We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Nika White recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Nika, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I developed my confidence over years of doing the work. Once I discovered I could combine my passion with my career, I read every book I could put my hands on to develop and hone my skill set. I also used previously learned skills to determine what made me unique in this field. Building the skill behind my passion gave me the confidence to pursue my entrepreneur goals.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder of Nika White Consulting, a full-service diversity, equity, and inclusion boutique consulting firm with global reach and recognized authority on strategic diversity, intentional inclusion, and the lens of equity. The heart of my work addresses the ability to create transformative environments with intentionality around inclusion. I help create professional spaces where people can collaborate through a lens of compassion, empathy, and understanding. I am extremely proud of the three books I’ve authored: “The Intentional Inclusionist®” and “Next Level Inclusionist: Transforming Your Work and Yourself for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Success,” and my latest book, “Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI.”
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?
The three qualities that are the most important to develop are perseverance, communication, and leadership because DEI can be a tough field to enter and endure. Discussing DEI topics and ideas can bring up emotions and push back. Not only are you dealing with your own microaggressions, as a person that’s part of a marginalized identity, you are also having to hold space for so many others, as you’re trying to allow people to be met where they are in their learning journey. You must be able to clearly communicate DEI goals and objectives to mitigate push back and use leadership skills to pull people along in their understanding of DEI.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Focusing on your strengths causes you to become a leader in your specific field or skill set. By focusing on your strengths, you can build a specific brand that clients will gravitate towards. I’d rather become extremely strong in a few areas that clients know will be strong, than mediocre in all skills. When trying to become more ‘well rounded,’ one may have more clients at first because you offer everything, but clients typically soon find holes in skill proficiency.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nikawhite.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikacwhite/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikacwhite
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikawhite/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikaWhite
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NikaWhite2015
- Other: https://www.nikawhitespeaks.com/
Image Credits
Stacey Gardin Portraits
