Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

Alison Brie has range—whether it's as an entertainment multi-hyphenate, a genre-spanning actor, or as the star of our Marie Claire August cover. She first garnered acclaim for her performances in the beloved shows Community and Mad Men, and in the years since, has built upon her acting career with projects like Glow—while also adding writer, producer, and director to her résumé. Brie's most recent film, Together, hit theatres on July 30, and today she’s letting us in on what it’s like to film a movie while physically attached to your husband and why she feels drawn to the horror genre right now. We also discuss the big three—money, power, and style—including how Brie planned for her financial future early in her career, the eclectic style she championed in high school, and the experience of working on a women-led television show.

Today we’re focusing on the topic of “power” with the Chief Brand Officer of the New York Liberty WNBA team, Shana Stephenson. She grew up in a sports-loving family in New York, and after years of working in marketing at ESPN and running her own businesses in the sports industry, in 2018, Stephenson joined the NY Liberty. Since then, she’s led the team through a major rebrand as it moved from Westchester to Brooklyn and helped create its beloved mascot, Ellie the Elephant. With Stephenson at the branding helm, the NY Liberty has cemented its place as a leader in the industry, securing partnerships with brands like Away and Fenty and seeing a 665% increase in social media engagement. In this episode, she dives the development and evolution of Ellie the Elephant, what goes into branding a WNBA team, and the power of women’s sports. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the most decorated 100-meter sprinter of all time, with eight Olympic medals and 10 World Championship gold medals. Off the track, Fraser-Pryce is equally impressive: She created the Pocket Rocket Foundation to give back to her community and just launched her haircare line, Afimi, which is inspired by the essence of her home country of Jamaica. On this episode, Fraser-Pryce shares why wins look different during this stage of her life and how she’s feeling going into the World Championships in Tokyo. She also discusses how focusing on her race-day hairstyle helps her stay calm before a meet, as well as what it means to her to be able to support student athletes through her foundation. 

Today on the show, we’re discussing power dynamics in relationships with Kamie Crawford. Between her award-winning podcast Relationsh*t, her six years spent as co-host of Catfish: The TV Show, and her role as older sister in a family of six kids, Crawford knows a thing or two about relationships. On this episode, she dives into her relationship with fame as well as why she made the difficult decision to leave Catfish after years on the show. She also gives advice to listeners about relationships, including how to make friends as an adult, how to navigate the daunting friend breakup, and why she cautions against manifesting a rich husband.

Today on the show, we’re focusing on the topic of style with author, body-acceptance advocate, and founder of Megababe Katie Sturino. Sturino began her career in fashion and built her own PR agency when she was just 25 years old. While rising to the top in her field behind the scenes, she also began gaining traction as a creator herself, making meaningful change in the fashion industry with her social media series “Make My Size” and “Supersize the Look.” In 2017, Sturino launched her bodycare brand, Megababe, which is now sold worldwide in retailers including Walmart, Target, and Ulta. On top of everything, this June, she released her debut novel, Sunny Side Up. Today on the show, she reflects on how the fashion industry has changed over the years in regard to size inclusivity, shares her favorite brands that make summer staples in plus sizes, and advises on how to battle the noise of SkinnyTok.

On this episode, we’re focusing on the topic of style with Charlotte Palermino, cofounder and chief brand officer of Dieux Skin. After years of working in media, Palermino launched Dieux Skin, a price-transparent, clinically vetted skincare line with cult-favorite products like the Forever Eye Mask. In addition to building a skincare line, Palermino is a content creator known for her no-bullshit, science-backed approach to beauty. Today, Palermino’s diving into why sunscreen regulations are political, how misinformation becomes profitable, and the surprising beauty trends that are actually recession indicators.

Monica Padman is a podcasting powerhouse. Since creating Armchair Expert in 2018, Padman and her co-host Dax Shepard have released over 900 episodes and penned a reported $80 million deal with Wondery. With a dedicated audience of Armcherries, they’ve also expanded into a number of shows under their umbrella, including Monica & Jess Love Boys, Armchair Anonymous, and their upcoming project Beth Is Dead. On this episode, Padman details her relationship with money, power, and style over the years: She dives into how an emphasis on fairness guides her financial negotiations, the power of vulnerability in podcasting, and why Ashley Olsen is her forever style icon.

We’re focusing on the topic of style with Liv Perez, the host of the podcast Let’s Get Dressed. Liv began her career working at major brands like Teen Vogue, Hermès, and Glossier before setting out on her own just one year after graduating college. Today, she posts style content for her 350,000+ followers, shares her style journey on her chart-topping podcast, and contributes to the Today show through monthly fashion segments. On this episode, Liv and Nikki dive into their thoughts on the seemingly never-ending personal style discourse, and Liv gives advice to any brides beginning their wedding-fashion journey. Liv also shares what she’s excited to wear this summer, what trends she’s skipping this season, and why she loves packing cubes so much. 

Just days after her French Open win, Coco Gauff is here on Nice Talk to discuss all things money, power, and style. Gauff has been a tennis legend nearly her entire life, and now, at 21 years old, she has two Grand Slam championships to her name. But on top of her tennis game, she’s also made savvy business moves throughout her career. In fact, she penned a major brand deal with New Balance when she was only 14, and today, she continues to work with the brand on meaningful collabs like the Coco Delray sneaker and the New Balance x Miu Miu With Coco Gauff campaign. On this episode, Gauff discusses how having a life outside of tennis actually makes her a better player, what it meant to her to work with the USTA to update her home courts in Florida, and the other tennis players whose style she loves.

On this episode, we’re focusing on the topic of money with finance expert Vivian Tu—or Your Rich BFF, as most of the internet knows her. Tu began her career on Wall Street and now creates finance content for her over eight million followers across social platforms. Today, she’s breaking down what the tariffs will mean for small businesses and consumers, how to prepare for economic downturns, and the steps people can take to travel on a budget this summer. Plus, she offers her tips on how to navigate the many expenses associated with summer weddings.