On The Road Again

Taking time out before my book’s pre-launch phase, with apologies to Willie Nelson.

Columbus, GA. By PghPhxNfk - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64345894

Or maybe I should quote The Waitresses and shout, “get this winter over with!” It started with illness and ended with illness. In between we had “the great heating crisis of 2026” during the two coldest weeks of the year.

We survived. And there was good news: a wonderful blurb for my book from economist Andrew Leigh, who penned How Economics Explains the World. Here is the full text:

Dear Nikki,

Thank you for sending me The Economy Always Gets Better. I’ve now read it and admired the combination of clarity and generosity that runs through the book.

What I found especially distinctive was the way you ground macro in lived experience: the Great Recession and post-pandemic inflation, as well as your own career and family story. Your discussion of disability, and of adapting professionally and intellectually in its wake, adds unusual depth to the book’s central message about resilience.

I also appreciated the discipline with which you strip the subject back to first principles: the “stuff” framework, the careful handling of inflation versus recession, and the refusal to overcomplicate where simplicity does more work.

Congratulations on a thoughtful and accessible book.

Kind regards,

Andrew Leigh

Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities & Treasury

Federal Member for Fenner, Parliament of Australia

I was flying after I read that. I hadn’t thought that resilience as a central theme of my book before.

I also recorded my first podcast on “Why Credit Limits Drop After Retirement (And How to Stop It)” for 720 Credit Score. 720 Credit Score is a non-profit that helps those who are coming back after bankruptcy.

You can find the video (about 15 minutes) here:

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We’ll be back recording a session on bankruptcy and how it affects GDP on March 5th. Stay tuned.

On the road to Columbus, GA, and points north and south

Putting winter behind us, we’re heading to Columbus, GA for a couple of nights. We’ve haven’t been even though it’s the third largest city in Georgia. I’ve planned a day to walk along the banks of the Chattahoochee River (aka the Hooch) and talk to a couple of independent booksellers.

Shooting the Hooch, or rafting down the Chattahoochee, is a popular summer activity in Atlanta, where the river is lazy.

Then on the 20th, it’s into Atlanta to celebrate our 44th anniversary. We won’t be rafting, though.

In April, we’ve got a short cruise planned to Cozumel. I’ve been longing to get back on the water. With my new knee, getting around should be a lot easier.

We’ll be on a Disney cruise so now Mark’s pondering whether we should book a meeting with a Disney princess. I say, “let’s stick to the grownup activities.”

An offer and a note on affordability

I also have an offer for you: Want to join me at a fun, free, author event?

“We get more done–and have more fun–when we write in community.”

I learned this from my friend, AJ Harper. She’s the author of Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives–Including Your Own and she’s helped hundreds of authors break through their barriers to turn out books people actually read, finish, love, and rave about.

For years, AJ has hosted a Writing Sprint Marathon twice a year, and the next one is coming up! It’s one of her free events that are open to the public–and it’s a total blast. Over the years, AJ’s participants have written more than 2 million words at these events!

This event is a “don’t miss” if you want to…

• Jump start your book or another long-form writing project

• Bang out some marketing or newsletter copy

• Stoke the fires for a new book idea

• Learn more about authorship and publishing

• Make a serious dent in your manuscript

• Meet or get ahead of your deadline

All writers of every level are welcome.

A writing sprint is a 25-minute block of time to focus solely on creating content. That means no answering emails, no replying to texts, no giving out doggie treats or answering the door. Five-minute breaks between sprints allow you to handle those pesky life tasks that often keep you from focused writing. String a series of sprints together and you get a marathon!

In between the sprints will be a Q&A with AJ, the opportunity for prizes, and the chance to connect with other authors. Registering will give you a private link that allows you to come and go as you please, or stay for the whole seven hours.

Here are the details:

Saturday, March 21st

9am-4pm ET (No need to stay for the duration)

FREE

Register using LINK

LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/aiEqnO_5S-SgJu_PihcYIA#/registration

While I’m there, I’ll be putting the finishing touches on a series of posts on affordability.

It’s not just a problem with prices; it’s a problem with income. Median incomes rose less than 3 percent from 2020 to 2025. I hope you’ll join me as I explore these important issues from an economic perspective.

Then it will be full steam ahead on book marketing. It’s off to the printer this week. Again, stay tuned.

As always, thanks for reading,