Fill your cup. Lead from overflow.

Hi, I'm Nikki Parker.

For years I watched capable, caring people run themselves dry pouring into everyone else. I did it too. Somewhere along the way I realized happiness isn't the reward waiting at the end of all that pouring — it's the fuel that has to come first.

That idea became The Happiness Formula: a simple, research-backed way to stop running on empty and start leading from overflow. Today I speak, write, and coach on what it actually looks like to fill your own cup first — so what spills into your work, relationships, and community comes from abundance, not exhaustion.

By day, I'm a people-first HR executive with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations build strong cultures, develop confident leaders, and create systems that actually work for real humans. I currently serve as Assistant Chief Human Resources Officer at Tulsa Community College, where I help lead enterprise-wide HR strategy, culture initiatives, talent transformation, and leadership development — work that lives at the intersection of people, process, and purpose.

On stage, I'm known for blending truth, warmth, humor, and practical insight. I create spaces where people feel safe enough to be honest, brave enough to grow, and empowered enough to take ownership of their experience at work and in life. My leadership values are simple: integrity, courage, growth, and happiness. I believe culture is built in the small moments, leadership is a daily practice, and joy is not optional — even in high-performing environments.

I'm also the founder of Bamboo Szn, an HR consulting and speaking brand focused on helping people and organizations work better, lead healthier, and build lives they actually enjoy. If you care about culture, leadership, or redefining success in a way that doesn't cost you your peace — you're in the right place. Let's build something meaningful.