Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson cover art

Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson

Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson

By: Nick Thompson
Listen for free

Are you going through life blind? This is Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson, your destination for unfiltered truth and societal change. We bridge the gap between reality TV fame and real-world impact, stripping away the stigmas surrounding mental health, holistic wellness, culture, politics, and free speech. Hosted by Nick Thompson (Netflix's Love is Blind Season 2), this platform is for the curious and gritty. Nick is a Storyteller building a forum for raw conversations that challenge the status quo. What to expect: - Eyes On: Current events, news, and politics shaping our culture. - Weekly Deep Dives: Expert interviews on longevity, holistic wellness, and personal growth. - Media Accountability: Exposing reality TV exploitation and the UCAN Foundation mission. From regenerative medicine to media ethics, we dive into issues that matter. Don't settle for a manufactured narrative. Do the work. Show up with your Eyes Wide Open. Subscribe for daily commentary and weekly episodes.©2026 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Debt-Free College? Scholarships, Career Planning, and the AI Workforce with Shellee Howard

    Debt-Free College? Scholarships, Career Planning, and the AI Workforce with Shellee Howard
    May 19 2026
    Are you ready to stop letting college costs dictate your child's future? Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Shellee Howard, founder of College Ready and a leading college funding expert, to discuss the radical intentionality required to build a successful, debt-free college path. Shellee shares her insights from over 15 years in the field and her passion for helping families align education with future-proof careers. We dive into the broken narrative that "prestige" equals success and why the traditional college route is not the only option in the age of AI disruption. Shellee details her groundbreaking "See Our Future Now" process to identify a student's unique gifts and how to strategically select colleges based on career fit and earning potential, not just location or ranking. We discuss practical strategies for minimizing costs through scholarships, work, and understanding the complex world of student aid, including how to teaching financial literacy effectively. We also cover the impact of changing job markets, the reality of influencer marketing, and customizable paths that prioritize passion, income, and lifestyle goals. Whether your child is in middle school or about to apply, this conversation provides a roadmap for returning to a culture of clarity, sovereignty, and true preparation for adulthood. In this episode, you will learn: - The Debt-Free Roadmap: Practical, actionable steps to find and maximize scholarships and choose colleges that minimize student debt while maximizing ROI. - Future-Proof Careers: Understanding the impact of the AI workforce on future careers and how to align your child's gifts with a sustainable, fulfilling career path. - The Strategic Application: Why a personalized, strategic approach to college admissions (that often starts in middle school) is crucial for success and avoiding common mistakes. - The "Prestige" Myth: A candid discussion on the true value of prestigious degrees, the role of alumni networks, and why college list selection should be personalized, not rankings-driven. - Entrepreneurial Mindset: How early planning, adulting skills, and finding gifts in childhood (including Shellee's own story) create an entrepreneurial mindset for life. Books / Publications: How to Send Your Child to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money (Best-seller) - https://bit.ly/CRBook1 The College Admissions Plan Simplified (Best-seller) - https://bit.ly/CRBook2 About Our Guest Shellee Howard is a dedicated college funding expert, author, and the founder of College Ready. Her mission is to empower families to make informed choices that avoid debt and lead to successful careers. With deep knowledge of college admissions and scholarship acquisition, Shellee helps students develop a personalized roadmap to achieve college success without financial burden. Our Mission Eyes Wide Open is a space for honest communication. Our goal is to remove the stigmas around mental health, holistic lifestyles, culture, and free speech so you can show up as your authentic self with your eyes wide open. By having real conversations about difficult truths, we move toward collective healing. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome and introduction to Shellee Howard 04:10 - Early planning and mapping college costs and career fit 08:14 - Why college might not be for everyone: The value of trade schools 11:18 - Aligning college choices with future earning potential 13:28 - Avoiding the trap: The dangers of student debt 18:20 - AI disruption and preparing for the changing job market 20:38 - Choosing a career based on passion, income, and lifestyle 25:06 - Building a personalized, strong college application strategy 36:59 - Navigating scholarship applications effectively and maximizing opportunity 56:39 - Shellee's final tips on social media and interviews Find Shellee Howard here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadyplan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@collegereadyplan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-ready Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeReadyPlan/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@collegereadyplan Website: https://collegereadyplan.com/ Find Nick Thompson here: Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/ UCAN Foundation: https://theucanfoundation.org/ Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • EYES ON: Retatrutide Better than Ozempic? AI is Making Your Electric Bill EXPLODE, A Date Now Costs $200

    EYES ON: Retatrutide Better than Ozempic? AI is Making Your Electric Bill EXPLODE, A Date Now Costs $200
    May 17 2026

    In this weekly roundup of news coverage, Nick breaks down important stories you might have missed that we should all have eyes on.

    Retatrutide Explained: Is It Better Than Ozempic & Mounjaro? A Date Now Costs $200, AI is

    Retatrutide is being called the next Ozempic — but is it actually better than Mounjaro and Tirzepatide? Dr. Jeff Gross explains how it works, fat loss results, and what people should know before using it.

    Dating Now Costs $200 a Date—Here's Why Gen Z Is Giving Up

    Dating now costs nearly $200 per night, and Gen Z is quitting the dating scene.

    Here's how inflation, dating apps, and 'dateflation' are destroying modern relationships.

    Source: https://fortune.com/2026/05/05/is-dating-worth-it-anymore-average-cost-of-dating-nears-200-dollars/

    AI Is Making Your Electric Bill EXPLODE (Here's Proof)

    AI data centers are draining the power grid and raising electricity prices nationwide.

    Here's why your bill is exploding — and what we can do about it.

    Source: https://chicago.suntimes.com/consumer-affairs/2026/05/13/comed-electric-customer-bills-rising-ai-data-centers-pjm-energy-costs

    Our Mission

    Eyes Wide Open is a space for honest communication. Our goal is to remove the stigmas around mental health, holistic lifestyles, culture, and free speech so you can show up as your authentic self with your eyes wide open. By having real conversations about difficult truths, we move toward collective healing.

    Timestamps

    00:00 - Introduction to the Eyes Wide Open weekly round-up

    01:07 - Retatrutide Explained: Is It Better Than Ozempic & Mounjaro?

    13:45 - Dating Now Costs $200 a Date—Here's Why Gen Z Is Giving Up

    25:38 - AI Is Making Your Electric Bill EXPLODE (Here's Proof)



    Find Nick Thompson here:

    Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/

    UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

    UCAN Foundation: https://theucanfoundation.org/

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Can we EVER Trust the News Again? Informed.now Founder Explains How | Kira Shishkin

    Can we EVER Trust the News Again? Informed.now Founder Explains How | Kira Shishkin
    May 12 2026
    Is your news informing you, or is it just making you angry? Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Kira Shishkin, the founder of Informed.now, the premier unbiased news by text service. In this episode, Kira and Nick\ pull back the curtain on a compromised media ecosystem fueled by sensationalism, bias, and profit motives. We explore the radical intentionality required to navigate a landscape where news and commentary have become dangerously blurred and why factual reporting is a necessity for a free society. We dive into how clickbait headlines and social media algorithms are actively dividing families and hollowing out our communities. Kira shares his mission to restore trust through a minimalist, primary-source approach that prioritizes media independence over advertiser dollars. We discuss the Orwellian influence of misinformation, the role of AI in creating false equivalencies, and practical strategies like "bucketing" your news to avoid mental burnout. Whether you're exhausted by the 24-hour news cycle or seeking a way to form your own opinions without corporate interference, this conversation provides a roadmap for returning to a culture of transparency, critical thinking, and clarity. 🔥In this episode, you will learn: ✅ The News vs. Commentary Blur: Why the blending of facts and opinion is the #1 reason for the erosion of public trust and how to spot the difference. ✅ Profit-Driven Sensationalism: Understanding how advertiser dependence forces media outlets to prioritize outrage and clicks over accuracy. ✅ The Primary Source Solution: How sourcing stories directly from credible entities eliminates the "middleman" bias and restores factual reporting. ✅ AI & Misinformation: The hidden dangers of AI-generated content and how it complicates our ability to discern truth from propaganda. ✅ Breaking the Echo Chamber: Practical "news bucketing" strategies to manage information overload and protect your mental clarity. About Our Guest Kira Shishkin is a media entrepreneur and the founder of Informed.now, a platform dedicated to providing minimalist, fact-based news. With a background in tech startup consulting and a passion for investigative clarity, Kira is a leading voice in the movement for independent media. Through Informed.now, he pushes for a reader-supported model that removes corporate influence and empowers individuals to think for themselves. Our Mission Eyes Wide Open is a space for honest communication. Our goal is to remove the stigmas around mental health, holistic lifestyles, culture, and free speech so you can show up as your authentic self with your eyes wide open. By having real conversations about difficult truths, we move toward collective healing. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome: The crisis in modern media 06:00 - The evolution of media bias and the loss of objectivity 08:12 - Clickbait and profit incentives: How your attention is sold 11:18 - Social media algorithms: The architects of the echo chamber 16:20 - How biased media divides families and the social fabric 19:01 - Informed.now: A mission for ad-free, fact-based news 22:19 - The sourcing process: Using primary sources for truth 33:04 - AI and Misinformation: The new frontier of control 47:04 - The Minimalist Philosophy: Why less is more in reporting 52:14 - Final reflections: The pursuit of truth and mental clarity Find Kira Shishkin & Informed.now here: Website: https://informed.now/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kira.shishkin/ | https://www.instagram.com/informed.now/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-informed-now/ Find Nick Thompson here: Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/ UCAN Foundation: https://theucanfoundation.org/ Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
No reviews yet