Hello you—Welcome to The Shift!
It’s a newsletter and network for digital entrepreneurs—building a big life from a small biz 🔥
• I write articles about big ideas in content, newsletters, digital publishing, and independent work
• I interview leading experts and thinkers in my “Bold Types” Q&A series every month
• I curate the best links I can find to help you grow, feel inspired, and stay sane as an indie publisher in the AI age
A second brain, your content friend and mentor.
Here’s what you get when you subscribe.
Free subscribers have access to
• Sunday columns and interviews. Actionable advice and links to make you think
• Newsletter Talent Directory! Add your deets here to find collaborators
Paid subscribers receive all free content plus
• Social networking—give and get support. This work can be lonely AF
• Weekly Accountability Thread (Fridays, 9 am) - drop in and share your no #1 objective for the week
• Social Pods! (not the dodgy kind), but no one wants tumbleweeds. I’m active on LinkedIn and up for hosting LinkedIn Local // Substack meetups (I’m in East Sussex)
• AMA: send me questions via email, and I’ll turn them into short posts so others can learn from them. You can add your name and a link to your website so we can check out your work
• Access the archives to help you grow as a digital publisher—doing my best to overwhelm you with awesome :)
• My eternal gratitude—being a paid subscriber means you directly support me and my work. And for that, I love you dearly
• I give 1% of my revenue to carbon removal via Stripe Climate #techforgood.
About me + The Shift
‘The Shift’ means two things to me: moving from 9-5 to self-employment and remote work when I had Julieta in 2006 and being more self-sufficient and selective: interesting, well-paid work that lights me up, cash and calendar freedom.
And now, a shift to AI with exponential growth coming fast and it’s more than our heads can handle. ChatGPT-5 is launching soon, and it’ll be even smarter. I’m using v4 and figuring out how to integrate it into my workflow.
I’m the founder at Firebird, a small-but-mighty content consultancy in the UK. I help entrepreneurs and biz leaders tell compelling stories that connect and inspire.
Life is too short to play small. My mission is to help entrepreneurs impact the world with their story. Writing gives you wings.
In a nutshell, I love a good story. Since 1999, I’ve been writing online (Y2K problem, end of the world - remember that? We’re still here) as a journalist, blogger, ghostwriter, PR, copywriter, and content strategist.
Working with media orgs to help freelancers survive and thrive in a tough industry and an expensive city (just cleared my debt from all that, hooray, a story for another day!)
I think newsletters are the best thing since sliced bread—the most intimate form of journalism and your freedom vehicle.
As I see it, this is a way for me to have a closer, more direct relationship with readers off-socials (rented land) to find solutions and empower each other. I’m focused on making a small group of readers super happy!
Entrepreneurship is great, but it can be lonely as fuck. We don’t talk about that side of it enough.
I’ve written 11 books on health & wellness topics. I hosted St Leonards Salon (talks, workshops, co-working for creatives) from 2016-2019.
I live in a tiny apt in St Leonards on Sea with my daughter, Julieta.
Simplifying my life and work. Saving to buy my first home and travel the world on my quest to Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (Sardinia in September!) 🇮🇹
Have you seen it yet? Turns out the secret to a long, healthy, happy life is connection and community—and a good bottle of EVOO.
Gotta have big, hairy, audacious goals, right?
Life’s too short for the in-between.
Tell your story
Subscribe, connect, get involved!
If you have topic ideas or guest suggestions, email nika@nikatalbot.io. I’d love to hear from you.
It’s just me behind this inbox, and I read and reply to all messages.
Founders! Want to share your story? Leave your deets below and I’ll be in touch. Book now
Nice things people have said about The Shift
Nika writes a really helpful newsletter for the intersection of writing, the digital world and entrepreneurship, which can be a lonely place for many people. Her guidance is greatly appreciated. Ann Marie McQueen, Founder, HotFlash Inc
If you’re interested in a lifestyle-first one-person model too, subscribe to The Shift, the newsletter for content entrepreneurs. Written by Nika Talbot, a fountain of knowledge in creating online! Ellen Donnelly, Founder, The Ask
Nika has written 12 books relating to health and wellness. There is fun to be had as we make The Shift to work smarter and live better—recommended reading for Workforce Futurists! Andy Spence, Founder, The Workforce Futurist
You too, Nika—your emails are 🔥🔥 Adriana Tica, Marketing Strategist, Writer & Analyst, Ideas to Power Your Future
Thank you for your thoughtful questions. Answering them felt more like a journaling session than an interview. Very great! Johanna Renoth, Founder, Bye, Social Media!
Gold star for reading this far! If you have an indie newsletter, I’d love to chat! 🤩
