Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

If there was ever a time we needed to hear some hopeful words that inspire action, it’s now. Luckily for us, today we’re sitting down with astrologer, best-selling author, Chani app co-founder, and activist, Chani Nicholas. In this episode, she talks us through what we can expect from the upcoming retrogrades in 2024 and how to prepare and engage with activism as we step into 2025. In addition to her fascinating perspective on the intersections of power, astrology, and activism, she shares why she insists on salary transparency among friends and the reason she’s ditching dresses.

Reshma Saujani has spent her entire career empowering women. Not only is she the founder behind the massively impactful nonprofits Girls Who Code and Moms First, but she’s also a best-selling author of several books, the latest of which—Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work—was released in 2022. As of October, she’s also the host of the new, chart-topping podcast My So-Called Midlife, where she explores what it means to be in your midlife alongside guests such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Emily Oster. As evident in this episode, Saujani has incredible insight and perspective on so many topics, including perfectionism in young women, the con of imposter syndrome, and the structural issues preventing women from achieving equality.

Starting on November 14, Nice Talk is back for season two! This season, Marie Claire Editor in Chief Nikki Ogunnaike will be chatting with more incredible guests about their perspectives on the big three: money, power, and style. Make sure you're subscribed to the show so you don't miss an episode. See you next Thursday!

If there's one person who knows the ins and outs of shopping pre-loved fashion, it's Erika Veurink. As a content creator, she's known for sharing her extensive knowledge about vintage sourcing with her followers, and today, she's on the podcast to let us in on all the best tips for shopping on eBay. She even found her wedding dress on the site, so she's a true expert! On this episode, Veurink is also discussing the ethos behind her event series EV Salon, her favorite resources for learning about money, and the street style and runway shows she's most excited to see at New York Fashion Week. This episode is brought to you by eBay.

When Rupi Kaur released her debut poetry collection, Milk and Honey, back in 2014, it quickly became a cultural and literary phenomenon. In fact, the collection went on to sell over 6 million copies. This year, Rupi’s celebrating the 10-year anniversary of her breakout collection by releasing an annotated edition of it. In addition to the immense success of Milk and Honey, Rupi has published three other best-selling poetry collections, performed spoken word poetry on several world tours, and produced and starred in her Amazon Prime special, Rupi Kaur Live. On this episode, she discusses how hard it was to find her flow again after the success of Milk and Honey, her relationship with financial anxiety, and her preshow dance party playlist.

When Gabby Windey made her reality television debut on the Bachelor franchise back in 2022, she quickly became a fan favorite due to her honesty, vulnerability, and impeccable comedic timing. Since then, the former ICU nurse and NFL cheerleader has competed on Dancing with the Stars, launched a podcast called Long Winded, and amassed a huge social media following. On this episode, Gabby gets into how she continues to learn to advocate for herself, whether it’s at work, on reality TV, or at the nail salon.

Julie Schott is a powerhouse entrepreneur, known for launching numerous businesses with fresh branding, innovative products, and a massive impact on Gen Z. After spending the early days of her career writing about her personal experiences with acne as a beauty editor at xoJane and Elle, Julie created Starface pimple patches. Since then, she’s continued to build brands that iterate on this “coming-of-age through line,” whether that’s through Julie emergency contraception, Blip Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or Futurewise slugging skincare system. In this episode, Julie talks about everything from the best and worst parts about having a Gen Z audience, how she found a great business partner, and her vintage T-shirt collection.

If you’ve spent any time in the comedy space on TikTok, you’ve definitely seen Delaney Rowe’s hyperspecific and painfully accurate characters, such as "the insufferable female lead" and "the worst person on earth." In 2020, she began developing these characters by pulling from her experience as an actor, and the tropes resonated. A few short years later, Delaney’s racked up 2.6 million followers and has celebs like Seth Rogen and Jameela Jamil taking note of her work. On this episode, she gets into the ebbs and flows of her creative process, the fellow creator she goes to for money advice, and her perfect outfit for hosting a dinner party.

Between her debut album, Buckle Bunny, her appearance on the song “Blackbiird” off of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, and her feature on the new Twisters film soundtrack, Tanner Adell has cemented herself as a country music star—and she’s just getting started. Today on Nice Talk, she’s chatting about moving to Nashville with a couple hundred dollars in her pocket, developing her unapologetically glam style, and how her fellow country music ladies support one another.

A’ja Wilson is one of the best basketball players in the world, but when it comes to navigating her life in the spotlight, she goes by one mantra: “Let the light within me shine brighter than the light that's on me.” That mindset has led her to MVP wins, back-to-back championships, and an Olympic gold medal. Off the court, she’s also the author of New York Times best-selling book Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You and was recently named a Nike signature athlete. On this episode, she’s discussing why she thinks money actually can buy a little bit of happiness, the rise of WNBA tunnel style, and how she handles the pressures of leadership.

Tefi Pessoa has created a career—and amassed 1.8 million followers on TikTok—by being “professionally [her]self.” Her online presence is equal parts hilarious and authentic: one moment she’s doing a deep dive on celebrity relationship timelines and the next talking about her own mental health journey. And now, in addition to her career as a creator, she’ll also be co-hosting the new Amazon show Influenced, which premieres on August 1. On this episode, we dive into Tefi’s financial ups and downs throughout her career, the surprising Kardashian-Jenner family member she would trade closets with, and how she sets boundaries online.

Bailey Bass has recently made waves in Hollywood for her roles in Avatar: The Way of Water and Interview With a Vampire, but she’s been acting and modeling since she was 2 years old. Now, in her early 20s, she’s finally reaping the rewards of all her hard work and is here to dish on the tumultuous journey. On this episode, Bass discusses the best and worst advice she’s received while coming up in Hollywood, her path to financial security, and why she’s leaning into slow fashion with her own line, BaiBai.

She’s so Julia! Between her incredible style and her deeply personal creative projects, Julia Fox is nothing short of a cultural icon. While many were introduced to Julia in the Safdie brothers' film Uncut Gems, she’s since established herself in a variety of spaces, including writing, music, and fashion—-and she’s not stopping now. On this episode of Nice Talk, Julia dives into how her childhood circumstances shaped her view of money, why she views celibacy as a political act, and how her perspective has shifted around her image.

When Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was only 17 years old, her life flipped upside down. From an open casting call that 15,000 other people applied to, she booked the lead role in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix show Never Have I Ever. She went on to lead the show for four seasons and took on roles in other projects, including Turning Red and My Little Pony. Today, she’s continuing to act while also studying at university and exploring video game streaming on Twitch. On this episode, Ramakrishnan chats about how her friends keep her grounded, why her personal style includes graphic tees from Hot Topic, and the surprising early aughts song that makes her feel powerful.

On this episode of Nice Talk, Marie Claire Editor in Chief Nikki Ogunnaike sits down with Summer House star, content creator, and podcaster Paige DeSorbo. Since joining the cast of Bravo's Summer House in 2019, Paige has become a certified reality television sensation, appearing on six seasons of the Hamptons-based show. Outside of television, she creates fashion and lifestyle content and co-hosts the wildly popular podcast Giggly Squad. Today, Paige is getting real about why she pays her own rent, the responsibility she feels to be a good role model, and what she wears to feel confident.

Welcome to the very first episode of Nice Talk! To kick things off, Nikki Ogunnaike is sitting down with Marie Claire cover star Victoria Justice to talk all things money, power, and style. If you’re like us, you became a fan of Justice in the early 2000s when she landed her breakout role as Lola Martinez on Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101. She went on to star in her own show, Victorious, at the age of 17, which allowed her to live her dreams of acting and singing at a young age. After taking a short break from the spotlight, she’s now ready to dive back in—only this time, she’s writing and releasing music independently. In this episode, Justice shares how she learned to step into her power even as a child actor, how her music and fashion tastes have evolved over the years, and what challenges she’s facing head-on as a newly independent artist.

Welcome to Nice Talk, hosted by Marie Claire Editor in Chief Nikki Ogunnaike. Each week, Nikki's sitting down with fascinating women—entertainers, entrepreneurs, creators, athletes, and changemakers—to discuss money, power, and style.