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 ...
Jan 02, 2024•53 min
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 ...
Dec 26, 2023•52 min
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...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 30
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 ev...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 2Ep. 29
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 h...
Dec 05, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 28
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 tryi...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 27
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 celeb...
Nov 21, 2023•56 min•Season 2Ep. 26
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...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 25
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 specia...
Nov 07, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 24
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 co...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 21
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 awa...
Oct 10, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 20
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 ang...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 19
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 th...
Sep 26, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 18
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 condit...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 17
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 ca...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 16
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 re...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 15
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 o...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 14
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 ...
Aug 22, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 13
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...
Aug 15, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 12
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. T...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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 tre...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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 see...
Jul 25, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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 ...
Jul 18, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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...
Jul 11, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 b...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 10 min
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 cla...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 h...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 perspect...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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...
Jun 06, 2023•56 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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'...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 2
