A Warning Before You Meet Nikki Milne
Nikki is warm, funny and incredibly generous, but don’t mistake that warmth for softness.
She notices everything.
She’ll know within about ten minutes whether you know your stuff, whether you’re exaggerating, whether you’re trying to impress her, and whether your actions actually match what you say.
She has very little patience for bullshit, unnecessary complexity, poor communication or people who need to be chased. If you tell her you’re going to do something, she expects you to do it.
She asks direct questions. Sometimes very direct questions. Not because she’s trying to make you uncomfortable, but because she genuinely doesn’t understand the point of dancing around something when everyone knows what the real issue is.
She thinks quickly. She’ll probably be three steps ahead of the conversation, and while you’re explaining the problem, she’s already mentally restructuring the solution.
She’s extremely commercially minded. She naturally sees the opportunity, the wasted money, the inefficient process, the positioning problem and the thing everyone else has somehow accepted as “just how it’s done”.
She has high standards, but the highest standards are probably the ones she holds herself to.
Don’t try to impress her with revenue, followers, titles or who you know. She’s much more interested in whether the business is actually profitable, whether you’re a decent person, whether you treat people well and whether you’ve built a life you actually enjoy.
She can be incredibly decisive, but underneath that she thinks deeply. She’ll replay conversations, question her own decisions and analyse things from six different angles before ultimately coming back to what her gut told her in the first place.
She’s fiercely independent. Help is welcome. Being controlled is not.
And she doesn’t particularly care for rules that exist simply because nobody has bothered questioning them.
She’s also much more sentimental than you might initially realise. Family, loyalty, freedom and the life she’s built matter enormously to her. Money matters too, but mostly because of what it represents: choice.
The biggest warning?
Don’t underestimate her because she’s friendly.
She can sit at a table laughing, talking about kids, houses, travel and completely ordinary life, while simultaneously clocking every dynamic in the room.
And if she believes in you, she’ll probably see what you’re capable of before you do.
But if you repeatedly show her who you are?
She’ll believe you.
And she won’t spend six months trying to convince herself otherwise.
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“What if I fall?
But Darling, what if you fly?”
I was once just like you
In 2006, at the age of 23, I embarked on a transformative journey, leaving behind the familiar and venturing to Perth. Teaming up with my parents, we took on the challenge of revitalizing a struggling hair and beauty salon in Subiaco. Those early days were tough, managing a team of 13 while facing the stark reality of a business on the brink. With a weekly rent of $1,000 looming over us, I learned the true meaning of resilience and the art of business survival. Yet, through sheer determination and a tireless work ethic, we turned the tide, and by 2014, the once-struggling salon had blossomed into a thriving establishment, paving the way for a successful sale.
But my journey was far from over. In 2015, driven by a deep-seated desire to shine a light on female entrepreneurship in Western Australia, I launched The Perth Collective on Instagram. The platform quickly gained traction, amassing over 40,000 followers in its inaugural year. Through workshops and events, I shared my insights and strategies, empowering small businesses to thrive in a competitive landscape.
The year 2017 marked a significant milestone with the inception of The Perth Collective PR. Our client roster grew rapidly, boasting luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Corseaire, Moët &Chandon, and Porsche. We orchestrated impactful media events and executed PR campaigns that delivered tangible results, establishing our agency as a frontrunner in the industry.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 presented a new set of challenges, prompting a shift in focus towards empowering small business owners through education. In May 2020, I launched nikkimilne.com, offering online courses designed to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses, attract customers, and establish industry authority. Within a year, over 1000 eager entrepreneurs joined our platform, eager to elevate their brands.
Today, The Perth Collective PR stands as a beacon of success, with clients such as Furaibo, The Aqua Resort, Dion For Brides, Archela and iconic events such as UnWinded Subiaco, Kariniji Experience, and Perth Boat Show gracing our portfolio. Our commitment to elevating businesses through strategic PR, social media, and marketing remains unwavering.
In my personal life, I am a proud mother to four beautiful children, and my husband serves as a dedicated career firefighter. Our family is the cornerstone of my strength and resilience, providing balance and grounding amidst the hustle and bustle of business life. While I am deeply passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs to create strong brands and increase their revenue, I also believe in the importance of maintaining a harmonious work-life balance. My mission is to help women break through their current income barriers, shatter limitations, and build million-dollar brands.
