The Power of Collaboration with Nikki & Nikki [PODCAST]

Paperless Lactation > Podcast > The Power of Collaboration with Nikki & Nikki [PODCAST]

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Ep 40 | The Power of Collaboration with Nikki & Nikki – Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah

“It’s like a switch comes on when someone really gives you confidence that you can accomplish anything. You start to believe in yourself. And it makes all the difference in the world.”

Do you know that kismet moment when you start talking to someone and the brimming over of idea-sharing makes you feel like you are on to something? 

Something that hasn’t been created yet and there is a big need for it in the world. Like you and this person can literally come together and give birth to something unique and extraordinary, just like the one-of-a-kind tiny humans with which we work.

That is exactly what happened when we met and decided to collaborate on LBC. 

Here’s the thing, we are not the only ones connecting with colleagues and germinating ideas that can help to create the IBCLC world in which we all want to live. That is why we were SO excited to welcome Nikki Greenaway, IBCLC, aka Nurse Nikki, and Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC, RLC – the dynamic duo that makes Nikki & Nikki – to our most recent podcast episode – The Power of Collaboration. Their collaboration grew from identifying gaps and disparities in the pathway system and a deep desire to demystify and open up the process for black and brown people who want to affect change in the breastfeeding world. 

Nikki Greenaway, aka Nurse Nikki, is a wife, mother of three, Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is one half of Nikki and Nikki Lactation Career Consultants where she assists black lactation specialists to register for the IBCLC exam.  In addition to co-founding the New Orleans Breastfeeding Center and Cafe au Lait Breastfeeding Circle for Families of Color, she is also the proud owner of a maternal-child health mobile clinic and a health consulting firm providing maternal-child health training and resources to community organizations.

Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC, RLC is an equity strategist, international board-certified lactation consultant, and maternal and child health advocate. Her life’s work is focused on advancing equity in the field of lactation. Nekisha authored the chapter titled Cultural Humility in the latest Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care. She acts as Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Lactation Education Resources, and consults organizations on creating and implementing strategies to better support marginalized communities. She is co-founder of Nikki & Nikki: Lactation Career Consultants, which is dedicated to equipping aspirants of color to sit the IBCLC exam. 

You will definitely want to carve out the time to listen and learn about how these two amazing IBCLCs balance their passions for bettering the world for all while putting family first, managing their private practices, and carving out time for themselves. Because if you’re anything like us when an idea starts to germinate, it can be hard to slow the train. Tune in and grow with us!

Listen now to discover:‌ ‌ 

  • How Nikki and Nikki first came to be (11:10)
  • Demystifying the process for others (16:10)
  • Using support to keep you on track and focused (20:18)
  • What they would change about the lactation industry (29:16)
  • The importance of serving while also being compensated (37:46)

“I want for every family to have access to safe spaces, and providers who respect and honor them as human beings. ”

Links and Resources

Highlights:‌ 

11:10 How Nikki and Nikki first came to be

16:10 Demystifying the process for others

20:18 Using support to keep you on track and focused 

29:16 What they would change about the lactation industry

37:46 The importance of serving while also being compensated

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas. Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City, and the creator of Paperless Lactation.

The Lactation Business Coaching podcast is produced by us and edited by Jillian Grover, who also writes our show notes. Our theme song is by Silas Wade.

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About the Author

Jillian Grover