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 discussi...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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 ...
May 02, 2023•40 min
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 t...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 32
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,...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 31
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, wha...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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 partner...
Mar 21, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 ...
Mar 17, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 ...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 ...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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. ...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 24
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. ...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 adjustment...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 22
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...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 di...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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 abo...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 18
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...
Dec 27, 2022•55 min
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 husb...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 17
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 year...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 16
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 star...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 15
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 be...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 14
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...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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 ord...
Nov 15, 2022•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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 c...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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 problem...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 8
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 c...
Oct 11, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
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 wa...
Oct 04, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 6
