of not comparing your year one or two to someone's year ten or fifteen.

This episode delivers powerful reminders about choosing motivation over jealousy and using successful people as mentors who can help eliminate unnecessary steps on your journey. Nikki's message is clear: consistency, determination, and willingness to work are accessible to everyone and can transform your results when applied consistently.

Follow me on instagram: DrNikkiCottis

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki welcomes Dr. Gabrielle Manto for an inspiring conversation about building community, growing a practice during COVID, and the power of betting on yourself.

Gabrielle shares her journey from Palmer College graduate to co-owner of Pax Chiropractic in Pennsylvania alongside her husband Trey, whom she convinced to leave the Texas for the Philadelphia area. She reveals how they achieved over $500,000 in annual revenue in less than 18 months by doing extensive prep work—meeting with 200 different people for coffee between January and May before opening in 2021.

Throughout their conversation, Nikki and Gabrielle explore the challenges of opening during COVID in Pennsylvania and working alongside your spouse. Gabrielle vulnerably shares her learning curve in communicating with patients, including a humbling experience where she unintentionally shamed a new mom about her baby's ear infections, teaching her the importance of meeting people where they are rather than expecting everyone to join "the chiropractic cult."

Gabrielle delivers powerful insights on building authentic community through monthly moms groups, sourdough making classes, and chiropractic lifestyle events that cater to their ideal clients. She explains how creating spaces where people feel safe and seen has eliminated any struggles with attracting new patients, as people naturally want to be part of what they're building.

Both coaches at The Wealthy Practitioner, Nikki and Gabrielle discuss the balance of coaching while running a practice and the exponential impact possible when helping others succeed in their communities. This episode is a must-listen for practitioners ready to build genuine community connections and for anyone needing inspiration to invest boldly in their own growth and development.

Follow Nikki on instagram: drnikkicottis
Follow Gabrielle on instagram: dr.gabriellemanto

In this episode of The Aligned for Success podcast, Nikki shares two powerful concepts from her early coaches that transformed her approach to business and life: "money likes to move" and "the world is a mirror."

Nikki opens with a personal story about obsessively checking Delta One upgrade prices for her upcoming Paris trip with her friend Leslie. After weeks of monitoring prices, when the upgrade finally dropped to her target range over a holiday weekend, she didn't hesitate—she booked it immediately without waiting for her friend's confirmation. Hours later, the opportunity was gone for her friend, perfectly illustrating why successful people act decisively when opportunities arise.

Nikki then shares the mirror principle through a raw admission about being ghosted by 19 out of 20 people she reached out to help with TWP mentorship applications. This led to a moment of self-awareness when she realized she had done the exact same thing—purchasing a coaching program the previous year and completely disappearing without participating. She explores how our behaviors create mirror effects, attracting patients who no-show, difficult people, and frustrating situations when we ourselves aren't showing up fully.

Nikki challenges listeners to examine their own patterns and emphasizes that successful business ownership requires being "obsessed with your calendar" and holding commitments. She delivers powerful insights about how "everything that is ultimately a business problem is deep down a personal problem," making this episode a must-listen for anyone ready to examine the personal behaviors that might be sabotaging their business success.

Follow me on instagram: @drnikkicottis

Ready to take the leap? The 90 Day Sprint starts June 3rd - DM Nikki on Instagram with any questions!