How Asking for Help Changes Everything: Nate Thomas's Transformative Journey
Join us this week on Unlocking Moves as host Kurt Wilkin visits with Nate Thomas, founder of the innovative mental health app: Shmoody. Nate's journey is raw, authentic, and packed with powerful lessons from his personal battle with addiction to his path toward recovery and entrepreneurship.
In this deeply honest conversation, Nate openly shares how addiction nearly destroyed his life, leaving him unemployable, isolated, and he ultimately hit rock bottom. Nate shares his humble restart as a Starbucks employee, the powerful moment of surrender that changed everything, and how learning to ask for help became his superpower.
Nate reveals how humor, humility, and human connection became pillars in his recovery, ultimately driving him to co-create Shmoody, a mental health app that resonates deeply with Gen Z and millennials because it's designed by people who genuinely understand their mental health struggles and ways to keep them engaged and motivated.
The episode also explores Nate's bold career shifts, from practicing law to comedy sketch writing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, and finally to finding meaningful success in entrepreneurship.
Packed with wisdom, laughter, and courage, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever struggled with setbacks, questioned their worth, or needed a powerful reminder about asking for help.
About Nate Thomas: Nate Thomas is Co-Founder and CEO of Shmoody, a mental health and wellness app with nearly two million downloads. His unconventional journey includes degrees from Duke and WashU, a career at Goldman Sachs, and personal triumph over addiction. Each step has fueled his mission to make mental health tools accessible, engaging, and stigma-free.
About Kurt Wilkin - Kurt is a connector - of dots, ideas, and people. For over 30 years, he has advised high-growth companies, starting his career with Ernst & Young, and today in his roles as chairman of HireBetter and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital. He's a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits and has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEOs build their companies.
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#UnlockingMoves #HireBetter #MentalHealth #RecoveryJourney #Entrepreneurship #Shmoody #AddictionRecovery #Wellbeing #AskingForHelp
(00:00:00) Early Sobriety & Service — From Starbucks to Recovery Community
(00:02:33) Improv at UCB — Building Confidence, Communication, and Humor
(00:08:13) What Makes Shmoody Different — A Fun, Engaging Mental Health App
(00:12:14) Universities & Impact — Pilots, Data, and Multi‑Year Partnerships
(00:25:24) Rock Bottom to Surrender — The Turning Point in 2013
(00:35:32) Asking for Help Is a Superpower — Courage, Ego, and Real Support
(00:48:06) Unlocking Moves — Mentorship, Accelerator Lessons & Testing Growth
(01:02:24) Life Without Social Media — Why Nate Opts Out (Connect via LinkedIn)
(01:06:30) Do You Wanna Know Who's Your Mike? Take the Quiz Here
