Nion Radio With Nick Onken

“So much of the population just doesn’t care enough about sleep.” This week's episode is all about one of my favorite pasttimes: sleep! I am super stoked to talk about this topic because I am all about hacking my sleep. I sat down with Todd and Tara Youngblood, a married couple from Charlotte, North Carolina who are the inventors of the chiliPAD, the most genius revolutionary thing that I have experienced. What is it? Haven't you heard? The chiliPAD is, simply put, a cooling system for your bed. Well, Tara calls herself a sleep geek and she put all of that geekiness into her new book, Reprogram Your Sleep. We talk all about how to get better sleep, how the chiliPAD works, and some of her favorite sleep facts, like what is happening to your body when you are lucid dreaming. Listen in to hear Todd and Tara Youngblood explain how to figure out your sleep switch, how sleep really works, and why temperature matters when you sleep. And after you've finished listening, you can head over to their site to begin your

“If you’re going through a dark time, know that this, too, shall pass.” While making this podcast, it has been good practice for me to step out of my comfort zone and I am actually really enjoying working on these subconscious blocks that I have always around public speaking. And that makes me really happy. I am always working to become a better version of myself and that's what today's episode is all about. As you may or may not know, I did a podcast at the end of 2019 about the 21 Things I Learned This Year that people loved so I wanted to spend some more time unpacking that list. Today's topic is super important to me, as it helped me to pull myself out of a dark and difficult time that I was struggling through a few years ago. It is this simple mantra: this too shall pass. Listen in to today's episode to learn what a dark night of the soul is, what you can do to help yourself out of a difficult time, and how podcasts can help you along your journey to realizing that this too shall pass. You can Subscrib

“We’re not just working on the physical body itself, we’re working with the person’s humanity.” On today's episode, we sat down for an in-depth chat with Aaron Alexander, host of the Align Podcast and an expert in movement therapy. Aaron recently published the book The Align Method: 5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind, and Stress-Proof Life to encourage more people to see physical exercise as one facet of their regular lives, rather than a once-daily routine punishment. We had plenty to talk about, from the relationship your senses have to your physiology and how to define trauma to the high costs of self-care. We also discuss each other's egos, my greatest fears, and why Aaron is so skeptical of gurus. Listen in to our conversation to learn what the Alignment Method is, how to change your perception of pain, and why Nick started his popular podcast. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “How do we pay greater attention

“One of the trifecta of the things that I’m interested in exploring is creativity, consciousness, and culture.” Today I'm doing a super sweet solo episode on a vitally important topic: creating yourself. But first, before you tuck into today's episode, be sure to listen to Episode 178. I made a list of things I learned in 2019 and I am going to devote an episode to breaking down each of them. Today we're breaking down the idea that you should never stop creating yourself and diving into the multitude of ways that I continue to learn each day. Learning is such an ongoing process and it takes work -- a lot of work -- to keep that ball rolling. It may not always come easy, but it is certainly always worth it. So how do I do it? And how can you do it? For starters, I have cultivated a group of people that I look up to, and thus, can look to for advice. These people helped me out of a dark time that I went through a few years ago and they have put me on a healthier, more well-rounded path to personal growth thro

“Whenever I hear a no, I think it’s a no for now.” Hey guys! I'm super excited because we have lots of fun stuff coming up this year. It’s 2020 -- the year of vision and getting clear on where I’m going and what I’m creating, so today I'm sitting down with Jason Harris. He has been in advertising for 20 years and is the Founder of the advertising agency, Mechanism. Now, Jason is the author of the fantastic new book, The Soulful Art of Persuasion. It is all about building long-term relationships that turn into creative collaborations and business collaborations. We had a great conversation about being generous with your time and resources, what inspired him to write this book, and what he thinks of the show Mad Men. Listen in to learn how to make the most of professional contacts, how to keep a healthy balance between your business and your humanity, and when to stop giving your work away for free.   You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “W

“New Year’s resolutions are just trash.” It's a new year! And, for many of us, with each new year comes the desire to turn over a new leaf and start fresh. To create yourself in the best way possible, you have to do the deep work and really investigate your life -- and a new year is the perfect excuse to do just that! There’s a delicate balance between keeping your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds. And it’s important for both the creative side of your life and for the business side, but you also have to set your intentions without getting too attached to the results. Today I really want to talk about goal setting and intention setting for the year. I will share my method for doing so as well as the personal goals that I am setting for myself. On today's show, we're going over the ways to set and prioritize your goals for the new year, how to balance work with pleasure, and how to balance those goals with reality. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave

“There’s people that don’t learn from their mistakes, people that do learn from their mistakes, and people who learn from other peoples’ mistakes — I want to be the third one.” Welcome to today's episode of NION Radio where we're reflecting on the past year. I will be talking about the things I learned in the past year that have had the greatest impact on my life. I have too many to count, but this list includes 21 things that I want to pass on to you so that you can begin to set your intentions for the new year ahead. I, for one, dug myself out of depression this year through experimenting with psychedelics and proactively working towards a healthy work balance, and I am thrilled to be moving into a more expansive brand direction next year. Listen in to hear Nick share some of the most important things he learned in 2019 and what he is looking forward to in the new year. Join me as I unpack this list: You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review!

“Mushrooms are more playful, more loving, and more nurturing…” Welcome to today's episode of NION Radio where we're talking to Tero Isokauppila, a mushroom guru who took us on an epic trip to Finnish Lapland this past January. From regular mushrooms to psilocybin, the magic mushrooms, Tero knows all about it. He even writes books and speaks all over the world about the part mushrooms play in creativity and the creation of stories. A product of his upbringing, he credits his creativity and inspiration to nature. He is also an outspoken advocate for the resurgence of non-addictive substances as an outlet for self-exploration. Listen in to today's episode to learn how Tero found his calling in mushrooms, why he developed his business around them, and what these mushrooms can do for your health. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “A lot of things in nature don’t want to be eaten — including plants.” Some things we learn in this podcast:

“A lot of times what’s on the other side of that risk is beauty.” Welcome to today's episode of NION Radio where we're talking about the ways that I actively work to design the life that I envision for myself and the tools that you can use to design your life. Have you ever wondered "how did I get to where I am today"? When I was deciding what I wanted to do when I grew up, the combination of art and technology sparked my interest in design, so I started with this goal and worked backwards from there to figure out what it takes to get there. These practical steps have helped me to realize my goal and to appreciate the joys and challenges of making a career from your art. Why is it so important to be able to separate yourself from your art? What does it mean to create your life by creating every small moment and how can we allow ourselves the space to make magic happen? Listen in to learn about Nick Onken’s background, his path to creating art as a career, and his outlook on how to design your life. You can

“It’s a material that is half not there and I find that fascinating.” Welcome to today's episode of NION Radio where we're talking to Benjamin Shine, an artist who may not seem like a tutu kind of guy, but who has a background in women’s wear and makes fantastic art with single pieces of tulle fabric. After being encouraged to leave fashion school in his third year, he focused his efforts on creating two items of clothing from a single piece of fabric before going down the inventor-designer rabbit hole. Finding clarity from chaos, Benjamin Shine has found success in the art world using gravity and the density of material to create form rather than just images. I brought Benjamin in to talk about his graveyard of old irons, his recent collaborations with designers like John Galliano, and his spiritual journey as it relates to his art. Listen in to today's episode to learn how Benjamin found his medium of choice, developed his business techniques, and what his creative process looks like. You can Subscribe an

"The mental game is the biggest game you'll ever play." Welcome to today's episode of NION Radio where we're talking about how to stay motivated and focused in your creative endeavors. When I was going over emails and comments from members of the NION Life community, this was the number one thing that kept coming up. Why do I have such a hard time committing to my craft? Why do I feel so much resistance? What can I do? Lucky for you, fellow NIONites, we've got the episode that's get you on that path towards focus, finishing projects, and finding what keeps you going. Listen in to this episode to learn what top creatives do to stay focused and motivated, like finding your why, self care, and using your creative community. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! "It always happens, it's always going, you have to keep doing these things to maintain your motivation." Some things we learn in this podcast: Why maintaining your motivation is an e

"To exhibit that you recognize that you are not alone in your creating of art, that keeps you humble and that's a quality that I love and admire." Today on NION Radio, we have Jason Naylor, an award-winning artist, designer, and creative director who has been working in NYC for 15 years. After earning a BFA in graphic design from Brigham Young University, Jason moved to NYC to immerse himself into the life, color, and magic of New York. Jason began his professional career working in the Creative Department of MAC Cosmetics, where he learned about the business of art and design and developed his taste for spreading life and color into any and every project he could get his hands on. Six years later, Jason set out to start spreading his own message into the world. Ever since I discovered his work on a mural during one of my shoots, I have been a big fan of Jason, his work, and the positive messaging he is sending to the world. Jason's tagline is "CREATIVELY POSITIVE x POSITIVELY CREATIVE" and his work express

"When you make shit art, you just have to get up and make more art." You just got done with your big project. Your magnum opus. You had been envisioning it for years, it was beautiful, it was impactful, it was amazing! But when all was said and done, and you stepped back, it didn't look like that at all. It looked like shit. If this has happened to you, contrary to what you may have thought at that point, you are not alone. And today's episode of NION Radio is all about what to do when what you make doesn't live up to what you saw in your head. Listen in to learn what it means if you find yourself making shit art, what to do next, and what it takes to stop making shitty art. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! "When you feel like you're making shit art, it's really about the fact that you haven't closed the gap between what you envisioned and what you actually produced." Some things we learn in this podcast: What it means if you think

"IST gets back to that root of your beliefs, so you can open up that belief that was formed in your life." "I was an attorney who worked 90 hour weeks. I had a lovely bleeding stomach ulcer. I was plagued by decades of sleepless nights due to night terrors. I liked my scotch almost as much as I liked my daily cheesesteaks. But let's not forget my friends; anxiety, fear, doubt, hate, and depression. They were the background noise of my life. Oh, the joy of living. Ha. But eventually, I stopped laughing." These are the words of today's guest, Bryce Kennedy, an Inner Space Techniques (IST) practitioner who also specializes in feng shui, mindfulness, and energetic consultation for businesses that care. Since beginning his journey with IST, Bryce has found a path to his highest self and his goal is to bring that awareness to every single person he works with. Listen in to learn more about Inner Space Techniques, overcoming your default wiring, and how to start your own path towards using your anger creatively. Y

"I'm always starting over, and you have to find the things that motivate you, you have to find your inspiration." Whether you're just starting out in your field or you're a seasoned veteran, we've all been in this space: Where do I start? Who do I talk to? What am I even trying to do? It all feels overwhelming and can make you feel like you're never going to get anywhere. But fear not! Everybody has been there before and on today's episode, we've got the answer. On today's show, we're going over five steps to get you moving in your career, your art, or whatever project you're looking to work on. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! "Whatever you do, you have to start somewhere." Some things we learn in this podcast: Why Nick thought that tackling how to start was so important for creatives [1:11] The importance of choosing as your first step [1:56] Why keeping your work as playful as possible is key [4:26] What you can gain from g

"We all naturally do this. We aspire to be the heroes that we see out there, and we put on their uniform or jersey and try to activate that better version of ourself." Would you believe it if you heard that Beyonce uses an alter ego to overcome her anxiety on stage? Did you know that many of the top performers in the world, from sports to the arts, perform as somebody else? Believe it or not, using alter egos can let you get past your own blocks and stories to get in the zone and perform at your highest ability. And today's guest on NION Radio, Todd Herman, will help you get there. Todd has clocked over 15,000 hours on the field of play working one-on-one with people from all backgrounds and circumstances to develop an impenetrable mindset. Knowing the mental performance game better than anyone, Todd's execution and mindset strategies and systems are used by businesses, entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes around the world. Listen in to learn the importance of an alter ego in your creative work, how to dev

"I always want to be in a state of creation." As an artist, we always have our art in our sights. What we're working on, what we're inspired by, what we're learning, all things that contribute to success in our field. But what are we not focusing on? On today's episode of NION Radio, we're getting into the ABC principle, Always Be Creating, and how you can apply it everywhere in your life, not just your art. We'll also go over some of the common pitfalls in the life of an artist and how to overcome those. So get out there and create your life by creating every small moment. Always be creating! You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! "You have to consciously create the space to create your art, your business, and your life balance for relationships." Some things we learn in this podcast: Why you need to always be creating as an artist [1:54] What creation is and isn't [3:46] The importance of creating and maintaining awareness [6:50] A

"Plant medicine and breath were the mandate to bring Rythmia into existence." Welcome to NION Radio! Today's episode is another part of my series on plant medicine and the wonderful people I've met through my journey with it. Our guest today is Christian Minson, the Director of Breathwork at Rythmia. The time he has spent with breathwork has made him an expert in the field and an invaluable asset at Rythmia, elevating people to higher states and aiding the work of the plant medicine through the breath. Since starting his work as a monk in the hills of West Los Angeles, Christian has always been looking for a higher purpose and an elevated state of consciousness. Soon after leaving his lifestyle as a monk, he started going deeply into breathwork and learned how much it can help you heal, and the simple but profound power of it moved him. Christian's work at Rythmia is a culmination of his years of practice and research, and through his work, he has impacted and accelerated the learning of every participant h