Nikol in her favorite aisle of the drug store.
Born in 1979, Nikol Hasler spent her childhood and adolescence in the foster care system, moving frequently. Because of this she was given the opportunity to experience a diverse variety of life perspectives. The upbringing itself was tumultuous and lacking consistent strong role models, which lead Hasler to self destructive behaviors including drug abuse, eating disorders, and promiscuity. At the age of 18 she became pregnant as the result of a one night stand. She dropped out of college and was homeless for the duration of the pregnancy and into her son’s early months.
Hasler moved with her son to Wisconsin in 1999, where she often worked three jobs at a time to support her family. During this time she grappled with severe depression. She was an avid reader and used creative writing and her sardonic sense of humor as an outlet for stress.
Never far from her computer and phone, she catches a nap with her youngest son. Brooklyn, 2009
Now the mother of three sons, Hasler has always felt a special connection with teens. Her early work with high school students involved facilitating creative writing workshops and giving presentations on writing poetry. It was during those workshops that she recognized the strong response teens had to her straightforward and sometimes sarcastic approach.
Nikol on the set of Issue Cafe
In 2007 she reconnected with a high school friend who was interested in creating a podcast using the model of entertainment as a way to provide information. The two saw a need for direct and comprehensive information regarding teen sexuality. They wrote several episodes and shot them over a weekend. They then hired an actor and relied on friends to assist them with every aspect of the creation of The Midwest Teen Sex Show’s episodes.
The show itself, a regular in top ten iPod health podcasts, was an instant success, gaining press attention from the Wall Street Journal, Glamour Magazine, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, Nightline, and even The O’Reilly Factor, among others. Hasler has been called upon to be an expert to discuss issues such as teen pregnancy rates, AIDS awareness, and the rise of sexually transmitted infections in American teens. She had found a way to use her life experiences, and clear direct voice to offer the sort of information she knew would be useful to teens and adults alike.
Through her work with the show, she has had the opportunity to speak to high school students, college students, doctors, and film makers. At Yale she was an honored guest at a Master’s tea and she is regularly video conferenced in to colleges to speak with groups of students.
In 2009 Hasler and the other members of the MTSS signed a pilot contract with Comedy Central. This is when she moved to Los Angeles. Once the pilot was complete, Comedy Central passed on picking it up for series. While Hasler loved the experience, realizing she was a natural fit in LA and the entertainment industry, the MTSS crew stopped creating new content.
On set of Real American Family in August 2010
Once a permanent resident of LA, her writing opportunities expanded. While in 2008 she began to write a relationship and sex advice column called “Love, Sex, Etc.”, early in 2010 she also began writing a sex column for Crushable.com called, “Sex, Honestly”. She’s written for Alternative Press Magazine, The Onion’s A.V. Club Chicago, Fray Quarterly, Beatweek Magazine, Glamour, and RH Reality Check. Her video and screen writing work has included original videos for Hearst Corporation and One Economy Corporation. She’s been a consultant to video projects for the CDC and student AIDS awareness groups. In June 2010 she accepted a position as a producer for One Economy Corporation, an international non-profit whose mission is to create content, provide training, and provide broadband and technology to low income people.
In June of 2010 Hasler’s book, “Sex: A Book For Teens” was released. So far the reviews have been positive, and the back cover features endorsements from Dr. Jocelyn Elders and Betty Dodson. The book’s cover features the same cow logo that was first used on the Midwest Teen Sex Show webpage.
Her interests are as complex as her personality. She is passionate about cooking, pickling, canning, books, healthy living, parenting, autism, politics, music, and art. She enjoys word games, social networking, thrift store treasure hunting, and all sorts of nerdy nonsense.