Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

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 approaches her calendar, why a “same team” mentality is helpful for navigating challenging situations, and her thoughts on the concept of weaponized incompetence.

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, she shares her online shopping method and why her motto when it comes to Solidcore is, “But did you die?”

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 always uses when she doesn’t know what to write and her advice for anyone trying to build community and make friends as an adult. 

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 shares what it was like guarding Brittney Griner in her first two games as a rookie. Plus, they both discuss what partnering with Skechers—a new official sponsor of the WNBA—means to them.

Note: this episode was recorded prior to the 2026 WNBA draft deadline so while we mention Rickea Jackson is a player for the Los Angeles Sparks, she will be playing for the Chicago Sky this coming season.

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 Wealth (Even If You’re Stuck, Broke, and That Billionaire Won’t Text You Back…), is a juicy and engaging step-by-step guide to setting yourself up for financial success. In this episode, Sacks explains exactly how to audit your finances on your monthly “money date,” the smart way to travel this summer, and the necessary elements everyone should have in a prenup. Plus, she shares the financial step everyone can take today to help their future self—and it only takes 15 minutes. 

Preorder her book here, out May 12: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/787317/future-rich-person-by-haley-sacks/

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 her first Academy Award ceremony this year and what she’s most excited for in the new season of XO, Kitty—including her reunion with on-screen sister Lana Condor.

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 nuance behind the many “hot take” headlines that have been written about her in the media. Plus, she divulges about splurging on fashion and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the closet she’s curated over the years.

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 Investigation." They dive into why they chose to write each story in this package, their research and journalistic process, and the impact the pieces had on them.

This episode deals with sensitive topics including gun violence, so please listen with care.

Resources:
https://everytownsupportfund.org/everytown-survivor-network/resources-for-victims-and-survivors-of-gun-violence/
https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/resources/ways-to-help/help-for-victims-survivors-gun-violence/

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Nice Talk is nominated for a Webby! We'd be so appreciative if you'd vote for us: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/lifestyle

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 on Nice Talk, Lakshmi discusses how the one-million-dollar prize pot came to be, what it’s like to create a show from scratch, and how she approaches getting dressed for on-screen appearances. Plus, she shares her dinner party hosting tips and her favorite restaurants in New York.

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 trends within the industry right now. Lauren brings such a nuanced, unique perspective on fashion month, and you won’t want to miss this episode.