Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

Today, we’re focusing on the topic of style with content creator and disability advocate April Lockhart. She began her career in fashion and beauty, working for companies including Victoria’s Secret, Tarte, and Caudalie. While working a 9-to-5, she also created content on the side, and in 2022, she gained traction for her series Normalizing Disabled Fashion Girlies. When she realized she was earning five times her salary from her side hustle and maxing out her PTO, she decided to leave her role as director of influencer and partnerships at Ilia Beauty to pursue content creation full-time. In addition to her work as a creator, Lockhart is also a disability advocate. This year, she founded Disabled&, a community for creatives with disabilities. In this episode, she gets into what it’s like to go to fashion week as an influencer, the state of disability representation in fashion, and why inclusive design is so important.

In this live-recorded episode, we’re talking about money, power, and style with Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. She’s well-known for her roles in projects like Pose, Loot, and Tick, Tick… Boom! and made history in 2022 as the first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe. Though Rodriguez is widely lauded for her acting performances, her first love was music, and in 2024, she released her debut album, 33. Today, we chat about why she’ll always spend money on herself, the shoes that are worth the pain, and the impact she hopes her career will have on the next generation. Plus, Rodriguez shares the two music industry icons she looks to for fashion inspiration.

Thank you to our sponsor: Marshalls. Shop in-store or online to get the good stuff today!

On this live-recorded episode, we’re talking about the new rules of networking with career influencer and author of Interviewology Anna Papalia. Papalia spent her early career in recruiting, and now she uses her massive social media platform to help millions of people nail their interviews and climb the corporate ladder. Papalia's here today to break down all nitty-gritty of modern-day networking, including how to reframe the practice, why helping yourself will lead to others helping you, and which kind of interview style you fall into. Plus, Papalia shares tangible tips for how to practice for your next interview.

Thank you to our sponsor: Marshalls. Shop in-store or online to get the good stuff today!

Issa Rae truly does it all. Not only is she a multifaceted entertainment powerhouse, but she also runs businesses in various industries—from prosecco to food to haircare. Today on the show, the former Marie Claire cover star joins us to talk about money, power, and style, including how she crowdfunded her early projects like Awkward Black Girl, how she overcame "grateful to be here" energy after partnering with HBO, and what it means to be boldly elegant in her style. She also tells us about her newest projects: her book I Should Be Smarter by Now and her two-part docuseries Seen and Heard. Plus, Rae shares why creativity is not the most important trait to be successful in the entertainment industry.

The full video of this episode is also available on YouTube.

Thank you to our sponsor: Marshalls. Shop in-store or online to get the good stuff today!

Today on the show, we’re focusing on style with Brynn Wallner, the founder of Dimepiece. Wallner unexpectedly fell in love with the world of watches while working at Sotheby's and founded Dimepiece to encourage more women to take part. Since getting her first job writing about watches through host Nikki Ogunnaike, Wallner’s voice has been featured in publications like W Magazine, Nylon, and Harper’s Bazaar as a leader in the field. Wallner sits down with us to talk about sourcing watches for megastars like Simone Biles, spotting “It-girl watches,” and launching her own sold-out watch with Timex. Plus, she dishes on the best secondhand sites and brands to go to when you’re looking for a starter watch or another timeless timepiece to add to your collection.

Thank you to our sponsor: Marshalls. Shop in-store or online to get the good stuff today!

Teyana Taylor has changed the game in entertainment throughout her career—so much so that it landed her on the cover of Marie Claire’s Changemakers Issue. After living her life in the spotlight for decades as an actress, choreographer, creative director, and artist, Taylor shocked fans when she announced that she would be retiring from music in 2020. Now, years later, she’s made a comeback with her brand-new album, Escape Room. The record is just the latest addition to her portfolio as a creative powerhouse. Taylor joins us to discuss the big three (money, power, and style)—including why she isn’t afraid to invest money in her projects, how she finds power in being a lover girl, and what it was like working with Ruth E. Carter on her iconic Met Gala look.

Thank you to our sponsor: Marshalls. Shop in-store or online to get the good stuff today!

Sali Christeson always loved working but hated shopping for workwear. She knew she wasn’t alone in her struggle and understood firsthand the barriers women face when looking for clothes that are both fashionable and functional. Having inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from her father, she founded Argent—a workwear brand designed to help women get up, dress up, and show up in any role. The brand has become known for its clientele of changemakers like Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric, and Kamala Harris. Christeson joins us to discuss the big three (money, power, and style)—including how she was prepared to lose $150,000 to start her own business, the power that comes from having more pockets, and why she loves dressing ambitious women.

Today, we’re focusing on the topic of style with Naked Beauty host and Chief Content Officer of Refinery29 Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli. She began her career in social media and marketing at companies like Ralph Lauren, Viacom, and Instagram, but eventually built something of her own. To fulfill her desire to speak to women she admired about their approach to beauty and address the lack of representation in the podcast industry, in 2016, Ozaydinli launched her podcast, Naked Beauty. Since then, it has won an iHeartMedia Award for Best Beauty and Fashion Podcast and has released over 350 episodes. Earlier this summer, Ozaydinli also announced her return to the corporate world, with her new post as chief content officer at Refinery29, bringing her podcast with her. On this episode, she talks about the positive and negative impact of social media, advice for those looking to launch a side hustle, and her favorite beauty and style trends right now.

Alli Webb made a name for herself as the visionary behind the blow-dry empire Drybar, and now, she’s stepping back into the world of haircare—this time with an entirely different approach. Her new haircare brand, Messy, which launched in Sephora and online earlier this summer, focuses on embracing your natural hair rather than trying to achieve the “perfect” blowout. The brand’s ethos is directly tied to Webb’s personal journey of leaving perfectionism behind after exiting Drybar in 2020. In this episode, she discusses how she developed the mantra-based product names, why the only thing she’s “anti” is the idea of perfection, and the relationship between Messy and the “clean girl” aesthetic. Plus, we get into who gets permission to be messy in our current culture.

Liza Koshy rose to fame in the 2010s as a content creator on Vine and YouTube, garnering millions of followers for her comedic skits. But while building her platform online, Koshy's also been cultivating her acting career, racking up credits on movies like Boo! A Madea Halloween and A Family Affair. Her most recent role was in The Naked Gun reboot, which hit theaters earlier this month. Koshy sits down with us to discuss the big three (money, power, and style), including her decision to move to Los Angeles on her own to pursue a career in entertainment, why she almost exclusively shops secondhand, and how she doesn’t give imposter syndrome any power over her. 

Watch the video episode here.