We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nikky Bourbon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nikky, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
As a woman, I came up in the music business and, unfortunately, experienced a lot of abusive, horrible things. When I launched my company, creating a safe space for my girls was super important. We are a women-centered company that has established a successful internship program, and my main priority is to mentor these girls in empowering themselves and not falling victim to the abusive aspect of the entertainment industry. We are an inclusive space as well, so although we are women-focused – we do hire all sorts of people, acknowledging people’s hardships and leading them through navigating the world from a confident, no-nonsense, powerful place is the goal. I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through, and it makes me proud to guide people toward success in a positive environment.
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.
Yes! Hiii, I’m Nikky Bourbon- I began my career as a songwriter who then made my solo artist debut in 2022 with Symphonic Latino. I began by honing my craft behind the scenes, songwriting for a multitude of different artists such as Kat Dahlia and Justina Valentine, and collaborating with various different artists in a multitude of genres. I’ve had my work featured on outlets like Disney’s “Cheaper By The Dozen” and “All American”
I’ve also produced and directed independent projects and lent my creative directing skills to notable artists such as TMG Fre$h & Latto. Upon the launch of my solo career, I headlined the 116th Festival and Jersey City Pride Festival with audiences of up to 120K, respectively.
Aside from being a multifaceted artist, I’m entrepreneur at heart. Since launching my music career, I’ve simultaneously built a women-centered company infrastructure and become a master delegator, dedicated to creating multiple revenue streams, and have now begun extending my infrastructure via consulting to freelancers and operators to create bandwidth to grow their organizations and become master delegators as well.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
Yes, so I started as a songwriter; that was my primary source of income. Branched off and did some production/ creative directing work. Then signed as a performance artist, which opened the opportunity for revenue streams within brand endorsements and shows. I also launched my own company to maximize my productivity, which has now branched into a consulting company. We train business operators/freelancers on how to relinquish control, build teams, and create more bandwidth to ensure their success and growth. Once you identify your skills, you can monetize those skills, but building a team is essential. Fortunately for me, my delegating skills and team-building skills have allowed me to open up even more avenues for revenue as well as organize and structure my business.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
What makes a great leader is paying special attention to not only your company’s needs but your individual team member’s strengths and delegating accordingly. Everyone can’t be good at everything, but your business thrives when you put people in spaces to thrive. Don’t try to fit circles into squares. Pivot and adjust. Identify people’s passion points and give them the space to find themselves. I run a transparency-based organization where candidates tell me what they would like to contribute, and I build roles around the team members, not the other way around. When you allow people to shine, you shine. Happy people who feel valued enjoy contributing. Positive and constructive feedback and gauging someone’s capabilities are essential. Discretion is essential. You must know when someone is trainable, needs guidance, and when something isn’t a good fit for them. Communication is key, and making people feel safe enough to express their sentiments about their workflow has been essential to my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: nikkybourbon.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nikkybourbon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkyBourbon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikky-bourbon-42802b17/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikkybourbon
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/NikkyBourbon