When I’m not blogging as The Advoc8te, I’m just Nikki Peele — a professional multi-hat wearer, like so many of you.

My DC story began when I arrived at Howard University from Greensboro, North Carolina (with a stop in Virginia Beach along the way). Back then, I fully intended to become a marine biologist. Instead, life sent me in a completely different direction. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, landed in the legal industry, and built a career solving problems in the private sector. To this day, that Biology degree has mostly come in handy at trivia nights. 😂

We plan, and God laughs.

Eventually, I purchased my first home — a little one-bedroom condo in Congress Heights. My plan when I moved east of the river was very simple: mind my damn business.

Seriously. That was the plan.

I had already developed a reputation for being very passionate about whatever I got involved in. For once, I wanted to chill out, enjoy my new home, and focus on myself.

Well... we’ve all seen how spectacularly that worked out. 😂

Not long after moving to Congress Heights, I started Congress Heights on the Rise and became The Advoc8te. What began as a way to document what was happening in my neighborhood grew into years of reporting, advocating, asking questions, connecting people with resources, supporting local businesses and organizations, and occasionally getting into a little good trouble when the situation called for it.

But there is another part of the CHotR origin story that deserves his flowers — Teddy, my Sweet Babboo.

In many ways, Teddy started Congress Heights on the Rise right alongside me in 2008.

Teddy got me out of the house and onto the streets of my new neighborhood every single day. We walked. And walked. And walked some more. During those walks, I started noticing things — development projects, neglected properties, new businesses, neighborhood issues, interesting buildings, people doing good work, and stories that I thought somebody should be telling.

So I started telling them.

Those walks with Teddy introduced me to the community in a way I don't think anything else could have. Things I first noticed while wandering Congress Heights with a leash in my hand would eventually become stories, passions, projects and, ultimately, my vocation.

For years, Teddy was there for all of it.

He wasn't simply my dog. He was my everything. He was my home. And whether anyone else knew it or not, he was woven into CHotR and reSPIN because he was woven into me.

Teddy passed away on May 22, 2023, exactly one month after I moved into my current apartment.

And my entire life stopped.

There really isn't a clever line I can put after that. Losing him changed me in ways I'm still figuring out. There is my life before Teddy died and my life after. That's how significant he was to me.

But I also know that every time I tell a neighborhood story, notice something everybody else walked past, champion a small business, poke around a development site, or get curious about something happening on a DC street, there is a little bit of Teddy in that. Because a long time ago, my Sweet Babboo got me out of the house, put me on those streets, and helped me discover the work I didn't yet know I was supposed to be doing.

CHotR may have my name on it, but Teddy's paw prints are all over its story. And they always will be.

Along the way, I’ve also had the opportunity to start a small business and lend my time, skills, voice, and platform to countless projects, businesses, nonprofits, and community efforts east of the river and across DC.

But the best part of this entire journey has always been the people.

I’ve met extraordinary neighbors, small business owners, community leaders, advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday residents who care deeply about their communities and work incredibly hard to make them better. Their passion has kept me inspired — even on the days when I remember that I originally moved here planning to mind my damn business. 😅

Whether you discovered Congress Heights on the Rise yesterday or you’ve been rocking with me since the early days, thank you.

Thank you for reading, sharing stories, sending tips, correcting me when I get something wrong, celebrating our neighborhoods, supporting local businesses, and caring enough to stay engaged.

After all these years, The Advoc8te is still here. And apparently, I’m still not minding my damn business. ❤️

And somewhere in the story — from those first walks through Congress Heights to wherever this journey takes me next — my Sweet Babboo is still walking with me. 🐾

Do you have a question for The Advoc8te? First, check out my F.A.Q.s; if that doesn't help, drop me a line. 

P.P.S. In January 2019, I sold my Congress Heights condo and moved west of the river. The plan is for this to be a temporary move, but if that changes, I will be the first to let you know! CHotR isn't going anywhere, and my community outreach and marketing business is 100% east of the river. So even if I'm sleeping in a new zip code, I'm still working/volunteering/advocating for Wards 7 and 8. The Washington City Paper has the most details of what precipitated my move. You can read all about it here.