Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson

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My Reality TV Villain Edit Destroyed My Life with Olivia Frazer Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Our guest today is Olivia Frazier, a content creator, model, and a cast member from season nine of Married at First Sight Australia. I wanted to have Olivia on the show today to share some of her experiences during production and after the show aired, because she has been through a lot. Olivia was edited into a villain character on the show, and it impacted her career, her relationship, her family, her home, and her sense of safety and wellbeing.

Before getting into the episode, I want to let everyone know that there's some very serious discussions about suicidal ideation and the emotional toll that the show's production and reception has had on Olivia's mental health. Be aware that if you typically have a negative reaction to these topics, this episode might not be for you. I am so grateful for Olivia's vulnerability as she shares how these unexpected repercussions affected her.

I hope that when you listen to this, you have an open heart and see Olivia as a human being first and a reality TV cast member somewhere later after that, and I hope that hearing her story helps you watch reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-programming

Find Olivia here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivefrazer/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Corruption and Misinformation in Food and Pharma with Calley Means Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

This week on Eyes Wide Open, we're speaking with Calley Means, a former consultant in the food and pharmaceutical industries turned activist and advocate against them. Calley works to subvert big industry's poisoning of our food system and the corruption in regulating agencies enable this to happen. Calley is also the founder of a company called TrueMed, which is an organization that issues food and health-promoting services as prescriptions that allow you to utilize your HSA funds within your healthcare program (something that may be beneficial to you as we come up to the end of the year).

I make a lot of my own personal products because the chemicals used in mass-production can actually be detrimental to our overall health and wellness, both in physical and mental aspects. As a result, Calley's platform and mission really resonated with me.

Today, we're going to talk about Calley's journey from a young kid in DC wanting to be in politics, his time consulting in food and pharma, to how he ended up now advocating against these industries. I hope that when you finish this episode you can look at the food and health industries with your eyes wide open.

Find Calley here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calleymeans/

TruMed Website: https://www.truemed.com/

Calley's Website: https://calleymeans.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health with Todd Rennebohm Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

TW: This episode features stories of sexual trauma, addiction, self harm, and suicidal ideation. Avoid listening if these topics may cause you emotional or psychological distress.

On today's episode of Eyes Wide Open, we will be sitting down with mental health advocate Todd Rennebohm. Todd is a public speaker, author of the children's book, "Sometimes Daddy Cries," and host of the hit podcast, "Bunny Hugs and Mental Health."

I've known Todd for a few months now, and he is a wonderful person trying to turn his struggles into something that can help other people. This is a deep and difficult episode full of hard conversations, and I want to thank Todd for being authentic, open, and honest about his experience.

I hope that you enjoy this episode, and I hope that this helps you understand others who are struggling so that you can approach difficult situations with your eyes wide open.

Find Todd here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bunnyhugspodcast/?hl=en

Read "Sometimes Daddy Cries:" https://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Daddy-Cries-Todd-Rennebohm/dp/022883466X

Listen to the "Bunny Hugs and Mental Health" Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bunny-hugs-and-mental-health/id1560055327

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Setting Healthy Boundaries with Family for the Holidays with Dr. Isabelle Morely Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

In a couple days, many of us in the United States will be getting together with family to celebrate Thanksgiving. Along with the holidays comes many internalized expectations, memories from childhood, and of course the societal expectations for how holidays should look. Many of us also find ourselves faced with uncomfortable and inappropriate conversations and situations when family gathers together.

To address what is going on from a psychological perspective, I invited Dr. Isabelle Morley to share her expertise on the subject. Dr. Isabelle is a licensed clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and the Director of Mental Health Services at the UCAN Foundation.

Dr. Isabelle and I talk about setting boundaries with family and managing expectations over the holidays so that we can find joy. We also discuss how you can get out ahead of and avoid conversations you're not comfortable having with family, or get out of conversations that make you uncomfortable like dating, news, and politics.

I hope this episode helps you go into your Thanksgiving dinner and the rest of your holiday season with your eyes wide open.

Find the UCAN Foundation here:

Website: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM%3D

Find Dr. Isabelle Morley here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drisabellemorley/?hl=en

Website: https://www.drisabellemorley.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Unmasking Your Authentic Self with Emma Demar, That Trendy Therapist Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Today's guest on Eyes Wide Open is Emma Demar, also known by her nickname, "That Trendy Therapist." She's a licensed clinical social worker, former actress from Gossip Girl, podcast host, and bestselling author of the book, "The Truth Teller: The Truth Behind Our Masks."

In my journey to better understand myself and my internal motivations, I came across Emma and her book, which is all about how to rediscover yourself through inner work so that you can show up in the world as your authentic self. I instantly connected with her message because it aligns with one of my key ethos in, to be unapologetically myself and do the work to get there.

Our conversation covers positivity, grounding, unmasking, how to accept your own complexities, and learning your inner truth. Emma also shares her own mental health journey, including struggling with anorexia as a teenager.

I really hope that you enjoy this episode with Emma, and that it helps you to show up in the world as your true authentic self so you can go through the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Emma here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thattrendytherapist/

Website: https://www.thattrendytherapist.com/home

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thattrendytherapist

Read "The Truth Teller" book: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Teller-Behind-Our-Masks/dp/B0CBD639H2

Listen to "The Truth Teller" podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-teller-by-that-trendy-therapist/id1500330939

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Perfectionism and Mindfulness with Gianna LaLota Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Today's guest on Eyes Wide Open is Gianna LaLota, a licensed mental health counselor and specialist in cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as a yoga and reiki instructor. Gianna is an expert on mental health and skilled in many therapeutic disciplines, but I really wanted to have Gianna visit the podcast for a discussion on mindfulness.

Today, it feels like everybody is talking about being mindful, but it is often unclear what mindfulness actually looks like when it's applied to your everyday life. Gianna clarifies this definition and shares why it is important, how factors like perfectionism and self-criticism play into it, and how you can turn negatives into positives.

We also get to know Gianna and learn about her therapeutic practice, how she dealt with harmful perfectionist tendencies growing up, and how she decided to become a therapist. It's a very interesting and fun conversation that I hope helps you learn a little bit about mindfulness so you can go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Gianna here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfultherapynyc/

NYC Cognitive Therapy: https://www.nyccognitivetherapy.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Control and Agency on Reality TV Sets with Professor Tim Wilson Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

On today's episode of Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Professor Tim Wilson, who has a really compelling and fascinating backstory as an actor, animator, politician, and educator. He was also cast on season two of the reality TV show The Circle, where he went on to win the show. However, as has been a consistent theme in our podcast, there is a darker side to his story with manipulation and loss of agency behind the scenes.

Tim's story underlines the need for basic human rights, labor practices, and representation in reality TV. This issue in reality TV is much bigger than I ever thought it was. Every time a new story or a new headline comes out, it is an unpleasant reminder that this is a completely unmanaged, unregulated wild, wild west and people are being hurt and neglected.

We're going to learn a little bit about Tim, how he ended up on The Circle and as the winner, as well as everything that he's been through personally, professionally, and the impacts that appearing on reality TV has had on him. I hope his story helps you watch reality TV and think about how we view these shows with your Eyes Wide Open.

Find Tim here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialprofessor_tim_wilson/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorTimWilson

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

A Ground Level View of American Politics with Comedian Danny LoPriore Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

On part two of our interview with comedian and musician Danny LoPriore, we're going to veer away from mental health and focus on the realm of politics.

During the "Ask Me Anything" section of our last episode, Danny asked me my thoughts on the Libertarian Party. This led to an unexpected discussion about the American political system, capitalism, and our strengths and weaknesses as a country. It is a very nuanced conversation about politics that manifested into its own episode.

Our conversation was not about right versus left. It's not about Libertarians, Democrats, Republicans, the Green Party, etc. It's about the issues that have stemmed from our political system from the perspective of two people who are living it every single day here in the United States, and I hope it helps you view the world of politics with your eyes wide open.

Find Danny here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Listen to Off the Cuff: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-danny-lopriore/id1534952843

Listen to Nick Thompson on Off the Cuff: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-price-of-reality-television-with-nick-thompson/id1534952843?i=1000625362754

Listen to The LoPriore Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lopriore-podcast/id1550884342

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Facing Mortality and Anxiety with Comedian Danny LoPriore Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're going to start part one of a conversation with Danny LoPriore, a standup comedian, musician, and mental health advocate.

Danny got his start on Vine, and now hosts two podcasts, The LoPriore Podcast and Off the Cuff. I had the privilege of being a guest on Off the Cuff a few weeks ago, and Danny and I bonded over our shared passion for mental health and other common interests.

In today's episode, we're going to discuss mental health, exploring the anxieties and angst that we all feel around death, mortality, and what it's like to lose a pet. We also discuss what it feels like to have a public presence when you're struggling.

Stay tuned for next week's episode, where Danny and I discuss politics in part two of this interview. This week though, let's spotlight anxiety and mental health so you can go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Danny here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Listen to Off the Cuff: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/off-the-cuff-with-danny-lopriore/id1534952843

Listen to Nick Thompson on Off the Cuff: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-price-of-reality-television-with-nick-thompson/id1534952843?i=1000625362754

Listen to The LoPriore Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lopriore-podcast/id1550884342

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Opening Up Therapy for Reality TV Cast Members with Sarah Rice Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode of Eyes Wide Open is one I've been wanting to record for a while. I'm joined this week by Sarah Rice, who you may know from The Real World: Brooklyn.

After her reality TV experience, Sarah decided that she was going to fight the good fight and became a registered associate marriage and family therapist who is now completing her requirements to become a licensed therapist. She is also a podcast host, leading conversations on Brain Candy, This Changes Everything, and Things We Got Wrong.

Sarah changed her career path a few years ago when she decided to go back to school to pursue a master's in marriage and family therapy. She experienced the negative impacts that reality TV can have on an individual from firsthand experience, and she wanted to be able to support cast members after they go on these shows. I've had several people try to connect me with Sarah ever since starting the UCAN Foundation, (The Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network), and I'm excited to finally welcome her to the show.

So Sarah and I have a really fun conversation about her experiences with reality TV and some of the changes that we want to see in the industry, as well as her work with therapy and counseling. This episode will help you look at reality TV with your eyes wide.

Find Sarah here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsarahrice/

Brain Candy Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brain-candy-podcast/id591085268

This Changes Everything Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-changes-everything/id1640548625

Things We Got Wrong Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/things-we-got-wrong/id1644016492

Solutions Counseling & Family Therapy: https://www.solutionsoc.com/sarah-rice

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/