Nikki Spoelstra is full of surprises far more profound on a sweltering summer afternoon at Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura.
But there’s something about dropping a J.D. Salinger quote into the conversation that transcends the unexpected. It’s a flash insight into someone who sees her future with clarity, who’s turning the page with intent.
“I’m a kind of paranoiac in reverse,” the Salinger line goes. “I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.”
The quote resonates with the host of “The Know with Nikki Spo” podcast.
“I think that’s what my next chapter is all about,” she says. “I choose to see the good in myself. Good in people. Good in the world around me. And that appears for me. It’s not to say life is not without struggle, but I’m still seeking the good. And the good is finding me.”
Though her last name will be familiar to fans of the Miami Heat and its highly respected head coach, don’t expect a courtside confessional. The recollections that Nikki shares, and the wisdom she’s gleaned from those episodes, speak instead to the Women of Influence that we honor in the September issue.
Women who enlighten. Who speak truth to power. Who can stand next to their triumphs and failures and appreciate the lessons inherent to both.
Women who inspire and empower.
Women like Kelly Gordon. The luxury yacht captain, a rarity in the male-dominated industry, continues to navigate uncharted waters with unfiltered candor in an effort to educate the next generation of boating professionals.
Women like Gabby B. The pop-music firecracker has overcome childhood experiences that left her with fractured self-esteem and at aesthetic odds with her Brazilian heritage. Today, she’s winning over fans around the world with her songs—and turning TikTok heads with her hip-shaking videos.
Asked about the name of her podcast, Nikki relays a sentiment to which all of us can relate. “The tagline of ‘The Know’ is that it’s not about knowing everything,” she says. “It’s about coming to know yourself.”
Lifestyle salutes all of the dynamic Women of Influence featured this month. Enjoy the issue.
Photography by Eduardo Schneider
Images: The editor with cover subject Nikki Spoelstra; the cover of Lifestyle’s September issue
