Four Inane Questions with happiness coach Lisa Nickel

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Nickel

Certified life coach Lisa Nickel is a happiness specialist. What the hell is that, you ask? Nickel has spent years researching how happiness works and why it’s integral to personal development.

If you’ve lost your motivational mojo or your orb of optimism, Nickel says she’s here to help. “I work with one-on-one coaching clients,” she says. “And I deliver keynotes and facilitate workshops for corporate and non-profit organizations looking to promote well-being, personal growth, and professional development.”

She tells us that clients come to her when they’re ready to get out of their own way. “I inspire audiences to take a journey—one that includes self-discovery, meaningful connections, and transformation,” she adds.

When she’s not imparting wisdom or spreading joy, Nickel is well-known in KC’s philanthropic circles, including having significant leadership roles with organizations like Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri.

An avid reader, Nickel says when she’s not working, she’s spending time with her husband tackling their annual Better Together list. “Oh, and wishing my three grown sons would call home more often!” she jokes. 

We caught up with Nickel in-between sessions to cajole her into answering our quippy questionnaire. Trust us, we left with a smile on our face. Bless. 

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Nickel

The Pitch: You’re forced to sing a karaoke song without the lyrics. What pop song could you do completely from memory?

Lisa Nickel: Can Happy Birthday be considered a pop song? Besides the alphabet song, that’s the only one that I am completely confident that I wouldn’t butcher the lyrics. I am notorious for singing—loudly and robustly—the wrong words to songs and then being absolutely amazed when I learn what the real lyrics are. Wait? It’s “smoooooke on the water” and not “sloooooow motion rider?” Are you sure? 

And don’t even get me started with the made-up nonsense I’ve created for “Sunglasses at Night!” I mean, seriously, does anyone really know what those words are?

In your humble opinion, who’s the happiest celebrity alive today? 

As a happiness coach, I must seriously say that you cannot judge how happy a person is by what you observe. However, if I had to pick someone, I would choose Ilona Maher—U.S.A. Rugby Olympic bronze medalist. 

She embodies many of the important characteristics of happy people: She’s living in the moment and expressing gratitude for her experiences and relationships. She has set important goals and is challenging herself to reach them and celebrating when she does. She uses her platform to address social issues like body positivity and that adds meaning and purpose to her life. And, she’s vulnerable about her feelings and has tools to change her mindset when she needs more positivity. Way to go Ilona!

You can pick any behind-the-scenes role on a movie set. What are ya choosin’? 

Casting director! I like to put together teams and bring together a mix of personalities, skills, and experiences. I would enjoy learning about the characters, their motivations, and desires, and then try to match them up with actors who could portray those qualities. 

As a coach, I’m interested in the inner workings of humans, and this would give me a chance to explore that more fully. Or, if I had the skills, I might also be a make-up artist or hairstylist so that I could spend time one-on-one with actors and ask them questions. It would be just like a coaching session, but with a make-up brush in my hand.

What’s your all-time favorite TV game show? 

My mind immediately went to Match Game with Gene Rayburn from my youth. There was such a fun camaraderie among the panel of celebrities, and they seemed to really enjoy each other’s company. 

It’s an easy game to play so I felt smart and clever. (Looking at you, Jeopardy.) Plus, was there anything cooler than that long lollipop microphone? Iconic! I think I used to carry a baton around as a kid and pretend it was Gene’s microphone to look cool.

Bonus 5th Question: Describe—in detail—your evil twin. 

I liken myself to an overly friendly Golden Retriever so I think my evil twin would be a super chic, hard-nosed, dismissive Doberman Pinscher. I can imagine that she is so focused on her personal success that she ruthlessly uses people, leaving a path of destruction and heartbreak wherever she goes. 

She has a sharp tongue and a nasty negative streak—always on the lookout for the doomsday that is sure to happen. Oh, she’s a mean one!