Nikki Cali is the founder of Wisdome, a seasoned product developer and designer, seamlessly transitioned into the tech world, driven by her passion for simplifying knowledge sharing online.
Let’s start with your background! Can you share with us your career journey and what you’re currently up to?
My career and passion for product development and interior design led me to create a membership business, teaching others to blend personal styles into beautiful havens. However, I noticed a lack of affordable, user-friendly tools for sharing knowledge when I was trying to create something I not only needed, but my members needed from me.
One lesson I learnt in my career journey was the importance of communicating and networking with peers and understanding my industry. By understanding people’s needs I could create the right products for the market. But this also allowed me to not only gauge the why, but when and importantly how we can solve solutions beyond their expectations when I was more aware of where our industry was heading etc.
I knew my own needs when I was planning to create my own membership and take on a new step in my career path, but again when I had a personal barrier show itself, I took that as an opportunity to find out if others felt the same.. And surprise surprise, my peers certainly had similar issues and with a light bulb moment, I decided to dive in further.
Existing systems were expensive, with limited features and hidden costs – not suitable for someone starting out or wanting to expand. After much research, my need to create my own solution drove me to bite the bullet and build a system for myself and others.Here Wisdome, an all-in-one content management system for online coaches, course creators and membership business owners was conceived.
Currently, I’m busy with marketing and guiding my team in rolling out new updates. Our goal is clear- to ensure Wisdome continues evolving in alignment with the ever-changing needs of our customers.
We’d love to know what a typical day is like for you. Could you describe a recent workday?
I guess it depends on our direction that month, however my routine includes planning, checking meetings and filling in the gaps with all the other hats that need to be worn for the day!
Usually though after planning my days do start with me checking in with my team. Our team is set remotely so we do schedule regular meetings to touch base as communication is so important.
In addition to these meetings, I touch on items in my plan and expand on them based on that month’s direction as we also host webinars that feature expert knowledge sharers, record episodes for our podcast with other knowledge sharers journeys. We continuously refer back to our goals for that month so many tasks throughout the day refer to what we are doing to achieve those goals.
My end of day task is checking in with both team again and users. This ensures that everyone remains aligned and that we work together toward achieving our shared goals, plus ensuring our users know we are present.
Can you define work-life balance for yourself and share with us your approach in maintaining it?
Work-life balance to me means creating harmony between my professional responsibilities and personal commitments. It also means being able to take care of my well-being. Something we feel strongly about in our team is fluidity.
We work to live, not live to work so sometimes things happen and we remain understanding at all times. Respecting each other’s lives and also each other’s tasks and what relies on the tasks, means whilst things may pop up we always try to see how we need to adjust to ensure we are not letting others down if that is the case. But first and foremost – if things can shift, we shift them.
One thing I always say is I make time, I don’t take time. With that time I make for myself will vary day to day. I dont stick to too much of a mental or physical schedule to look after myself. I tend to really just try and check in with myself and see how I’m feeling then narrate what I do for myself thereafter. This approach helps me remain physically and mentally fit, allowing me to be my best self in my work and personal life.
Change is constant, and it’s essential for growth. Have you made any lifestyle changes in the past year to improve your work-life balance?
Yes, I made several lifestyle changes to enhance my work-life balance. I used to do a lot of overtime and work on weekends. However, I realised I was only hurting my productivity by not resting enough and relaxing.
Now I set strict boundaries between work and personal time. I dedicate my evenings and weekends to my and my loves.
We’re always on the lookout for new resources! Can you recommend any books, podcasts, or newsletters that have helped you in your journey towards balance?
Absolutely! I’ve found several fantastic resources that have helped me on my journey toward balance.
Some of my favourites include:
Books:
Before we wrap up, do you have any final words of wisdom or insights on work, life, or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Remember to set boundaries between your personal and professional life. It’s best to take care of yourself because it’s the key to feeling recharged and remaining focused.
A quote I do appreciate:
“People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills. There is nowhere that person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. So constantly give yourself this retreat and renew yourself” – Marcus Aurelius
Don’t forget to strive for flexibility and learn to delegate tasks when necessary. Lastly, cherish the present moment. Achieving balance is an ongoing process of adjustments and self-discovery. Be kind to yourself as you navigate through life’s challenges.
