ArtsFashion & BeautyBusinessCareersSociety & Culture

Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike

Future

Welcome to Nice Talk, hosted by Marie Claire Editor in Chief Nikki Ogunnaike. Each week, Nikki will sit down with fascinating women—entertainers, entrepreneurs, creators, athletes, and changemakers—to discuss money, power, and style. “Well-behaved” women have long been discouraged from speaking on these topics—style should be effortless, and conversations about money or power aren’t “proper,” “ladylike,” or “nice.” But Nikki’s definition of a Nice Talk is one where all parties walk away feeling empowered. Nikki’s guests are getting candid about how they navigated their come-ups, what makes them feel both powerful and powerless, and of course, how they use personal style to communicate with the world.

Play

Open in

27 episodes
weekly
Avg 38 min
English

Episodes 27

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Thursday · 39 min
Tennis Legend Rennae Stubbs on Transitioning From Athlete to Coach, Mental Health in Sports, and the Power of Movement
Four-time Olympian, six-time Grand Slam champion, and 60-time WTA winner, Rennae Stubbs joins Nikki for the third episode in our four-part US Open miniseries. After retiring from tennis in 2011, Stubbs transitioned into broadcasting and coaching, working with legends like Serena Williams. On this live-recorded episode, Stubbs dives into the importance of mental health in professional sports, the “three C’s” mantra she always comes back to, and the power of movement and exercise. Plus, Stubbs shares some of her favorite moments from the 2026 US Open.
September 10 · 47 min
Broadcast Journalist Cari Champion on Curiosity, Her Unapologetic On-Air Style, and the State of Women’s Sports
Award-winning journalist and television host Cari Champion joins Nikki for the second episode in our four-part US Open miniseries. Champion is a former ESPN anchor, and today she’s a regular CNN contributor, host of Naked Sports With Cari Champion, and co-host of Flagrant and Funny alongside Jemele Hill. On this episode, she shares why she felt pressure to tone down her fashion while working at ESPN, how she’s been able to uncouple her value from her job title, and why she started her foundation, Brown Girls Dream.
September 3 · 48 min
Ayan's Aces Founder Ayan Broomfield on Representation in Tennis, the Term "WAG," and Dressing for the US Open
Ayan Broomfield—former tennis player, content creator, philanthropist, and model—joins Nikki for the first episode in our four-part US Open miniseries. On this episode, Broomfield discusses her complicated feelings toward the term "WAG," why she's focusing on bringing more women of color into the tennis space with her organization Ayan's Aces, and how she approaches getting dressed for the various Grand Slams of the season.
August 27 · 41 min
Ariana Madix on Hosting Love Island, Performing on Broadway, and the Realities of Reality TV
Ariana Madix is a reality TV personality known for her 11-season tenure on Vanderpump Rules and her role as the Emmy-nominated host of Love Island USA. She’s also starred as Roxie Hart in Chicago, competed on Dancing With the Stars, and has a recurring role on St. Denis Medical, and this fall, she will be returning to the Broadway stage in Just in Time. On this episode, Madix shares how she juggled multiple jobs in order to pursue her dream of being an actor, why Ginger Spice was her style icon growing up, and the behind-the-scenes details on how Love Island really makes it from the villa to our screens.
August 20 · 36 min
Emmy-Winning Casting Director Jazzy Collins on Power Dynamics Within Reality TV
Jazzy Collins is an Emmy Award–winning casting director whose résumé includes fan-favorite shows like The Traitors, Love Island, Very Important People, The Circle, and many more. She's also the cofounder of the production company Forced Perspective and was recently named one of Vulture's Reality TV Masterminds. On this episode, she discusses everything that goes into casting the most popular scripted and unscripted shows—from identifying potential reality TV stars on social media to making sure people are "there for the right reasons." Plus, she shares the details about the feature film she's producing alongside the L.A.-based meme account @americanaatbrandmemes.
August 13 · 50 min
Peloton Instructor Ally Love on How to Build an "Energy Empire"
You may know Ally Love as the beloved Peloton instructor with impeccable music and challenging classes, but she's also a contributor for the Today Show, the VP of instructor strategy and development for Peloton, and a member of JPMorganChase's Athlete Council. On this episode, Love shares why she views energy as currency, what it means to her to be able to guide young athletes through their financial journey with the Athlete Council, and how she approaches getting dressed to be on camera. Plus, she details the exact anatomy of a perfect workout playlist.
August 6 · 35 min
Rerelease: Issa Rae on Brokeness, Making Your Own Art, and Embracing Your Particular POV
So nice we’re releasing it twice! Today we’re revisiting Issa Rae’s Nice Talk episode. Issa Rae truly does it all. Not only is she a multifaceted entertainment powerhouse, but she also runs businesses in various industries—from prosecco to food to haircare. Today on the show, the former Marie Claire cover star joins us to talk about money, power, and style, including how she crowdfunded her early projects like Awkward Black Girl, how she overcame "grateful to be here" energy after partnering with HBO, and what it means to be boldly elegant in her style. She also tells us about her newest projects: her book I Should Be Smarter by Now and her two-part docuseries Seen & Heard. Plus, Rae shares why creativity is not the most important trait to be successful in the entertainment industry. This episode was originally released on September 25, 2025.
July 30 · 34 min
Rerelease: How Host & Creator Tefi Pessoa Found Her Calling on the Internet by Being Professionally Herself
Today, we’re revisiting one of our earliest episodes with host, media personality, and creator Tefi Pessoa. Pessoa has forged a career—and amassed 2 million followers on TikTok—by being “professionally [her]self.” Her online presence is equal parts hilarious and authentic: One moment she’s doing a deep dive on celebrity relationship timelines and the next talking about her own mental health journey. On this episode, we dive into Pessoa’s financial ups and downs throughout her career, the surprising Kardashian/Jenner family member she would trade closets with, and how she sets boundaries online. This episode was originally released in July 2024.
July 23 · 34 min
Lindsay Hubbard on Filming In the City, Navigating Scandal, and Building a Career on Being Herself
Lindsay Hubbard is a reality TV legend known for her 10-season tenure on Summer House and the debut season of the spin-off show, In the City. Before she was leaning into being “Lindsay from Summer House,” she was a PR executive with her own firm. On this episode, Hubbard discusses why the only thing worse than breaking someone’s heart is messing with someone’s money, the power dynamics at play in reality TV (including what it’s like filming with an ex), and her collaborative work with her stylist, Emily Men.
July 16 · 40 min
Micaela Erlanger on Styling the 2 Biggest Press Tours of 2026
Micaela Erlanger is the Emmy-nominated stylist behind some of Hollywood's most talented stars, including Meryl Streep, Lupita Nyong'o, and Kelly Clarkson. On this episode, Erlanger takes us behind the scenes of all of Nyong'o 20+ looks for The Odyssey press tour and the mythological details she pulled from to create the ensembles. She also reveals her Mount Rushmore (aka her four favorite looks) from her work with Streep on the recent The Devil Wears Prada 2 tour. Plus, she shares the difference between "meta dressing" and "method dressing" in her styling.
July 9 · 30 min
Author Jessica Knoll on Power Dynamics in Her New Novel Helpless
Jessica Knoll is the best-selling author of the novels Luckiest Girl Alive, Bright Young Women, and The Favorite Sister. On this episode, Knoll discusses how her own relationship with money and power informed the writing in her newest novel Helpless, which hit shelves on July 7. She also delves into what true success as a novelist would look like to her and how she feels in retrospect about her 2018 New York Times opinion piece "I Want to Be Rich and I'm Not Sorry." Order Helpless here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Helpless/Jessica-Knoll/9781668062302
July 2 · 38 min
Michelle Buteau on Why It Feels "So Good" to Release Survival of Thickest Season 3 Right Now
Comedian Michelle Buteau is the star and co-creator of the hit series Survival of the Thickest, which dropped its third and final season today. On this episode, Buteau discusses not knowing if she had enough trauma to be a comedian, why she started making money as soon as she leaned into being herself, and the deliberate decision to make her main character in Survival of the Thickest a stylist. Plus, she shares everything she’s excited about for this new season of the Netflix series, including her directorial debut.
June 25 · 34 min
Maria Sharapova's Best Tips for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Maria Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam tennis champion, but after retiring from the sport in 2020, she pivoted into the world of entrepreneurship, taking on business roles for companies such as Supergoop!, Bala, and Therabody. On this episode, Sharapova shares her tips for creating a strong business pitch (hint: shorten your deck!), how she learned everything she knows about money, and details about her style evolution from the court to the boardroom. Plus, she takes us behind the scenes of her new podcast Pretty Tough, which airs weekly on Wednesdays.
June 18 · 31 min
Author Tia Williams on Why Writing Personal Fan Fiction Is Her Favorite Writing Hack
Tia Williams is the best-selling author of books such as Seven Days in June and The Perfect Find, and her most recent novel, The Missed Connection, just came out on June 9. In addition to her career as an author, she also spent over 15 years as a beauty editor at magazines including Glamour, Lucky, and Essence. On this episode, Williams discusses what it was like working in print magazines during the Devil Wears Prada era, the financial decision to continue working her corporate job while writing novels, and why penning fanfic about her own life trained her to become a career author. Plus, she shares everything that went into the research process for her recent romance and detective novel.
June 11 · 31 min
Laverne Cox on Why Her Memoir Feels “Divine” in This Political Moment
Laverne Cox is an actress, producer, and LGBTQ+ advocate, and as of June 9, she’s also the author of her memoir, Transcendent. In this episode, Cox discusses how her childhood love of thrifting has evolved into a vintage Mugler obsession, why it feels "divine" for her memoir to come out in this political moment, and what it was like being “broke and fabulous” in New York City before she booked Orange Is the New Black. Plus, Cox shares some of her greatest writing inspirations, including bell hooks and Walt Whitman.
June 4 · 28 min
Whitney Leavitt on Unapologetic Ambition, Her Style Evolution, and Being a Breadwinner
Whitney Leavitt first rose to fame as a member of the TikTok group "MomTok" and as a star of the subsequent reality show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Since then, Leavitt has evolved her entertainment career time and time again, competing on Dancing With the Stars and making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Now, she's embarking on yet another new chapter in her career with her production company, Leavitt Media House. On this episode, she candidly discusses her career ambitions, why leaving Secret Lives feels different this time, and what she’s learned about style from her move from the Utah bubble to New York.
May 28 · 40 min
Dr. Becky Kennedy on Sturdy Leadership at Home and Work
Becky Kennedy, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, founder of the parenting platform Good Inside, and a social media creator with over 3.5 million followers. Today on the show, she’s bringing us all the methods, strategies, and mindsets people can use to become sturdy leaders in their lives—whether that’s at home with their kids or at work with their teams. She shares how she approaches her calendar, why a “same team” mentality is helpful for navigating challenging situations, and her thoughts on the concept of weaponized incompetence.
May 21 · 29 min
Ego Nwodim on Finding Power in a “We Gonna See” Mentality
Ego Nwodim is an actor and comedian known for her seven-year tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, as well as projects like Mr. Throwback and Mindy Kaling’s Not Suitable for Work. On this episode, Nwodim discusses her time at SNL—including the casting process, why it felt like a really cool corporate job, and the deep friendships she formed with colleagues, including Heidi Gardner. Plus, she shares her online shopping method and why her motto when it comes to Solidcore is, “But did you die?”
May 14 · 36 min
Poet Cleo Wade on Building Community, Beating Writer’s Block, and Not Caring What Other People Think
Cleo Wade is a poet, artist, and New York Times best-selling author whose latest book, In a World of Sunrises: 365 Days of Heart, Soul, and Hope, debuted this April. On this episode, Wade shares insight on what she's learned from her early career in fashion, the influence growing up in New Orleans had on her style, and how she’s navigated her money anxiety. Plus, she shares the one prompt she always uses when she doesn’t know what to write and her advice for anyone trying to build community and make friends as an adult.
May 7 · 43 min
WNBA Stars Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen on the Future of Women’s Sports and the Importance of the Mental Game
Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen are two of the WNBA’s brightest young stars. Today on the show, they each sit down with Nikki to discuss how they’re preparing for the upcoming season, the future of the league, and why they view the mental game of basketball to be just as important as their physical training. Jackson also lets us in on how she creates and styles her tunnel outfits, and Iriafen shares what it was like guarding Brittney Griner in her first two games as a rookie. Plus, they both discuss what partnering with Skechers—a new official sponsor of the WNBA—means to them. Note: this episode was recorded prior to the 2026 WNBA draft deadline so while we mention Rickea Jackson is a player for the Los Angeles Sparks, she will be playing for the Chicago Sky this coming season.

Showing 1–20 of 27 episodes