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In this personal conversation, Jen speaks with executive coach Nikki Shultz about the transformative power of the Enneagram and the importance of ongoing inner work. A certified teacher with CP Enneagram and former speaker at the International Enneagram Association Global Conference, Nikki shares how the system has shaped her leadership, marriage, and parenting. She emphasizes that real impact comes not from “adding value,” but from embodied presence and balanced growth—integrating head, heart, and body, as well as psychological and spiritual development.

Reflecting as a Type Seven, Nikki shares how she once bypassed grief during a corporate layoff by defaulting to positivity, and how years later she allowed herself to fully process that loss. She contrasts this with a recent parenting moment where she stayed grounded and emotionally present with her son’s anger, choosing connection over control—evidence of her shift from living in her head to leading with heart and body.

She closes with practical wisdom: question your assumptions (head), engage creativity to access emotion (heart), and invite honest feedback (body). True transformation, she reminds us, requires embracing both psychological and spiritual growth.

In this episode, we explore:

• How lasting impact comes from embodied presence, not over-functioning
• Actively engaging your own psychological and spiritual growth to truly support others
• How growth happens through integrating all three centers of intelligence and holding polarities rather than defaulting to one dominant pattern
• Personal transformation often requires confronting avoided emotions
• The importance of questioning your assumptions, engaging creativity to access the heart, and seeking honest feedback about how others experience you to support embodied, ongoing development

About the Guest:

Nikki Shultz is an executive coach and leadership development consultant working at the intersection of the Enneagram and adult development. She helps leaders see how personality both supports and limits growth, and builds the capacity to widen perspective and hold tension. Nikki is professionally certified with CP Enneagram, has spent over a decade in deep study of the Enneagram, and has been a speaker at the International Enneagram Association Global Conference.

Nikki was introduced to The Work of You community through host Jen. They first met when Jen was co-leading a Shift Positive training and stayed in touch, becoming colleagues through Grow Collective, and now good friends through their shared love of the Enneagram.

Resources | Links: 

Nikki's Website

Nikki's LinkedIn 

GET YOUR ENNEAGRAM TYPE -- includes the Instinct data; most ideal for professional use: leaders and teams

ALT OPTION FOR TYPING - also includes the Instincts 

Follow on Substack 

The Grow Effect Coaching Model 

Instagram | The Work of You

Instagram | Grow Collective

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