Hello, and welcome to my parlor!

I’m Dr Nicola Nice.  By trade I’m known as a commercial sociologist, writer, and spirits entrepreneur, but by nature I’m simply a people watcher.  For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with human behavior. Even as a child, when taken to restaurants, I could never finish a full meal because I was far too busy observing the actions of other diners around me - why were they there, what were they eating and drinking, and importantly, who were they talking about?

When I grew up I was fortunate to turn this rather stalker-ish childhood trait into a bona fide career.  As a commercial sociologist for the past 25 years, I have made my living traveling all over world observing the how and why of consumption and analyzing the customs that guide our everyday social interactions. As a result, I have helped shape the communications and innovation strategies of many global brands, and as an entrepreneur have also brought my own products to the market (you can read more about my professional endeavors here).

Despite the great professional fulfillment of my personal curiosities, my fascination with hospitality rituals, the culture of food and drink, and history has only intensified during this time. Looking for a place to put all the thoughts and ideas, I wrote my first book, The Cocktail Parlor: How women brought the cocktail home, about the unrecognized role of women in the history and popularity of the cocktail over the last century and a half. Now, with The Hostess Diaries, my goal is continue the conversation with an open invitation and some freshly mixed beverages.