We were lucky to catch up with Nikki James Zellner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

The world of branding is a big world, and because of that, I like to help “my kind of people.”

These people have been through the ringer. They are typically womxn or nonbinary, they often have a past trauma of some kind or a big hurdle they’ve had to overcome, and they have this determination to put their real self out into the world while crushing life and in business.

They are typically founders, consultants, coaches, agents, advisors, speakers, authors … or a combination of any of these things. They truly are multiple-threat badasses who have a lot of passions and point of view. They’re just looking for someone to guide them as they step into sharing that with the world.

So many folks have heard of StoryBrand, and the method behind it, and I like to say “If that’s your favorite marketing book, then you probably shouldn’t work with me…”

I want to deeply know the people I work with. And I want them to win. But not at the cost of making themselves small, or trying to fit into a pretty influencer box. I’m looking for those who know they were put here to shake the earth to its core with what they have to offer the world – not how many likes they’ll get on their next Facebook post.

I help them share their stories in a way that not only shines a light on who they truly are and what they value, but also brings the exact people they want to work with into their life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I never planned on being a dual business owner, in fact, I think for a long time I was perfectly happy working for other people. But then something shifted in my life – I became a mom and military spouse.

I started my first business in 2018 (and it’s still my primary source of income today). Where Content Connects is a boutique content strategy advisory that helps women in business connect the dots between who they are, what they want, and who they want to attract using content. Spending most of my professional career in marketing and media, I was introduced to a lot of incredible writers, photographers, and creatives – and I knew that I had the network, and the knowledge, to help women step into their light in this way. Most of the problems I solve for female founders are related to confident storytelling, visual branding, and brand clarity needs.

But in 2020, my life took a turn when my children were poisoned by carbon monoxide in their daycare, and I started to put my skills of storytelling, email marketing, and pitching towards an even bigger mission: school safety activism. Using the very frameworks I taught founders in my content strategy business, I began making impact in a space I was completely unfamiliar with very, very quickly. This is when I started my advocacy business CO Safe Schools. I helped change Virginia state law in a year, I spoke in front of Senates, code councils, and safety organizations sharing this story, and started documenting incidents like mine that took place throughout the US. And within 3 years, I’m now considered a subject matter expert on carbon monoxide safety in schools which is a little mind-blowing to me as someone who has confessed I was pretty terrible at STEM subjects in my early years at school.

So now, surprisingly, I’m a dual business owner: a content strategist by day, and a school safety activist all the time.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think we’re certainly in a creator economy today – but I wouldn’t want people to get overwhelmed by that. There are so many resources out there today that allow you to share your own voice, your own brand, your own style. Twenty years ago when I was getting started as a young professional, that didn’t exist. I love programs like Teachable, Loom, Kajabi – these things that allow you to share your knowledge and skills with the world in a way that works for you.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivot moments for me was being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2018, just after my mother passed away from cardiac arrest. I had already been experiencing chronic pain for 2 years post-childbirth, and it was becoming so debilitating I wasn’t sure I could work anymore.

But instead of tapping out, I left the “traditional” workforce 9-5, and went into business for myself. Now, a lot of you might be scratching your heads, but what it allowed me to do was create the ideal business for me. How could I take care of my body, and my mind, and my family, and still contribute financially?

That’s when my content strategy business was born. It was flexible, it wasn’t life or death, and people could pay for my guidance, not any specific deliverable.

On days where I’m unable to get out of bed, I can work from it or take the day off. Managing my illness is a new normal, but not having that additional stress of working for others, being on a deadline, or trying to sit in a cubicle all day were critical points in my journey to where I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikkijameszellner.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkijzellner
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkijameszellner
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/knowyourco

Image Credits
Jenelle Botts Photography Fresh Look Photography