Last Updated on May 14, 2021
Nikki Starr Noce, M.D. graduated with a medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and has become a prominent transformational life Coach and conscious living influencer. As an influencer who is interested in healthy and organic products, Dr. Nikki Starr describes the ultimate prescription for a healthy, happy life is self-care, love and food as medicine. In 2014, Dr. Nikki was cast on the FOX show Utopia, a social experiment about creating a new society where they named Nikki #DrLove.
As an entrepreneur, Dr. Nikki has co-created a clothing brand which is committed to making a positive impact in the world while offering stylish comfort that inspires a love for life. You can learn more at drnikkistarr.com or check out the clothing line at ravela.us.
By the age of 25, you accomplished your dreams of becoming a doctor and traveling the world. What led you to pursue a more holistic approach as a transformational life coach and conscious living influencer?
It started happening naturally. It was like something I couldn’t avoid after traveling and seeing the world and see how other people live, it created this question. Like I was questioning everything. Was it right that I became a doctor, was this really good for me, was this what I really wanted, was this where my happiness was, was this in the best interest on people and patients because hen I was in clinics I could see that I was giving a stack of prescriptions and then people weren’t being “cured”. So I was like wait a minute, what’s happening here. And so because I wasn’t really feeling that satisfaction of like someone was not healed, or cured, or found the answer it caused me to seek more. So I started having this spiritual awakening and with that understanding how everything affects our healthy and our happiness.
It’s not like “oh I have a pain in my arm” it could even be because of depression or sadness or because. you’re not moving your body. So there was so many factors influencing why someone was going to see a doctor. And then I was seeing the limitations a doctor had to treat these things because you know, you have health insurance and you can only see people for so much time. And I really love time with people and really helpings them. And so being a coach I can have an hour session with someone, whereas when you’re a doctor it’s fifteen minutes in and out and so my passion for people and my passion for helping and supporting people in their journey organically led me to coaching. People were just contacting me and I never did any kind of training for that, like my medical school training was of course training.
Then in terms of being a conscious living influencer same thing it organically started happened to happen as I was shifting my life people were contacting me asking me questions. And then when you change the soap you use and then you’re mindful about the sheets that you sue and the clothes that you wear and where everything comes from, everything about our life becomes conscious.
As a very busy influencer who travels a lot, how do you structure your day?
So everyday I don’t know how it is. So it’s fun and exciting and sometimes it’s like “oh man am I going to have Wi-Fi at the time for that appointment”, even now I just flew back from Columbia. And even when I was there I was studying with a healer and I was like “okay I know on Saturday’s for sure I’ll make sure I have internet access all day” and I was still working with my monthly coaching clients and so it really becomes about being in flow while still managing a schedule and learning how to do that. I’m so thankful for technology and Wi-Fi and all of those things because it allow me and others to work from anywhere in the world. And so I do my best to honor wherever I am, like in person sessions and in person things and also dedicating my time to posting regularly on Instagram as well as having those moments for online sessions and such. So it’s interesting to say the least and it keeps things exciting because I never know really what my days will be like.
You’re an influencer, but also a business owner. Have you used influencer marketing to promote your clothing line?
We actually haven’t yet. We’ve done some more of our – I have an organic jumpsuit – organic cotton jumpsuit line that we are going to expand to actually all handmade goods made from natural materials. Even now when I was in Columbia I met this woman who makes these really awesome hand bags. So we are looking to maybe get a few little artisan items from different countries. And we have used our friends or people that have just kind of come across organically but it’s definitely something we’d consider as we are growing to reach out and use influencer marketing for sure.
What has been your favorite brand partnership to date?
I have liked working with, there’s like a few that are even just starting now so it’s hard to know cause like there’s always new ones coming in. But the one that comes to mind is I have liked working with daily harvest because there’s a lot of transparency. Like they – and like every time someone signs up you get a percentage of that and then they have a whole website that you can see the sales and how everything is doing. So I tend to like the ones where as people are signing up you are getting a percentage or an amount because then it shows how much you’re actually – you’re receiving for how much you’re influencing versus a one time post or for just product. And also it just becomes too much when it’s like just for products so I have found that the ones that give an incentive for every time someone posts and plus I love their products because it’s organic pre prepped food, like smoothies and things. I’m really all about healthy eating as well so they made a really great product there as well.
Many times, Influencers get requests from brands that are a little weird or unconventional. What is the weirdest or most interesting request you have received?
Usually, thankfully people are on point. I have gotten some active clothing wear that has been kind of like racy or like maybe made like I don’t even know where it’s made. Because I do my best like if I’m going to represent a clothing brand, that we know who makes it so it’s not coming from a sweatshop factory or something. And so I’ve gotten a few active wear ones where I would not wear those active clothes and even the models are like really curvy and I’m like “are they sure they want me. Are they sure they want me modeling this like my boobs are not really like that big” so it’s funny because they have maybe this maybe sexy model of choice and then they ask me and so I think it’s funny.
You described a happy life as a choice. For many influencer, especially ones just getting started, there can be a lot of stress involves when it comes to growing an audience and gaining exposure. Do you have any advice to offer influencers that can help them choose a happier life?
I think it’s always about posting what makes you happy or about what’s real and authentic in the moment. I think any time you think you have to be something like that could become so stressful. Whereas all of my posts are authentic to what I’m living in the moment or like if I wrote a quote a few days ago, because in my profile I do quote, image, quote, image, and I’m not feeling it in that moment I can’t post it because it’s like stressful to think about.
So I’d say just be yourself, be truly authentic, post what you love, what’s beautiful, and also be consistent. So when I really – when it was time to – when I was like okay i’m going to grow my following I posted every single day. Like I didn’t care how – even if I was feeling not so great then I would post something about that. So it was really honoring where I was and people could feel that.
People would say “I can feel your energy through the post, like I feel exactly what you’re talking about” and so I think people don’t realize that words are a transmission of energy. So whatever you’re sharing about if it’s not authentic people are going to feel that [and] if you’re just posting to post people are going to feel that. So when you’re authentic it’s easy because you’re just being yourself.
Andrew is the Head of Client Services for Intellifluence and has a background in communications. He is committed to helping brands get the most out of their campaigns and is the co-host of the Influencer Spotlight series.
