MOJO Maker

You can’t help but get swept up Nikki Fogden-Moore’s enthusiasm and zest for life when you meet her so it’s no wonder her clients have dubbed her ‘The Mojo Maker’. John Caruso caught up with the global author, podcaster and speaker from her home in Yaroomba.

In the quiet space outdoors by her pool, navigating past her brightly coloured skateboard and the family dog who is all bark and no bite, I sit down with the woman dubbed “The Mojo Maker”, Nikki Fogden-Moore.

Nikki is what you’d call a business and life coach, however the term isn’t mentioned during our chat, I imagine she offers so much more with her clients that there may not be an apt title to succinctly describe her brand of coaching.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more authentic, and more discerning in terms of who I coach and how I coach because it’s a huge responsibility when you start working with someone on all areas of their life,” she says.

The Mojo Maker has run retreats for more than 20 years with people from many different walks of life and different industry sectors, however the kind of person was always the same she said.

“My clients tend to be visionaries, someone who applies themselves and works hard creating the life they want,” Nikki said. “There’s a level of intellect and curiosity with them, and they come to see me because they might be overwhelmed and burnt out. There’s a need for a new approach, a ‘next level’ to be unlocked, personally and professionally.

“All these people have great hearts with a different perspective to everybody else and they’ve never been followers, they’ve been founders and pioneers.

“I take people out of that overwhelmed environment and provide a different trajectory for them. We can over goal-set, and it becomes a very functional, over demanding and exhausting exercise. I try to create a state of zero gravity flow.”

Although her work includes coaching and empowering women, Nikki feels it’s also time to lift men up.

“A lot of the men I work with don’t have a garage or a tool shed anymore,” she said. “We’re not passing on generational instincts of building things with our hands and expanding our minds through conversation.

“We had a much-needed shift to equality, values and respect however I feel that men don’t know where to position themselves anymore.

“Traditional values don’t need to be eradicated, if they make someone feel strong and valued then who are we to say they can’t contribute in that way.

“Wonderful individualism builds great relationships and whether that’s in the workplace or at home we need people to be grounded within themselves.

“I’m all for relationships that are built on amplification over relationships that try to divide and conquer.

“There’s place for both traditional genders and non-traditional, and it’s time for us to create space and room for true equality where everybody can be heard. Great women lift men up.”

To support men and women on this journey Nikki’s Boardroom Retreats founded over a decade ago, have limited places and are a chance to meet likeminded leaders. This year I will be running my 10th Annual Legacy Lunch and this one is just dedicated to men who lead in life in all industries.

“It’s a place where you can let your thoughts settle, reignite with vision and creativity and be around like-minded people. No idea is too big or too crazy and we talk about the stress that comes with running a large business or building a family,” she says.

“Men suppress a lot of their concerns, and they carry a lot of weight on their shoulders because they don’t want to complain and they internalise self-doubt, fear and shame. Creating a space for these conversations to take place and allowing leaders to shine is my priority.”

‘The man break, without the hand brake’ is a popular line Nikki drops when she’s working with a group of blokes.

“In the same way that women gather in women-only groups, it’s important for men to do the same, because in these groups we talk differently to when the group is mixed,” she says. “There’s a safety and integrity in the group and the discussions are not about blaming anyone, it’s simply a space where men can learn to be vulnerable, and they can discuss how hard it is to navigate this current landscape.”

The Boat Boardroom is a trademarked name and runs as a special signature series for male clients.

“SCF Australia, based on the Sunshine Coast, is an environmental conservation organisation dedicated to sustainable fishing,” she said. “They partnered with Sea Fox Boats Australia, and I jumped onboard because I love fishing, and we take people out to fish and we talk about all kinds of things, from ocean sustainability to business sustainability, on-boarding and off-boarding staff, business breakups, legacies and wills.

“All the meat on the bones about running a business that people don’t tell you about until you’re knee deep in it. So we take it away from the four walls of a boardroom and take it way out to sea and then we have a great cook up with what we’ve caught that day,” Nikki explains.

The Legacy Lunch is being held at Bask Eumundi on 1 July at 12:30pm and it’s at this event that you’ll be able to discover more about the the Boat Boardroom and hear from a panel of local men in leadership.

“Jack and Jess run Bask Eumundi and Jack has created a beautiful bespoke menu for the event all based around primitive man’s concept of hunting, gathering and creating,” she said. “The event is specifically for men, focusing on leadership, mateship and legacy and our favourite local brewery Heads of Noosa has got something special planned with the beer they’re going to provide.

“The term ‘Legacy’ means many things but also refers to a rite of passage between fathers and sons. What does being ‘grown up’ really mean? What values are important to you? How do you want to treat women? We need to provide tools so that the future generation feel like they’re enough, and they require follow through from the lessons learned from our parents.”

I hit ‘stop’ on the recorder, say my goodbyes and drive home again, in deep thought about what Nikki said, pondering the relationship I had with my dad and the one I’m creating with my own son.

Legacy Lunch

Grab your mates and enjoy a hearty three-course feast created by Bask Eumundi’s owner and chef Jack Madden and expertly paired with matching wines or beer from Heads of Noosa. Relax while Nikki shares her formula for sustainable success.

Scan the QR Code to book.

Friday 1 July, 12noon

Bask Eumundi, 4/101 Memorial Dve

Tickets: $125 limited to 30 seats! BOOK NOW!

Experience exceptional strategy sessions, local chefs, and Noosa’s top accommodation using nature as our boardroom. Select 1, 3 and 5 day retreats. These retreats feature a special collaboration with SCF Australia and Seafox Boats Australia.