With over 4 decades of experience in three completely different industries, human potential expert and entrepreneur, Nikki Bush has wealth of knowledge both from personal experiences and through her work.
We caught up in an insightful conversation with Nikki at the JSE SheInvests conference in which she shared some life changing nuggets. On how our present selves meet the future, Nikki believes it’s what we do today that has direct impact on what we will be able to do in the future.
“We need to be able to set ourselves up and stack up the deck in our favor because no one else is going to do it for you. This means taking accountability and responsibility for your own wealth creation,” she said.
On creators who face the inevitable inconsistencies of their industry, Nikki’s advice is to put away some money monthly into investments that will grow over time.
“How much you save, interestingly you tend to earn enough to support it. Money requires leadership and direction. It’s begging for your direction so how are you going to direct your money? It’s money that supports when workflow dips and when you’re older and you wanna retire.”
On long term financial decisions and legacy planning, Nikki shared that she’s found that it’s easy for young people to think they’re invincible and they’ll live forever with no bad things happening to them. “The fact is life doesn’t work like that. I always tell young people to embrace every opportunity that comes their way. It takes a long time to work out your purpose and your bigger picture. Find out what makes your heart sink, find out what you’re good at, find out what the world is prepared to pay you for. It’s really a trial and error situation. There’s no perfect way to do this but you got to be brave enough to put yourself out there.”
“No experience is ever wasted, lost or forgotten. Varied experiences make you interesting. It’s how you package your story that makes you employable in the future. One thing young people forget to do is record their experiences. Yes on social media but also to make sure you’re capturing your stories because everyone needs a CV. What makes one person different from another is their human story. What you’ve experienced… Can you give examples of when you were innovative and creative? What’s your resilience like, how do you take charge of your learning journey?,” Bush added.
Nikki also shared some practical, powerful money habits Aboyne can adopt on a daily basis. “Designer coffee everyday or do you want to invest money that’ll look after you later on. It’s the discipline of the debit order, even if you start small. Make sure you invest in your skills… personally, professionally and financially. It’s your commitment to yourself that will give you the freedom which is an empowerment strategy to do whatever you want to do next,” she shared.
“If you’re competent in one area you can be competent in your finances. It’s about focus and application. Find a certified financial planner or people who’ve done it. What most women do t participate in is growth vehicles. Women tend to play safe putting cash in the bank but that doesn’t grow it very fast. Putting it in investment will make it grow and makes a world of a difference,” Nikki said in conclusion.
You can find out more about Nikki Bush here.
