You ever feel like you’re collecting unfinished hobbies instead of achievements?One month it’s Italian on Duolingo. The next, guitar lessons.Now there’s an embroidery hoop staring at you from your dorm desk like it’s judging you.You’re not lazy. You’re not lost.You’re just curious in a world that keeps demanding commitment.This episode? It’s for every “hobby hopper” who’s still figuring it out.   Feeling lost in your 20s? Can’t commit to one thing? You’re not alone.In this episode of Mental, we meet Declan, a 20‑year‑old college student who’s mastered one thing: starting things. From embroidery to guitar to Italian lessons, he’s exploring everything—and blaming himself for not sticking to anything. But what if curiosity isn’t failure? What if it’s a kind of mental skill—the courage to keep exploring even when the world tells you to commit? Through Declan’s story, Nick explores: Why Gen Z struggles with identity pressure and fear of commitment The myth of “finding your thing” before 25 How curiosity actually fuels creativity, self‑discovery, and confidence What it means to build mental skills for the in‑between seasons of life Whether you’re a parent trying to understand your “indecisive” kid or a 20‑something wondering if you’re behind—this episode will make you rethink what success really means.

You didn’t waste your degree.You didn’t fail your kid.And you’re not behind.You just bought into someone else’s definition of success.This episode? It’ll help you rewrite it.   What if your major doesn't match your job? What if your career doesn’t look like your resume? What if being a great parent isn't about getting it right — but about listening right? In this episode of Mental, Nick sits down with Laura Ollinger, a teen and parent well-being coach who helps both sides of the dinner table breathe, reset, and finally hear each other again. She’s got four teens of her own (yes, FOUR), so she’s not guessing. You’ll hear: The difference between goals and pressures Why expectations can either build trust… or break connection What fear of failure is really about (and how to face it) How to be present without trying to fix everything This one’s for every teen who’s ever been misunderstood… and every parent who’s trying.

Your family’s not falling apart because of politics.It’s falling apart because no one knows how to talk anymore.Antonia didn’t wait for peace—she built it herself at 18.   This one’s for anyone who’s ever wanted to scream at the dinner table. Antonia is 18. Her family's got 8 people, 0 chill, and a dinner table that becomes a political battlefield every Sunday. But one night? She snaps. And what happens next? You’ll wish you had the guts to do it too. This isn’t just about a pot roast—it’s about the cost of silence, the weight of emotional labor Gen Z carries, and the tiny rules that might just save your family. If you've ever felt stuck between two sides you didn’t choose—this one’s for you.

Everyone’s posting their wins. You’re just trying to remember the WiFi password from high school. Myles isn’t failing to launch.He’s j ust honest enough to say: “I don’t know if I’m burnt out, or if this system is just fire.” This episode is for anyone feeling stuck between who they thought they’d be by now…And who they actually are.Spoiler:You’re not behind. You’re just awake. This isn’t a motivational episode.This is a brutally honest one. Myles has a computer science degree, a mountain of debt, and zero job offers.He’s 22, living at home, and surrounded by siblings “crushing it” in cities with skylines and salaries.He spends his days rewriting résumés, scrolling LinkedIn, and wondering if his future ghosted him. This episode dives headfirst into the "failure to launch" myth, post-grad paralysis, comparison culture, and the quiet panic of feeling like everyone else has their life figured out—except you. But here’s the flip: Maybe uncertainty isn’t failure.Maybe it’s the first sign you’re thinking for yourself.And maybe living at home isn’t a setback—it’s just the only rational response to a broken system. If you’ve ever laid in bed wondering when dreaming turned into dreading…If you’ve ever wanted to throw your phone across the room because someone got a promotion and you just got out of bed…This one’s for you.

47,000 followers. And not one of them noticed she was drowning.You ever been so online that you forgot what it felt like to be here?Mallory didn’t think she had a problem…Until the people who loved her most couldn’t get her to look up.This isn’t just a story about screen time.It’s about what happens when your phone becomes your personality.And your life becomes a performance.   Seventeen-year-old Mallory Smith has it all: a 4.2 GPA, a scholarship on the line, and nearly 50,000 followers hanging on her every post. But while her online presence skyrockets, her real life starts falling apart. Missed passes on the court. Missed dinners at home. Missed moments with her 13-year-old sister Chloe, who sees the warning signs before Mallory does. What starts as brand-building turns into addiction—silent, sneaky, and disguised as ambition. She thinks she’s working on her future. But what she’s really doing… is missing her present. This episode explores social media dependency, dopamine addiction, and the moment Mallory finally wakes up—on the night she loses everything she thought she wanted. If you’ve ever said “real quick” before a scroll session that lasted hours…If you can name your top followers but forgot your sibling’s last win…This one’s for you.

You ever say yes to something small… then wake up in a nightmare? That was Tyler. One favor. One bag. One lie to protect a friend—nearly cost him his sister, his family, and his future. Sometimes it’s not the big choices that break you. It’s the tiny ones that sneak in and blow up everything.   Tyler’s just a regular 17-year-old—honors student, softball-practice chauffeur, and go-to big bro. But one decision to “help out” his best friend by holding a bag of Adderall turns into a life-altering chain reaction. When his 12-year-old sister finds the pills and ends up in the hospital, Tyler is forced to confront the truth: loyalty can be lethal when it blinds you to what matters most. What starts as a favor spirals into threats, police reports, and a full-on investigation. This episode is about choices—the kind you think won’t matter until they ruin everything. And how speaking up, even when it’s scary, might be the only thing that saves you.

I built a box for myself.Everything neat. Everything controlled.Then life, betrayal, and depression came in like a wrecking ball.The box shattered—so did I. This is the episode about what happens when the people you trust break you… and the tools that keep you from breaking yourself.   Sometimes the people you count on the most let you down the hardest. In this raw conversation with Jeb Brofsky, we unpack what happens when your identity, friendships, and mental health collapse at the same time—and how to build real resilience before you need it. We talk about:• Feeling betrayed and boxed in by your own expectations• Why “just tough it out” is a myth (and what to do instead)• How to support a friend who shares dark thoughts without feeling like you have to “fix” them• Simple, immediate, quick (“S.I.Q.”) tools for staying grounded when your world tilts Whether you’re a teen, a young adult, a parent, or a coach, this episode gives you real techniques, not just ideas—breathwork, micro‑habits, and mindset shifts you can start today. ⚠️ TW: Suicide / depression is discussed. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 or text HOME to 741741. You are not alone.

They say becoming a parent changes everything. What they don’t say? Sometimes… ‘everything’ includes your will to keep living. I was 20.My baby was 2 pounds.And I was ready to give up. Until one text—with a stupid little heart emoji—changed everything.   On December 18th, Tara Williams became a mom.By March 15th, she almost wasn’t here to be one. This is the unfiltered, emotional story of a 20-year-old NICU mom navigating postpartum depression, medical bills, isolation, and total exhaustion—until a text from her boyfriend’s mom changed the trajectory of three lives. India, born 10 weeks early, weighed just over 2 pounds.Tara, still bleeding, still healing, returned to work after two weeks.Kobe, India’s dad, took on three jobs to pay the bills. And somewhere between breast pumps, hospital alarms, and 3AM Google searches like “Does my baby hate me?”—Tara began to believe that her daughter would be better off without her. But as Tara sat on the ledge of a parking garage, ready to give up, her phone buzzed. One message. One emoji. One person who didn’t look away. This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt invisible in their pain.For the ones who smile through survival.For the ones searching for a reason to keep going. You don’t have to fight alone. TW: This episode contains real stories of postpartum depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call/text 988 or text HOME to 741741. You are not alone.

I was 20, sleep-deprived, broke, and convinced my baby hated me. I wasn't scrolling at 3am.I was on the edge of a parking garage. Then I got a text. From his mom. That stupid little red heart emoji might've just saved my life.   What if the person who saves your life… isn’t your partner, your best friend, or even your therapist… but your boyfriend’s mom? This is Tara's story. 20 years old.A mom too soon.NICU alarms at 2am.No sleep. No money. No map. Her breaking point? A 7th floor parking garage ledge. The person who noticed? Kobe’s mom, Kim. In this unforgettable episode, we follow Tara’s spiral through postpartum depression—and the woman who pulled her out. This story isn’t just about surviving the darkest moments… It’s about how love can show up unexpectedly, awkwardly, and just in time. Because sometimes, saving someone doesn’t look like therapy. Sometimes it looks like sandals on concrete. A NICU hug. A heart emoji. TW: This episode contains discussions of suicide and postpartum depression. If you or someone you know is struggling, text HOME to 741741 or call/text 988. You're not alone.

I was supposed to go to Joey’s house that day. Then he did what he did. I’ve spent years wondering—could I have saved him? Could I have changed something? That’s the guilt that lives in you when suicide hits close. But the truth is, sometimes it’s not about having the answers—It’s about finally letting go of the questions that were never yours to carry in the first place.   What happens when trauma doesn’t just hit your school—but your street, your friends, your family? In this raw and powerful episode, we go deep with Jeb—a Columbine survivor whose life was forever changed by school shootings, suicide, and the weight of "what ifs." He opens up about the neighbor who didn’t make it…The basketball star everyone admired…The best friend he was supposed to hang out with—until he never got the chance. We talk about how trauma rewires your brain, how perfectionism turns pain inward, and what healing actually looks like. This isn’t a motivational speech. It’s a life-saving reminder: 💬 You don’t have to earn love.💬 You don’t have to be okay to be worthy.💬 And if you’re in darkness right now… it’s not forever. Permission to feel.Patience to heal.This is the episode someone you know needs right now.

June 16, 2002.I thought it was the best day of my life.My dad pushed me on the swings, bought me ice cream, told me I was brave. Hours later, he was gone. Not from a heart attack. Not from an accident.From a decision no 6-year-old should ever have to carry in silence for 30 years. Sometimes the most beautiful days… carry the darkest endings.This is the story I never wanted to tell.But maybe… it’s the story someone else needs to hear.   Zach was six when he had the best day of his life.Ice cream, swings, laughter with his dad on Father’s Day, 2002. But by bedtime, everything changed. For decades, all anyone said was that his father “had an accident.” But the truth — uncovered 30 years later — shattered that silence: His dad planned that perfect day as a goodbye. In this powerful episode, we unpack how the lies meant to protect us as kids can become the secrets that shape us as adults. It's about grief. About legacy. About the choice to stay. And how the hardest conversations—about suicide, mental health, and being enough—might be the ones that save lives.

The day I found out how my dad really died…was the same day I started learning how to live.I was 6 when he died.36 when I finally found out why.And what no one tells you about hiding the truth to ‘protect’ your kids…is that the silence leaves its own scars.This isn’t just about my dad.It’s about what happens when you don’t say the hard things.And what it took for me to finally say them to my kids.   After decades of believing his dad died in an “accident,” a 36-year-old father of two stumbles on a box in his grandmother’s attic that shatters everything he thought he knew. Inside are the letters his dad wrote before ending his life on Father’s Day, 2002 — just hours after spending a perfect afternoon with his 6-year-old son. This episode isn’t just about one family’s tragedy. It’s about what happens when we bury the truth to protect the next generation — and how those buried truths grow into silent fears, shame, and questions that echo for decades. This is a story about generational healing, suicide loss, mental health, fatherhood, and finally giving the next version of yourself a fighting chance. Because the truth might hurt. But silence does worse.

"I wasn’t planning to die because I hated life.I just didn’t know how to keep living it.And one mom — who overheard everything —saved me before I could save myself."   When you’re 17 and drowning, planning your way out can feel mature — logical even. But under the weight of toxic friend drama, family pressure, and a brutal breakup, Reese didn’t need a perfect plan. She needed someone to overhear the pain she didn’t know how to say out loud. Enter Mrs. Jefferson. A quiet listener. A mom who knew what it meant to fight for life — and what it looked like when someone wanted to give up. What happens next isn’t a rescue. It’s a perspective shift. It’s the conversation that changes everything. If you’ve ever thought you were the only one hurting, if you’ve ever felt invisible, or like the world would be better without you — this episode is for you. Because sometimes, the voice that saves your life isn’t the one in your head.It’s the one that refuses to walk away.  

You ever realize mid-conversation… that you didn’t want to die?You just wanted the pain to stop. This is the story of how my best friend’s secret battle — one I never even knew about — ended up saving my life.   📍 September. A backyard. Two best friends and one life-changing conversation. Reese is spiraling, silently planning her exit from life — until Mrs. Jefferson, her best friend's mom, sits her down and drops a truth she never saw coming: Gabby, her ride-or-die, the girl who makes her laugh at 2am… once spent four years fighting leukemia. And never said a word. This episode is about the moments that change everything — how someone else’s hidden battle can unexpectedly hold up a mirror to your own. It’s about what we miss when we assume we’re alone. And what we gain when we finally let someone love us back to life. If you've been feeling stuck, hopeless, or like no one sees you — listen to this. Then send it to the one person who might need it even more.

Derrick wasn’t supposed to be a hero that night. He was just a 17-year-old with a gut feeling… and a hallway door that wasn’t locked. This is the story of the knock that saved my life. And why listening to your instincts might save someone else's too.   📍 September 4th, 2007. Derrick Warren is deep in senior year — college apps, parties, pressure — but something about his little sister Lexi feels off. Really off. She’s slipping away slowly — skipping meals, avoiding conversations, wearing his old hoodies like armor. Everyone else misses the signs… but Derrick doesn’t. And that night, one knock on her bedroom door changes everything. This episode is about the small instincts that save lives. The split-second decisions that ripple forward into entire futures. And how sometimes, the strongest thing you can do… is refuse to walk away. If you’ve ever worried about someone but weren’t sure if it was your place to speak up… this story is for you.

One knock. One sentence. One ordinary Tuesday that almost never happened. 18 years ago, Lexi was sitting on her bedroom floor with a goodbye letter. And then her brother knocked on the door.   What if the moment that saved your life didn’t feel heroic at all? This is Lexi’s story — a sister who almost didn’t make it to see her 18th birthday and a brother who showed up at the exact moment she needed him most. Eighteen years later, she’s watching her daughter laugh in the sun — and realizing that one knock on her door created all of this. This episode is about the power of paying attention. About what happens when someone sees you — really sees you — before it’s too late. It’s not a story about suicide. It’s a story about survival. About noticing. About what can still grow after a storm. Because the life you think doesn’t matter might become the anchor for someone else’s joy.

Sophia had $127K in debt, $2,400/mo income, and still built a six-figure business and a net worth of $185K in 3 years.How? She stopped trying to be debt-free and started trying to be wealthy. You’ve been taught to play defense with money.This episode? Flips the entire game.   Everyone told Sophia to hustle, budget, and pay off debt first.Instead, she flipped the script—and built a six-figure business and $185K in wealth while still in debt.In this episode, we break down the strategy that got her there: from ditching shame to investing like someone already wealthy.If you're broke, in debt, and tired of playing defense with your money, this episode is your blueprint for building wealth before you pay it all off.Sophia didn’t escape the trap.She made the trap irrelevant.

Sophia did everything right… and still ended up $127K in debt, living in her childhood bedroom, and having panic attacks buying toothpaste. What if the system that promised to save you is actually the one breaking you?   Sophia is 23. Marketing degree. $127,000 in student debt. Living at home. Making $2,400/month with $1,200 in loan payments. And she’s not alone.This episode dives into the uncomfortable truth: student debt isn't a personal failure — it's a feature of a system built to trap you.We follow Sophia’s story from believing she was falling behind… to realizing she was playing a rigged game.And when she stopped trying to be “normal” financially — and started being strategic — everything changed. This one’s for anyone who's felt ashamed for being broke, guilty for wanting more, or stuck in a system that feels like quicksand.

Tell me why this girl started club soccer at 13 (most girls start at 6), got to D1, almost lost everything over something she didn't even do, and STILL became a starter... 🤔 The plot twist? She discovered that self-belief isn't something you magically have—it's something you literally manufacture by showing up for yourself when nobody else will.   Breeana Gumpert went from recreational soccer at 13 (late start queen) to Division I athlete at Northeastern, but her journey was anything but smooth. Between getting written up for something she didn't even do, almost losing her scholarship, and having her coach completely destroy her confidence, she had every reason to pack up and go home to California. The tea: Instead of rage-quitting, she chose to get obsessed with proving herself right—not everyone else wrong. She stayed in Boston during summers to train harder, hit extra gym sessions, and basically rewired her entire mindset around what she could control. The lesson that hits: Self-belief isn't some mystical confidence you're born with—it's literally built through showing up when you don't feel like it and keeping promises to yourself. You have to be selfish with your growth, not selfless. Real talk moment: "If you can't beat the fear, just do it scared" because the regret of not trying will haunt you way longer than the temporary discomfort of pushing through. This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like they don't belong somewhere but knows deep down they're meant for more. Sometimes the hardest person to convince isn't your coach, your parents, or your haters—it's yourself.

Carter spent 9 years thinking she broke her family. Then her dad said 7 words that changed everything:‘Your dyslexia didn’t break our marriage.’What if the guilt you carry… was never yours to begin with?   Carter, a 22-year-old dyslexic engineering student, has spent almost a decade believing she caused her parents’ divorce. Her achievements became an apology letter. Her drive was fueled by guilt. But in this episode, we follow the conversation that flips everything. Her dad reveals the truth: Carter’s dyslexia didn’t break their marriage — it revealed what was already broken. This is the story of how guilt turned into gratitude, how difference became power, and how Carter finally stopped apologizing for who she was — and started building something revolutionary.