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Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson
Ready Set Collaborate is a podcast with a wealth of knowledge on networking, collaboration, and partnership, unlocking the secrets to successful teamwork and Innovation. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a creative professional, or just someone who can understand the power of networking and collaboration. This podcast is your go-to resource. Join us as we explore the stories, strategies, and insights from experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who have experienced the magic of networking and collaboration to achieve successful results.
Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson
Cut the BS with Nichica Melton: Breaking Free from Distraction
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Nichica F Melton doesn't mince words when it comes to productivity: most of us are trapped by "bogus strategies" that keep us overwhelmed without delivering results. As a five-time published author, mother of six, and productivity coach, she's lived the struggle of drowning in obligations while putting on a brave face.
"Check on your strong friends," she says, "because they're the ones people always ask last if they need anything." That observation cuts to the heart of why so many high-achievers suffer silently under crushing workloads – they're masters at hiding their struggle behind a mask of competence.
In this energetic conversation with Wanda Pearson, Nichica breaks down her practical approach to reclaiming your time and energy. Her "three Ds" framework – Do it, Delegate it, or Discard it – offers a simple but powerful way to evaluate every demand on your time. This system proves especially challenging for micromanagers who struggle to release control, which Nishika identifies as a primary cause of overwhelm.
Beyond tactics, Nichica tackles the mindset shifts necessary for lasting change. She distinguishes between empowerment and enablement: "Empowering someone is reminding them who they are and what they can do beyond how they see themselves." True empowerment pushes people beyond their comfortable safety zones into "the deep" where their greatest potential waits to be unlocked.
On collaboration, Nichica offers a perspective that reframes how we think about working together: "The person who thinks that they will get where they need to be by themselves is delusional." The key is ensuring collaborations are mutually beneficial rather than parasitic, where one party gives while the other only takes.
Whether you're an entrepreneur or working a 9-to-5, Nichica's strategies work because they're customizable to your unique situation. Discover how to cut through the "bogus strategies" keeping you busy but unfulfilled, creating space for the work that truly matters.
Connect with Nichica Melton
website: nichica@mindingmybusiness.vip
Instagram: @nichicafmelton
Facebook: @nichicafmelton
Linkedln: @nichica
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Introduction to Ready Set Collaborate
Speaker 1Welcome to Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. This is where ideas spark, connections grow and collaborations fuse success. Tune in for inspiring stories, expert insights and game-changing conversations. Let's build, connect and thrive together. Remember collaboration is the key to success.
Speaker 2Welcome to the Ready Set Collaborate podcast with Wanda Pearson, where collaboration is the key to success. Today, I'm excited to introduce Nishika F Melton, a dynamic force of inspiration and empowerment. Nishika is a five-time published author. Wow, girl, you go ahead five times. Jeez. I'm going to catch up with you, nishika, including her powerful book Cut the BS. I'm assuming that. Oh, I like that Cut the BS. I don't even want to say what it is, but I know what it is. So simple strategies to unlock higher productivity. She is passionate about helping others break free from distraction, embrace discipline and reach their fullest potential. I love that. I love that you're doing that. So in this episode, we'll uncover how Nishika empowers people to take action, elevate productivity and transform obstacles into opportunities. Yes, that's the way to do it, nishika. So say hello to the audience and then I'm going to read your mind. We're going to get this party started.
Speaker 3All right, hello audience. My name is Nishika Melton and, as someone who was definitely plagued by being overwhelmed and overworked all the time, I was always depleted, no matter how late or whatever. I actually help high level achievers learn how to identify the unproductive hats that do not pay them, identify them and discard them, because overwhelm seeps in when we start stretching ourselves thin with the things that really don't benefit us, thin with the things that really don't benefit us. And so in my book Cut the BS, which that title trips, people up.
Speaker 3The BS actually stands for bogus strategies, yes, those things we keep doing, but they're actually not working. They're not relieving anything off of our shoulders and we're still overwhelmed and overworked. So that's why I wrote that book. And actually, miss Wanda, I'm about to have a collaboration book come out, so it will be six books.
Speaker 2Yes, ma'am Excited about that, I'm scared. Yes, that's a good number, that's a good number. So what does that BS stand for? Again, tell us what that stands for.
Speaker 3Bogus strategies.
Speaker 2Bogus strategy. You know what people were thinking when you said BS right.
Speaker 3Oh, I know, and the title grabs their attention.
The Story Behind "Cut the BS"
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, it really does. I love that. I love that you know that you're doing that. So well, let's tell. Let me tell you a little bit about Nishika, and I love the name Nishika. Your mom, what made her name? You Nishika? She just thought about it.
Speaker 3There's a story behind that too so my mom thought she was being creative by just switching some letters in another person's name that her and my dad were mutual friends with. However, I used to work for a retirement company helping people with their 401ks, and I had someone to call in from Israel and she asked me. She said are you Hebrew? I said not even close. She said do you know what your name means? I said my mom and dad just made it up. That's what our culture does. We're creative. She said do you know what your name means? I said my mom and dad just made it up. You know, that's what our culture does. We're creative. She said actually, your name is extremely common in Israel.
Speaker 3She said it's a Hebrew name. I said shut up.
Speaker 2Yes, it is.
Speaker 3It's a Hebrew name and it means kiss from God.
Speaker 2Wow, that's a blessing. You know, my maiden name is actually Abrams. So when I went for interviews so what do you think they said about me? Yeah, it was Abrams. They thought I was Jewish. I said no, I'm not even close.
Speaker 2I do have a lot of different things mixed in me, buddy. Okay, all right, girl, we can keep this going. We're going to have some fun here. So let me tell you a little bit about Nishika's bio here. Nishika F Milton is a dynamic force of inspiration and empowerment. With a bachelor's in communication studies and a master's in education administration, nishika's academic prowess is just the beginning. Did I say that right Prowess?
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Okay, I like that Prowess. As a five-time published author, including Cut the BS Seven Simple Strategies to Unlock Higher Productivity, she's Transforming Lives One Page at a Time. Nishika's influence spans ministry, entrepreneurship and real estate, where she ignites growth and prosperity. Whether speaking at events nationwide, parenting her six children with her husband six girls, I only had two, that was enough for me six children with her husband or coaching high-achieving professionals and entrepreneurs to success, nishika's passion shines through. She's a beacon of faith, resilience and unwavering dedication, guiding others on their journey to greatness.
Speaker 2Connect with Nishika at www. Mindingmybusiness VIP and embark on a transformative adventure today. And I tell you that is great. I'm really sick. That's a lot, but you know what I grew up with eight, so I was older, so I know how it is. But, no, what a blessing you are to be able to help that, and also entrepreneurs and everything that you do. But welcome to the Ready Set for Highcast with Wanda Pearson. Thank you so much. We're going to dive into this, nishika. So can you share a bit about your personal journey and what led you to write Cut the BS?
Speaker 3Yes, so I was working full time mom at that time, married to my first husband, and just, I've always been that person who was always trying to achieve. I really had to let go of that, that overachiever mentality, meaning that you have to do everything in order to be seen. But that was how I was raised and I had to let go of that. You don't have to do everything, you just have to do the right things, and so I was finding myself just drained all the way out, all the way out, just constantly depleted.
Speaker 3I was that person that I would look up the programs, all the high productivity gurus who said they could help you get organized and help you be more productive, but what I found was their programs did not work for my life and I was finding myself being even more stressed out, trying to do what they said to do, because I had three small children, all of them under five, that I had with me, and so I didn't find the customization that I needed.
Speaker 3And you know, when people are on the outside looking in, they don't really see or understand your struggle, because we can put that mask on and make it look all real, cute and perfect when you're actually drowning, and I was drowning and I didn't know how to ask for help because people really didn't believe. There's a saying out there that says something to the effect of check on your strong friends, because they're the ones that people always ask last if they need anything. And I was that strong friend. So, as I matured, as I matured, as I was tired of sinking, god just actually gave me the ideas. He said I've been telling you how to do this and you've actually been helping other people, but you didn't realize what you were doing. So I started writing, taking notes, implementing, and it was no longer a situation where my head was just above the water, because that's how a lot of people function.
Speaker 3And we get used to that and I came out of it. I came out of it and I put those strategies that will work, no matter even if you're not an entrepreneur, because I've had folks to buy the book who are clocking the nine to five and they're like, I've implemented your strategies on my job and it has caused me to be more productive and less stressed at my place of work not business, but work. So the strategies, they're universal.
Speaker 2That's awesome and that is so true Because I tell you I'd be on your classes sometime about the calendar, I am my kids. I don't babysit unless they're on my calendar. They know they got mad at me when I retired and they thought I was supposed to be a grandma. They're just supposed to be sitting home and babysitting grandkids.
Speaker 1I don't know, it don't work like that.
Productivity Killers and Simple Strategies
Speaker 2I said you got to get on my calendar. Like that. I said you got to get on my calendar. So I said I'm busy too. I got to keep myself going because looking at my father who was a regional sales manager, and when he retired he stopped thinking and he got Alzheimer's dementia. So I looked at him. I actually died right before I went to go visit him. I looked at him and I said I can't, I can't do that, I'm not going to retire. I was still young when I retired. I got to keep myself going and I can't do that, I'm not going to retire. I was still young when I retired. I got to keep myself going. And girl, did I keep myself going. I told you my husband has to say could I get on your calendar Because it's so important? All right, girl, we can talk about this. So you authored five books. What drives your writing and how has each one impacted your audience?
Speaker 3The first book that I wrote. It was called Breaking Free. My Purpose is Waiting on Me.
Speaker 3It was a way of me to tell about my struggles without telling my business because, it takes people through a journey of just self-reflection and if you do the exercises in the book, it makes you look inward. So it's not a book you can just read through and be like, oh, that was good. It's a book that you're supposed to use to work on you and to see what are the roadblocks, the walls that are getting in my way. What's the mindset that I get stuck on. That causes me to be stuck. So that was my first book and then I worked on some collaboration books with other people. So that got me. That got my toes wet in that arena working with other folks and doing contributing a chapter within their book, and so Cut the BS is actually my second solo book.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 3Okay is actually my second solo book, okay, okay. And then I've got my own collaboration book that I've been working on with five other authors who are also entrepreneurs, and that book and conference will be released. We're praying in October that everything will be done, and it's called Breaking Free the Making of an Entrepreneur. So they're all talking about what they went through to get to where they are now.
Speaker 2That's awesome. I would have loved to been in that book. That's so true. Your book offers seven simple strategies. Could you highlight a couple of that listeners can begin applying today?
Speaker 3Okay, Absolutely so. One of the quick strategies I would say is prioritizing, and that requires a lot of being able to self-reflect as well as being able to say no two letters.
Speaker 3It is so hard for people to say no because it's either they feel obligated to say yes or they're scared to say no. So with the prioritizing, I give the three Ds and it goes into more detail. There's actually a quadrant that you can use to weed things out in your head. You can use to weed things out in your head, but these are the three D's. You either do it, delegate it or discard it, and you know that you need to do it is 100%.
Speaker 2It has to be done now and it has to be done by you.
Speaker 3If that's the case, then you do it If it needs to be done the case, then you do it.
Speaker 3If it needs to be done but it doesn't have to 100% be done by you then you delegate it and then if it's something that, oh, it's a great idea, but you know what, I don't need to do it. It doesn't even need to be on my calendar right now. You can discard it. And discard it doesn't necessarily mean throw it in the trash, can. It can mean that you pass it on to another business owner that's not even in your camp, on your team, and you pass it on to them. What I found, wanda, is people who are micromanagers. They have a lot of issues with delegating and definitely have issues with discarding, and that's why they are overwhelmed and overworked. That's why I said it's got to be self-reflection, because if you are a micromanager, you got to tighten up that grip yeah that stuff off of your plate.
Speaker 3And then the second, which I preach no matter where I go, you need to have your calendar, and I teach my clients you have a digital and you have a paper calendar, because the digital you can set your reminders If your digital happens to go dead or you leave it. You've got your paper calendar that you're not losing your mind trying to remember what am I supposed to be doing right now. Those would be the two things prioritizing and getting your calendar in order.
Speaker 2That's awesome and they really make sense. Do it, delegate and discard the 3s. I love that. I love it Because, in fact, I talk about the four Cs Communication, compromise, consideration. God, how come I always forget that fourth one, but there's always another C Communication. I have my husband remember those two and it also goes for in your business and relationships.
Speaker 3Yes.
Speaker 2Communication compromise consideration and jesus christ, I just forgot that. The fourth word here, I tell you that's when you get crs right, oh, I'll come back to it, but yeah, but okay, it's gonna come back and say, yeah, one, how you forget that? What do you see as the biggest productivity killers in today's world?
Speaker 3Oh, the biggest. I don't know if the biggest has been identified yet, but I would say one of the biggest productivity killers is distractions, and there are many we can get distracted at home if you work from home, because as you're walking through your house, you see the laundry needs to get done, the kitchen needs to get cleaned up, you need to clean off your desk, and just that.
Speaker 3There's many distractions and then we can get ready to do our posts on Facebook. But before we do the posts, we start scrolling and what's supposed to take 10 minutes to post, we only have been on there for 30 minutes. Lord have mercy. That's what I would say would be the biggest productivity killer Distractions.
Speaker 2Yes, you must be talking about me, because I tell you. I said what was I doing, what did I? What was I doing? What did I say? Then I was going to be writing a note, or writing it, or getting something together. But you know, that is so true, oh my God. So how do people help? How do you help people push past excuses and stay consistent in their goals?
Speaker 3Oh, that's a good question. So I am the coach, that is, the queen of 20 questions. I'm straightforward and I'm honest and I also help you confess with your mouth what the problem or problems are.
Speaker 3When tasks aren't getting done because everybody has homework, everybody has things that they need to work on in order to implement these strategies. When tasks aren't getting done, then I'm coming with the questions, because I want you to ask yourself these questions. Problem with excuses is that we accept them ourselves. That's the problem. We're accepting them, and so I let my clients know up front. I don't accept my own excuses, I don't make them and I'm not going to accept yours. And it helps me wean out, because anybody who works with me has to be teachable.
Empowerment vs. Enabling
Speaker 3If you already have the answers, I can't help you. If you have rested in your excuses and they are your lifeline, then you need to come to me when you're ready to let them go. And we get confused between what's a valid reason and what's a legitimate excuse. It's an excuse and a lot of times it's really it's not a reason. Now, if you broke your leg, then no, you can't compete in the skiing competition because your leg is broke. That is not an excuse. But if you tell me my internet went out at my house, I couldn't get ABCD done. My question to you is do you, is there not a Starbucks or Panera that you could have gone to. Even grocery stores have Wi-Fi. Now you know what I'm saying your phone.
Speaker 3Right. Wi-fi now you know what I'm saying your phone Right. That's an excuse. In the mind it was justified, but the reality is you really didn't want to do the work. You accepted the hurdle that came your way instead of destroying the hurdle or moving past the hurdle because you didn't want to do the work to begin with. You tackle excuses by getting to the core. What's the core reason?
Speaker 2Yeah, and this is my next question, because you're known as the force of empowerment.
Speaker 3What does empowerment mean to you personally, empowering someone? And that is such a great question, because we think that empowering someone means that you go along with whatever they say or do, and that's not empowering, that's enabling. Empowering someone is reminding them who they are and what they can do beyond how they see themselves, Because I've witnessed people put themselves in the safe space, the space where they know they can accomplish, but they don't want to go out into the deep. Let me empower you to go out into the deep where the greatest part of you is going to be unlocked. Let me do that because you don't need me for the safety. You don't need that from me. You're already safe. I need to take you beyond that.
Collaboration and Mindset for Success
Speaker 2Awesome and that makes sense. It's really, and that's what I talk about as far as even like my coaching, empowering and educating. Let me empower you, but you got to get to that point and they got to actually believe in themselves to move forward. Collaboration is the theme of this podcast. How has collaboration fueled your own journey as an author and a speaker?
Speaker 3The person who thinks that they will get where they need to be by themselves is delusional. You cannot. You have to collaborate. And I don't think we realize how much we do collaborate just in our everyday life. When we hear that word, collaboration is oh my gosh, what is that? Let's break it down to the basic form. When your car gets on E or gets a little bit below half, you have to go collaborate with that gas station to get some gas in your car. When those groceries get low, you got to go collaborate with the grocery store to get your groceries. And the biggest collaboration of all is between you and your bank, Because if you're not doing the work you need to do to make the money you need to make, you're not going to get anything.
Speaker 2That's right.
Speaker 3Collaborating is part of our everyday life. We just don't recognize it. We do not recognize it. But you need the connection with the right people where you're partnering the other part of that. I've seen parasitic relationships which they want to call it collaboration, but it's not. One person is getting something, the other one's getting drained. That's not a collaboration, other one's getting drained. That's not a collaboration. When we collaborate, we're both getting something out of the connection, and that's it is critical. If you plan on going further, whatever pace, whatever level, you need to have somebody that can help you. Otherwise you're going to be working harder than what you need to.
Speaker 2And working harder, not smarter. There you go. That is true. So what role does mindset play in balancing productivity and personal fulfillment for you.
Speaker 3Mindset is everything, it is everything, and you have to have the right mindset in order to create and establish the vision that you have for yourself. I found it and I talked about this at the Ignite to Profits conference that I was a part of. There are too often, when we're growing up, people tell us who and what we should be, us who and what we should be. We're not really allowed the opportunity to develop and really see who we are. And because that is the case, especially with folks our age, there has to be the mindset that says I'm going to wash away all of that. I'm going to go down that journey of who I wanted to be, who I can be, and, regardless of what walls I hit, I know that I'm equipped and I have the coach with me whoever that coach is to help me identify the strategies that I need to tear those walls down or identify the door that's at the wall. All I got to do is walk through it because, again, it's about working smart and not working hard.
Speaker 3The mindset is everything, and if you're a person who constantly your first inclination is to be negative or to tear yourself down, we have to fix that first.
Speaker 2We have to work on that first Absolutely. It's about being positive about yourself, how you want to move forward. What is one productivity habit or discipline you practice daily that others could adapt to? I know it's a lot.
Speaker 3And there's stuff that I do that's just habitual. What you need to do. I talked about the calendar earlier. So at the beginning of your day, when you're eating your breakfast or you're making your coffee, check your calendar, see what's on there, see what has been changed, because we're in the world of Zoom and all these things and there could have been a calendar change where the person sent the invite or the notice, but you didn't see that because you haven't checked your email. But it will change automatically on your calendar. So at the beginning of your day, just go through what's taking place for today, focus on today so that you can have the mindset of who you need to connect with, remember what your priorities are and you'll be good to go.
Speaker 2Wow, I guess I'm doing the right thing. That's the first thing I checked. Okay, what do I got to do today on my calendar for today? We winded down and this is great. You got to come back on my podcast, girl. We got some. I got a lot more stuff to ask you here. When people reflect on your life's work, what legacy do you hope they remember most about? Nishika F Milton.
Speaker 3You asked some good questions, and I say that because Taria is always asking for a quote and I try to give a different quote and I try to give one that's original. And the last quote that I gave her was people are always trying to create paths and lanes, but I'm creating legacy, and what I want to be remembered is I was the person who not only talked about it, but I walked it, I lived it. That my life was not one that was just an Instagram showboat, hypocritical, whatever, but it's reality and it's what I'm showing you, and what I demonstrate is me, authentic, sometimes raw and unfiltered, but it's me to know that, as we are growing and becoming better, we still are going to have our hiccups, our hangups, our issues, but you live, you correct, you adjust and you keep going forward. That's the legacy I want to leave.
Speaker 2Wow, you got to make that an acronym, live, correct. What is it Live?
Speaker 3You live, you correct, you adjust, you go forward.
Speaker 2Okay, yeah, put that in the acronym as well. Okay, definitely, I have my acronym about PACE, protect, adjust. Oh yeah, and I meant to tell you my other one. My C was did I say commitment?
Speaker 3No.
Speaker 2That's what it was.
Speaker 3Commitment Okay.
Upcoming Conference and Final Thoughts
Speaker 2Yeah, that's what it was. It's a lot of C's, it's a lot of four C's, it could be five or six C's, but yeah, all of those here we actually winding down. Yeah, I love your name. Tell us what you got going the future. I know you got a conference coming up. Tell us about that.
Speaker 3Yes, if you can get to Greensboro, north Carolina, on September, the 27th, then you need to make sure that you register for the Minding my Business Conference. This is our second year doing the conference. We have some amazing speakers that are going to talk about MWBE certification. I've got a bank coming in who is small business, entrepreneurial friendly, retirement and insurance. I've got a person coming in who has had, I think, about five or six different businesses that have all failed except for the one they're in right now. They're going to come and be transparent about that's their story Panels, lunch, vendors, networking.
Speaker 3You need to be in the building. So you would want to go to mindingmybusinessvip Don't put dot com, because that's not me dot vip slash conference. And this year, because last year I charged. This year is free. So if you like free 99, you better get on the boat this year, because I'm gonna tell you right now let it it be known, heard and understood it ain't going to be free next year. It is not going to be free next year.
Speaker 3So, if you can get to Greensboro, get to this conference. And do you have to have a business to be a part? No, because the strategies and the words that are going to be provided are tools that you can use, no matter if you have a business or not. Go to the website mindingmybusinessip slash conference and register, and if you want to connect with me, I think the easiest thing to do would be to go to my website, mindingmybusinessvip, and on the website there is a link that will allow you to have a free ebook. It's downloaded. You download it right then. There's nothing I need to send you. You download it right then and you get my free ebook. As soon as you fill out the information and click download, it is yours.
Speaker 2Wow, that's awesome. I am so happy that you came on here and actually this is going to be out before. What you're giving me here is going to be in the show notes, so it will be before your conference, but let's hope people get to get your information before that. It will be in the show notes. As far as that, yes, I'm happy to have you here. Thank you for sharing your passion, your energy and wisdom with us today. Thank you.
Speaker 3It's been my pleasure.
Speaker 2Oh, absolutely Absolutely. And, like I said, you're going to have to come back on my show again because we've got a lot of stuff to talk about here. Your insights into productivity and empowerment remind us all that cutting the BS not the other word BS is about clearing the path to purpose. And to my listeners, remember collaboration is the key to success. Stay tuned for more inspiring people right here on Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. I want to make sure, because this is also going to be on YouTube make sure you subscribe and it's on every podcast platform. Make sure you like and follow it and share it, share it. It's free to share. Right, until next time, keep collaborating, keep producing and keep living with purpose. Thanks again, neshika, for being on my podcast.
Speaker 3Thank you.
Speaker 2Bye.
Speaker 1That wraps up another episode of Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. Bye.
