Episode 351
Career Conversations with Dani Nichols
Dani Nichols is a journalist, essayist and children’s book author. Her book, Buzz the Not-So-Brave, has won several awards. Her essays are also award-winning and she has been published in The Other Journal, Oregon Humanities, Reckon Review, Barren Magazine and more. When she's not writing, Dani works a certified therapeutic horsemanship instructor. Dani lives with her husband and three young children in Central Oregon, where she's either trying a new recipe, reading a good book, riding her horse or chasing her kids from here to kingdom come.
Social media links
instagram.com/buzzthenotsobrave
Link to website
Primary Topic: Introduction and Background
- Introduction of guest Dani Nichols
- Discussion of her work as an adaptive horsemanship instructor and author
- Her transition from journalism to working with horses
Primary Topic: Understanding Introversion
- Dani's definition of introversion as being comfortable with oneself and relying on internal guidance
- The importance of self-validation and self-directed decision-making for introverts
- Connecting introversion to Dani's career path and personal experiences
Primary Topic: Work and Career Journey
- Dani's career journey, from studying journalism to working in publishing, to becoming a horsemanship instructor and author
- The unexpected intersection of Dani's journalism background with her love for horses
- Discussing misconceptions about the journalism field and horsemanship work
Primary Topic: Writing and Authorship
- The journey of writing a children’s book about horses and therapeutic benefits
- Insight into Dani's writing process and collaboration with editors and illustrators
- The impact of becoming a mother on Dani's confidence in sharing her own stories
Primary Topic: Self-Promotion and Authenticity
- Balancing self-promotion with authenticity for introverted individuals
- Discussing the importance of finding promotional methods that align with personal values and strengths
- The impact of being true to oneself in promotional efforts
Primary Topic: Work-Life Balance
- Emphasizing the importance of part-time work and setting boundaries
- The value of sustainability and avoiding burnout in career and personal life
- Identifying favorite activities for recharging, including spending time with horses and reading
Transcript
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Traveling introvert career conversations. Today, I have Dani Nichols on board to talk about, you know, stuff and things. Hi, Nick. Hi, Dani. How are you today?
Dani Nichols [:Hi. I'm great. I'm so glad to be here. I was like, Nichols.
Janice Chaka [:I'm like, no. Not Nichols. Alright. So, Thank you for joining me.
Dani Nichols [:Yeah.
Janice Chaka [:It's gonna be one of those episodes. So my first question that I ask to everyone is, what does introversion mean to you?
Dani Nichols [:I think that it means, that you're comfortable With yourself and your own sort of internal guide and compass, not that Introvert's art, but that you sort of maybe check-in with yourself before you check-in with other people, that you're more, Kind of settled within yourself perhaps or that you sort of come back to yourself as the first sort of, place to go if you're if you're confused or looking for direction rather than going to other people or looking to other people for validation, I should say.
Janice Chaka [:Yep. Okay. Great. Thank you. So can you tell me a little bit about the work that you do right now?
Dani Nichols [: y job in publishing when, the: Dani Nichols [:So I get to teach people about horses and kind of give people the therapeutic benefits of horses. And then I also just wrote a kid's book about the therapeutic benefits Of course. So it's really kind of full circle.
Janice Chaka [:That is wonderful. And I guess with, You know, you you said you went to gen went to college for journalism. Did you think that you'd end up marrying the horses and the journalism thing together?
Dani Nichols [:You know, it's funny. I didn't at the time. I dreamed of going to New York or LA and, you know, Doing a big city journalism career. In fact, my 1st job in journalism was at the LA Times. So I really thought that that was gonna be my path. But when I look back at the stuff that I was writing in college and post college, anything that was not a set assignment for some kind of story was about horses. It was about ranching. It was about horses.
Dani Nichols [:It was about all that lifestyle. And so I think it was always something that was in the back of my mind that I knew I probably you know, I guess, my internal compass knew I would come back to it whether I did or not.
Janice Chaka [:Just keep nudging you every time. So, can you tell me, journalism. Can you tell us some misconceptions people people might have about journalism?
Dani Nichols [:Yeah. I mean, coming back to your topic about introversion, I think a lot of people assume The journalists have to be extroverted. They have to be very, you know, brave and, you know, sure of themselves, Never shy or anything like that. And most of the journalists that I've known over the years are tend to be quiet, tend to be more introverted, but that doesn't mean that we can't still be courageous and still ask those tough questions and still, you know, be at home in any environment. I think one of the hallmarks of journalism is a sense of curiosity. And, and so it's not about knowing everything or being Completely competent and everything. It's being willing to have an open mind and ask good questions and, you know, kind of that that sense of The world is much more interesting than we give it credit for. Right? There's always multiple sides to every story.
Janice Chaka [:Yeah. That is so true. And so What about some misconceptions people might have, about the other role that you do with the horses?
Dani Nichols [:I think a lot of times it it in some ways, it's kinda similar actually. I think people think that you have to be, really athletic or or brave to be with horses, you know. And, of course, that, you know, horses are a sport. So, that's a piece of it, but, You know, I help people with all levels of abilities. You know, people who have all kinds of different Challenges in their lives ride horses. Horses are available to all of us no matter how capable we think we are or, you know, our cognitive abilities, our physical abilities, it really doesn't matter. Like, horses will be there for us, and I think, you know, if more people were willing to kind of just Give it a try. I think they'd be surprised, and that was that's what my book is about.
Dani Nichols [:It's about being courageous even when you feel small or scared that, that there's always somebody there who can help. You know?
Janice Chaka [:Is there a reason why you wrote a children's book?
Dani Nichols [:Yeah. Yeah. It's called Buzz the Not So Brave, and it's a an embellished True story about my quarter horse, Buzz. He really is not so brave. And so in my story, he sees all these terrifying things on the ranch. He thinks he sees a snake. He thinks he sees a ghost. He thinks he sees a bear.
Dani Nichols [:And in real reality, those things are just everyday items. The ghost is really just a tarp, and the snake is really just a garden hose. And so it's at the end of the book, he helps me work some cows, which he actually has done. Yeah. And it's about How if we can support each other, if I can tell him, I believe in you, Buzz. We can do this together. One of the lines in my book is Together, we can go from not so brave to brave, just like Buzz. And so it's kind of helping kids understand even even though horses are so much bigger than us, Lot of times they have the same fears that we do.
Dani Nichols [:And if we work together, we show some compassion, we can have courage.
Janice Chaka [:Yeah. I definitely get that, like, yeah, the horse is big, especially to children, of course. I mean, there are smaller horses, but still, horses are are huge.
Dani Nichols [:Yes. Yeah.
Janice Chaka [:And it probably doesn't help that we don't measure them the same way. Like, oh, is the horse, like, 5 foot 2? No. It's, like, however many hands it is, and so it's It's hard to and how big are your hands if you're a child? It's like a different yeah. It's a whole it's a whole thing. So with that That transition that you've been making and all the things that you're doing, is there something that you've consistently been doing that help improve, your business or your career as time has gone on.
Dani Nichols [:I think the biggest thing is, learning how to, promote myself in a way that feels authentic to who I am. You know, there's so much talk now about you have to do these certain things on social media. You have to be this certain kind of person. You have to, you know, Speak in a certain way or do these certain promotional things. And, I think for me, it's I'm I am a writer first. That has always been my first love, and so I have a Subsack newsletter that I love that I put out, you know, once or twice a month, and that's a really good fit for me. I don't have to The, you know, dancing on TikTok every day. That's just not my style.
Dani Nichols [: lost my job in publishing in: Dani Nichols [:I did website writing. I've done So many things in this world, of of publishing and and writing, and, it took me a long time to figure out that, like, I really could just write my stories. That that would be enough. That I didn't have to keep, you know, thinking that my stories weren't good enough. That I had to tell the stories of everyone else. And, you know, it really wasn't until the birth of my 2nd child that I realized, like, it's good enough for me to tell my stories. People actually wanna hear these stories, and so that was real freeing. You know? I think becoming a mom had a lot to do with that.
Janice Chaka [:Nice. That's great. And so That's stuff that you do regularly. Is there something that you say no to?
Dani Nichols [:Yes. Yeah. So I work I said, you know, I work as an adaptive horsemanship instructor, and I only work part time. I only work a day or 2 a week for the nonprofit, that Serves our community here for therapeutic horsemanship. We do, physical therapy and occupational therapy on horseback. We do mental health. There's so many things we can do. And I'm sure, you know, in the nonprofit world, sometimes that can be a black hole.
Dani Nichols [:There's just endless things that you could do. You can always give more. You can always do more. And I have learned that in order for me to be a good mom and a good writer and a good instructor, I have to be part time, so I only work a day or 2 a week. I help out when I can. If they need extra help, I'll try and show up, but I do say no Sometimes because it's just you can't do it all, and I find that it it's too easy to burn out, and I would rather have longevity than, you know, go hard and fast.
Janice Chaka [:Yes. Sustainability is key. And so with that in mind, what is your favorite way to recharge?
Dani Nichols [:Well, obviously, horses. I have 3 horses here at home. And so, I ride my horse. I spend time with My horses, just getting outside is huge for me. You know, even if it's just taking the kids for a walk down the road, that's huge. And, you know, like I said, I'm a writer. So, I I really enjoy a good book. I really enjoy good storytelling.
Dani Nichols [:So things like that, you know, good podcasts, good books, anything that's a good story is is a great recharge for me.
Janice Chaka [:Oh, and so with the horses you mentioned, Going out and riding them and taking care of them. Is that something you do all year round?
Dani Nichols [:Yes. It is. Yeah. Yeah. So, actually, next week, we're my family and I are going to Texas. I'm I'm up for a book award in Texas next week, And I had to go, try and find a house sitter. I was like, oh my gosh. We gotta get people here.
Dani Nichols [:So it's definitely a commitment. You need people to stay at the house, Take care of the horses every day, but it's worth it. It's worth it.
Janice Chaka [:Wow. Oh, yeah. Because they're on your property. You don't, like, put them in stables or anything. Oh, wow.
Dani Nichols [:Okay? Yes. No. They're here at home, which is great. I mean, they're I joke that we have horses in our backyard. So
Janice Chaka [:Really, it's awesome. And so with the work that you do, What are some of the things that people that bring people no. Okay. Let me rephrase that question. People come to you for for what they need to do. Other times that people have a misconception about what it's gonna the the situation is gonna be and what's gonna happen.
Dani Nichols [:Mhmm. Yeah. That happens a lot. I think a lot of times people think that, you know, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna sign up for this horsemanship class. I'm gonna do this thing, and then, you know, it's gonna be great, and I'm gonna be so good at doing horses. And then, like, I'm gonna be an expert, and I'm gonna go and I always have to remind people that this is a lifelong journey, that I have been riding horses most of my life. This is Something I'm obviously really passionate about, and I still feel like a learner. I still feel like, you know, I'm still going to clinics and and asking my friends like, hey.
Dani Nichols [:Can you watch me ride. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? I think it's you know, this is another place that horses and, and being a journalist, being a writer kind of Coincide because you're you never really arrive. You're always learning. You're always growing. You're always kind of, looking around the bend, what can I do differently? What can I do better? And so it's you know, I I have to remind people, don't don't be discouraged. If you feel like you're not getting it right away, I haven't got it yet either, so that's okay. Yeah.
Janice Chaka [:So many people want everything right now or to be perfect, and, Yeah. The expectations people have on themselves tend to be very high. Yeah. And so can you talk to me a little bit about your writing process?
Dani Nichols [:Yeah. So, usually, I start with an idea. Like, when I, wrote buzz the not so brave, I Started with this idea of our horses are so often afraid, and kids are often afraid. So, like, where's the overlap there? How can we teach kids that That they're they can support their horse and their horse can support them, that this doesn't have to be a battle, that it could actually be a partnership. So I kinda started with that. And then as I went through the editorial process, my editors, kinda chatted with me about, okay. We need to cut this down. We need you know, it was too long in the beginning for the age group I was writing And then, you know, we kinda had to work, and then I worked with my illustrator.
Dani Nichols [:Okay. What what images of this are working, and which ones are too hard to illustrate? Do we need to cut? So I think other people having input into your creative process is really important, at least it is for me. I'm an essayist as well. I do a lot of that kind of work and sending something to my writer's group or to a couple of trusted friends, my husband, to say, like, Is this working? Do you understand what I'm trying to say here? Because so often, you know, we're just communicating in a vacuum. And, so I've I really found that the the input of other people is really, really crucial.
Janice Chaka [:Yes. Not enough can be said for having a peer group for different things, and because people view things from their own lens and sometimes you Find out things you never would have thought about or oh, I didn't mean that, I meant this other thing, let me change it.
Dani Nichols [:Mhmm. Yeah. Absolutely.
Janice Chaka [:So, yeah, that's super interesting. So, surprise question time, and the surprise question is, in your opinion, is a hot dog a
Dani Nichols [:Bridge. That's a good one. I don't think of it as sandwich. No. I don't think so. Alright. You wanna give
Janice Chaka [:any more info on that, or you just wanna leave it at like, I don't think so?
Dani Nichols [:Well, here's the thing. I'm gluten free, so I don't eat it with bread. I just eat it on a plate with mustard and ketchup, which is, You know, that's how it should be, so that's kinda where I come down on it. Okay.
Janice Chaka [:But this this is good because I've had a vegetarian on. I've This is great. This is this is wonderful. 1 person point blank was like, I'm not answering that question. I'm like, okay. So, Can you let me know, not me, can you let the audience know, my wonderful audience, where they can find out more about you and the work that you do and the book. Please tell them about
Dani Nichols [:that. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. So my website is Wrangler Dani. That's w r a n g l e r d a n I, like a horse wrangler, wranglerdani.com. And you can find Buzz the Not So Brave. We're in quite a few independent bookstores.
Dani Nichols [:We're also on Amazon, or you can also buy it straight through my website. And I also have a really cute little Instagram account where I just post funny videos of Buzz because he's such a character. And that's at buzz the not so brave on Instagram. So you can get on there and you watch him. And every now and then, my kids make a little guest appearance. So That
Janice Chaka [:is wonderful. Thank you so very much for sharing everything that you do. It has been a delight speaking with you. This is Janice at thecareerintrovert.com, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week
