5 Questions with Nikki Schneider Millman ’08

Showcasing Value In Unexpected Ways

Current employer and position: Partner at At Large Agency (a marketing agency working with clients in the beauty, wellness, + fashion space) and VP of Community at HATCH. 
Degree and Major: B.A. Accounting
Affinity or Alliance: Alpha Phi

How did your Lehigh experience inform, help, or influence your life now?
College years are the segue into adulthood, so Lehigh shaped me into the person I am today. At Lehigh, I learned the importance of building relationships — real and authentic ones — as that is the key to having a fulfilling life personally and professionally. It taught me about independence and how it is important to love who you are.

On a professional level, it really helped to foster my work ethic. I had a lot of fun at Lehigh, but I also worked really hard. Everyone did. That work-life balance early on in my career was a really important foundation to have as I was navigating and figuring out what I wanted to do. I was willing to get my hands dirty and be scrappy in my first jobs, and that opened the doors to opportunities I didn’t even know existed.

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced since graduating?
After graduating with an accounting degree, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my professional life. That being said, I quickly realized that I did not want to practice as an accountant. It is tough to navigate the job landscape when you realize you don’t want to go down the path that 95% of your classmates are going down. Lehigh was doing an amazing job recruiting from top firms, but I felt the priority was to get your CPA and become a practicing accountant. This was prior to the start-up craze we live in today, so thinking outside the box was a bit more restricted than it is now. What I did know was that I loved business, and I wanted to gain any experience I could about owning and operating a business in NYC. I was lucky to secure two positions at start-ups. I was thrown right in and realized it was exactly where I wanted to be.

Years later, I asked my first boss why she hired me, and a big reason was because she loved that I had an accounting degree. It’s so important to understand how you can apply what you learned in college to what you do with your career. It doesn’t have to be so linear!

What excites you right now?
That I have finally built the confidence to advocate for myself and take on the life I want to live. I am loving my thirties and really proud of how far I have come personally and professionally. I am a new business owner! I’m a wife and a mom (to a two-and-a-half-year-old and one on the way)! It's a wildly exciting and sometimes daunting time with lots of changes, but I wouldn’t change anything. I feel really secure in who I am and that just feels good.

What advice would you give current Lehigh students?
Be curious and ask questions! You aren’t supposed to know everything. Learning from others is sometimes the best education you can get. And this doesn’t have to be with another degree or additional education. Be a sponge.

What keeps you connected to Lehigh?
My friends. I have made some of my best friends at Lehigh. I will forever be grateful to Lehigh for that and so much more.