We recently had the chance to connect with Nikki Lian and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nikki, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What battle are you avoiding?
This year I resigned from the Board of Directors of a 5 Star Chamber of Commerce. I agreed to sit on the board in 2023 because I really felt like I could contribute in helping small business owners in our community.
When an incident occurred at one of our events, it drove me to try to enforce a new code of conduct and a sexual harassment protocol. It was an uphill battle for a year, sitting in these stupid meetings month after month, trying to make change on this topic that no one wants to talk about. So I gave up, and put my energy where it was received. It opened up more opportunities to live. Y purpose.
My gym became a transformation gym, where we don’t just exercise—we empower people, specifically women, kids and seniors. I continue to volunteer and advocate for veterans as well. Once I stopped battling I took a different route, and I wouldn’t change it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Nikki Lian and I’m a transformation coach as well as an active ager movement specialist. I own a kickboxing gym in Ventura County, and am a co-founder of a non-profit.
CKO Kickboxing isn’t just a gym, it’s a community. We’ve had friendships form, the most amazing connections, and people rooting for each other from all walks of life.
I like people to come into my gym and leave everything at the door—all their worries, fatigue and problems, and then leave feeling empowered and that they can crush anything they have to deal with.
Anytime we ask for community help,
Whether it’s collecting for stocking stuffers for seniors, food for fire victims or pet stuff for animal shelters, our members always go above and beyond.
Body Brain Train is a non-profit that brings fitness and welllness into the senior
and Parkinson’s community, that I co-founded with Gabby Sifuentes. We believe that movement makes miracles, and exercise is for everyone. And our members prove it to us every day.
I’m really lucky to be able to do what I love, help people transform and make a living off of it as well.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I think that being available to just anybody because they need help was a big part of me. It’s in a lot of people’s nature, especially women. I stopped being a yes person and started laying down boundaries. My former self thought she’d have to always say sorry or give an excuse if she couldn’t do something or go somewhere. Now I just say no thank you.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I was a professional wrestler for 13 years before I opened my gym, mostly Lucha libre. I was really lucky, I got to travel and see parts of the world I would never see if I didn’t choose that path.
I miss the ability to fly high. Cross-bodies off the top ropes and diving outside of the ring. I miss how strong and empowered I felt by getting in the ring, and the adrenaline rush of it all.
I was very lucky not to get seriously injured, and maybe will revisit it in another lifetime as I have too much on the line to jump back into that lifestyle. But I do miss it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I would definitely say right now, Taylor Swift. I don’t think I can name three of her songs but she is a self-made billionaire and (from what I hear) still gives so much back to the universe and to her people. We are in a world right now where billionaires want to just make more money as if they can bury themselves with it, yet we have kids right here in this country that go days without eating. It makes no sense. I think she understands that there’s enough for everyone. She gets it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would probably stop saving for retirement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ckosimivalley.com/bodybraintrain.org
- Instagram: @nikkilianfit @ckosimivalley @bodybraintrain
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/nikki.lian.3/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
