We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Niki Nichols a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Niki with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Hard work and work ethic have different yet similar meanings for some folks, and I’m extremely grateful for learning these skills early in my life.
Born and raised on a dairy farm, “work” has easily been life’s main theme. I attribute my work ethic to my wonderful parents as well as the many generations of hard workers who came before them. Being taught about doing hard work is one of the first steps in having a good work ethic.
When I lived at home, I made sure the calves were fed before school. Attending a small public school with a graduating class size of 60, I’d get home from school just in time for the afternoon milking. My immediate family worked as a team to ensure large tasks were getting done, as there was no hired help on the farm. That very farm now houses our commercial kitchen, Boki’s Kitchen. We are a catering service driven to connect humans through wholesome meals. Prior to our rebrand in 2022, the commercial kitchen was owned and operated by my mother Kathy for over three decades. The opportunity to work in my childhood home is one I never take for granted.
I love creating my own work values where I know the intentions and logistics behind what my team and I do. I create products I love and use myself! I love the availability and flexibility I can give to the farm and my family when needed. Being able to make a difference connecting humans over hot meals is the best reward for the hard work that is put in, and it makes it pretty darn easy to keep showing up.
Work ethic comes down to a learned attitude about hard work. See also: determination, drive, and discipline. The belief that hard word does indeed pay off. I let mine speak for itself- I’m focused, and I’m not near the finish line.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
With degrees in healthcare and accounting, many were confused when I decided to go “all in” on the family catering business. 2020 brought wild changes for all, and my story is certainly no different. I decided to enter the healthcare field in 2008 because I wanted a secure job. That sentence feels pretty laughable as I was put on a 3 month furlough from my full time position due to a world pandemic. It confused me that I couldn’t help in the way I felt like I needed to be helping. I knew I was capable of more, so as soon as I got off the phone with my employer for the last decade telling me to stop coming in to work, I called my Mom, a successful local caterer whose life was also very altered by the surrounding events. I said to her, “Mom, let’s make frozen meals for people!” I’ll never forget those next words, “Well, you can try, but I bet you no one will be interested!” There is where my idea that I had had 15 years prior came to life. For the first time, I had the space and the passion for the work.
In 2022, I was running the family catering business that had been called Neisen Catering for the last few decades. Needing a change, Bob (my husband) and I decided to rebrand to Boki’s Kitchen. “Boki’s” is a combination of our names, Bob and Niki. Pronounced “beau-keys,” we are proud to be family owned and operated since 1989 and we are driven to feed our community wholesome meals when and where it counts the most. My husband is my partner in all things food as he has over 2 decades of experience in the industry.
In 2023, I was able to find more space to dive into a long-term passion of mine, astrology and human design. I began my next adventure, “Soul Atlas: Being Imperfectly Human” to bring awareness to a variety of things through the eyes of astrology and human design. Yet another learned passion, my Mom (Kathy) has always followed the signs of the moon for an array of endeavors. My focus is to help others know their unique gifts to this world and know how to properly communicate these with others, resulting in improved relationships, altered perspective, and a new ways of thinking.
It has been so much fun fostering my community while growing a network of committed and nurturing service providers I can always refer to, utilize, and support.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Communication – the means and the will to speak on your expertise
Time Management – the means and the will to bring your words and ideas to life
Resourcefulness – the means and the will to be a good steward of the people, places, and things that surround you
My advice to the new entrepreneur: Create your own table of trusted sources, and make sure they know they are valued in your life. Communicate with them and be open and honest with them as you go on your journey. There are so many great people out there ready to connect with you on deeper levels if you let them! Working for yourself is complicated enough, and everything I stand for is aimed to combat loneliness within entrepreneurship because there are so many things left unspoken when it comes to owning and running a business. I was able to witness this firsthand- having passionate entrepreneurs as parents. It isn’t always a walk in the park and knowing that I am not alone in that truly helps me continually show up.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
In 2016 I went through a very low time in my life. I went through an excruciating divorce, and my life turned upside down. I was on the verge of selling the home I had fallen in love with when my parents agreed to help me put in the extra effort to keep it. Even more of a fun fact is that I didn’t need their help but for only a few months, and that is the house I live in to this day. In 2020, I married my soulmate, Bob after dating for three years. In the same house I almost lost, we added over 600 square feet of additional living space, and we are now working on updating the kitchen! I love the DIY spirit I received from my parents as well as the best helping hands when I needed it.
Contact Info:
- Website: bokiskitchen.com
- Instagram: @niki.nichols.niche , @findyoursoulatlas , @bokiskitchen
- Facebook: Boki’s Kitchen
- Linkedin: Niki Neisen Nichols
Image Credits
Brandy Owens, Niki Nichols, Kirstin Protsman
