I first had the opportunity to hear Vika Viktoria speak live at Providence, Rhode Island’s Business Innovation Factory (BIF) Summit in 2018. Vika, an LA based, award-winning storyteller and global speaker, delivered her talk, “Connecting People and Places Through Story-Telling.”

From the moment she began and said, “My name is Vika, and I talk to strangers,” I was hooked (click here to watch her talk). She went on to explain that she talks to strangers because she is “insatiously curious” about others. She believes in the power of curiosity to form connection and spark meaningful conversation. Her travels and talks with strangers all around the globe informed the creation of her own method, Curiosity First ℠.

In just a few weeks, Vika will be taking the virtual stage at Nexus to deliver a training, “The New Now: A Toolbox for Practical Wisdom During Chaos.” We stole a few minutes with her in advance of the workshop to pick her brain about curiosity, leadership and mindset. Take a look!

To begin, can you tell our readers a little bit about you and your background. Specifically, your journey from NYC ad sales executive to global storyteller?!

When we fled the Soviet Union and immigrated to America my parents instilled a reverence for hard work and excellence. Thanks to that very work ethic, I spent my twenties closing multi-million dollar media deals as “The Beyonce of Digital Media" (true story—that title was on my last business card!). On the outside it was very glamorous and I felt powerful dominating as the youngest female on majority male teams. On the inside, I was over worked and feeling little spiritual fulfillment.

I always knew I would leave media to go backpacking again, so I saved up every commission check for nearly seven years. I'm a big believer that in the absence of something's presence, you understand its value. So layer by layer, I took away all the things that made me, me in New York: flipping a near 180 on how I related to vanity, power, sexuality, gender, ego and money. Unraveling old stories to make room for the real identity underneath it all.

I embarked on a 28 month solo backpacing world tour in pursuit of perspective, studying with masters around the world.

Just as I was leaving NYC, I won a MOTH Storyslam and went on to compete at the MOTH GrandSlam. A woman found me on YouTube and asked me to speak at a festival in Costa Rica, and from there a whole new world of speaking opened up. From Panama to Germany, Tasmania to Tel Aviv, I spoke at conferences and taught leaders on “Hacking Human Connection,” “How Talking to Strangers Will Change Your Life,” “Reimagining Modern Manhood” and “The Power of Curiosity First” keynotes and workshops. Now based in LA with my family blocks away, I run my own advisory helping leaders and teams grow, tell better stories, and be curious first.

Recently, I launched my own show " The New Now: Live Talks with Vika" gathering the brightest minds to help us navigate forward with wisdom in these unique times. It’s been a wildly fulfilling ride, and I'm just getting started....

You spent years traveling and as you say, "talking to strangers." What fuels your innate curiosity and what you have learned in the process of traveling and talking to strangers? 

My mom (in a thick Ukrainian accent) says it best, “When Vika was a toddler and we went to beach on vacation, a very strange thing happened. People would save seat for us on the beach—this is not normal for Russian people. They called her 'funny' because she would sit their laps, eat with them, talk to them, make them laugh and then move on to the next strangers. She was absolutely fearless talking to strangers—and as her mother it was terrifying!"

I think every human being is more fascinating than the most beautiful painting; we are each living, breathing works of art. I imagine entire museums live in the confines of a stranger's mind. When there's a spontaneous and meaningful connection with a stranger, it’s like a private tour of the MoMA in the back of an uber, or on a plane, or at a coffee shop. It feels like magic; time and space stand still and you're both in awe of the depth of wisdom shared. Everything is more beautiful when its fleeting, and those moments of pure human connection are amongst some of the most gorgeous.

I believe everyone is a visiting professor in our lives if we're open and genuinely put-the-phone-down kind of curious. Some of the greatest lessons I've learned in leadership and life have come from those indelible moments with strangers. Curiosity has changed my life for the better in ways I can see, and in ways I'll never see. Above all, its given me faith in a more loving, engaged humanity. That's why I feel so passionate about sharing it forward, curiosity as a life philosophy is a game changer.

You have spoken all over the world on the power of curiosity, and have developed your Curiosity First℠ model. Can you tell us more about the framework and why you believe curiosity is so important to modern day leadership?

What's the source of any great idea, invention, or conversation? Curiosity. The systems thinker in me advocates for curiosity first because it is the source of truth—both in leadership and in creating anything lasting.

Krishnamurti—one of the most beloved philosophers of the 20th century—said that the highest form of enlightenment is observation. In my eyes, we must get curious in order to observe. Conscious leadership stems from conscious awareness which stems from deliberate curiosity. As children we are curious first, asking 40,000 questions from age 2-5 inextricably linking cognitive development to learning. As adults, we lose the fervor to explore the unknown and the valuable mental elasticity that an insatiable mind cultivates wanes with time. As leaders, every day we face a choice point: if we lead with curiosity first we set the tone for everyone to be open minded, collaborative, and creative. Innovation naturally follows. That's the power of curiosity first.

What have your talks with strangers across the globe taught you about both the challenges and opportunities that surround the leadership landscape? 

At the core, every human being universally has three needs: to feel seen, to be heard,and tto know their life/voice/presence matters. Most problems teams face stem from a lack of acknowledgement of one or all of those factors.

When I talk to strangers, I've learned that when I lead with deliberate curiosity first, active listening naturally follows and meaningful, trusting human connection is born. I've learned that tensions dissolve when we ask how people feel about a situation first, instead of jumping to the impact its had on the company. Curiosity is the big sister to Empathy, and cousin to Creativity. Leadership is born in the "family" traditions.

You will be speaking to Nexus in a few weeks on The New Now, and introducing strategies and frameworks for finding wisdom amongst chaos. What lessons or awakenings do you hope to leave with our attendees? What can they do to prepare their minds for this workshop?

Like the Campfire Rule, I aim to leave everyone better than how I found them. The lessons lie in the courage of your curiosity. I really believe the caliber of our lives depends on the caliber of our curiosity. The questions are the clues.

In this unprecedented time, what one question is screaming to be heard? The wisdom lies in the mindset; our suffering and our joy begin and end in the mind. To prepare, come with no expectations. Our conversation is an invitation: an exercise of re-imagining new narratives for a new reality—one that feels truer to who you are today. Bring joy. The joy of leaping into the unknown and thriving in uncertainty guided by a woman who has done it many times over.

Lastly, my style is imagination meets practical wisdom (I'm allergic to anything too woo-woo given my strict Ukrainian roots!). So prepare to laugh, to learn, to be emotionally intimate with all your feelings—they are all welcome, appreciated, and celebrated. They are our professors, after all.

BONUS: What is next for you? Anything exciting that you are cooking up that you want to share?

Yes! Two creative babies have been born from these unique times. The first is my own talk show, " The New Now: Live Talks with Vika" which aired live streaming last night with guest, NYT best selling author Adam Robinson. The second, is a curriculum and course I'm finishing up to share widely with corporations and leaders learning to navigate the new work from home landscape. Having lived through the transition myself, I'm keen to support people in navigating the sudden changes with peace, presence, and purpose.

To learn more about Vika’s work, click here to visit her website.

To register for the upcoming Nexus virtual event, taking place April 16+17, featuring Vika, click here. Please note, this event is for Nexus members only. To learn more about joining Nexus, click here.

Speaker Spotlight: Q&A with Vika Viktoria