Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

Part 1: Dating SUCKS! How you can create a blueprint for dating and relationship success w/ Anita Chlipala Oct 29, 2024

In part one of this two-part episode, Nick and Anita Chlipala discuss the complexities of relationships, the importance of therapy, and how to navigate the evolving landscape of dating in the digital age.

They explore how communication skills, self-awareness, and understanding one's needs play crucial roles in forming and maintaining healthy relationships.

Anita shares her journey to becoming a therapist and her insights on navigatingare crucial for dating apps, emphasizing the need for thoughtful engagement and clarity in what individuals seek in partners.

Anita and Nick explore the complexities of modern dating, emphasizing the importance of intentionality, vulnerability, and effective communication.

They discuss the pitfalls of mindless swiping on dating apps, the necessity of understanding one's own attachment style, and the significance of navigating conflicts in relationships.

The dialogue highlights common self-sabotaging behaviors in dating and offers practical strategies for fostering genuine connection.

Be sure to listen to part one of this two-part episode to help you show up in the world with your eyes wide open.

Join us at the CHICAGO SINGLES EVENT 11/8/24: https://www.instagram.com/anitaonlove/p/DBH2zCKPx5D/

Find Anita Chlipala here:

Website: https://www.relationshipreality312.com/

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

First Comes Us Book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=first+comes+us&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

Democratizing the Law: Empowering Everyone with Affordable Legal Services w/ J.J. Garofalo Oct 22, 2024

In this episode, Nick sits down with J.J. Garofalo, founder and CEO of Attorney Live, to explore the mission of making legal advice accessible and affordable for all. J.J. shares his journey in launching Attorney Live, a tele-law service designed to provide accessible legal assistance to those in need.

Together, they discuss the hurdles many face when trying to obtain legal services and how technology is playing a crucial role in transforming access to legal help.

The conversation goes beyond the business, diving into J.J.'s personal motivations and the importance of self-care for entrepreneurs and leaders. J.J. reveals how his life experiences have shaped him as a leader committed to fostering a supportive, empathetic environment for both clients and employees.

They explore how understanding employees' personal challenges can enhance the workplace culture and drive business success.

Additionally, they share personal stories about loss, and specifically, the upcoming holidays negatively impact their mental health and how they work to combat seasonal challenges.

Tune in to hear about the innovative features of Attorney Live, J.J.'s vision for the future of legal services, and how his passion for helping others is creating real change in the legal industry.

Be sure to listen to this episode to help you show up in the world with your eyes wide open.

Find JJ Garofalo and Attorney Live here:

Website: https://www.attorneylive.com/

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/attorney-live/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-garofalo-a296334/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attorneylive/

Download Attorney Live on Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/attorney-live/id1596696891

Download Attorney Live on Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.attorneylive.mobile&hl=en_US

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

Overwhelmed? Escape the Chaos to Master Self-Connection and Unlock Your True Potential w/ Kate Eckman Oct 15, 2024

In this episode, Nick chats with Kate Eckman, host of the Raw-ish podcast, broadcast journalist and author of the bestselling book, The Full Spirit Workout, TEDx speaker, and certified executive coach, to explore the complexities of emotions, communication, and personal growth.

They explore the importance of acknowledging feelings, setting boundaries, and the impact of overstimulation in today's world.

Kate shares her journey from broadcast journalism to coaching and podcasting, emphasizing the significance of resilience and authenticity in overcoming adversity.

They also share stories of dating in the digital age and how dating culture forces people into mental ehaustion. Nick and Kate explore how they can continue to show up authenically in the current dating environment to ensure they attract the right people.

Kate and Nick highlight the importance of being true to yourself, and not being quick to walk away from relationships. They also touch on the significance of self-connection and self-awareness in building healthy relationships.

The conversation highlights the power of connection and the necessity of being true to oneself, while also addressing the challenges of navigating relationships in a fast-paced, digital age.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Power of Effective Communication

02:00 Emotional Regulation and the Importance of Boundaries

08:46 Acknowledging and Expressing Emotions

13:51 Creating Meaningful Connections and Legacy

19:24 Navigating Overstimulation and Technology in Relationships

25:20 The Impact of Validation and Listening in Relationships

27:23 Feeling Safe and Supported in Relationships

31:04 Open Communication and Boundaries

33:37 Being Intentional and Understanding in Relationships

45:30 The Importance of Self-Connection and Self-Awareness

59:33 Staying True to Oneself and Fighting for Change

01:02:49 Overcoming the Fear of Others' Opinions

01:11:27 Embracing the Past for Personal Transformation

Find Kate Echman here:

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

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

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYe4YfBNvnI

Website: https://www.kateeckman.tv/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

Bachelor Producer Spills the BTS Tea on Reality TV w/ Michael Carroll Oct 08, 2024

EP Title: Bachelor Producer Spills the BTS Tea on Reality TV

Summary

In this episode, Nick interviews Michael Carroll, a former reality TV producer known for his work on shows like The Bachelor. He shares all of his shocking behind-the-scenes experiences and the tactics used to produce your favorite shows.

They discuss Michael's journey from aspiring architect to reality TV producer, the evolution of reality television, the impact of alcohol on cast dynamics, the editing process and its impacts on cast members' reputations, and the ethical considerations of reality TV.

Michael reflects on his exit from reality TV and the changes in the landscape of entertainment, emphasizing the need for better treatment of cast members and the challenges of the current production model.

Tune into this episode for a reality check on what happens behind the scenes to produce reality TV so you can view your favorite shows with your eyes wide open.

Find Michael Carroll here:

Find Nick Thompson here:

UCAN Foundation IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

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

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

LESSONS LEARNED! Burnout and My Decision to UnPlug with Nick Thompson Aug 21, 2024

I took a much-needed summer sabbatical from social media.

The pressure to produce led me to a place where I would "finish my day" late in the evening and then sit down to create content as if that was some way to rest. I was burning out fast.

I can always recognize the signs, and this time, I decided to take a break from pressuring myself to show up online. To some people, it might seem counterintuitive to unplug. But let me tell you, it was a game-changer to take a break from posting on LinkedIn.

I learned a few things I'd like to share with all of you in this solo episode. I'm always learning to embrace the ebb and flow of life. There will be times when I am inspired and others when it takes a backseat.

And the key takeaway?

That's okay with me! How can you give yourself permission to release yourself from unnecessary pressure, fill your cup, and find a balance so you can show up in the world with your eyes wide open?

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/ UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/

From Burnout to Balancing Success and Mental Wellness with Kristy Edwards Aug 06, 2024

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, a friend of the show Kristy Edwards, founder of Neatly Balanced, opens up about her journey through the challenging terrain of burnout, anxiety, and depression while growing her business.

Kristy candidly shares how setting boundaries and prioritizing mental health became crucial to her well-being and success. She delves into the therapeutic power of journaling, the importance of reaching out to a supportive network, and the vital role of therapy in her healing process.

Throughout the conversation, Kristy emphasizes the need for a reliable support system and the courage it takes to seek help when facing mental health struggles. She also discusses her passion for creating a safe space through Neatly Balanced, where people can feel seen, heard, and supported in their own journeys.

The episode is a heartfelt exploration of resilience, self-care, and the transformative impact of organizing one's life inside and out.

Tune in for an uplifting discussion on the importance of mental and physical well-being in both life and business to help you show up in the world with your eyes wide open.

TW: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault and suicide ideation. The content may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. We encourage you to prioritize your mental health and please feel free to skip this episode.

Find Kristy Edwards here:

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-edwards-62952b17/

Website: https://neatly-balanced.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Behind the Scenes of My Dating, Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll Experience with Stef “Rocks” Jul 30, 2024

In this episode, Stef “Rocks” shares her dynamic journey from rock radio morning show host to podcaster and everything in between.

The duo dives into a wide array of topics, including unsolicited pics on dating apps and DMs, her passion for rock music, and the pros and cons of being single. The conversation also touches on social media, backstage rock show experiences, dating, and reality TV.

Stef also shares her experience traveling with musicians and the rock star lifestyle. Nick also gets Stef to spill the tea on the craziest story she has from her time traveling with some of the biggest rockstars in the world.

Stef and Nick open up about the challenges of podcasting, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and having a unique angle that provides value to your audience.

Finally, they share a heartfelt discussion on dream partners and what they look for and need in a successful relationship.

Tune in for a fun conversation packed with laughter, insights, and candid reflections on the evolving landscape of dating, the quest for genuine connections, and the rollercoaster of modern relationships.

Don't miss out on this captivating exchange to help you show up in the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Stef Rocks here:

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iwannatouchyou11

Angelina “Angel” Morgan Benefit Concert: https://tinyurl.com/35fbjzsx

Aftershock 2024 Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/y89uass9

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Unlock The Keys to Modern Dating Through Mindfulness and Self-Love with The Love Coach, Melani Le’ona Jul 23, 2024

Do you have love, dating, or relationships on your mind? Check out this episode where Nick engages with renowned love coach Melani Le'ona for a transformative discussion on mastering modern dating. Melani shares her inspiring journey to becoming a top dating and relationship coach, emphasizing the vital role of self-love, boundaries, and mindful dating practices.

They tackle the pitfalls of instant gratification and superficial connections on dating apps, advocating for deeper emotional connections and meaningful conversations. Melani reveals strategies for crafting an authentic dating profile and understanding love languages to foster stronger relationships.

They explore conflict resolution, building a solid foundation as a team, and the powerful principles of the law of attraction and the reticular activating system for attracting healthy relationships.

With insights on identifying non-negotiables, desires, deal-breakers, and embracing personal flaws, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking true alignment and fulfillment in their relationships.

Tune in to this episode and discover how to navigate life and relationships with your eyes wide open so you embrace every moment with clarity and intention.

Find Melani Le’ona here:

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

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelaniLeonaLoveCoach/

Website: https://melanileona.com/

Free Breakthrough Session: https://calendly.com/the-love-coach

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

SoulBBatical Book: https://www.amazon.com/Soulbbatical-Corporate-Rebels-Guide-Finding/dp/198213139X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1VDmWg7ziE2ZBLYhlL-xsA.WbuKHjsBUKIi41F_bYoW2d_O7U2P7-rholdeEVv3U0A&qid=1719427505&sr=8-1

From Marketing Executive to Redefining Success as Chief Soul Officer with Shelley Paxton Jul 16, 2024

Get ready for an inspiring journey with Shelley Paxton, the former CMO of Harley Davidson and current Chief Soul Officer. She will share her remarkable career path and current mission to redefine success.

Shelley has always followed her passions, but it wasn’t until she reached the top of the mountain that she tapped into the rebel within to become who she was meant to be.

Join us as she reveals the pivotal moments that shaped her career, including her rise to the top at Harley-Davidson. But the true essence of this episode lies in Shelley’s courage to embrace imperfection and take bold steps towards a more meaningful life.

In a candid conversation, Shelley shares the raw, unfiltered story of losing her way during a TEDx talk and the incredible support she received from the audience. This powerful moment serves as a testament to the importance of vulnerability and the strength found in the community.

Shelley passionately discusses the need to redefine success in a way that celebrates humanity, well-being, and soul. She calls on leaders to prioritize the well-being of their teams and emphasizes the significance of aligning careers with personal passions.

Join us as Shelley Paxton inspires and empowers the next generation of leaders to create a future where the richness of our human experience measures success. Don’t miss this episode filled with courage, authenticity, and invaluable insights to help you show up in the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Shelley Paxton here:

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-paxton-759163/

Website: https://www.shelleypaxton.com/

TEDx Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOiOCWWkHvc

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leverett-ball-show/id1543621977 | https://open.spotify.com/show/1J4598aNLP9KjfpaaP8gME

Learning Anger Management Skills to Overcome Adversity & Succeed in Sports Broadcasting with Leverett Ball Jul 09, 2024

In this captivating episode, Nick sits down with Leverett Ball to delve into his rich and varied experiences in the sports broadcasting world. Leverett shares his incredible journey from a college athlete to a prominent sports broadcaster with ESPN.

The discussion reveals the grit and perseverance required to thrive in such a competitive industry, shedding light on the often-overlooked challenges of low pay and tough work environments.

Leverett candidly discusses his battle with mental health issues and how stepping back from broadcasting helped him gain a fresh perspective and renew his passion for the field. his story highlights the resilience needed to navigate the highs and lows of a broadcasting career, including developing a high tolerance for rejection to work full-time in college sports and podcasting.

Beyond his professional journey, Leverett opens up about his personal struggles, including anger management and a challenging childhood with a mentally ill mother. He speaks to the importance of compassion, understanding, and not judging others based on appearances or assumptions.

The conversation touches on the critical need to acknowledge and validate people's emotions, especially during difficult times, and the power of constructive criticism delivered with empathy.

The episode also explores the unpredictable nature of the broadcasting industry, the controversial reactions of NFL players like Caleb Williams, and the polarizing figures of Aaron Rodgers and the Paul brothers.

Tune in for an inspiring and heartfelt conversation that goes beyond the microphone, offering insights into the resilient humanity behind this voice of broadcasting to help you experience the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Leverett Ball here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leverett_ball12/ | https://www.instagram.com/theleverettballshow

X-Twitter: https://x.com/@Leverett_Ball12

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leverettball12

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leverett-ball-2a2302b4/

Brewster Story: https://www.brewsteracademy.org/quicklinks/news-and-stories/news-posts/~board/school-news/post/behind-the-mic-with-leverett-ball-11

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68282613

JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE! Examining the Good, the Bad, and Future of Press Freedoms with Nick Thompson Jul 02, 2024

In this compelling first solo episode of "Eyes Wide Open," host Nick Thompson takes a dive deep into the critical issues of censorship and freedom of speech, framed through the lens of journalist Julian Assange's prosecution and recent release.

Nick shares his own personal experiences with censorship, shedding light on why free speech and a free press are cornerstones of his political activism because they are fundamental to a functioning democracy.

Nick meticulously breaks down the complex case of Julian Assange, detailing the charges against him, the extensive legal battle he endured, and the far-reaching implications of his release.

Through this examination, Nick underscores the dangerous precedent set for press freedom and the essential need to protect journalists' rights to report on government activities without fear of retribution.

The episode is a powerful reminder to stay informed, vigilant, and committed to defending our fundamental freedoms in the face of growing censorship and restrictions on free speech.

Listeners will come away with a greater understanding of the vital importance of safeguarding the First Amendment rights of journalists and individuals alike to help go through life with their eyes wide open.

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-18-count-superseding-indictment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sChpKdhd1XU&t=1067s

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbn2KU8vDEl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/free-julian-assange

Julian Assange Crowd Funder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/free-julian-assange

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Reframing Therapy Structures and Dating After Reality TV with Madina Alam Jun 25, 2024

This episode features Madina Alam, a licensed mental health therapist, speaker, model, and Bachelor cast member.

In this engaging conversation, Madina and Nick delve into the intricate world of self-doubt, confidence, dating culture, and imposter syndrome. They bravely open up about their own insecurities and vulnerabilities, shedding light on the often-underestimated stigma surrounding mental health and therapy.

They discuss the fine line between trauma dumping and healthy sharing, emphasizing the need for balance in expressing emotions. The conversation also highlights the societal pressures faced by men and the importance of creating safe spaces for men to discuss their mental health openly.

Transitioning into the dating topic, Nick and Madina provide invaluable insights on staying authentic and finding partners who truly value you. They confront the unrealistic expectations fostered by social media and reality TV, offering a refreshing perspective.

Madina shares her mission to improve therapy practices, advocating for a more structured and action-oriented approach that prioritizes empirical evidence-based therapy interventions.

Tune in for an honest and heartfelt discussion that will leave you feeling inspired and empowered to embrace your true self and help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Madina Alam here:

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madina-alam-m-s-lmhc-lcmhc-277976121

Charlotte Mental Health Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-awareness-event-tickets-920932181947?aff=oddtdtcreator

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Overcoming Adversity, Finding Authenticity, and Living in Reality with Tabitha “Little” Jun 18, 2024

In this captivating episode, Nick sits down with Tabitha “Little,” the vibrant host of the podcast 'Little Bit of Life,' for an enlightening conversation about her career and mental health journey that led to her hit podcast.

Tabitha opens up about her unique journey into podcasting, stemming from a childhood dream of becoming a horse jockey to battling the lasting effects of long-haul COVID that eventually cost her her career. They delve into the profound impact of social media on mental health, exploring how it shapes our relationships and self-perception in the digital age.

Tabitha candidly shares her eye-opening experiences with dating publicly on social media dating experience with a stranger. She reveals the mental health struggles that ensued and the disconnection from reality it caused. She talks about the immense pressure to entertain and the journey towards rediscovering her true self, which ultimately led her to start her own podcast.

Throughout the discussion, Tabitha emphasizes the importance of authenticity, self-care, and the courage to engage in open and honest conversations, despite the challenges of censorship.

This episode is a heartfelt exploration of personal growth, resilience, and the quest for genuine connection in a rapidly changing world that hopefully helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Tabitha here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_cute1_az/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@little_cute1_az

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

Website: https://bio.site/littlecute1az

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0d6i09EoBfrUHgN9fQ2q5b?si=25c6135988b04091

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C59XKdGpt4B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

SPECIAL EPISODE: Clips from Mental Health Headline Hot Takes with Nick and Todd Jun 11, 2024

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, here are two men talking about mental health. This special episode of Eyes Wide Open features clips from another show Nick co-hosts with Todd Rennebohm: Mental Health Headline Hot Takes with Nick and Todd.

In this special crossover episode, Nick and Todd discuss mental health news including the one-year anniversary of the UCAN (Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network) Foundation, the pros and cons of mental health awareness, teen marijuana use causing mental health issues, and police shoot and kill a bipolar man in crisis.

If you enjoy this episode, follow me on YouTube below where I exclusively post the new video episode every Thursday, or on the Bunny Hugs and Mental Health podcast feed. Links are below.

Keep doing the work so you can go through life with your eyes wide open.

Sources:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/27/is-love-is-blind-a-toxic-workplace

https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/05/18/a-psychologist-explains-the-issue-with-mental-health-hyperawareness/?sh=23adf94e1c52

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/parents-called-mental-health-help-police-arrived-fatally-shot-son-rcna153077

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/teens-marijuana-use-mental-disorders-research-rcna153344

Follow Nick:

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814

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

UCAN Foundation: www.ucanfoundation.org

Follow Todd:

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

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/bunny-hugs-and-mental-health/id1560055327

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

Exploring Vulnerability, Resilience, and Redefining Latino Masculinity with Dr. Paul Rivera Jun 04, 2024

In this compelling episode, Dr. Paul Rivera takes us on a journey from his childhood dream of emulating the legendary Jacques Cousteau to the values of growth and exploration that have shaped his life.

Through deep self-reflection, Dr. Rivera shares the importance of understanding one's values and discovering personal superpowers.

The conversation shifts to men's mental health, where Dr. Rivera challenges the societal pressure for men to be stoic and avoid vulnerability. He passionately encourages men to embrace their vulnerabilities, highlighting that true strength lies in openness and authenticity.

Nick and Dr. Rivera delve into the impact of negative online comments, underscoring the necessity of resilience tools to navigate such challenges.

A poignant personal story reveals the long-lasting effects of a negative comment, emphasizing the critical need to address childhood trauma. The discussion explores the transformative power of therapy and self-reflection in breaking free from patterns to achieve personal growth.

Dr. Rivera and Nick then explore the concept of resilience, discussing the creation of personalized resilience toolkits that emphasize the interconnectedness of mental and physical health.

They highlight diverse strategies such as cooking, exercise, breathwork, and the rejuvenating benefits of nature, encouraging listeners to find what works best for them.

Another key theme is redefining Latino masculinity and challenging traditional gender roles. Dr. Rivera shares his experiences growing up in a traditional Latino household and the expectations placed on men and women.

He advocates for collective power in relationships, stressing the importance of mutual support and growth. He candidly discusses the challenges of cultural change and the impact of his work on the Latino community.

Dr. Rivera and Nick reflect on their legacies, expressing a shared desire to leave the world a better place by empowering others and fostering empathy and understanding.

The conversation powerfully reminds us of the strength found in vulnerability, the necessity of resilience, and the transformative potential of challenging cultural norms to help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Paul Rivera here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be.act.change/

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

Websites: https://beactchange.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Reality Check: Shocking Love is Blind Experience Exposed with Matthew Dubila May 28, 2024

In this eye-opening episode, Matthew Dubila, a standout cast member from Love is Blind, takes us behind the scenes to share his experience on the hit reality show.

Matthew opens up about the intense pressure and manipulation tactics employed by producers, shedding light on the often unseen reality of reality TV. He reveals how the lack of control over the editing process and the show's unrealistic environment can distort contestants' true personalities and intentions.

Nick and Matthew delve into the high-stakes world of Love is Blind, discussing the challenges of making life-changing decisions under the watchful eye of the camera.

Matthew shares the profound impact of his portrayal on the show, addressing the strain it placed on his mental health and personal life. He underscores the critical importance of communication and the necessity of making decisions with a clear and calm mindset.

Matthew highlights a crucial message for future casts: understand your reasons for joining a reality show and be aware of the potential consequences. He calls for producers to prioritize casting individuals genuinely seeking love over those chasing fame.

The conversation expands beyond a behind-the-scenes look; it's a candid exploration of the pressures of reality TV and a powerful narrative on resilience.

Matthew also shares his plans to leverage his experiences to support young people navigating similar challenges, offering a beacon of guidance and hope.

Tune in for an episode filled with raw honesty, valuable insights, and a compelling behind-the-scenes journey from reality TV to real life to help you view Love is Blind, and all shows with your eyes wide open.

Find Matthew Dubila here:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-duliba-cfp%C2%AE-ctfa-cima%C2%AE-8b45921b/

Website: www.matthewduliba.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

PART 2: The Aftermath of 90 Day Fiance and the Media Landscape with Daniele Gates May 21, 2024

Join us for part two of this riveting conversation as Nick Thompson and Daniele Gates delve into the hidden machinations behind reality TV and the broader media landscape.

They reveal the startling lack of control individuals have over the information they consume and the insidious manipulation of narratives. From the pervasive impact of online bullying to the influential roles of bloggers, Reddit, and social media commentators, Nick and Daniele dissect how public perception is carefully crafted and controlled.

The discussion doesn't stop there. They tackle the troubling issue of content suppression on social media platforms and underscore the vital importance of owning an email list to maintain autonomy over one's voice.

In an era where speaking up is more critical than ever, they advocate for sharing stories across all platforms, big or small, to ensure diverse voices are heard.

But that's not all. They also unravel the complexities of the reality TV industry and its intersection with social media.

Dabbling into the cross-section of media and politics, they discuss the urgent need for discernment in media consumption and touch upon the polarized two-party political system, emphasizing the value of nuance and open dialogue.

Nick and Daniele passionately share their vision for a more ethical reality TV landscape, advocating for improved working conditions and mental health support for participants.

Tune in to this episode for an eye-opening exploration of media manipulation, the power of storytelling, and a call to action for greater integrity and empathy in both the reality TV industry and our digital lives so you can go through the world with your eyes wide open.

Find Daniele Gates here:

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

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

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

Websites: https://liveyinsa.com/

Links: https://liveyinsa.com/links/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

PART 1: Behind the Scenes of the 90 Day Fiance Universe with Daniele Gates May 14, 2024

Dive deep into the captivating world of reality television with Nick in this eye-opening episode of part one of a two-part series. In part one, he sits down with Daniele Gates, a former high school teacher and reality TV star from 90 Day Fiancé.

Unveil the truth behind the glitz and glamour as Daniele reveals her journey from childhood dreams to how she stumbled into reality TV fame. From her inspirations to be like Madonna and Michael Jackson to the harsh realities of being portrayed as a villain, Danielle shares the highs and lows of her reality TV experience.

Explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of editing, manipulation, triumph, and the importance of maintaining integrity in a world of manufactured drama.

Join Nick and Danielle as they dissect the dynamics of relationships on reality TV and the impact of producers on the final narrative. They also explore what it’s like to be a viewer of other reality shows.

They also discuss the labor and wages of reality TV cast members and how the experience impacted their previous careers.

Discover the untold stories, challenges, and triumphs of life in the spotlight as Daniele sheds light on the real truth behind her 90-Day-Fiance experiences.

Tune in for an enlightening conversation that will make you question everything you thought you knew, so you can view your favorite shows with your eyes wide open.

Find Daniele Gates here:

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

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

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

Websites: https://liveyinsa.com/

Links: https://liveyinsa.com/links/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Unlocking Consciousness with Ancient Wisdom and Breathwork in the Modern Age with Paval Stucklik (NOA | AON) May 07, 2024

In this enlightening podcast episode, Pavel Stuchlik, also known as NOA AON, shares the transformative power of ancient wisdom and modern tools.

A seasoned DJ, entrepreneur, and certified ambassador of peace, Pavel has spent over a decade immersed in diverse cultures and ancient teachings, weaving together a tapestry of wisdom aimed at unifying humanity.

In this episode, Pavel joins Nick to delve into our society's crucial crossroads and advocate for a collective shift towards expanded consciousness. Discover the keys to personal growth and healing through self-mastery, balance, and the profound practice of breathwork.

Drawing from his own journey, Pavel shares candid insights into the responsible use of psychedelics, emphasizing the importance of intention and guidance to navigate their potential pitfalls.

In a world inundated with technology, Pavel sheds light on the often-overlooked impact of EMFs on our well-being, offering practical strategies to safeguard our health. (Electric Magnet Fields are invisible areas of energy produced by various electronic devices and appliances, as well as natural sources like the sun.)

Amidst it all, find inspiration in Pavel's vision of connection, unity, and embracing the bright facets of life.

Tune in as Pavel Stuchlik from NOA|AON invites us on a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and the pursuit of collective harmony to help us all go through life with our eyes wide open.

Here are some additional resources Pavel provided exclusively for the listeners of Eyes Wide Open:

FREE EMF Webinar
30-day on-demand free library
FREE System Reset Bonus Episode recording
30% Discount Code for courses & Waveguard EMF protection - NICK30

(NOTE: The above promotions are an exclusive benefit for the listeners of this show. No endorsement fees were exchanged for this promotion.)

Find Pavel Stuchlik here:

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

Website: https://noaaon.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noaaonofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/noaaonoffic

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

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tom62OiYUNIE7Sw2Ytez6

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Experiencing Loss, Anxiety, and Finding Strength in Vulnerability with Jess Siemers Apr 30, 2024

Step into the intimate world of Jess Seimers, host of the enlightening Panic Button podcast, as she joins Nick to unveil her profound journey through the depths of anxiety and the tumultuous waves of panic attacks.

In this compelling episode, Jess bares her soul, recounting her turbulent path from the shadows of college anxiety to the light of understanding and healing. With candor and courage, she shares the pivotal moments of her life, from the heart-wrenching lows of divorce and the devastating loss of a parent to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through it all, she emphasizes the transformative power of routine and the invaluable support of psychiatric intervention in unraveling the complexities of her mental health.

Experience the roller coaster of emotions as Jess bravely navigates the daunting transition from one medication to another, grappling with heightened anxiety and panic attacks amidst the chaos of a global crisis.

Hear her raw vulnerability as she confronts the fears of motherhood in the midst of a pandemic, grappling with the absence of her usual support system and the overwhelming concern for her son's safety.

Witness Jess's poignant journey of grief and resilience as she confronts the sudden loss of her father, seeking solace and strength through therapy and the development of coping strategies.

In this profound conversation, Jess and Nick shed light on the profound importance of seeking help, grappling with self-doubt, and finding hope amidst the darkness.

Explore Jess's inspiring genesis of the Panic Button Podcast, a beacon of hope and solidarity for those struggling with mental health, as she endeavors to destigmatize and amplify the voices of the unheard.

Prepare to be moved, inspired, and enlightened as Jess and Nick embark on a transformative exploration of mental health, resilience, and the unwavering power of human connection so that we can all go through life with our eyes wide open.

Find Jess Siemers here:

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

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hXwImzGJguyWs61MyLQqq?si=9564a509ac05487f

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Panic-Button-Podcast/61555742574325

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://open.spotify.com/show/2XENSXNVs6Tub3P3RTZvlK

Navigating Dating, Love, and Self-Discovery Through Authenticity with Timmy Gibson Apr 23, 2024

Dive into the captivating journey of Timmy Gibson, once an evangelical pastor, now couples and dating coach, and the top wedding officiant in Kansas City, as he unveils his remarkable transition and introspective revelations.

Join us as Timmy candidly shares his evolution, from grappling with his faith to crafting deeply personalized ceremonies that mirror the unique essence of each couple. Delve into the complexities of religion, spirituality, and personal growth as Timmy navigates the intersection of his past beliefs and present realities.

We delve deeper into Timmy's world on wedding days, uncovering the challenges he faces as an introverted officiant. From the intricacies of ceremony planning to the nuances of human connection, Timmy sheds light on his experiences with dating and relationships.

Reflect on the impact of dating apps, the quest for authenticity, and the power of embracing one's true self in the pursuit of happiness.

Join host Nick and Timmy eas they explore the transformative journey of self-discovery, the beauty of authenticity, and the profound lessons learned in the realm of relationships.

Gain insights into navigating the complexities of dating, overcoming past experiences, and cultivating a mindset of self-acceptance.

Prepare to be inspired as Timmy and Nick uncover the secrets to finding joy and fulfillment in life's most meaningful connections to help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Timmy Gibson here:

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

X-Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimmyKC

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDx3pY5NGp7qpTXVXbHbKMg/videos

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timmy-gibson-show/id1519492680

Websites: https://timmygibson.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-dating-energy/id1726065949

An Unconventional Therapist Journey and The Realities of Mental Health Advocacy with Therapy Jeff Apr 16, 2024

In this captivating episode, Nick sits down with licensed professional counselor Jeff Gunther, better known as Therapy Jeff, to delve into his remarkable journey from childhood baseball aspirations to becoming a successful therapist and mental health content creator.

Therapy Jeff opens up about his personal struggles, including his journey to reconcile with his parents. Delving deeper into his personal life, Jeff reflects on his relationship with his mother and the challenges they faced in connecting with each other, underscoring the significance of active listening and effective communication in building meaningful relationships.

On a lighter note and with a lot of laughter, Jeff candidly shares his experience with anxiety and the unexpected way it revealed itself during his first therapy practice.

As a content creator on social media, Jeff discusses the harsh realities of receiving death threats and negative comments. They also highlight the pervasive influence of toxic masculinity in sports and the pressures to conform to societal norms.

The conversation takes an introspective turn as Jeff and Nick explore the challenges and ethical considerations of being a therapist on social media. They discuss the lack of substance in some popular content creators and advocate for the implementation of ethical guidelines and regulations within the industry. They also touch on the concept of unionization among content creators.

In some exciting news, Jeff offers a glimpse into his upcoming book, 'Big Dating Energy,' which explores the quest for authentic relationships in a digital age.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on mental health, authenticity, and the evolving landscape of content creation. We hope this will help you navigate life with your eyes wide open.

Find Therapy Jeff here:

Big Dating Energy Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316568031

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

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

Podcast: Big Dating Energy

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3wbtYxrzXwGNqUdem0PjA7

Podcast: Problem Solved with Therapy Jeff

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/problem-solved-with-therapy-jeff Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0gUp6M9wYXWnUx21YLLJOd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPvzconEIUrYJlYC37Bd8OQ

Websites: https://www.therapyjeff.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Dissecting the Love is Blind Cast Contract with Attorney Jasmine Weg Apr 09, 2024

In this riveting episode of Eyes Wide Open, Jasmine Weg, a seasoned lawyer specializing in commercial litigation, spotlights the legal intricacies behind the controversial 'Love is Blind' cast contracts.

Jasmine shares her journey of delving into the Love is Blind contract, sparked by her fascination with the show's treatment of its participants and the blurred lines between contractor and employee status.

With lawsuits from former cast members shedding light on the contract's contents, Jasmine emphasizes the importance of critically reviewing such agreements and ensuring participants understand the terms they're agreeing to.

Exploring the depths of reality TV's legal landscape, Jasmine and Nick delve into the hefty fines imposed on cast members, the motivations driving participants, and the control exerted by production companies.

They analyze the enforceability of clauses such as mandatory marriage duration and potential legal claims like false imprisonment.

Jasmine and Nick tackle the contentious issue of sympathy towards reality TV cast members who litigate against their shows, the complexities of contracting away legal labor rights, and the specter of defamation within reality TV contracts.

In a lighter part of the conversation, they ponder the age-old question: is love truly blind, or does appearance still hold sway in relationships?

With invaluable insights and advice, Jasmine underscores the importance of individuals standing up for their rights, advocating for themselves, and comprehensively assessing the risks associated with reality TV contracts.

Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that unveils the legal realities behind reality television's glitz and glamor so you can consume reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Jasmine Weg here:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-weg-731b8513

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

Websites: https://www.wegesq.com/home

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Redefining Work and Productivity in the Age of Hustle Culture with Danielle Roberts Apr 02, 2024

Danielle Roberts, AKA the Anti-Career Coach, joins Nick to discuss rejecting hustle culture to change your relationship with work and redefining success and happiness in life.

They explore the impact of burnout and the need for systemic changes in work environments. Danielle shares her personal journey from being a working professional to coaching and emphasizes the importance of aligning work with personal values.

Danielle discusses the common trends among clients, the process of identifying values, and the need for reflection and exploration in career transitions. They also delve into the pressure to climb the corporate ladder and the importance of prioritizing personal fulfillment over societal expectations.

The conversation explores the need for rest and downtime in making good career decisions, the negative impact of hustle culture, and the potential for workplace reform. They also discuss the concept of a 32-hour work week, along with the benefits it could bring in terms of reducing burnout and improving productivity. T

Danielle and Nick delve into the need to redefine work and productivity and the role of capitalism and corporate responsibility in creating a more human-first future of work. Both share their beliefs that companies must be held accountable for fostering supportive workplace cultures that value not just productivity but also mental health and a healthy work-life balance.

Despite the challenges, there's hope for a more equitable and fulfilling work environment as we continue to push for positive change.

I hope this conversation about careers, burnout, and our relationships with work helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Danielle Roberts here:

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

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

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

Websites: https://danielleroberts.co/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://open.spotify.com/show/2XENSXNVs6Tub3P3RTZvlK

Challenging the Two-Party System and Why Now is the Time for Third Parties with Dr. Jill Stein Mar 26, 2024

Join us in this compelling episode as Dr. Jill Stein, the prominent figure vying for the Green Party nomination in the 2024 presidential race, delves into her motivations for running and the hurdles posed by the entrenched two-party system.

Dr. Stein articulates her transformative vision for the nation, advocating for healthcare as a fundamental human right and championing the Green New Deal to address pressing environmental concerns.

In a thought-provoking dialogue, Dr. Stein underscores the urgency of establishing an economic bill of rights and implementing progressive taxation policies to address income inequality.

Emphasizing the pivotal role of third parties and the preservation of voting rights, she urges voters to consider alternatives beyond the Democratic and Republican duopoly, asserting that votes ultimately belong to the electorate.

Throughout the conversation, critical issues such as financial deregulation, erosion of civil liberties, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are explored. Dr. Stein sheds light on the historical context of the Israel-Palestine conflict while condemning the violation of international law through acts of genocide.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the importance of upholding free speech amid growing censorship concerns, as Dr. Stein condemns the Democratic Party's role in stifling dissent.

The episode concludes with actionable takeaways, including calls for the release of political prisoners like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.

Tune in to discover Dr. Jill Stein's compelling vision for a more just and equitable America, challenging conventional narratives and advocating for bold systemic change.

We hope you enjoy this conversation about the Green Party helping you go into the 2024 election with your eyes wide open.

Find Dr. Jill Stein here:

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

X-Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrJillStein

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

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JillStein2024

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timmy-gibson-show/id1519492680

Websites: https://www.jillstein2024.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Addiction Recovery, Anxiety, and Finding Redemption with Jared Blaine and and Brianna Elizabeth Mar 19, 2024

Our guests today are Jared Blaine and Brianna Elizabeth. Jared and Brianna are advocates for mental health and recovery and the hosts of The Blaklist podcast.

Ever feel like your life took a detour from your dreams? Jared and Brianna dive deep into their pasts, from musical aspirations to the challenges of rejection. They explore how music continues to connect them, even with different tastes.

This episode isn't just about tunes, though. They open up about their struggles with addiction, the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health, and their personal journies to sobriety. They'll share the difficulties they faced, the power of seeking help, and the importance of making amends.

But this isn't all darkness! They'll also discuss the origins of their inspiring podcast, The Blaklist, and share how it became a platform for self-care, recovery, and authentic conversations about mental health.

Join us for a powerful story of resilience, hope, and the potential for positive change, even when faced with the toughest challenges.

We hope you enjoy this conversation about burnout and that it can help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Jared Blaine and Brianna Elizabeth here:

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

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

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blaklist-podcast/id1681420606?ls=1

Websites: https://theblaklistpodcast.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Book: The Cure for Burnout by Emily Ballesteros

Going Beyond Hustle Culture to Unmask and Cure Burnout with Emily Ballesteros Mar 12, 2024

Our guest today is Emily Ballesteros. Emily is the author of the brand-new best-selling book The Cure for Burnout, how to find balance and reclaim your life. She earned her master's degree in industrial organizational psychology and works as a corporate trainer and burnout management coach, helping professionals build work-life balance.

Emily discusses her personal experience with burnout and shares her career journey and how she transitioned from corporate training to burnout management.

Emily details the different types of burnout, including those experienced by high achievers, people-pleasers, and those with a victim mentality. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing burnout symptoms and developing solutions in mindset, time management, stress management, boundaries, and personal care.

We discuss the role of work culture in contributing to burnout and the importance of taking control and reacting to life's challenges. The conversation explores the impacts of burnout on individuals and corporate culture, delving into the causes of burnout in the workplace, including unrealistic expectations and lack of support from businesses. The conversation details the importance of creating a supportive work environment and the importance of empathy in leadership to highlight the significance of building psychological safety in teams.

Emily and Nick share personal red flags of burnout and the importance of engaging in activities that recharge and protect your peace. They also discuss the impact of social media on mental health and the need for self-care when navigating social media.

Emily discusses the pressure of consistency in content creation, her transition from influencer to author, and the takeaways from writing her book. She shares an overview of her book, highlighting its transformational aspect, the importance of consumable content, and the process of recording her audiobook.

Emily shares her favorite fiction and self-help books and asks Nick about his personal lows and experiences with burnout.

We hope you enjoy this conversation about burnout and that it can help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Emily Ballesteros here:

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-ballesteros/

Websites: https://www.emilyballesteros.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://robertablevins.com/

Manipulation, Exploitation, and the Darker Side of MLMs with Roberta Blevins Mar 05, 2024

Our guest today is Roberta Blevins. Roberta is an anti-MLM activist, educating victims of system issues with multi-level marketing programs. She is the host of the Life After MLM Podcast and a participant in the Amazon docuseries LuLaRich, which exposed the exploitative and culty LuLaRoe MLM program.

Roberta and Nick discuss her experience with multi-level marketing (MLM) programs and her journey to becoming a podcast host to educate and fight against them.

Roberta talks about her involvement in the LuLaRue MLM program and her journey to realize it was a pyramid scheme. She also discusses the media attention she received and her insights into the cult-like nature of MLMs.

Nick and Roberta discuss her shares her motivation for starting the Life After MLM podcast. She shares what motivated her to start the podcast and how she finds purpose in having conversations about MLMs with others.

Roberta also talks about expanding the topics of her podcast to include discussions on evangelicalism, exploitation, and other related subjects through discovering so many parallels in other aspects of life.

She highlights the control and manipulation tactics used by MLMs and the importance of connecting with listeners through relatable stories. Roberta addresses the threats and pushback she has received from MLMs and the power and influence they hold.

They also explore the addictive nature of MLMs, the impact they have on relationships and friendships, and the dark tactics used by MLM companies to deceive and exploit individuals.

She shares her personal experience with MLMs and highlights the predatory nature of the industry by delving into the lobbying efforts of MLMs to protect their business model.

Roberta provides advice for individuals trapped in MLMs and emphasizes the importance of seeking alternative employment opportunities.

MLMs are everywhere, and cult-like manipulation tactics are implemented more into our everyday lives than we realize. Hopefully, this conversation will help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Roberta Blevins here:

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

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

Podcast: https://robertablevins.com/the-podcast

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

Websites:

www.Lifeaftermlmpod.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Fighting the Gun Lobby to Pass Donna’s Law for Firearm Suicide Prevention with Katrina Brees Feb 27, 2024

TW: This conversation includes stories of gun violence, self-harm, and death by suicide.

Our guest today is Katrina Brees, a New Orleans-based Mardi Gras artist and creator of “Donna's Law,” a voluntary self-registry prohibition to gun sales for those who choose to create self-defense against gun suicide.

In this episode, Katrina and Nick discuss her career in costume design and her work in creating DIY caskets to bring “fun” to funerals. She shares the importance of transforming death into a celebration and the value of participating in funeral rituals.

Katrina explains the background and purpose of Donna's Law, which aims to prevent gun sales to individuals with mental health challenges. She discusses the challenges and pushback from the gun lobby and emphasizes the need for gun legislation.

Katrina shares why she believes it’s important to pass it nationally or on a state level. She provides information on how people can get involved and support the cause. She also talks about her future plans and the importance of building relationships with legislators.

Despite the slow pace of change, she remains hopeful and continues her advocacy efforts. She shares the different waves of gun control activism and the changing messaging in the movement.

Katrina shares her experience with reality TV and the challenges she faced in navigating the industry. She also highlights the exploitation of background extras and the dark side of documentaries. I

Katrina also asks Nick Thompson about the organizations that support his non-profit work. Nick shares the various organizations, including unions and political organizing groups, that have been supportive of the UCAN Foundation.

They discuss the journey of activism and advocacy, highlighting the progress made and the support received to help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Katrina Brees here:

Instagrams: https://www.instagram.com/putthefuninfuneral | https://www.instagram.com/katrinabrees/

Websites: https://www.donnaslaw.com/ | https://fantasticcasket.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

rumble.com/c/HardLensMedia

Examining Our Political Systems, the 2024 Election, and Indy Media Infighting with Kit Cabello Feb 20, 2024

Our guest is Kit Cabello, the founder of Hard Lens Media, a Chicago-based independent news network.

In this episode, Nick and Kit delve into the burden of student debt and the need for affordable education. The conversation touches on the impact of technology on human connection and the dangers of AI without ethical considerations. They discuss the failings of the political establishment and the need for transparency and change.

The conversation explores the frustration and disillusionment with the current political system and the lack of long-term activation and leadership in progressive movements. It discusses the co-opting of movements by political insiders and the need for citizen ballot initiatives to hold the government accountable.

As a veteran, Kit talks through his experience, the cost of war, and the challenges faced by veterans trying to re-assimilate into normal life. They also talk about political homelessness and the search for representation that aligns with personal values. They discuss the lack of leadership and divisions on the left, specifically in relation to the 2020 election and the “Force the Vote” movement.

The conversation also delves into the reasons for leftist infighting and the dangers of authoritarianism on the left. They explore the deeper failures of the Democratic Party, frustrations with the two-party system, and the importance of moving forward after the 2024 election.

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Kit, and it helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Kit Cabello here:

Instagram: instagram.com/hardlensmedia | https://www.instagram.com/kitcabello/

Twitter: twitter.com/HardLensMedia

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HardLensMedia99

Additional Links:

patreon.com/HardLensMedia

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Sobriety, Self-Discovery, and Finding Your Purpose with Carrie Magnusson Feb 13, 2024

TW: There are moments in this conversation where we discuss suicidal ideation.

Carrie Magnuson is a mental health advocate, mother of three, artist and founder of Rusty Lane Lettering, and host of the Carry on with Carrie podcast!

In this episode of Eyes Wide Open, Carrie shares her journey of self-discovery, sobriety, and finding purpose that led her to podcasting. She discusses her childhood dreams, the challenges of empty nesting, and the importance of creativity and authenticity.

Carrie also shares her learnings about the concept of time dysmorphia and the struggles of time management. She emphasizes the significance of self-care and utilizes outdoor walks to help her find clarity.

Carrie and Nick discuss the benefits of cold showers for mental health, the challenges and side effects of mental health treatments, the healing power of art, and the importance of medication awareness.

They also discuss dealing with public scrutiny, starting a podcast to help others, and the significance of sharing personal experiences. The conversation covers a range of topics related to mental health and self-care.

Nick shares his insights into the systemic issues in reality TV and also discusses his motivation to help others by creating change in the industry.

Carrie’s story is moving, motivational, and incredibly relatable, and I hope it helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Carrie Magnusson here:

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

Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carryonwithcarriepodcast

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

https://www.instagram.com/thejoshhalu/

Healing Trauma, PTSD, and Relationships through Psychedelic Experiences with Josh Halu Feb 06, 2024

TW: This episode discusses PTSD, war, and a story of suicide.

Josh Halu, an Army veteran, mental health advocate, and founder and CEO PsycheX joins Nick Thompson to share his story of overcoming trauma and finding healing through psychedelics.

Josh opens up about his difficult childhood, his experience in the military, and his struggles with depression and PTSD. He also discusses his search for alternative therapies, including cannabis and psychedelics.

Josh recounts his transformative experience hiking the Appalachian Trail, which led him to explore the healing potential of psychedelic treatments. He also shares his knowledge about the importance of set and setting in the psychedelic experience, as well as the three phases of the journey: before, during, and after.

Josh explains the need for integration therapy to benefit from the healing potential of psychedelic treatment fully. He shares his motivation for starting PsychX, a platform that connects veterans and individuals with psychedelic providers and aims to destigmatize psychedelic use.

This episode is a powerful and inspiring story of resilience and the power of using psychedelics to heal complex trauma and mental health challenges

I hope you enjoy this episode with Josh Halu and you learn something new to help you go through life with your eyes wide open!

Find Josh Halu here:

Website: https://psychex.com/

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

Additional Links: https://www.linkedin.com/company/psychexchange/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

New Show Clips: Mental Health Headline Hot Takes with Nick and Todd Jan 30, 2024

On this episode of Eyes Wide Open, we take a look at a few episodes of a new show from Nick and his friend Todd, dissecting mental health news and headlines.

Subscribe to the weekly show every Thursday exclusively here on my YouTube channel!

Subscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eyeswideopencontent

Follow Nick:

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

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814

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

Follow Todd:

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

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/bunny-hugs-and-mental-health/id1560055327

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

Coercive Control in Cults, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Reality TV with Ashley Love Richards Jan 23, 2024

Ashley Love Richards, host of the cult-obsessed podcast "That's So F**ked Up," dives deep into the darkness with Nick Thompson in this unfiltered conversation about coercive control in cults, alcoholic anonymous, and reality TV.

Buckle up as they dissect Ashley's passion for true crime, her journey from alcoholism to podcasting glory, and the surprising (and disturbing) connections between cults and everyday life.

Get ready to explore:

Coercive Control: Ashley and Nick discuss coercive control in cults, alcoholic anonymous, reality TV, and many other ways the manipulation tactic reveals itself in everyday life.
Survivor Stories: Ashley shares her experiences advocating for victims of spiritual abuse and the troubled teen industry, challenging the culture of victim blaming and trauma dumping online.
From Child Star Dreams to Podcasting Queen: Uncover Ashley's fascinating path from Hollywood hopeful to true crime maven and why she traded scripts for microphones.
Cults 101: Delve into the chilling world of serial killers and cults, uncovering their shared traits and the spectrum of manipulative groups lurking in plain sight.
Unveiling the Darkness: Unpack the twisted psychology of cult leaders, their warped desire for control, and the insidious power of coercive control that traps victims.
Breaking Free: Dive into the surprising cult-like aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous and societal pressures around alcohol, prompting a discussion on vulnerability, mental health, and Catholic guilt.
Finding Light in the Dark: Discover healthy self-care strategies like bubble baths, ice cream, and walks in nature as Ashley and Nick debunk the Windy City myth and share tips for battling seasonal affective disorder.
The Future is Bright: Join the duo as they brainstorm future collaborations and celebrate the power of self-improvement and building supportive communities.

This episode is a raw, insightful, and often hilarious journey into the darkest corners of human behavior and the light that shines even there.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Ahley Love Richards and you learn something new to help you go through life with your eyes wide open!

Find Ashley Love Richards here:

Website: https://tsfuthepodcast.com/

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

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TSFU

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

Additional Links: https://www.tearsofeden.org/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

How to Overcome Negative Thoughts and Limiting Beliefs Using Neuroplasticity with Elana Van Deventer Jan 16, 2024

****TW: There are moments in this conversation where we discuss suicidal ideation.

In this conversation, Elana Van Deventer shares her journey of overcoming limiting beliefs and building confidence. We discuss the intersection of neuroscience and mental health, highlighting the importance of breaking the silence around emotions and mental health.

Elana emphasizes the significance of self-identity and finding purpose in every season of life. Elana also discusses the impact of external validation and the value of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care.

Throughout our chat, she emphasizes the importance of choosing love, compassion, and intentional daily choices. She shares her journey of personal growth and becoming a Neurocycle facilitator.

She emphasizes the importance of knowing your limits and priorities before making commitments. Elana also discusses the power of asking the right questions and overcoming imposter syndrome.

As a student of Dr. Carolina Leaf, She shares how she discovered and decided to apply to her program to learn the process of rewiring the brain and changing thinking patterns through neuroplasticity and mind management.

She highlights the significance of pausing and rest in a society focused on productivity. We discuss the power of storytelling, the importance of sharing personal stories, and the need for communication, collaboration, and continual learning in building a community.

They also discuss the importance of using love and compassion in communication and taking control of our thoughts and lives while making time to express gratitude and use our voices to make a change.

Check out this episode with Elana to help us go through life with our eyes wide open!

Please like, share, and subscribe! I’m glad you’re here.

Find Elana Van Deventer here:

Websites:

https://www.elanavandeventer.com/

https://she-unite.com/

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

Additional Links: https://www.neurocycle.app/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

The Impact of Social Media and Culture on Millennials and GenZ’s Mental Health with Dr. Jessica Rabon Jan 09, 2024

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Rabon and I discuss the impacts of social media and culture on the increasing mental health challenges faced by millennials and Gen Z.

Dr. Rabon highlights the pressure and expectations placed on young adults to pursue certain career paths and the impacts of student loan debt on our lives.

We explore the causes of worsening mental health, including financial stress, culture, and the difficulty of finding relaxation in a constantly connected world. She emphasizes the importance of leaning into discomfort and being fully present in order to find calm and joy and the importance of making small changes to improve mental health.

We also highlight the differences between introversion and extroversion and the need for setting boundaries in various aspects of life, including work and social media.

Lastly, Dr. Rabon asks me a compelling question: What impact does watching reality TV have on people's mental health? The answer might surprise you!

Check out this episode with Dr. Rabon, and please like, share, and subscribe!

Find Dr. Jessica Rabon here:

Website: https://jessicaleighphd.wixsite.com/mysite

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

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

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwVZNyrZU-ThN-q3rsL7rJQ

Psych Talk Podcast: https://jessicaleighphd.wixsite.com/mysite/podcast

Welcome to Group Therapy Podcast: http://tinyurl.com/2p97mf2f

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

Best of 2023 Part 2 - Reality TV Edition Jan 02, 2024

This week, we’re continuing the best of 2023 by highlighting this year’s guests from the world of reality TV. This week, we’ll be highlighting conversations with my ex-wife Danielle Ruhl (Love is Blind), Alyssa Barmonde (Married at First Sight AU), Stephanie Davison (90 Day Fiance), Olivia Frazer (Married at First Sight AU), and Corrine Hatch (America’s Next Top Model). In addition, we’ll close the episode with The UCAN Foundation, which I co-founded with Jeremy Hartwell and Dr. Isabelle Morley to provide mental health and legal services to reality TV cast members.

A lot of progress was made in 2023 to reshape the reality TV industry to be more ethical. I'm getting ready to lock it down and move forward and force this change in 2024. I hope that you get some enjoyment out of this best of episode as we head into the new year with our eyes wide open.

Listen to the Full Episodes here:

Stephanie Davison: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000626040278

Corrine Hatch: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000623014296

Olivia Frazer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000638273767

Alyssa Barmonde: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000617657232

Danielle Ruhl Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000614949697

Daniell Ruhl Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000615814101

UCAN Foundation: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000616767280

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Best of 2023 Part 1 Dec 26, 2023

On this special episode of Eyes Wide Open, we’re reliving the best podcast episodes of 2023 as part of a two-part series.

In this episode, we're going to highlight clips from Dr. Elizabeth Federick, Dr. Kirk Honda, Calley Means, Eli Weinstein, Macy Schuchart, Callie Ezell, Rushi Kota, and Danny LoPriore. In part two (out next week), we are going to focus on the reality TV industry and clips from some of the amazing guests that we've had this year, including my ex-wife, Danielle.

I hope that you enjoy these clips, whether you’re taking a trip down memory lane, or perhaps explore some episodes you haven't listened to yet. So thank you, and I hope that this helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Listen to the Full Episodes here:

Dr. Kirk Honda: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000614097530

Calley Means: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000637520722

Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000621473887

Macy Schuchart: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000618440766

Rushi Kota: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000624478957

Callie Ezell Pt 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000632399936

Callie Ezell Pt 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000633177433

Eli Weinstein: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000627559325

Danny LoPriore: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyes-wide-open-with-nick-thompson/id1640110814?i=1000629998891

Find Nick Thompson here:

VUDU: https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/Subject/2594913?cmp=OrganicSearch~Vudu~GoogleWatch

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

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

Creating More Ethical Documentaries with Margie Ratliff of “Subject” and “The Staircase” Dec 19, 2023

What similarities are there between how documentary film participants and reality television cast members are treated by production companies and the public? How can we create these forms of media ethically and in a way that protects the dignity and humanity of those involved?

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we are speaking with producer and documentary participant Margie Ratliff to try to answer these questions. Margie first appeared in the public eye as a young person featured in the documentary “The Staircase,” and as a result experienced a lot of trauma from having her and her family’s entire life put on screen for others to see and judge.

What's wonderful about Margie is she turned her experience and her love of filmmaking into becoming an activist for ethical filmmaking in the documentary space. She has recently produced an award-winning film-festival-darling documentary called “Subject,” which follows key participants in “The Staircase,” “Hoop Dreams,” “The Wolfpack,” “Capturing the Friedmans,” and “The Square” to explore how production and public reception affected them.

When I connected with Margie, I was surprised to learn about the parallels documentary production has with reality TV in terms of exploitation. What's unique about “Subject” is the producers worked collaboratively with the participants in order to make sure people were taken care of before, during, and after filming (which is atypical of this industry). Margie and I have a lot in common in terms of how we are solving similar problems in different forms of media, and I wanted to explore that together in this episode.

I hope you enjoy this podcast. If you haven't already, go watch Subject. I hope that watching “Subject” and listening to this podcast helps you view documentary film, reality TV, and entertainment generally with your eyes wide open.

Find “Subject” here:

Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Subject-Margie-Ratliff/dp/B0CKYBQNJB/

AppleTV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/subject/umc.cmc.6jcylwu9rtti7bbsx0696tzez

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Subject?id=GE-w09yzR8o.P&hl=en&gl=IE&pli=1

Kanopy: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13845688

Find Marjie here:

DPEA Website: https://www.dpealliance.org/

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

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

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:

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

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:

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

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.

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 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:

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

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

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:

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

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:

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

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

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:

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

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

Escaping Life in a Cult with Callie Ezell Oct 31, 2023

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

On this week's episode of Eyes Wide Open, Nick sits down with Chicago-based abstract artist Callie Ezell for another episode detailing her experience surviving life in a cult. Part two picks up right where part one left off, so make sure to listen to that episode if you want to hear Callie’s full story.

In this episode, we talk about Callie’s experiences and emotions as she began working toward an exit strategy to leave the cult. We follow Callie as she attempts to integrate back into normality, with things like meeting new friends, dating, and finding new work all haunted by the backdrop of her decade-long cult experience and the anxiety, stress, and trauma that she carried from it. Her difficulty reintegrating with normal life eventually led her to therapy and discovering art as a way to express herself.

Callie is very vulnerable in this episode, and gives us an honest depiction about what her experience was. This episode will help you view other human beings with compassion and empathy so that we can all go through life with our eyes wide open.

Find Callie here:

Mcmillan Street Art: https://www.instagram.com/mcmillanstreetart/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Surviving Life in a Cult with Callie Ezell Oct 24, 2023

Today's episode of Eyes Wide Open is part one of two where I talked to Callie Ezell. Callie is a Chicago-based abstract artist and founder-entrepreneur with Mcmillan Street Art. We recently got connected through a mutual friend, who told me that Callie spent 10 years of her life in a cult.

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

For those of you who've been following my post-Love Is Blind journey, you may have seen me compare elements of the production process to being part of a cult. This was inspired and informed by my conversations with Callie, because a lot of what she has shared with me about her experience in this cult was very similar to what I and my fellow cast members experienced when we participated in the Love is Blind experiment.

Callie’s story was way too difficult for us to cover in one episode, so we split it up into two parts. In part one, Callie will help us understand how she was recruited by this cult, what her first day and year was like, what she experienced from a control perspective, and what her life was like while she was living within this program. In the upcoming part two, we will focus on how Callie came to realize what was happening and how she got out.

I hope that this episode opens your eyes to some of the control mechanisms and horrific practices that are happening in our real world, and how this can really happen to anyone. Callie’s story is something that I think is really important for everybody to hear, and I hope that this helps you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Callie here:

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

Mcmillan Street Art: https://www.instagram.com/mcmillanstreetart/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

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:

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

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

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:

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

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:

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

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

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:

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

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

Why I Left the Cast of Farming for Love with Lori Brown Sep 19, 2023

This episode takes a look behind the scenes of reality TV production, with first-hand insight from Lori Brown. Lori was on the cast of Canada's Farming for Love, which is their equivalent of FOX’s Farmer Wants a Wife.

Lori was cast for season one of the show, and she did not have a great experience. In fact, she did not finish filming and decided to leave before the experience was complete. In this episode, she’ll share why she chose to leave the set of Farming for Love and how the on-set conditions impacted her mental health. We'll also dive into what was going on when the cameras weren’t rolling, including instances of exploitative/inhumane treatment and the arguments that she had with producers.

Farming For Love finished airing in Canada last month, so Lori is fresh off the experience. This episode will help you better understand the impacts of manipulation and editing, so that you view reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Lori Brown here:

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

Website: https://loribrownphotography.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

An Honest Conversation about Men’s Mental Health with Eli Weinstein Sep 12, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Eli Weinstein. Eli is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who specializes in couples and parenting, and joins me today for a conversation focused on men’s mental health.

We dive in on the importance of human connection and the people that inspired him to become a therapist. Eli has become a pretty reliable friend to me, and his empathy, compassion, and curiosity is really genuine. In today’s world we are all very focused on ourselves, Eli’s care for helping others is really refreshing.

In this episode, Eli and I talk all about men's mental health. We’ll cover everything from the stigma surrounding it, choosing a therapist, why you would choose a male or female therapist, and so much more.

I hope this episode helps you learn a little bit about men's mental health to help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Eli here:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-weinstein-lcsw-95a0a26a/

Website: https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/

“The Dude Therapist” Podcast: https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/podcast

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

How To Improve Your Self Care Routine with Matthew Blades Sep 05, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, our guest is Matthew Blades. Matthew is a self-care expert and motivational speaker, but before that, he spent 27 years as a morning show radio host.

In his radio career, Matthew would take every opportunity he got to get into bigger markets and advance his career, but along the way learned that he had not healed inside from some childhood wounds. He began experiencing panic attacks and depression, and felt like he wasn't an active participant in his own life. Matthew realized he wasn't filling his own cup or giving himself the tools and the time to make sure that he could show up as his best self.

Today, Matthew uses his learning and experiences to teach people the importance of self care through media and motivational speaking. As a male, it's often difficult to talk about mental health because there are still stigmas around it, and I really appreciate Matthew’s authenticity in doing so.

In this episode, we learn a little bit about healing our childhood wounds and incorporating self-care routines into our everyday life so that we can go through life with our eyes wide open.

Find Matthew Blades here:

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

I Needed That Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-needed-that/id1658648577

Learn From People Who Lived It Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learn-from-people-who-lived-it/id1600310521

Website: https://www.learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

When Reality TV Isn't Real with Stephanie Davison Aug 29, 2023

Get ready for a wild conversation! This week on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Stephanie Davison. You may know Stephanie from 90 Day Fiancé in 2021, where she was engaged to Ryan Carr.

Stephanie’s 90 Day Fiance experience was wild behind the scenes, and her storyline was complete and total fabrication. She began speaking out about this before the final episodes even aired, resulting in her being barred from appearing on the tell-all episode. In response, she hosted her own tell-all live event on her Instagram profile, where she shared what the on-set conditions were really like.

Stephanie first reached out to me with a message of solidarity when we launched the UCAN Foundation. She shared that she was sexually assaulted on set, exposed to environmental harm from the locations they filmed in, and also the fact that she and Ryan actually broke their engagement during a COVID-related break in production.

Stephanie’s story is the antithesis of how horrible reality TV production is, how unethical it is, how fake it is, and how they will exploit you, mistreat you, misrepresent you, and hold you to physical harm, all so that they can get their pre-prescribed storyline.

I am grateful for Stephanie being so brave to share her story today, but I hope that this helps all of you do what it does for me, and that's view reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Stephanie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie_90day/?hl=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

The Ultimatum: Queer Love and Reality TV Therapy with Rachel Wright Aug 22, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we sit down with Rachel Wright, a non-monogamous queer woman and licensed therapist who specializes in sex and relationships.

When Rachel and I connected initially, I thought we were going to discuss her work as a therapist, but we ended up getting into a conversation about what she sees as a therapist in reality TV, including her take on The Ultimatum: Queer Love and the impacts that show had on the cast members and the LGBTQ+ community.

We also talk a little bit about tools to help regulate internet hate and how cruel people can be. Rachel shares an experience she had opening up her life to the public eye and sharing some genuine information that would really probably help a lot of people, but how reading the YouTube comments of people judging her life and projecting onto her experience made her upset.

We're going to schedule another episode so we can learn a little bit about Rachel’s experience as a non-monogamist, being a queer person, and psychotherapy, but for right now, let's get into this conversation so that you can watch reality TV and interact on the internet with your eyes wide open.

Find Rachel Wright here:

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

The Wright Conversations Podcast: https://rachelwrightnyc.lpages.co/podcast-listen/

Website: https://rachelwrightnyc.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Why the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes Matter with Rushi Kota Aug 15, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Rushi Kota. Rushi is an actor who you may recognize from his recurring appearance on Grey's Anatomy and Never Have I Ever, as well as his recent Hallmark Original Movie, Make Me a Match.

As a member of SAG, I wanted to talk to Rushi a little bit about the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. We go in-depth on what actually is being fought for, where the strike is currently, and Rushi’s activism and willingness to stand together with writers and actors.

My work with the UCAN Foundation is focused on unionizing and organizing reality TV professionals, and as such I think it's important for all of us to know what's going on with these studio executives. We need to start having these conversations collectively as an entertainment industry, because what's happening across all of Hollywood is incredibly exploitative.

I hope that this helps you understand the SAG strike, the WGA strike and what we're trying to accomplish with the UCAN Foundation so that you can view all of these things with your eyes wide open.

Find Rushi here:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rushikota?lang=en

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

The Highs and Lows of Professional Racing with Josh Green Aug 08, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Josh Green, an IndyNXT race car driver, for a fascinating conversation about racing and the high-pressure world of professional athletics.

One of the things that is super interesting to me about Josh is the fact that he is already so successful at such a young age. Josh started go-kart racing at age 9, and by the time he was 12 years old was racing competitively. He spent his high school years (and now his college years) focused on racing as his career. This lifestyle has required a lot of sacrifice and has come with a lot of pressure from stakeholders and coaches, and Josh shared with me the impacts that has had on his mental health, performance, and overall wellness.

Josh and I are going to discuss what these pressures look like, what his experience growing up in racing has been like, and also learn some of the things that he does to maintain his mental health and keep himself focused.

This episode really helps us understand the pressures of performing, especially in your formative years can really have a profound impact on all aspects of your life. Next time you watch a race or interact with someone who's performing, I hope you go into that with your eyes wide open.

Find Josh Green here:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-green-b9729918b/

Website: https://www.joshgreenracing.com/

Newsletter: https://www.joshgreenracing.com/blog/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Exploitation on the Set of America’s Next Top Model with Corinne Hatch Aug 01, 2023

Today, I’m joined by Brittany Corinne Hatch, who was a cast member on America's Next Top Model Season 8 back in 2007.

Ms. Hatch has been through a lot and come out a strong survivor. We recently connected through my work with the UCAN Foundation, and she shared with me some of the experiences that she had as a reality TV cast member and the physical and mental trauma that the show has inflicted on her and the people in her life, including other cast members.

It should be no surprise that the treatment of the cast of Top Model was largely exploitative. Cast members had their mental health weaponized and used against them, a practice that the UCAN Foundation is working to stop. This type of abuse was happening in the industry 17 years ago, and we're still wrestling with the same exploitation, legal threats, and lack of mental health support that made the environment on set so toxic.

We have to band together and allow people to share their stories, and we need to force change in reality TV production so it can be produced ethically. It is ruining people's lives. I hope that hearing Ms. Hatch's story will help you look at reality TV production with your eyes wide open.

Find Corinne here:

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

Website: https://www.intoabook.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Taking Action as a Mental Health Advocate with Keila Dolle Jul 25, 2023

Today our guest is Keila Dolle, an actress, filmmaker, and comedian who hosts the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast, which I was recently a guest on. After hearing a little bit about her story and her background, I learned about her advocacy for mental health and wanted to have her on the podcast to discuss it.

Keila grew up with a younger brother who was autistic, and seeing the challenges that he experienced growing up neurodivergent led her to firmly believe that everybody deserves to be seen and be recognized. Additionally, Keila is very open about her own anxiety and experiences with panic attacks. These two factors influenced her to become a mental health advocate and help others realize they are not alone.

In this episode, Keila shares about her volunteer work, which started doing at a young age and continued to where she is now. She also shares what her advocacy looks like in practice, and where she's planning to take the rest of her life.

I hope this episode helps you better understand what it's like to experience anxiety and panic attacks, as well as what it takes to show up and give back to the world by advocating for what matters to you.

Find Keila here:

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

Listen to the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crying-behind-sunglasses-with-keila-dolle/id1517523921

Listen to Nick and Keila on the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/staying-sane-after-love-is-blind-with-nick-thompson/id1517523921?i=1000615329989

Website: https://keiladolle.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Avoiding Toxic Relationships with Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick Jul 18, 2023

This week, Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick returns to Eyes Wide Open for a rousing discussion on the toxic cycle, toxic traits in relationships, and how we can recognize and avoid patterns of toxicity.

I met Dr. Elizabeth through her podcast, Relatable | Relationships Unfiltered, before inviting her onto my show. We hit it off well, and are now friends. Dr. Elizabeth is a licensed therapist, relationship expert, and intimacy coach.

In this episode, we will learn a little bit about how toxicity happens in a relationship, how to change it, or when it's time to walk away. Our conversation will help you see your relationships with your eyes wide open.

Find Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick here:

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

Relatable Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-relationships-unfiltered/id1656318412

Calm, Cool, and Connected Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1656793

Evolve Counseling: https://www.evolvecounselingaz.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Break Ups and Sobriety with the “Break Up Bestie” Kendra Allen Jul 11, 2023

On today’s episode, we’re featuring Kendra Allen, better known by her nickname “The Break Up Bestie.”

We're going to talk through her journey to becoming a breakup coach and content creator, her 10-years sobriety, and why she’s produced some of her content. We're also gonna talk about timelines on breakups, dating again, and where to start when you're going through a breakup.

If you or someone you know has gone through a breakup, give this a listen to see how you can help. Make sure you share it out as well if you think this can benefit someone. Most importantly, this will help you channel your breakup and go through yourjourney with your eyes wide open.

Find Kendra Allen here:

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

Website: https://www.breakupbestie.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Bonus Episode: Reading My Astrological Birth Chart with Sara Fruman Jul 04, 2023

This is a bonus episode, and I'm not gonna lie, this one is a little self-indulgent: I sit down with Sara Fruman to go over my astrological birth chart.

Sara is an astrologer, publicist, coach, and brand strategist who I recently connected with. Full disclosure, we have a business relationship that led to this recording. During one of our discussions, she began explaining to me what she's seen in my birth chart. I decided I actually wanted to do a deep dive into this, and also thought it might be fun to record it and share it with you!

In this episode, we'll go over the chart to see why I'm me and all of the factors that have contributed to specific seasons in my life. It's going to be a little bit more fun, a little less serious, but it's going to be good for all of us. Please welcome Sara Fruman!

Find Sara Fruman here:

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

Soul Evolution Media: https://www.soulevolutionmedia.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

How Herbal Remedies Can Boost Your Health with Macy Schuchart Jun 27, 2023

Today’s episode is all about holistic health. Macy Schuchart is an herbalist and the founder of Ancient Bliss supplement company, specializing in herbal remedies and Eastern medicine. Macy’s work uses traditional Eastern herbs to help others get minerals and vitamins that are sorely missing in modern diets.

When she was in college studying herbs and nutritional philosophy, Macy spent six months in Hawaii living off of the land with a tribe of Indigenous people. It was there that she took her classroom education and enhanced it with real life experiences by working with tribal elders that were still supplementing their health with herbs every day.

As a holistic health enthusiast myself, Macy’s expertise made this a very engaging and exciting conversation for me to have, and I’m looking forward to sharing our discussion with you.

Find Macy here:

Ancient Bliss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ancient.bliss/

Ancient Bliss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancientbliss_

Ancient Bliss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ancientblisss

Website: https://ancientbliss.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Being Edited Into the Villain with Alyssa Barmonde Jun 20, 2023

Today’s special guest on Eyes Wide Open is Alyssa Barmonde. Alyssa rose into the public eye through her role on season 10 of Married at First Sight Australia.

Alyssa and I recently connected through my advocacy with the UCAN Foundation and our shared desire to bring change and regulation to the reality TV industry. Her experience on MAFS ended with her being completely misrepresented, manipulated, and treated less than human during and after production.

After talking to her online, I wanted to have a conversation here on the podcast and get to know her as a person, then explore how she was manipulated on the show, including what her relationship with her husband was like during production versus what was portrayed on television.

We're going to let Alyssa tell her story and share her truth. I hope that listening to our conversation helps you look at reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Alyssa Barmonde here:

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

Website: https://alyssabakescakes.myshopify.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Solving Reality TV’s Human Rights Issues with the UCAN Foundation Jun 13, 2023

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we are going to be talking about the real, dirty behind-the-scenes of reality TV. I'll be sharing some of the experiences that I had on Love Is Blind with Jeremy Hartwell and Dr. Isabelle Morley, who (along with me) are co-founding members of the UCAN Foundation, or the Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network Foundation. We'll talk today about some of the psychological warfare that is unfortunately inherent to filming reality TV, and Dr. Isabelle will weigh in from the perspective of a clinical psychologist. Jeremy and I will also talk a little bit about some of the labor challenges and the lack of access to even basic necessities like food and water.

We’ll share why our combined experiences have led us to start the UCAN Foundation and what we're trying to accomplish through it. I hope you come in with an open mind and an open heart to understand why this is important so that we can all leave this conversation with our Eyes Wide Open about what's actually going on behind the scenes of reality TV.

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 Jeremy Hartwell here:

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

Website: https://www.perituscoaching.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

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

Real BTS of Our Love is Blind Marriage with Danielle Ruhl - Part 2 Jun 06, 2023

On this very special episode of Eyes Wide Open I’m joined by Danielle Ruhl, who you may know from Love is Blind and as my ex-wife.

This episode is part one of a two-part series where we're going to discuss our entire experience before, during, and after Love is Blind filmed all the way through when the show came out and what it was like for us going through our public divorce. At the end, we will come together and talk about where we are now and what our relationship status is.

Today, we pick up the day after our wedding and talk about everything from integrating our life together, our mental health throughout that entire process, what it was like anticipating the show coming out, and what we experienced and went through in our personal lives. We also talk about what it was like during the show, getting ready to film the reunion, why we filmed the reunion, why we did After the Altar, some of the struggles that we faced both together and individually all the way through our divorce. We’ll also close by talking about what our relationship status is right now.

This interview sheds light on the behind the scenes of a reality show, but also the behind the scenes of our marriage and public life.

Find Danielle Ruhl here:

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

Website: https://www.danielleruhl.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Real BTS of Our Love is Blind Marriage with Danielle Ruhl - Part I May 30, 2023

On this very special episode of Eyes Wide Open I’m joined by Danielle Ruhl, who you may know from Love is Blind and as my ex-wife.

This episode is part one of a two-part series where we're going to discuss our entire experience before, during, and after Love is Blind filmed all the way through when the show came out and what it was like for us going through our public divorce. At the end, we will come together and talk about where we are now and what our relationship status is.

For part one, we're going to focus on our mental health throughout the entire process, as well as recount things that happened on and off set through the production. We'll take you all the way through our wedding day and share what that experience was like.

Enjoy this week's episode, and we'll be back next week with part two of this interview.

Find Danielle Ruhl here:

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

Website: https://www.danielleruhl.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

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

Online Bullying’s Darker Side with Dr. Kirk Honda May 23, 2023

Our guest today is Dr. Kirk Honda, a licensed therapist, professor, and the host of Psychology in Seattle. He is a new friend that I've recently connected with over my work in reality TV and the UCAN Foundation. One of the reasons I like Dr. Kirk is his compassionate, empathetic, and non-judgmental approach to content, which is very rare for someone who is commenting on culture or reality TV.

A couple weeks ago, Dr. Kirk had me as a guest on his podcast Psychology in Seattle. During our discussion, he shared with me an experience he had last year during his coverage of the defamation lawsuit between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. His commentary on the trial led to him becoming a victim of an online bully mob that was coming at him from both sides, to the point where they were actively organizing against him on social media. He was eventually forced to make some changes in his personal life to protect himself, which we’ll cover in this interview.

I wanted to have Dr. Kirk on to discuss the dark side of the internet. I’ve experienced the online bully mob myself, and I know a lot of people in my life now that have experienced it. It’s important to me to discuss the impacts that that has on someone’s mental health and feeling of safety.

Please welcome Dr. Kirk Honda.

Find Dr. Kirk Honda here:

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

Website: www.psychologyinseattle.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/

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

Best of Season 1 May 02, 2023

Hello, and welcome to a very special episode of Conversations with Nick Thompson.

Over the first season’s 32 episodes, I had the opportunity to sit down with many great guests and hear their stories. I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite moments from the series, and so we’ve created this unique “Best of” bonus episode to share their stories.

We have clips from Stephanie Sarazin, Saagar Enjeti, Leslie Guevara, Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, TJ Powers, Naza Shelley, and Chris Schembra, where we have some of the hard conversations and insightful moments that made their episodes so engaging. I hope highlighting them here will pique your curiosity and make you think, and hopefully make you want to look more into their stories.

We’re preparing for the next season of the podcast to come back in May, so stay tuned. We have some changes we are making to the show that we are very excited to show off, so stick around.

Dating, Communication, and Ghosting, with Jacob Lucas Apr 11, 2023

Today on Conversations with Nick Thompson, we talk with Jacob Lucas. Jacob is a professional dating coach, and someone that I connected with online after initially seeing him on another podcast. Along with being a professional dating coach, Jacob is the author of a new book called “Her Dating Coach,” which you can find a link to below.

As I focus on rebuilding myself and really pushing myself to start thinking about dating again, I wanted to talk to Jacob about what it's like out there because things have changed a lot in the last few years. I'm really curious to pick his brain about what he sees with his clients, how he views dating as a whole, and talk a little bit about his book. Also, I also want to get some points and tips as I start thinking about getting back out there into the dating scene. Maybe we'll have a nice conversation and that will change some things for me.

Jacob is an excellent follow for social media, he is always giving good dating advice through his posts, and I am super excited to talk to him on this episode. We're going to dive into every single thing dating; how we should be approaching it, and what is current dating etiquette? We'll talk a little bit about ghosting, but more importantly, how communication plays a role in dating. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jacob Lucas.

Find “Her Dating Coach” here: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Dating-Coach-Jacob-Lucas-ebook/dp/B0BXJRRQB7

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@convoswithnick

Divorce, Relationship Therapy, and Reconnecting with Yourself with Cindy Stibbard Apr 04, 2023

Coming out of my divorce, I have been thinking about the impacts that divorce has on individuals, on couples, and on families. I've been working through my own process to rediscover myself, and there have been additional challenges from having my relationship be public. What I've really been thinking about is, how do I put myself back together? How do I rebuild myself?

I've been journaling and doing a lot of self-care to make sure that I'm physically healthy, putting nourishing foods in my body, and drinking a ton of water. Outside this, what I really noticed going through this process is that there is a huge disconnect between therapy and the legal aspects of divorce.

That's where I discovered today’s guest, Cindy Stibbard. Cindy is a certified divorce coach and a really amazing human. I was drawn to her work because she's so vulnerable about the way she's helping people navigate such a complicated situation. She’s helping people navigate the decisions of whether you should or shouldn't divorce in some instances, or how to help you determine what it could look like before you jump into it. Additionally, she helps people post-divorce to reconnect with themselves, which is what I'm excited to talk to her about today.

Find Cindy Stibbard here:

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Imposter Syndrome, Communication, and Building Relationships with Amira Mansour Mar 28, 2023

Amira Mansour is a communication expert and coach who specializes in helping others communicate more effectively in their personal and business relationships.

I first connected with Amira over Instagram. I was truly impressed by her understanding and expertise in communication, and was amazed by her story of how her entire life led her to find that her passion and her superpower was helping others communicate better.

Together, Amira and I are going to discuss the importance of communication, what makes people good communicators, and what struggles people face in trying to communicate effectively. We’ll also muse on imposter syndrome, because our personal conversations have been a lot about imposter syndrome.

Amira is an amazing human being, and her ability to connect with people is what makes her unique. She's been truly a great inspiration and kind soul to me as I've started on my current endeavors. I'm really excited to have this conversation, and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Find Amira Mansour here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_communicationexpert/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Trauma, Personal Training, and Nerves of Steele with Linda Steele Mar 21, 2023

Our guest today, Linda Steele, is a really incredible human being with a very relatable story. Linda reached out to me on LinkedIn asking if she could come on the show after listening to the podcast. Linda is a personal trainer, wellness advisor, bestselling author of the book “Nerves of Steele,” and an international speaker.

Linda is very open about how trauma from her younger years has impacted her life, her relationships, and her personal “situation-ships,” as she calls them with past partners. But what's really unique about Linda is her self-awareness that she has to not just overcome her trauma, but that she has to learn to be comfortable living with it.

I found Linda very relatable because we're all dealing with some form of trauma. I really enjoy the way that Linda speaks about it and how it’s affected her story. She is also very aware of the role that she plays in other people's lives, whether it’s her three daughters or her clients that she works with on personal training and wellness.

Together, we’re going to learn a little bit about Linda, her journey, and all of the things that helped make her who she is today. We’ll also dig into the growth that she's had personally, where she started, how she got where she is, and then of course, where she is going.

Find Linda Steele here:

Website: https://lindasteelewellness.com/

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Introspection, Building Relationships, and the Lost Art of Connecting with Susan McPherson Mar 17, 2023

Personally, 2023 has been all about connecting better with myself, connecting better with others, and building connections among people in my network that I think would be of value to one another. One of the most important things that I've learned in life, both personally and professionally, is that our connections begin with ourselves. When you have a good connection with yourself, you can show up in the world authentically and attract the right people, connect, and build relationships.

If you don't have a strong sense of self, you have the potential to go out and build the wrong kind of connections, damage the ones that should be healthy, and have distant relationships with people you’re supposed to be close with. You may not be living the experiences that you want or having the conversations that you want.

And that's what brought me to today's guest, Susan McPherson. Susan is the author of “The Lost Art of Connecting,” which came out in 2021. Her whole goal with this book is to build a much-needed practical guide to building human connection. Her book came out after the pandemic, but she actually began writing it before the pandemic. Because of this, all of this time that Susan had to spend remotely helped her develop ways of connecting with people that start digitally and build in real life. Her book is especially helpful in the post-pandemic world, as many people once in isolation have had to readjust to the new social climate.

Susan considers herself a serial connector, which is also a goal of mine. I'm interested to learn a lot of her tactics, her strategies, and the way that she approaches building human connections. As you listen to this, think to yourself, “Who am I as a person? What's my relationship with myself?” Also, think about what you need to work on. There will be opportunities to learn and apply some of Susan’s tools into your everyday life.

Find Susan here:

“The Lost Art of Connecting” book: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Connecting-Meaningful-Relationships/dp/1260469883/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PCMOBH770KCG&keywords=the+lost+art+of+connecting+susan+mcpherson&qid=1678476187&sprefix=the+lost+art+of+con%2Caps%2C281&sr=8-1

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Shifting Your Mindset, Self-Care, and the Less Effect with Samantha Joy Mar 07, 2023

Today’s guest, Samantha Joy, is a writing coach and the bestselling author of “The Less Effect: Design Your Life for Happiness & Purpose.

I recently connected with Samantha and bonded over our shared interest in authenticity and vulnerability on social media. At the time we met, we were both going through a similar situation, and we decided to hop on a call together to talk through it. I enjoy her approach to social media, as well as her approach to life.

Samantha shared with me how writing a book changed her life, bringing her from her darkest place to her most vibrant and empowered phase in life. I wanted to bring her on the show to talk about things like understanding how to be comfortable with discomfort, what a mindset shift means, and how to take care of yourself so that you can shed the things that hold you back and show up in the world as your authentic self.

Samantha is able to share how she came out of her darkest times in a very comfortable and understandable way. How she rose from the ashes to become her best self, which I think is an incredibly powerful story.

Find Samantha here:

The Less Effect book: https://www.amazon.com/less-effect-Design-Happiness-Purpose/dp/1985672545/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2MC3MMMXLW56B&keywords=the+less+effect&qid=1677879389&sprefix=the+less+ef%2Caps%2C626&sr=8-1

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Neurochemistry, Mental Health, and Social Media with Tj Power Feb 28, 2023

Today’s episode features Tj Power, a neuroscientist whose work focuses on mental health.

I wanted to have Tj on because the way that he speaks about mental health come from a scientific perspective. He shares a lot about the neurochemical reactions that happen in our bodies that result in changes in our mental health, such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and more. He shares how each one of these chemicals affects our moods and habits, both individually and in harmony.

He also shares healthy ways that we can stimulate these neurochemicals. Our brains are frequently stimulated by technology and social media, but this connection isn’t necessarily healthy and can cause other internal turmoil. Dopamine is meant to be released as a reward for achieving something or doing something good, but when it’s so attached to instant-gratifiers like TikTok or Instagram that motivation can dry up and our neurochemicals can go out of balance.

We’re going to learn a lot through Tj today, and I’ll also be sharing some of the routines that I use to try and stimulate my brain.

Find Tj. Here:

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

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

Neurify Website: https://www.neurify.io/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Masculinity and Mental Health, Societal Expectations, and Boys Get Sad Too with Kyle Stanger Feb 21, 2023

Today’s guest is Kyle Stanger, who is the founder of the brand Boys Get Sad Too. I first learned about Boys Get Sad Too in the summer of 2022 when I was trying to hone in on what my podcast was going to be. As I was going through subject matter, format, and themes I wanted to cover my show, I was inspired by what Kyle had done with his brand. The purpose of Boys Get Sad Too is to raise mental health awareness among men and boys. As someone who lives with depression and spent a very large part of my life silent about it, I believe it is incredibly important to support brands and advocates raising awareness around mental health. However, I think due to societal expectations around masculinity and beliefs like “boys don’t cry,” many men struggle to talk about their own mental health out of the fear that they’ll appear weak. I personally struggle with this, but have been on a journey to be more open around it. If we can educate one another in a positive way, we’ll grow together to normalize mental health conversations.

It’s very important to me to have Kyle on, and I’m excited to learn more about his story and give him an opportunity to share it.

Find Kyle Stanger here:

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

Website: https://boysgetsadtoo.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Wellness, Holistic Health, and the Vagus Nerve with Dr. Rachel Green Feb 14, 2023

Our guest today is Dr. Rachel Green (and for you “Friends” fans out there, it is in fact her real name).

Dr. Green is a chiropractor and wellness coach, who we are having on to talk about wellness, holistic health, and the vagus nerve. If you’re wondering what the vagus nerve is, you’re in for a treat. When Dr. Green and I first connected on Instagram, I had never heard of the vagus nerve. I did a bit of research before deciding I’d prefer to learn about it in real time on the podcast with you.

You know how I feel about holistic health and wellness. I think it’s very important to have broader conversations with experts and pioneers about taking a more holistic approach to health in order to heal sources, not address symptoms. There’s always room for science and medication, but I think it’s important to figure out how to better our livelihood and daily health so that we hopefully don’t get to the point where it is necessary to call in the doctors.

One of the reasons we’re going to have Dr. Green on today is because she is a great social media follow who shares lots of helpful and informative information about the vagus nerve and living a more holistic lifestyle.

Please welcome Dr. Rachel Green to the show!

Find Dr. Green here:

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Therapy, Destigmatization, and How to Start Your Mental Health Journey with Leeor Gal Feb 07, 2023

Today we have an amazing guest, Leeor Gal, better known as “The Therapy Gal.” I’ve recently become acquainted with Leeor through social media and listening to her podcast “Therapists Out of Office.” They had a conversation recently called “Therapy 101,” which I related to heavily.

I’ve been open about my mental health journey, and I’ve really had to get back to a lot of the foundational work. Listening to their podcast caused me to reflect on my journey, how it started, and how far I have come. A lot of what I’m working on is rooted in starting over again and examining where I misstepped and where I need to improve for the future.

Another inspiration came in the form of someone reaching out to me after meeting in person to discuss how difficult it is for them to talk to others about their mental health challenges. They wanted to be able to have more conversations about the challenges they’re working through, including how to approach starting therapy. To me, this was the universe saying “your on a similar path, you should discuss this with Leeor.”

Leeor is a marriage and family therapist, and I brought her on to discuss where and how to start your own mental health journey. I also appreciate that Leeor is great at making therapy humorous and bringing her comedic personality into her therapy and mental health-related content. There are a few videos of hers that I have actually laughed out loud at, which I think is a great way to destigmatize this difficult topic. Making mental health relatable and funny helps open up conversations that might not happen otherwise.

Please welcome Leeor Gal to the show!Find Leeor Gal here:

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetherapygal?lang=en

Website: https://thetherapygal.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Identity, Shame, and Racial Justice with Dr. Han Ren Jan 31, 2023

I’ve been thinking about mental health a lot recently. Especially around the holidays, I found myself thinking about my own personal experiences. I’ve been really trying to understand the stigma around mental health and wellness as I dive into my own mental health journey, but I’ve also been thinking about the larger impacts that mental health has on our society. Being in the public eye and having a large social media following, there are a lot of challenges I’ve faced emotionally and adjustments I’ve had to make to my way of living. People who are safe behind a keyboard can be cruel, and I didn’t truly realize how bad they can get until gaining that following.

Recently on the podcast, I’ve been talking to some mental health professionals on the different types of challenges people are facing, as well as the stigmas that are rooted deeper than just the top-level feelings. I’ve been a proponent that we should share more about mental health so that we can normalize it, but as I’ve been talking with more experts through this podcast, I’ve learned that this is only one of many things we need to be doing to destigmatize mental health conversations.

Dr. Han Ren came to the United States as a child and faced a lot of the normal mental health challenges that kids do growing up. However, she also had to deal with challenges that were specific to her being an immigrant. As she got older, Dr. Han realized that there are different types of mental health challenges that people of different identities face. She’s dedicated her career to helping people understand the feelings that they have toward their identity aren’t always going to be the same. She helps people transfer their feelings of shame into positive action toward racial justice. Dr. Han is an expert on integrating anti-racism and self-care into mental health by helping others understand the role identity plays in mental health.

We’re going to talk about her views, her personal experiences as an immigrant, the impacts of identity and race have on mental health, and the ways that we can support one another. With her lived experiences and medical background, listening to Dr. Han is a great starting point to understanding this often difficult topic.

Find Dr. Han Ren here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.han.ren/

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

Website: https://www.drhanren.com/

Pivot Psychology: https://www.pivotpsychologyatx.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Minimalism, Consumerism, and Living Life Neatly Balanced with Kristy Edwards Jan 24, 2023

I’ve been thinking a lot about the world, as well as the simplicity of how I live my life and spend my money. At the time of this recording, we are right in the middle of the holidays, and I feel like this is the pivotal moment in the world for consumerism. Everywhere you look, we see advertising, excessive amounts of consumerism, and more products than you ever see at any other time of the year, all attached to the idea of spending time with loved ones and forging deeper connections.

One of the things that it got me thinking about was our personal attachment to material objects and what I am hanging onto. How much stuff do I really need?

As I’ve gotten to know Kristy the past few months, I’ve been intrigued by the way that she approaches life minimally and helps her clients do the same. Kristy has a business called Neatly Balanced, which coaches people how to declutter their life - not just from a physical object standpoint, but also by being able to focus on what is important to them.

In this episode Kristy shares how a trip to Honduras helped her understand how a minimalist way of living can help you live a more fulfilling life, along with her passion for giving back to the community and helping those in need. We dive into her personal journey, and how she managed to step outside of the consumerist capitalist model to focus on things that really matter to her.

Let’s dive right in and learn more about Minimalism.

Find Kristy here:

Website: https://neatly-balanced.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Mental Health, Listening to the Universe, and Crowd-Sourcing Hope with Ariana Vargas Jan 17, 2023

Over the past few months, I have gone through a lot of life-changing events. To help find my path forward, I’ve been relying a lot on my intuition and listening to the universe. I feel like I’m open to the universe speaking to me more than I ever have before. I’m really listening to it.

Today’s guest, Ariana Vargas, is the founder of the mental health app STIGMA. This app is designed to help people who are struggling connect with one another and give each other support. Given that caveat, how did I get in contact with Ariana? This is where I think the universe is speaking to me.

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to find any excuse not to go to the gym, but forced myself to go anyway. When I arrived, I didn’t feel like working out and began to wander. As I finally got in a groove, I noticed a former co-worker and felt the social pressure to say hi. I wasn’t in a mood to talk, so I began avoiding him. This led to me ending up in one of the gym’s studios, where somebody approached me and asked if I was “the marketing executive from ‘Love is Blind.’ I got into a conversation with him about how he quit his well-paying tech job to begin his startup journey.

As we conversed about marketing and business, he asked me what I was doing right now, and I talked a little about my advocacy for authenticity and mental health. He mentioned that his friend Ariana had recently won an award for her mental health app STIGMA, and I immediately said I’d love to meet her. A little bit later, she DM’s me, and we set up a time to grab a coffee. An hour of discussion turned into many hours of sharing stories and learning about STIGMA. When I heard her passion and found out about the vision, I immediately wanted to get her on the podcast.

I love hearing people talk about their passions, and as I go through my own journey, Ariana is someone who I think can help guide me as she’s guided so many others. The STIGMA app is free, and gives you the opportunity to ask someone for hope or share hope through video, text, voice memos and a variety of ways.

Find Ariana here:

STIGMA App: https://thestigma.app/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Discourse, the Enlightenment, and Bridging the Political Divide with Seth David Radwell Jan 10, 2023

Today’s guest, Seth David Radwell, is the author of the book “American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation.” Not too long ago, we came out of the midterms, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what the results mean for the years ahead. Every election feels like a game of monkey in the middle between the two parties, with the citizens in the middle. It often feels like nothing changes, we’re just passing the ball back and forth.

One of the interesting things about Seth is that he is not looking at politics from a left or right perspective - he looks at it in terms of the fracturing we are experiencing. Seth’s ultimate message is that if we don’t make structural changes to the way we conduct politics, we won’t have a democracy for very long.

It often feels like our democracy is hanging on by a thread between the pressure of big business interests and corruption within the system. Our political system is set up in a way that doesn’t allow us to make progress, and we all suffer for it. At the same time, we as citizens are too busy arguing with one another to actually hold our elected officials accountable for the promises that they make us and to solve the issues.

Seth uses history as a tool to examine what is going on in the modern world, drawing heavily from the Enlightenment as well as important turning points in American history. Seth looks at the points where we were most divided and focuses on the areas where we were able to come together. Seth also draws on his business background to find problem-solving methodologies that can be deployed to help bridge the divide between Americans on either side of the political aisle.

Let’s dive right in.

Find Seth David Radwell here:

American Schism Book: https://www.amazon.com/American-Schism-Enlightenments-Secret-Healing/dp/1626348618/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M7RZ677MPO08&keywords=american+schism&qid=1673041498&sprefix=american+sc%2Caps%2C412&sr=8-1

Website: https://sethdavidradwell.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Bullying, Social Media, and Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin with Ena Mazzilli Jan 03, 2023

This week on Conversations with Nick Thompson, we’re featuring Ena Mazzilli, an anti-bullying activist who is doing a lot of great things in the world.

Since the rise of the internet, bullying feels like it’s only getting worse. Children are being bullied at school as they always have, but now, social media has allowed it to follow them into everyday life. Bullying is going on in school, work, culture, and social media at a level it never has been before.

Ena reached out to me when Love Is Blind aired and told me a bit about her brand BeYouByElla. Ena started BeYouByElla at the start of her journey recovering from her own experiences, and did it as a way to prepare her children for any bullying they may face on their own. Growing up, Ena had been bullied for her skin color, her hair, her language, and being from Egypt. By 10 years old, she felt very uncomfortable in her own skin. As she continued down life’s path, she still found herself facing bullying in the workplace. It took years and a lot of work for her to become comfortable in her own skin.

I invited Ena onto the show because I wanted her to share her own personal story about surviving bullying. Growing up, I was bullied a lot for a lot of different reasons: poverty, being bad at sports, being introverted, and much more. Being in the spotlight since Love Is Blind aired, I have been the subject of a lot of attacks online and in the media. Having been bullied, Ena’s story resonated with me even more.

I think it’s important to have these conversations, as they are the best tool we have for combatting this toxic trend. Please welcome Ena Mazzilli.

Find Ena Mazzilli here:

BeYouByElla Website: https://www.beyoubyella.com/

BeYouByElla Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyoubyella/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Bonus Episode: Live Q&A on Boundaries with Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick Dec 27, 2022

In this special episode of Conversations with Nick Thompson, we replay my recent Instagram Live conversation with previous Conversations guest Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, where Dr. Elizabeth and I discussed the topic of boundaries and took questions from the audience. Join us for an invigorating conversation on mental health and relationships!

Follow Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick here:

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

Calm, Cool, and Connected Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1656793

Evolve Counseling: https://www.evolvecounselingaz.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Pregnancy Loss, Infertility, and Hope in Community with Ashley Bitterman Dec 20, 2022

Today’s episode is going to be a heavy listen. I’m speaking with Ashley Bitterman, who is an advocate for pregnancy loss, infertility, and host of the podcast “Unexpecting.”

Ashley and I had been working with one another professionally, but also struck up a personal friendship in the process. When we met recently, she shared very openly about her podcast “Unexpecting,” which focuses on pregnancy loss. Ashley has been through a number of challenges trying to conceive her first child with her husband, and has found a voice sharing about her journey.

As she was sharing her research on the topic, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people struggling with pregnancy loss and infertility challenges. There’s so little known about what causes infertility in the majority of couples. Because we don’t talk enough about this subject, you might not realize how common this form of loss is. As she was sharing with me her experiences with infertility and pregnancy loss, the community of people that reached out to her gave her the platform to share real stories from people and families going through pregnancy loss in an honest, raw way.

I asked Ashley if she would come on the show and talk about her experiences and the community around this topic. It’s a heartbreaking story, but what I think is important in this interview and on “Unexpecting” is that it allows us to normalize these types of conversations. Because we often avoid these difficult discussions, people who experience pregnancy loss feel isolated. It’s incredibly painful to think for your whole life that you will have a child and then find out that you may never have the opportunity. We need to normalize this as everyday conversations and remind people who are suffering that they are not alone, and we can make this possible by coming together and sharing stories.

If you are going through the traumas of pregnancy loss and infertility, I hope that this interview brings you community and helps you in your healing journey. If you know a family member, friend, or loved one who is experiencing this, I hope that you find some answers on how to best support them and make a comforting space for them to heal.

Find Ashley Bitterman here:

Unexpecting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unexpectingpodcast/

Listen to Unexpecting on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unexpecting/id1586460698

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Codependency, Perfectionism, and Setting Healthy Boundaries with Alana Carvalho Dec 13, 2022

You may have heard that I am going through some tough times right now. I’m on a new mental health trajectory to help understand myself and work through a difficult, public divorce. I’m learning a lot about myself, and I think one of the interesting things about going through this publicly is that I get to share what I’m learning in real time and hope that it helps someone else out.

It’s not always easy to do. It’s been difficult for me to open up about my wellness and mental health over the years. However, I’ve found comfort in that people are supportive and understand that it’s a process.

One of the things that helps me is following mental health experts on Instagram who post friendly reminders, tips, educational material, and more. It’s helped me recognize some of these behaviors within myself and understand the “why.”

Alana Carvalho is a therapist and mental health expert that I’ve been following for a few months. She actually reached out to me and asked if I’d like to have her on the show. I was really excited to have her on because she has a focus on codependency and perfectionism, which I just find very interesting. She has actually been nicknamed “The Codependent Perfectionist.” Alana is also an author, having recently written the parenting book, “Raising Empowered Children: The Codependent Perfectionist’s Guide to Parenting.”

We’re going to unpack the terminology and symptoms surrounding codependency and get to the bottom of what it means, what signs and habits to look for, and how to identify a codependent relationship and learn how to set up proper boundaries.

Find Alana Carvalho here:

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

Website: https://www.alanacarvalho.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Medical Entrepreneurship, Olympic Strength Training, and The Physio Fix with Dr. Stacie Barber Dec 06, 2022

This week, we have an amazing guest - Dr. Stacie Barber. Dr. Stacie is a Physical Therapist and Founder of The Physio Fix. I’ve been following her work for a few years now and am a big fan.

As I was on a walk the other day, I passed a spot where I had fallen and injured myself during a blizzard in 2021. It was a herniated disk, and I immediately began doing physical therapy to try and repair it. There were times I couldn’t get out of bed without mental and physical prep to stretch it out.

I started following Dr. Stacie after this. I had gone to a chiropractor and doctor, but didn’t want to use pain medicine unless absolutely necessary. Rather, I preferred to strengthen it and cure it myself with the help of some physicians and physical therapy. Someone from my work recommended I follow her on the Physio Fix and immediately noticed that she was creating consistent, high-quality content that can help people in their day-to-day life. It was fun, informative, and easy to follow that was actually really good for me to incorporate into my daily life.

As I walked past this place I had injured myself, it got me thinking that I should ask her to come on the show because I had really loved her work. Dr. Stacie’s content was great to supplement the physical therapy that my chiropractor had recommended, and got me back to better shape.

Not only is she a great content creator, but also a medical entrepreneur, Olympic strength trainer, and physical therapist. In this episode, I ask her how she maintains all these passions while also building a business and a community around physical therapy. Join us today to find out!

Find Dr. Stacie Barber Here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephysiofix/ Website: https://thephysiofix.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Yoga, Self-Transformation, and Finding Inner Peace with Jonathan Villacres Nov 29, 2022

Today, we’re going to have my personal friend and yoga instructor, Jonathan Villacres.

One rainy day, I offered Jonathan a ride home after taking his yoga class knowing that he usually takes public transportation. I asked him on this ride how he got into yoga, not expecting a very in-depth, personal story as an answer. Instead, I got an incredible story about Jonathan’s past, being angry with the world, and living on the edge that shook me to my core. I couldn’t believe that Jonathan had once been that person, and I wanted him to share his hard, inspirational journey from a turbulent lifestyle to finding inner peace.

One thing I like about Jonathan is that he would make a point at the beginning of class and sum it up with a lesson learned at the end of class. One of the first classes I took with him was after he moved back from a failed escapade to Ecuador. In the class, he was sharing the lessons he learned on that journey and themed the classes around those lessons. I found this very insightful and refreshing.

Jonathan is very transparent, and puts himself out there through his wellness routines and yoga practice in a way that is incredibly relatable. He is always honest around his emotional state. When he was having a rough day, Jonathan would theme the classes around finding our best selves to make a positive shift. When he was having a great day, he’d always talk about finding the sun in your life and sharing positive energy. Jonathan’s approach to yoga and life is incredible, and I can’t wait for him to share his story in this episode.

Find Jonathan Villacres here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.villacres/

Yoga on the Beach: https://www.yogaonthebeachco.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Vulnerability, Mental Health, and Finding Gratitude Through Hard Times with Chris Schembra Nov 22, 2022

Today’s guest is Chris Schembra, the best-selling author of “Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce to Human Connection” and “Gratitude Through Hard Times.”

When I first was introduced to Chris, I was astounded by his vulnerability. Chris is totally transparent about his mental health struggles, and shares some of his darkest moments in an open and honest way.

His vulnerability has gained him recognition as a top stigma-breaker for men’s mental health, a topic that is near and dear to me and many others. Chris breaks open the idea that men can’t talk about mental health, that we can’t cry and must always be strong.

What’s really remarkable about Chris though is how he uses gratitude as a vehicle to get through hard times. With all of the challenges that Chris has faced, I was particularly interested in learning how he found gratitude and the ways it has changed his life. Chris looks to his darkest moments as a source of gratitude.

In this conversation, we dive into Chris’s own mental health challenges to get to the root of how he became the beacon of gratitude he is today.

Find Chris Schembra here:

Website: https://www.747club.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.schembra/

Read “Gratitude Through Hard Times:” https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Through-Hard-Times-positive/dp/B0B2HML7QS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KEW0VW567UUO&keywords=gratitude+and+pasta&qid=1661980967&sprefix=gratitude+and+pasta%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-2

Read “Gratitude and Pasta:” https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Pasta-Secret-Sauce-Connection/dp/0578604949/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3KEW0VW567UUO&keywords=gratitude+and+pasta&qid=1661980967&sprefix=gratitude+and+pasta%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-1

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Freedom of Speech, Politicians, and Independent Media with Hard Lens Media Co-Founder Kit Cabello Nov 15, 2022

Today our guest is a Chicago Local, Kit Cabello. Kit is the Co-Founder of Hard Lens Media, an independent network that covers local and national politics. I discovered Hard Lens Media around 2018 or 2019 as part of my media journey. It’s important to me to think about where I’m getting my news coverage, whether from local or national sources.

If you know me, you know I talk about economics, politics, and current events a lot. I try to dig through and get my media from a variety of sources in order to form my own opinion and see what’s actually happening. Mainstream media that take ad revenue from major corporations isn’t the only place to find news, which is why I’ve been a contributor to independent sources like Breaking Points. I truly believe that our media isn’t accurately representing what’s going on in the world, all the way down to the local level.

In 2015, I had a moment when I really felt that no media outlets or politicians really met my needs. I discovered independent media on YouTube, many of them founded by independent journalists who were no longer working at the major outlets. The internet gave us the ability to have a platform outside of the mainstream press without taking ad money from major companies, which I think is a beautiful thing. The consolidated mainstream media is bogged down by red tape and corporate money, which makes me question the validity of the coverage and how it applies to what I see in my everyday life.

Independent media is an outlet that you shouldn’t give all of your attention to, but as research to look to for different talking points, commentary, and coverage you might not receive from mainstream sources. I’ve found it very valuable to understand other perspectives and realize that my experience isn’t the same as everyone else’s. If we listen to each other, we can start to understand each other. It’s the future of media and the way we stop the divide.

Bringing on Kit today was exciting because I’ve been listening to Hard Lens Media for years. I wanted to have Kit on to talk about independent media, holding politicians accountable, freedom of speech, and some of the challenges and wins he’s had since launching Hard Lens Media.

Find Hard Lens Media here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HardLensMedia99

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

Website: https://99perspectives.tv/hard-lens-media/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HardLensMedia

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Attachment Styles, Trauma, and Self Awareness with Licensed Professional Counselor Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick Nov 08, 2022

This episode is heavy.

Mental health has been on my mind a lot lately as I try to figure out how to regulate my own mental health to stay in a place that is operable for everyday life. Lately, I have been struggling with regulating my emotions, grief, loss, and feeling consistent. As a result, I have been on a self-care journey doing reading, listening to experts, paying attention to my emotions and other people’s emotions.

In my reading, I discovered the concept of attachment styles. Attachment styles are a theory first described by psychologists Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby which describes how we relate to others in our relationships. Particularly, attachment styles describe how we conduct ourselves during conflicts in those relationships. Our attachment style is shaped early in childhood during our first interactions we have with our caregivers and is later mimicked in adulthood.

Our special guest, Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, will share what these attachment styles are today. Dr. Fedrick is a licensed clinical therapist with a master's in counseling and a doctorate in psychology. She is also the owner of Evolve Counseling in Gilbert, Arizona, as well as the host of the Calm, Cool, and Connected Podcast.

I’m going to question Dr. Fedrick on childhood trauma, how it affects you in adult life, how it affects our attachment styles, different types of therapy, how your body responds chemically to trauma, and much more. We’ll also discuss different types of therapy you can do and the role of mental health in society.

I’m really excited to have this conversation with Dr. Fedrick and have her share her expertise with us.

Follow Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick here:

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

Calm, Cool, and Connected Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1656793

Evolve Counseling: https://www.evolvecounselingaz.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Independent Media, Systemic Issues, and the Midterm Elections with Breaking Points Host Saagar Enjeti Nov 01, 2022

Today’s episode is all about politics.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what will happen in this year’s midterm elections, as well as what has happened in the past two years. Will this election be a referendum on Biden’s first two years, are we going to see new populous issues come up, or are we still going to be voting against someone instead of for them?

There are a lot of hot-button, current events issues that will come into play in this election like reproductive rights, the economy, and the cultural issues that are plaguing American society. As we prepare to vote on these issues, it’s important to discuss how many of the systemic, underlying issues that are playing into unrest aren’t often brought up in the discussion. We still have a major homelessness crisis, the opioid addiction epidemic is running rampant, and there are cultural issues that are dividing us. On top of this, the rich are getting richer and the poor are staying poor.

It seems to me that the problems that are woven into the fabric of our society are just getting worse, while we are distracted by hot-button issues that are important but are more symptomatic of deeper troubles.

To help me navigate this difficult topic, I invited Saagar Enjeti onto the show for a frank discussion about the state of American politics. Saagar is a political analyst and commentator who hosts the Breaking Points Podcast and The Realignment Podcast.

Saagar followed me on Instagram when Love Is Blind season 2 aired and was surprised to find that I had been following him for a long time. Saagar reached out to me, and I revealed to him that I was a big fan of his older show “The Hill Rising,” which I watched frequently leading up to the presidential election. I’m a news and politics junkie, and I try to inform my opinions and conclusions with a variety of different sources.

Saagar and his co-host Krystal invited me to join them on their show to talk about media and press freedom, two topics that I am very passionate about. I really considered that a dream come true because I was such a fan and believe in the perspective that independent media can provide.

Find Saagar here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/esaagar

Breaking Points Podcast: https://breakingpoints.supercast.com/new_landing

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Weight Loss, Diet Fads, and Holistic Nutrition with Amanda Carneiro Oct 25, 2022

Today, we’ll be talking to Holistic Nutritionist and Fitness Instructor Amanda Carneiro. I wanted to have Amanda on the show because I find her approach to health and wellness interesting, as well as find her perspective on how other parts of our lives affect our health and her journey fascinating.I’ve felt for a long time that we need to have a broader conversation as a society about health and wellness in a holistic sense. There are a lot of fast-tract pitches that sell quick-fixes to problems that really require major lifestyle changes slowly over time. As a teenager, I tried the Atkins diet, and in hindsight realize that it didn’t make a lot of sense. It’s very easy to fall prey to these ideas because their simplicity and big promises make them very appealing.Losing weight can be really difficult. Habits, genetics, and how you were brought up play a big role in your ability to lose weight. For me, I was overweight as a child and didn’t have the healthiest mindset in my family. We ate a lot of processed foods, and exercising wasn’t a priority. We focused more on fun than being healthy, and that affected me through my childhood. It took me a long time to understand that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and that I would have to put in the work.

A lot of people fall victim to these fad diets, and I wanted to bring someone on who could put these into perspective and give real, actionable advice instead of a trend. What I want to ask Amanda is, how do we unlock what’s happening in our brains that make us seek out these quick fixes instead of making lifestyle changes that will make our bodies more optimal, and how do we supplement that with nutrition and inspiring workouts?

It’s so important to find solutions that work for you, and Amanda will share how you can make these changes in your life today on Conversations with Nick Thompson.

Find Amanda Carneiro here:

Website: https://www.rawfitnessandnutrition.com/

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

The Brain, Holistic Health, and Functional Neurology with Dr. Abbey Houde Oct 18, 2022

Today on Conversations with Nick Thompson, I sit down with neurologist Dr. Abbey Houde to discuss how the brain, mind, and body work together.

I’ve been thinking about well-being and holistic health a lot recently, including how we can regulate our nervous system using natural remedies. For a long time, I’ve been a very passionate advocate for holistic health. I often think about how our practices and habits play into our health and how we can address our ailments in ways other than just popping a pill to fix a symptom.

As I’ve prioritized working on my nervous system, I’ve done things like taking walks, getting sunlight, and finding other natural ways to feel better. Exercise and eating healthy also play into it. If I’m not feeding my body the nutrients it needs to support my brain, I will never be operating at my optimal level.

My guest, Dr. Abbey Houde, helped me get even more context on how we can make healthy choices for our brain. I discovered her by listening to one of my favorite podcasts, “Huberman Lab.” Leading up to our interview, I realized that Dr. Houde is in an innovative space with her field, functional neurology.

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the innovative techniques she is using to help patients improve their neurological health. She is very dedicated to how the different parts of the body work together, and how different people need custom health solutions - nothing is one-size-fits-all when it comes to our health.

Find out more about the Neurological Wellness Institute here: https://neurologicwellnessinstitute.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Community, Doing Good, and Maintaining Relationships with 1-800-Flowers Founder Jim McCann Oct 11, 2022

I’m very excited to share this episode with Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800 Flowers.

In prepping for this interview, I discovered a lot about Jim that I didn’t know before . Jim has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and he was actually a social worker before building a multi-million dollar company. It’s fascinating to see how Jim foresaw the rise of 1-800 numbers and built a business around it, and that it would be a great way for people to order flowers, but also how he saw the dot-com boom coming and shaped his business around that.

There’s a lot to discuss on Jim’s business acumen, but I also wanted to dive into how he as a person has had all this success and yet has still been able to maintain his empathy, integrity, and a willingness to talk about complex topics. In particular, Jim has been a lifelong advocate for mental health.

I haven’t always been great about talking about my own mental health. I used to really keep my mental health struggles inside and hid them not only from my friends and family, but really everyone. One of the things I appreciate about Jim is that he is willing to talk about it openly, whether on social media, in conversation, or on his podcast Celebrations Chatter. I think it’s important to have people like Jim who have a platform to promote sharing an open dialogue about mental health.

In this episode, I ask Jim about his background and his business experience, and we’ll also talk about mental health and the role relationships play in improving people’s lives.

Find Jim McCann and 1-800-Flowers here:

Listen to Celebrations Chatter on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2w75ra5DQIjj82mL9XOSlH?si=be5610cef58a4081

Listen to Celeberations Chatter on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/celebrations-chatter-with-jim-mccann/id1616689192

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jim1800flowers

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

Website: www.1800flowers.com

Find Nick Thompson here:

Read “But First, Inner Peace:” https://www.amazon.com/But-First-Inner-Peace-manifesting/dp/B0B4SPZDST/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_2/135-8318200-4251100?pd_rd_w=VBRin&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=RQCH1ZZM6R6A71HRR288&pd_rd_wg=XNuev&pd_rd_r=23a82e67-d6e3-4e83-9d47-f94e337244ae&pd_rd_i=B0B4SPZDST&psc=1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Mindset, Manifestation, and Perspective with Case Kenny Oct 04, 2022

I’ve been thinking a lot about self-care and growth lately, and have really been focusing on finding time for me. A lot of the things in my life that were working for me in the past no longer do, and navigating this has been challenging at times.

After years of work and change, I can truly say that I am a completely different person than I was 10 years ago. Back then, I wasn’t giving myself the opportunity to be my best self and grow. Small things like practicing yoga, going outside, going on walks, and getting more sun helped me bring balance to my life, but introspection work has helped me do the heavy lifting.

Getting in tune with myself and figuring out who I am helped me grow beyond some of the parts of my youth that kept me back from the life I want, but what kept me going was realizing that I am always going to be a work in progress. We should never stop growing. I’m always working on myself in some way, whether by taking large steps like going to therapy or through small things like going on a walk.

My guest today, Case Kenny, is very aligned with my passion for self-improvement, self-care, and being mindful. Case is an outstanding content producer and author with a focus on bettering yourself. While he’s very outwardly positive, he also is very realistic with himself. Case is a Chicago guy like myself, and he actually got his start posting positive notes all over the city.

In our interview. Case and I talk about writing, creative processes, and our life experiencse. Case is all about trying to take things he’s been through and using it to help others, which I think creates a very personal connection and bond. Case and I have a very fresh conversation full of real talk. We talk about mental health, personal growth, learning from one another, and what it’s been like going through our life experiences. We also talk a little bit about Chicago and Lolapalooza.

I hope you find some inspiration for your own personal self-improvement journey!

Find Case Kenny here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/case.kenny/

New Mindset, Who Dis? Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mindset-who-dis/id1383599078?utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social

Read “The New Mindset Journal:” https://www.amazon.com/New-Mindset-Journal-Mindfulness-Manifestation/dp/057833254X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=gratitude+journal&qid=1640558893&refinements=p_78%3A057833254X&sr=8-1&utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social

Website: https://newmindsetwhodis.com/

Find Nick Thompson here:

https://www.instagram.com/carpedmdating/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Relationships, Connection, and Online Dating with Naza Shelley Sep 27, 2022

Today’s episode is all about dating.

I haven’t been dating in the past year, but even before going on Love is Blind I was not very active in the dating scene. Like many people, I experienced burnout as a result of complicated social rules and other blockers that make it difficult to find someone you have a genuine connection with. This is rooted in today’s app-based dating culture, where the system is built to keep us asking “Who’s next?”

There are plenty of good things about modern dating, but the technology portion has led to a lot of uncertainty. It takes time and effort to build a solid relationship, and so many traditional norms are gone. One of the reasons I decided to be a participant on Love is Blind is because it addressed a lot of my concerns. When you go on a social experiment like LIB, you’re eliminating distractions and focused solely on forming that connection.

The approach with technology is to utilize it, but ultimately be real and true to ourselves and treat one another as human beings. Use technology as a tool, not a means - use it to communicate, not play the game.

This brings us to today’s guest, Naza Shelley. Naza is an attorney and the creator of CarpeDM, a member-only dating community that is centered around people who are seeking relationships with professional black women. We discuss Naza’s dating experience and what she’s learned, what led her to create CarpeDM, what her vision is, and how she believes by merging technology with personal connections, you can build a better experience for what it’s like to date online.

You can find Naza and CarpeDM here:

Website: https://carpedmdating.com/

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

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Charity, Country Music, and Broadcast Media with Radio Host Sam Alex Sep 20, 2022

I met today’s guest, Sam Alex, while hosting a fundraiser for St. Jude’s Children's Hospital. When Sam found out we were doing the fundraiser together, he asked me to come on his nationally syndicated country radio show to promote the fundraiser. In the process, we found out that our networks are actually pretty closely linked with many mutual friends and acquaintances.

Sam and I kept in touch, and we began crossing paths with him at a number of charity events. I became fascinated with his work, which led me to invite him onto the podcast.

Sam is much more than a music talk show host. He is passionate about broadcast journalism, and created an organization called Camp Broadcast to help young adults who are interested in entering the broadcast industry create a reel, network with industry professionals, and get real-world experience.

As someone who pursued journalism in college and high school, I was really inspired by his desire to enable young people to enter the field. I had a passion for journalism and storytelling, but never really knew how to get started in a professional capacity. Thinking back to this period of my life, however, I would have loved to attend a program like Camp Broadcast. The opportunities these students are able to receive beyond school will help them immensely.

Through my conversation with Sam, I learned more about this program and what inspired him to give back and help these aspiring journalists, as well as find out how he can balance it with being a family man, radio host, and all-around great guy.

Find Sam Alex here:

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

Website: https://samalexradio.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamAlexRadio

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Betrayal, Closure, and Ambiguous Grief with Stephanie Sarazin Sep 13, 2022

Today on Conversations with Nick Thompson, we’re going to talk about a mental health phenomenon that I was previously unfamiliar with: ambiguous grief.

Ambiguous grief is loosely defined as being suffered when a loved one isn’t as they once were but is still alive.

When we grieve a death, the finality of death forces us towards closure and pushes us through the stages of grief.

In ambiguous grief, we don’t receive that same closure because even though the person we knew is gone, they are still alive. This can occur when a long-term relationship ends, when a parent has a cognitive degenerative disease, or any other circumstance where someone you love has been changed for good. We are left in a limbo where we may hope that the person we once knew may come back, even though we know deep down that they never will.

That leads us to today’s guest, Stephanie Sarazin. Stephanie is the author of the book “Soulbroken: A Guidebook for your Journey Through Ambiguous Grief,” and the foremost expert on the subject. I met Stephanie through a mutual friend, and I was very intrigued by her story. As I was researching this topic, all roads led to Stephanie, making me realize that this is something she is making discoveries daily as the foremost expert in the field.

In our conversation, Stephanie shares her true story about her marriage ending and how it led her to define ambiguous grief. Stephanie is very passionate and vulnerable, a trait that makes her so compelling.

Find Stephanie Sarazin here:

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

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

Website: https://www.ambiguousgrief.com/

Pre-Order Stephanie’s book “Soulbroken” here: https://www.amazon.com/Soulbroken-Guidebook-Journey-Through-Ambiguous/dp/1538709759/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DY7GWMILY7JW&keywords=stephanie+sarazin&qid=1661981786&sprefix=stephanie+sarazin%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1

Find Nick Thompson here:

https://www.facebook.com/truedentoothpaste

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Health, Medicine, and Toothpaste with Leslie Guevara Sep 06, 2022

I’ve been thinking lately about how I can become healthier, improve my well-being, and be more self-sufficient and holistic in regard to what I’m putting into my body. This train of thought led me back to how this all got started: when I began making my own toothpaste. Those of you who know me from Love is Blind know that I’ve been making my own toothpaste for years. It began by falling down a rabbit hole of exploring and researching the ingredients in products we use every day. I was shocked to discover the number of dangerous chemicals that are in toothpaste despite FDA approval, chemicals that can cause cancer, cognitive issues, hormonal imbalance, and many more side effects that we may not even realize are happening.

There weren’t many organic toothpaste brands at the time, so I began making my own. For eight years, I’ve been creating and using homemade toothpastes, soaps, condiments, recipes, and much more in an effort to live a healthier life. The benefits have been obvious, as I started feeling and looking better within weeks of beginning this journey.

This brings us to today’s guest, Leslie Guevara. Leslie reached out to me the night that my toothpaste scene aired on Love is Blind. She asked me if I’d be interested in trying her natural, organic toothpaste. After doing some research, I discovered she runs a small business called Tru-Eden and that her product is actually FDA-approved.

I was very skeptical at first, because even most “natural” toothpastes often have at least one negative ingredient in them. However, Leslie’s focus on oral health and how it continues to contribute to overall immunity and health convinced me. She sent me a sample of Tru-Eden toothpaste to try, and I was blown away. I wasn’t just impressed with the toothpaste, but also her story, what led her to make her own toothpaste, how she discovered these ingredients, and why she turned it into a business.

Leslie’s authenticity and patience with me led us to form a lasting friendship. I can’t wait to share my conversation with Leslie with you today.

You can find Leslie and Tru-Eden Toothpaste here:

Website: https://www.tru-eden.com/

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

Facebook:

Find Nick Thompson here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg

Humanitarianism, Justice, and Identity with Jesyka Harris Sep 06, 2022

For the first episode of Conversations with Nick Thompson, I’m excited to share one of my favorite interviews I’ve conducted for the podcast.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about society’s division and how we are missing each other in politics, social issues, wellness, and work lives. While walking around my home city of Chicago, I have noticed that the homeless population is growing in the city. Racial injustices have left our society bitter and divided, We’re facing a great number of challenges as a nation, and I feel that the media is only pushing us further and further apart. What can we as individuals do to help heal the growing divide?

One of the main goals creating this podcast is to destigmatize conversations around often taboo topics such as mental health, politics, culture, and more. I believe one of the most effective ways to do this is to use my platform to showcase people who are good humans doing good things for humanity.

This week’s guest, Jesyka Harris, is doing incredible things to benefit humanity as a whole. Jesyka is an attorney, TV host, activist, avid traveler, mother, fashion model, and human rights advocate based in Los Angeles, California. I don’t know how she does it all, but her story I found her story so compelling that I had to bring her on the show.

In this episode, we discuss human rights, homelessness, and justice. Jesyka also shares her story about becoming an activist, her mixed-race identity, and challenges she’s faced in her personal and professional life.

You won’t want to miss this great conversation!

You can find Jesyka here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesyka.harris/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JesykaHarris

Blog: https://unboxedlife.me/

Find Nick Thompson here: