Nikki founded The Brand Lion after having worked at the top agencies in Bermuda and Jamaica and returning home to a market place with limited offerings for creative leads. The Brand Lion is a communications-centred agency that sinks its teeth into strategic brand development, marketing, public relations and advertising. An award-winning Creative Director whose enthusiasm, thick-skin and fresh ideas are key components in her marketing arsenal, Nikki has a thorough understanding of the local landscape while staying abreast of international design trends. Nikki has also spent much of her career mentoring young creatives – who have gone on to work in the local and international marketing landscape. When she’s not Brand Lion-ing… she’s mommy-ing a smart, funny, unicornical three year old named Logan.

 

1. What is your favourite Bermudian tradition?
I have two…
1) Burning trash in your backyard (before permits) Was it unhealthy for the burnee and harmed the ozone layer? Possibly – but it brings back warm and fuzzy memories of my childhood and my grandfather more specifically.
2) School without air conditioners – these kids don’t realise how lucky they have it. Recess games followed up with lunch play was touch and go with the smells and don’t throw in mid morning P.E… forget about it, pulling the windows up could never be enough – whole classroom smelling like a warm gym sock.

 

2. Where is the best place for a fish sandwich?
You know something – I am not too fussed about fish sandwiches, my mom never liked preparing fish because of the smell so I had limited fish in my childhood diet which has carried over to adulthood, but, if I was being forced into choosing, I am still a Spicy Dicey type of gal… for all you local fish purists out there swai need love too.

 

3. Where is the best place for sushi?
Hands down The Wok in Southampton – nothing says authentic Japanese more than a roadside sushi restaurant that lets you order fries and a pack of cigarettes at the same time.

 

4. What’s the most Instagram-worthy place in Bermuda?
Lol lord these children and the technology… this question makes me feel old. Next.

 

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Business: Pay yourself first.
Personal: Put the oxygen mask on yourself first… who knew the FAA doubled as wellness gurus.

 

6. What do you like most about yourself?
That I am privileged enough to be Logan Grae’s mommy.

 

7. What do you like least about yourself?
My inability to shut down…

 

8. What keeps you up at night?
What will my next business idea be…

 

9. What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome?
Giving birth, thankfully the fate of the world’s population was not left in my hands. It would have been a very short world.

 

10. What’s your favourite thing to do on Sunday?
So 3 years BK (before kids) my favorite thing to do was sleep: now if I can manage to wash, fold and put away all the laundry on a Sunday – I call that winning.

 

11. How long have you been in Bermuda?
This time around, five years, but before that I was living and working in Kingston, Jamaica as a Creative Director. I am quite nomadic by nature.

 

12. What’s your favourite beach?
Any one that I can either come out of the sea without sea lice or walk into the water without a 6ft drop.

 

13. What was your first job ever?
Market Place as a packer and then a cashier… before the stools – #OG.

 

15. Who was/is the most influential person in your life?

Living: My daughter – she is the teacher that I never knew I needed.
Past: My grandmother was a pretty cool chick who made avocado sandwiches for me donkey’s years ago – after school before Instagram said it was on trend.

 

16. What’s in your wallet right now?
Dust bunnies, a Trimingham’s card (hoarder tendencies), Jamaica coins, my credit cards and about 3 HSBC tokens.

 

17. Do you ever get island fever?
Not like I used to, but yeah I still get it from time to time —  and when I do I leave for at least a month at a time.

 

18. What’s your favourite thing in your office?
Tie between my mom paperweight that Zina gave me and our magical blackboard.

 

19. What’s your favourite thing at home?
Sooooo many I made it a point to feel like I was coming home to a vacation when I styled my home, so it’s hard to narrow down but my bathroom is a pretty cool place to hang out… if I still had time for baths.

 

20. Loquat or Bermuda banana?
Loquat – only because they are less common so it feels like a little piece of ‘special’ when I eat them.

 

21. St George’s or Somerset?
I don’t go to Cupmatch, understand cricket or watch the highlights on TV, so I guess I will say Warwick.

 

22. Cricket or football?
Sports weren’t very high on my growing up itinerary, I can actually fall asleep on command at either. #endlesstalents

 

23. What are you reading right now?
Make your kid a Money Genius by Beth Kobliner… cuz yeah, why wouldn’t you?

 

24. What podcast are you listening to right now?
Just found some new podcasts that are on obsession right now on my two fave topics:
“Criminal” – True Crime genre
“Welcome to Night Vale” – Conspiracy genre

 

25. What is your guilty pleasure?
Herr’s Hot Cheese Curls – probably have an ulcer by now but it’s totally worth it.

 

26. What is your biggest phobia?
Flying – actually let’s be clear – Crashing, my phobia is crashing.