We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nikki La Croce a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nikki, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
The moment I understood my purpose, I was sitting in my therapist’s office after about a year of weekly sessions. When I first decided to prioritize my mental health, it was because I was miserable working in the corporate world. Having graduated at the peak of the recession in 2008, there weren’t a lot of options for full time work, let alone full time work that paid well and offered health benefits. So for a long time, when it came to work, I simply took what I could get based on my experience and my willingness to people please as a means to ‘move up the ladder’. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, the type of work I was doing and the companies I was doing it for just didn’t give me any sense of fulfillment. While I was certainly grateful for the extrinsic benefits afforded to me during my tech career, I couldn’t shake the persistent feeling that I was meant to do something more aligned to my values or the vision I had for my life.
As my therapy sessions went on, I realized that while working in a corporate setting wasn’t for me, it also wasn’t the thing holding me back from finding my true purpose. It was merely holding me back from executing on it. Between the time I took my first job at a small start-up in Pennsylvania and the time I left my soul-sucking job at a corporate behemoth in Seattle, a lot had changed. I had become very intentionally introspective, learning more about who I truly was and recognizing the areas of my life that required me to be more accountable to myself and to others. In that process, I was able to look at the years passed and see that what kept me afloat in all of the jobs that I had, was in fact, the people I connected with along the way. That’s when it clicked. I could feel it in my core that my purpose is to connect with people.
As this revelation surfaced, I remember telling my therapist that I wasn’t quite sure what that looked like yet, but I was excited to explore the options in front of me. At first, I dabbled a bit with blogging, but writing just wasn’t the right avenue for this part of my self-exploration. It left me feeling a bit isolated, which was exactly the opposite of what I wanted and needed in terms of building meaningful connections. Then came my ‘light-bulb moment’. I always joke around that there is nothing I do better, at the very least nothing I do more, than talk. Shortly thereafter, I had transformed my home-office into a recording studio and launched my podcast in September 2019.
Since then, I’ve recorded over one hundred episodes, with guests from all over the world, each with a unique story of self-discovery linked together by the resilient power of the human spirit. Being witness to these experiences has taught me how to hold space for people, as well as helped me grow throughout my own journey. As a purpose-driven podcaster, I’ve been able to connect with so many interesting guests, many of whom I now know on an even deeper level as friends. I’ve also been fortunate to have the unwavering support of my wife, Nicole, who continues to remind me that my ability to connect with people is truly a gift and is meant to be shared with the world.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m thrilled to be announcing my show’s rebrand and the first episode under the new name, Can I Just Say? on April 16th. When I started my podcast five years ago, I was just beginning to delve into my journey of self-discovery and because of that, I was quite literally asking myself…”Who the f*ck am I?”, which is how I came up with the original name of my podcast, rooted in the idea that to form deeper connections, we must first understand ourselves. While I stand by my belief on the value of introspection, as the show and I have grown, I realize that the original name may be more limiting than it is inviting. So when I considered that my purpose is to connect with people and help others do the same, I knew I needed to make some changes.
While the name has changed, the overall concept and intent of the show remains the same. A guest once shared with me the concept that people tend to see books as either a mirror or window based on their own lived experiences. The idea being that they see a reflection of their own life in the story, or they understand something more completely and may gain a new perspective, as if they’re looking through a window and seeing something new unfold in front of them. And that’s how I want people to feel when they listen to each episode. Because there had always been this part of me that lacked a sense of belonging, I wanted to create a space where people could come and vulnerably share their stories, to show up fully without fear of judgment, and really help listeners feel seen, heard and understood through the conversations I have with guests on my podcast.
My goal isn’t to recycle the same narratives and get the top celebrity guests to say the same things that they say throughout their series of appearances during a press tour. It’s to have real, raw, honest conversations about the things that are happening in our lives, regardless of a guest’s notoriety. With my show, I offer a platform for individuals to share the parts of their stories that they often don’t feel safe to say, or perhaps don’t feel there is space to say, amidst all their other key talking points. So when I speak to guests before I interview them, I invite them to bring their full self and their full story to the microphone, because real connection happens at that pivotal point of vulnerability. It’s where the mask comes off, and the truth is set free. It’s where we can feel a sense of oneness around our shared human experience. And in those moments, find a sense of compassion for one another that can often alleviate the sense of loneliness that is so prevalent in the world these days. By sharing stories that touch on sensitive and important subjects related to mental health, self-love, emotional intelligence, and personal growth, I aim to build a community of cycle-breakers who are ready and willing to connect and grow together.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Curiosity, vulnerability and cultivating a sense of self-love have all been instrumental throughout my podcasting journey and in many other areas of my life.
When I was a kid, my mom would often tell my sister and I, “If you’re lucky, you learn something new everyday.” At the time, I’m sure I brushed it off, but in retrospect, I see how that seemingly simple statement led me down a path of willful wonder and open-mindedness. It reiterated that there was always something we could seek to understand more fully and that it was safe to entertain new perspectives, or even adopt new ways of thinking. When it comes to our ability to connect with other people, the more curious we are, the more we can get to know one another, and the more compassionate we can be toward each other, regardless of our shared or differing circumstances.
Vulnerability comes in many forms. Sometimes people mistake vulnerability for weakness, when in my mind, it’s the greatest strength we can exhibit. There is a fearlessness to being vulnerable. There is a confidence that comes from being vulnerable. And more than anything, vulnerability is the ultimate gateway to connecting more deeply with yourself, so you can connect more deeply with others. I say this with the caveat that not everyone deserves your vulnerability, so it’s important to set boundaries and be discerning about what you share and with whom.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time trying to fit in, which meant that I wasn’t expressing my authentic self for many years of my life. It wasn’t really possible for me to love myself, because if I’m completely honest, I didn’t really even know myself. As I navigated some of the more complex reasons for my lack of self-love in therapy and began removing the masks I had become accustomed to wearing, I started to value the parts of myself that I had kept hidden for so long. My journey of self-exploration combined with the insights shared by guests on my show, allowed me to find the self-acceptance that I needed to stand confidently in my truth and love myself.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
As I enter the next stage of my podcasting journey, I am enthusiastic about developing meaningful connections with other compassionate and purpose-driven creators and professionals.
I am always interested in speaking with potential guests who have compelling stories about their own journey that they feel will resonate with my audience. My audience consists primarily of people who identify as ‘cycle-breakers’, are actively engaged in self-improvement, dedicated to their mental health journey and span all genders across Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
From a promotional perspective, I am seeking to connect with individuals or businesses with whom I cross-promote content through affiliate relationships and/or sponsorships. I want to ensure that any advertisements or promotions aired on my platform are aligned with people, products and services that I can confidently support with integrity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://canijustsaypodcast.com/
- Email: connections@
canijustsaypodcast.com - Instagram: https://instagram.com/nikkilacroce
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilacroce/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nikkilacroce
- Other: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@nikkilacroce
