Ep 113 - Finding Purpose Through Heartbreak w/ Nikki Shah, founder & CEO MyMuse Nikki’s backstory is an incredible example of reinvention and evolution. But it was in the heartbreak she experienced in her 30s that she found her purpose. A purpose that will ultimately become a game changer for so many. She is unstoppable, some people would see her life being full of tragedy, but she has turned every chapter of her life so far into something that has become a truly amazing story. She has an energy and presence that stops anyone in their tracks. Nikki grew up in the North of England, with her Kenyan parents and younger brother Vee. Nikki was bullied at school, for the colour of her skin, for her cultural background, and even bullied by a school teacher at the age of 9. At the age of 15 she moved (without her parents) to Florida to join an international tennis academy but then a major injury ended her dreams of a career on the tennis court. Nikki retrained as a physio and joined the Huddersfield Giants rugby league team. This was challenging in itself, even walking into a male rugby locker room for the first time was a shock after the days of all whites in a tennis club. After several years, Nikki moved to London where she set up her own practise concentrating on sports injuries. Following a trip to Australia to visit her best friend, she fell in love with the place and lifestyle and decided to make the bold move to complete her masters at the University of Sydney, another pond crossed. This then led to feeling that a career in physiotherapy was unsustainable forever, and she decided to move into the corporate space as a recruiter. During working in Sydney, her partner was diagnosed with cancer, Osteosarcoma, he was aged 30. What was to follow was years of working full-time while being his carer, his best friend, his side-kick. When Mike was diagnosed as terminal, Nikki found that the company she was working for found it hard to navigate, as did she. Searching for support and education for all involved, she found nothing, so she did what many passionate, driven person does, she decided that she would be the one to set up the help others needed. Nikki established MyMuse in Nov 2019 - a social impact business that bridges the gap for employers and employees going through cancer, a life altering illness or a carer journey. She delivers proactive solutions for when this happens in their workforce and how to support the individual as well as the rest of the team or even company. MyMuse has been the finalist to the Blackmores Women + Wellness awards and winner of The Hub Flexi Impact Program. LISTEN IN