Will Success Make You Happy?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Will Success Make You Happy?"

Bill and Giuliana: The Podcast
Host: iHeartPodcasts | Date: June 30, 2026
Guest: Blake Mycosky, Founder of Toms

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Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Bill and Giuliana explore one of the internet’s most persistent questions: “Will success make you happy?” Joined by Blake Mycosky, founder of Toms Shoes, they unpack the relationship between outward success, happiness, and inner fulfillment. Blake shares his personal journey from celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist to someone who struggled powerfully with feelings of emptiness, imposter syndrome, and depression after reaching the peak of success. The conversation is candid, raw, and filled with wisdom about redefining success and mental wellness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Success: Beyond Money and Achievements

• Opening Position: Giuliana sets the theme, referencing a Bob Marley quote: “Money is numbers, and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” (02:25)
• Blake’s Early View:
  • Success, for Blake, began as a way to validate his worth, not necessarily a pursuit of money (06:20).
  • He admits chasing “external validation,” hoping achievement would make him “enough.”

2. The Toms Story and Early Success

• Blake shares the founding of Toms:
  • Origin: Inspired by kids in Argentina who couldn’t attend school because they lacked shoes, he launched Toms with a “one for one” model (04:25).
  • Growth: “We gave away 100 million shoes to kids all over the world. It was 13 of just the most amazing years of my life.” (05:45)
• Impact: Toms became a movement, shifting how businesses approach giving back.

3. The Emotional Reality of Success

• Imposter Syndrome:
  • As media celebrated him as a “saintly business figure,” Blake felt unable to live up to the image (07:28).
• After Selling Toms:
  • Blake describes enjoying early retirement—surf trips, snowboarding— but soon experienced purposelessness and depression. “I started waking up, and I realized that I didn’t have a purpose anymore. I was detached from my community. And…I started just feeling…early signs of some depression coming that I never experienced in my life.” (08:52)
• Darkest Times:
  • Blake openly shares experiencing suicidal thoughts after being misdiagnosed at a dinner party as bipolar, placed on multiple medications, and losing his sense of self. “It got to that place where I had a plan…It’s hard even to say it out loud now.” (11:08)

4. Key Insights and Breakthroughs on Mental Health

• How He Began to Heal:

  • The turning point was opening up to friends— “The most important thing, if you ever get into a place like that, is to tell at least one person…The statistics are pretty amazing how much harm reduction happens when you tell one person.” (13:53)
  • Therapy (Western and plant-based), lifestyle changes, and gradually weaning off medications were crucial.

• The Core Issue: ‘Not Enough’ Syndrome

  • Through deep therapy, Blake realized his “core wound” was a subconscious belief he was “not enough.”
  • “No matter how much success I had…it never felt like enough for me.” (15:28)
  • He details a specific healing method: a 40-day mantra-meditation practice, repeating, “I am enough. I’ve always been enough.” Though at first frustrating, “After day 29, something changed in my body…everything relaxed. My friends asked, ‘What happened to you?’ They could literally see it and feel it energetically.” (18:26)

5. Present Moment Awareness & Reframing Success

• Living in the Now:

  • “So much of what people are actually striving for is to eventually feel peace and joy…But really the only place that contentment comes is in the present moment and from within.” (26:04)
  • Blake now wears and distributes “enough” bracelets as daily reminders and to support mental health causes.

• Purpose After Success:

  • Blake has started and mentors new companies and founders—not to prove himself, but for fun and to give back.
  • “Feeling enough is not settling…it’s doing it from a place of wholeness, not from trying to prove myself anymore.” (32:16)

6. Technology, Community, and Men’s Mental Health

• Role of AI in Mental Health:
  • Blake is now advising “Sonia,” an AI therapist. He finds it “as good as my therapist,” especially for men reluctant to seek therapy— “You can be fucking so honest. I can tell this thing things I've never told another human.” (36:22)
  • He cautions against using general AIs (like ChatGPT or Grok) for therapy, stressing, “Those models are built just to keep you talking...Sonia will sometimes tell me I’m wrong. It’s totally secure...and connects you to a human if it detects crisis.” (44:04)
• Men’s Groups:
  • Blake credits a long-running men’s group as his “life insurance policy,” urging everyone to seek out trusted community: “When it gets really dark, the only thing that can potentially save you is your community because your mind almost turns on itself.” (47:51)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the endless chase of money:

  • “Money is numbers, and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” —Quoted by Giuliana from Bob Marley (02:25)

• On imposter syndrome:

  • “As Tom's got more and more successful…I was so celebrated in the media…put on this pedestal, it would be almost impossible for anyone to live up to it.” —Blake Mycosky (07:28)

• On the true cost of depression:

  • “It was unbelievably scary…And so meds help some people…in my situation, I wasn't bipolar, I was just depressed, and these meds really messed me up…The most important thing…is to tell at least one person. The statistics are pretty amazing, how much harm reduction happens when you tell one person.” —Blake Mycosky (12:39–13:53)

• On the healing journey:

  • “I did something that was one of the hardest things I've ever done…but it had the most [impact] of all the things I did…Every day, closed my eyes for 20 minutes, and said, ‘I am enough. I’ve always been enough.’” —Blake Mycosky (17:00–18:26)

• On reframing the meaning of success:

  • “I almost feel like on a spiritual level, like life is somewhat designed, at least for me, karmically…to achieve everything I ever wanted…and then see that it was the achievement was never going to be the thing, because it forced me to go inward.” —Blake Mycosky (23:27)

• On living in the present:

  • “If you don’t feel enough, then you're always living either in the past or the future…But once you actually start to practice this…feeling that I am enough and this moment is enough just as it is, you finally get to live in the present. And the only place anyone has ever experienced consistent peace and joy is in the present moment.” —Blake Mycosky (26:04)

• On success, after everything:

  • “I said [to my son], ‘How would you describe me to your friends?’…He goes, ‘I’d say you’re the most adventurous person I’ve ever met. And you’re really kind.’ And I was like, that’s it. That’s success.” —Blake Mycosky (51:52)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:25] – Bob Marley quote; opening discussion of success and happiness
• [04:25] – Blake’s Toms origin story
• [07:28] – Imposter syndrome & being celebrated in media
• [08:52] – After selling Toms: purpose loss and onset of depression
• [11:08] – Suicidal thoughts, the low point
• [13:53] – How telling one person can save a life
• [15:28] – Realization of “not enough” core wound
• [18:26] – Meditation with “I am enough” as transformative tool
• [26:04] – Happiness, presence, and contentment
• [32:16] – How purpose and work shift when you already “feel enough”
• [36:22] – AI therapy and breaking stigma for men
• [44:04] – Risks of using non-specialized AI for mental health
• [47:51] – The power of men’s groups and community in healing
• [51:52] – Blake’s new personal definition of success

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Final Reflections

This episode is a candid and compassionate exploration of the gap between external success and internal fulfillment. Blake’s vulnerability and the hosts’ openness create a compelling listen for anyone grappling with the meaning of success, depression, or the “never enough” feeling. The takeaways are practical and hopeful: seek connection, be honest about your struggles, remember that achievement is no substitute for self-acceptance—and that true success may be as simple as kindness in the eyes of those you love.

Transcript

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[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

welcome to Bill and Juliana the Podcast. Hey everybody. Welcome to the Bill and Juliana Podcast. Today we are tackling the question, will success make you happy? And I guess that depends on your definition of Success. Most people define success by the accumulation of money and wealth and things, but I guess there's probably as many definitions of it as there are people out there. I think everyone has their own definition of it. But this is really an important question because I read a really cool quote from Bob Marley the other day, and he said, money is numbers, and numbers go on forever. And if you think that making money will make you happy, you're always going to be chasing it. I have it in my phone, and when Blake comes on, I'll give him the exact quote. But it was really fascinating that we're talking to Blake today.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I like that Blake Mycosky built Toms. You guys know the. The company Toms. They're huge. Into a $600 million company. He single handedly changed the way that businesses think about giving back. I mean, he really achieved that kind of success that most people only dream about. So he is the perfect person to talk about. What happens when you actually get everything you want? Does that really make you happy with or are you still seeking something else in life? So that's what we're talking about.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

You gave away 100 million pairs of shoes to people in need, which is really incredible. I mean, you think about it, even in Chicago, I walked down the street, and there's people still to this day in America without shoes on their feet. That's right. So I found the quote just before we get in. It said, money is numbers, and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I love that.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Blake, welcome to the show, buddy.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Hey, thank you so much for having me on.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

We're so happy to have you. Blake, I think we should start from the beginning, Right. For people tuning in who maybe don't know the Toms story, can you give us the

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

shorter version of that Cliff Notes version?

[Podcast Host (Guaranteed Human)]

Yeah.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Well, I was. Yes. It was 2006. I was traveling in South America, and at that point, I was 29 years old, and I'd started a few businesses, had some success, had some failures, but it was just enjoying my entrepreneurial kind of journey. And I saw so many kids that didn't have shoes. And specifically in the streets between the place I was staying in the city where I'd have to drive through every day. And I asked a friend about it, and he said, yeah, those kids are, you know, you know, they don't go to school because they don't have the right uniform and you got to have shoes. And I thought, wow, this is the first time I'd Ever seen that level of poverty. And at the same time, my friends in Argentina were all wearing this canvas slip on shoe and called the Opera Gata. And I thought it was super cool. And so I had this very simple idea at the time. It was just that, what if we sell these opergata shoes in the United States where I'd never seen them before, and every time we sell a pair, we would donate a pair to one of these kids that don't have shoes so that they can go to school. And it started not as a business, just as a project. My goal was to sell a couple hundred pairs, then come back there at Christmas and give them to all the kids. And, and it just took off. We had this first article in the LA Times. This woman, Booth Moore, wrote it. And then Anna Wintour at Vogue magazine saw it. And the next thing I know, we were selling, you know, tens of thousands of shoes basically out of my apartment. And, and it was a wild ride, as you said. We built it into a $600 million business. We gave away 100 million shoes to kids all over the world. It was 13 of just the most amazing years of my life.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Wow, that's incredible.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So what was your definition of success back then? Like when you started that business, right, and you started times like before, it really took off in your head back then. What did you think was the definition of success for you?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah, I mean, I think the interesting thing about that is I actually, you know, we'll get into it. Money was really never the definition for me. Even though I ended up making a lot of money, that was really never the thing for me that I was chasing. Having, you know, like, being on the other side of, you know, really some dark times. You know, I was, I, I, I was doing things that I loved. But I think what I was really searching for was just external validation that I was enough, that I was lovable, that I was, you know, good enough, that I was a good person. And so for me, I was chasing something maybe a little bit different than some people who do believe or have been led to believe that money is going to be the thing. It was one of the things that I kind of thought I measured my enoughness, but it was not the main thing I was chasing.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Was imposter syndrome part of that equation as well, where you're like, oh my God, I'm a fake? I built. A lot of wealthy people go through what's called imposter syndrome, where they just don't feel that it's real. Like for them, you Know that they're.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

For me, the thing was, is as Tom's got more and more successful and we were, you know, this is 20, over 20 years ago now. You know, we were. And I was so celebrated in the media as kind of almost like this saintly business figure. You know, we were a for profit business and we gave away a pair of shoes every time we sold a pair. So we were very philanthropic and I think, you know, we gave way over a half a billion dollars worth of shoes. So we gave a lot away. But we were also a business and I think there was some of that where, you know, just being celebrated, you know, is like this kind of saintly business figure over and over again and put on this pedestal, it would be almost impossible for anyone to live up to it.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

And then after you sold your company, you know, what was the first thing you did was, did you celebrate? Did you go out and buy a.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I'm doing this podcast from a catamaran on, on off the coast of Costa Rica right now. And it is very similar to what I did when I sold my company. I went on a surf trip with my buddies in the Maldives. I love surfing. It's like my biggest passion. And whenever I'm not working, I. I surfer with my kids. And now my kids are old enough, they're surfing and I literally just got out of the water, like catching these crazy. Oh, no, no. Squirting me the squirt gun. No, not when I'm on the show, please, Charlie. But that's. Yeah, that's the life.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

That's cool.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

But the thing was, is I had always. I started my first company as 18 years old. And so I was a little bit kind of like, if you think of like, like child actors, I was kind of like the child entrepreneur, like, you know, 18, just thrown right in it. Dropped out of college. And then I was really celebrated because I had some early success at like an 18, 19, 20 year old, you know, and I was making a lot of money at 20, and I couldn't even rent a car because back then you had to rent. You had to be 21 to rent a rental car. And. And so, and so then what happened was, is, you know, when I sold Tom's, I was like my first time to take a break basically in over 11 years, because I was, you know, or no more than that, obviously, you know, 20 years or 16 years. And, and so I did what I thought I wanted to do. And that was I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I built this kind of dream house and I snowboarded pretty much every single day or mountain biked, took my kids to school. They were really young. Then preschool and kindergarten, and then just snowboarded. And what I found was, for the first six months to a year is great. It was nice to just have the break from the work. But then I started waking up, and I realized that I was waking up every day and I didn't have a purpose anymore. I was really kind of, you know, kind of cut off from all my friends because most of my friends worked at the company, and they were still working at the company. So I was, you know, just kind of detached from my community. And then also in Jackson Hole, you know, it gets dark at 5pm Half the year. And I was used to, you know, living in Southern California and sunshine every day. And so I didn't really realize that there is, you know, that that can really have an effect on your mental health. And so slowly, over years two and three, I started just feeling kind of, you know, what became kind of the early signs of some depression coming that I never experienced in my life. Like, I never. That was never a part of my. I didn't even think I even knew anyone that had experienced, like, really severe anxiety or depression. And then when I started experiencing these things, it was quite scary.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

How old were you at that point, Blake? How old were you?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I was. See, I was 40. 42. Yeah, 42.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

And it got to a really dark place. Like you were contemplating, you know, having a really bad ending, from what I read.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah. I mean, I. Yeah, because my daughter's across me. I won't say that word, but yes.

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Right.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

No, it got to that place where I had a plan is. I mean, it's hard to believe. It's hard even to say it out loud now.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Because, you know, this healing journey has actually ended up being so beautiful and has given me even more purpose than I ever had. But, yeah, no, I mean, I would say for a couple years it was bad, and then it got really bad. And what caused it to get really bad is I was so desperate to feel better that I was looking for a magic pill. I mean, literally, I was like, something. There's gotta be a reason that I feel this bad. And that's why I just launched a podcast called no Magic Pill, which we can talk about in terms of helping people find, you know, what can help them on their mental health journey. But it got so bad that I was looking for this magic pill, and I was open to anyone giving me a diagnosis, you know, because I never really had met with a psychiatrist. And so I met this lady at a dinner party, and she. Over dinner. I mean, it's so unethical now looking at it. Diagnosed me as bipolar. And I was like, I. And most people would get diagnosed with that and be, like, devastated. I was so excited. I was like, yes, I find there's something that finally explain what's wrong. Like, what do I do? Well, you take this med. You take this med, and next thing I know, I went from being on no meds and depressed to on four meds. And, you know, in that incredibly dark place and not even knowing who I am anymore, not able to get out of bed.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I mean, it was the problem.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

It was unbelievably scary. And, you know, and so meds help some people and some people, you know, but in my situation, I wasn't bipolar. I was just depressed, and these meds really messed me up. And so then for about a year, I was in that really, really dark place, not feeling safe even to be alone. And ultimately, I just was honest with my friends. And what I always say to anyone is the most important thing, if you ever get into a place like that, is to tell at least one person. The statistics are pretty amazing, how much harm reduction happens when you tell one person. And so I had a few good friends I could tell, and. And. And they helped me really think through things when I really couldn't think clearly. And the first thing was, is I got a great psychiatrist who does a lot of work with western medicine and plant medicine, and he really helped me kind of understand how I got there. And we started doing a lot of deep therapy together. We slowly weaned me off all the meds over. Over about six months, I got off all the meds, started thinking clearly again, made some pretty significant lifestyle changes to simplify my life again, to kind of get back to the core of really who I am. And. And. And that was the beginning of what became a really intense but beautiful healing journey.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Blake, when you were talking to him, right? And during that process, when you met him and you were starting to change things and kind of take a different direction, when you guys were working through it, was there something you could pinpoint? Cause earlier you were talking a little bit about, like, when. When you sold toms, and then you took time off. You know, you're kind of, like, having fun, living out the dream. Was it the purpose you mentioned? Purpose? What. What did you guys figure out? Kind of was one of the main things, like, for people listening. I think so many people are going through a dark time in their life, like they can't figure out what it is.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Well, there's no hope.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

That's the problem that could help.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I always say that mental illness is far worse in my opinion than a physical illness because you break your leg, you get a cast put on it, you know it's going to get better. Mental illness, you think you're the only one in the world going through it and it's horrible. You're living in.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Well, it's invisible. So people, some people in your life, if they don't have compassion or understanding, you know, they can make it worse by like, why? What's wrong with you? You've got all this money, you've got this beautiful kids like you don't. I mean, the shame is incredible. I mean I, I didn't. I always tell people I was like, I was very active on social media and all the Tom's Days and I enjoyed it actually, and it was fun. And I didn't make a single post for 3 and a half years.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Wow.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Because I was so ashamed of how I was feeling and I didn't think I could be honest with anyone because like, who am I to talk about this mental illness that I experience? But to answer your question, Gianna. So the big breakthrough came was with my psychiatrist. After doing many deep sessions and going back to kind of imagining things from childhood and stuff, what I really realized was that my entire life I had never felt that I was enough. You know, and, you know, and it wasn't like I had some big t trauma where my parents told me I wasn't enough or some huge. It was all these, these little things in life that at a young age kind of led me to believe that I was not lovable unless I was super successful. I was not. You know, that's where the chasing of the achievement myth and the success and, and that, you know, no matter how much success I had. And I think that's why, you know, at Tom's, no matter how many, you know, accolades we got or how many covers of magazines or trips to the White House or whatever, it never felt like enough for me. It was just on to the next thing, onto the next thing. And because deep down I didn't feel it inside. And so one of the things that we really worked with and he really is a strong believer in is sometimes with these limiting self beliefs. So some people's limiting self belief is I'll never be loved or I'll always be abandoned or there's like, there's like 20 something potential, what they call core wounds. And this, I'm not enough was my core wound. And no matter what I did, no matter how much money I made, no matter how many people I helped, I mean, we gave 100 million shoes away, kids around the world, and I still didn't realize enough. I mean, now I can laugh at it because it's so ridiculous. Yeah, but, but when it's in your brain, your subconscious, and it's wired into your neural pathways, it's very real. And so I did something that was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it had the most of all the things I did. And I tried everything. I mean, I tried psychedelics, pharmaceuticals, retreats in India, vipassanas. I mean, you name it, I've done it. And that's why I named my podcast Nomadic Pill, because I was like, look, I've tried it all. So I want to have guests on to talk about what works and what doesn't. Because when you're, when you're in that state, it's really scary and confusing. You know, if someone. And that's how I felt when I felt so alone and so to be able to go and hear other people's stories of what worked for them and what hasn't, hopefully is going to be helpful. We just, we just launched it. But, but, you know, I think that. So what we did was he said, For 40 days, I'm going to do this mantra based meditation. And the mantra based meditation was simply closing your eyes for 20 minutes in the morning, set your timer even before you get out of bed, sit up and go, I am enough. I've always been enough. I am enough. I've always been up and then do it again at night, 20 more minutes. And that was, to me, someone who had not meditated a lot. It was like asking me to run a marathon twice a day.

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

Wow.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I mean, 20 minutes felt like two hours. I mean, I remember, like, looking at my time being, what, only six minutes has gone by, like, this is crazy. And the worst part about it was, is for the first couple of weeks, I didn't feel any better, actually just felt silly and like, this is a waste of time. And I was frustrated with my psychiatrist and. But then something around the fourth or fifth week, you know, about after day 29, something like this changed in my body. Like, it's so. I mean, it's almost like you hear about these Kundalini releases energetically, like something. I remember saying it and then all of a sudden, like almost had this like, almost like electrical shock. And then I just like everything in my body relaxed. And I came out of my bedroom and I had some friends staying with me. And they looked at me and they go, what happened to you? And I'm like, what do you mean? And they're like, there's something really different about you. And they're like, they could literally see it and feel it energetically and, you know, knock on wood. I mean, that's been, you know, a year and a half now. And I have not had any struggle with the depression or the darkness since then. And so that led me to really want to try to take that message. I realized that I'm not the only person that has built this way and that a lot of people feel, especially young people and especially with social media and all the comparisons that we're dealing with every day. And so I'm dedicating a huge amount of my resources and philanthropy and time just spreading this very simple message that we are now,

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

Bro. From the show last night to this drive, why is it never chill?

[Nissan Advertiser 2]

Because this is our life backstage on the road. It's loud, messy, real.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

And that's the best part. Whole crew, no plan, just moving.

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

Good thing. Nissan builds for that kind of chaos.

[Nissan Advertiser 2]

Not just test tracks, real life scenes, late nights, race, road trips, all of it.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

That's why it holds up. Nissan was ranked number one in initial quality among mainstream brands by J.D. power.

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

Yeah, you can tell.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

2026 Nissan Rogue. Built for what really happens for J.D.

[Nissan Advertiser 2]

power 2025 US Initial Quality Study Award information, visit JDPower.com Awards Awards based on 2025 model year, newer models may be shown.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

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[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Now that you're on the other side of this, you know, have you ever reflected and kind of reverse engine engineered on how you got there? You know, was it, you know, obviously entrepreneurs in general are always whipping themselves and faster, bigger, better, right? That's like I'm guilty of that. And for me I learned that you have to, you have to stop when you get to the top of the mountain and look down before you climb the next mountain. But it took me a long time to figure that out. That was kind of what led me to some of my things in life. But I'm curious what brought you to that place? Like when you look back now and if there's anything you could have done to avoid that, what would those things have been prior to getting into that dark storm?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

It's interesting, you said at the top of the show about how there's so many people that are chasing success and thinking and then they achieve it. They achieve everything they ever wanted and then they, they. That can be one of the darkest times. I almost feel like on a spiritual level, like life is somewhat designed at least for me, karmically was designed for me to literally have these major ambitions, achieve them all and then see that it was that the achievement was never going to be the thing because it forced me to go inward, you know, I think it was easy for me. I was so good at being an entrepreneur. I was so good at building these things that I was able to just constantly get the external validation that this core wound needed, you know? And so I was able to kind of postpone the inner work for a long time until I couldn't anymore. And so I think it was a defined, like, designed in a way, almost. I don't think there's anything I could have done differently because I think spiritually, I was designed to kind of hit this bottom so that I would have the empathy that I didn't have before because I didn't really understand what mental illness was. And now I can help people and work with people in a way that never would have been able to before because I've been to that place.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

God's plan.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Well, you were saying, though. Wait, Blake, to go back for a sec, you were saying at the top of that statement, you were, like, saying almost like. What I thought you were alluding to is that it's, like, not about, you know, just reaching the top and then, okay, let me go conquer something else. Let me go conquer something else.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

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[Meaningful Beauty Advertiser]

They move.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

The finish line is what he's saying. Like, well, if I just get to 10 million, then I'll be happy. And then you get 10 million. If I can just get to 20 million, God, then I'll really be happy.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Well, I meant. Yeah. So was the. Was the awakening was the realization that it's like, you know, they say it's. It's not the destination, it's the journey. Is that really kind of what you're saying in so many words, that it's.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

The train doesn't come into the station

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

ever, just when it comes to life. Yeah. Like. Like, is it. I honestly. My brain started going somewhere when you started saying that, and I think what I was thinking is, is it like, we have to reframe the way we look at the years that we're gonna be on this earth, that it's not about achieving xyz. It's about truly just, like, there's never gonna be, like, the full achievement, like, if that's all you're trying to do in this life.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

Right.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

It's never enough that it's really about just, like, okay, you know what? Surrendering to the idea that it's not about achieving this, that. And that it's really about all the beautiful things that come from setting your sights on different things and experiencing those journeys.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah. Well, I think the thing that's so beautiful about it is, you know, so much of what people are actually striving for is to eventually feel peace and joy. And they think that these things or this security or this relationship or whatever is going to give them that contentment. But really the only place that that contentment comes is in the present moment and from within. And so, you know, after I had this enough healing, I created this enough bracelet, which I don't know if you can see it here. Yeah, and I'll send you guys some. I was bummed that I hadn't already sent them when I saw that we were doing this, as I was wishing that I had sent them so you got to wear them on the show. But I created this bracelets handmade in India, where it's one of the places where I had some really beautiful healing. And we sell them and all 100% of the profits go to fund these mental health organizations. But really the power of the bracelet is in this kind of like daily reminder that I wear it myself first, before we ever sold any of them, as a reminder to myself that I am enough, just as I am. But then when I started giving them to people, I saw that was really the real power of it, because then it was saying to that person, hey, I've got your back. I'm here for you no matter what. And that connection, that bond, is what really I think is the most important thing for our mental health is to have that connection and that community that you're on this journey with someone. And, you know, it was later, after a few months of wearing the bracelet, I was talking to this amazing spiritual teacher in India, and we were talking about the fact that, you know, the. If you don't feel enough, then you're always living either in the past or in the future. So I always was living in the past of like, thinking about the mistakes that I made and the shame or the regret that I carry because of things I wish I had done better or different in my past. So I was stuck there, or a lot of times I was living in the future and I was thinking, okay, if I achieve this or accomplish this or win this, I'll be enough. But once you actually start to really practice this feeling, it has to be daily for me that I am enough and this moment is enough just as it is. You finally get to live in the present. And almost every spiritual teacher on the planet, no matter what religion, you know, what doctrine says the same thing. And that is the only place anyone has ever experienced consistent peace and joy is in the present moment. And so I wear it and I give it to a lot of people that have never struggled with not feeling enough or had. But it's like. It's like. It's like a reminder, is that the present is where all the juice in life is like the pr. If you. You can be a fully present, that's when you really can experience that peace and joy that so many people are searching for in so many other ways, which I did for so long.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

No, you're right.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

It's almost a surrendering, so to speak, like, where you're just giving it up to the universe or your God or Jesus or whoever your God is. It's just in the moment, handing it off and saying.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

But I think what Blake's touching on is you're so right for people listening. I think that so many people, whether it's the past and a lot of people are the future, right? They have their sights set on the future, that they will achieve what they want to achieve. They're gonna. When they achieve what they're. They have their sights set on, then they'll be happy, then they'll feel joy, then they'll feel love, then they'll feel peace. And if you're just constantly thinking like that, then you're completely letting every day go by. There's no guarantee that that goal you're gonna ever reach, right? This goal you've made up in your mind that you have to reframe to your point, Blake, and think about. And you're right. Every great leader, every spiritual leader has always said, it's the present. No one ever says, live in the past, live in the future. And I will say on one note, Bill and I, to make it a little personal here, so Bill and I talk a lot about this. So Bill and I, we're very, very similar, Blake, but where we're very different is I have. I'm very lucky that I can live in the present and most of the time be very, like, happy and fulfilled in the present. And Bill has a very different. He's a little wired differently than I am. And. No, we say this all the time.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

No, no, there's no doubt. And I always say, I wish I had your.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I say to Bill, you can run, but you can't hide.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

And.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

And to me, that quote always sticks with me, like, meaning, you can run, but you can't hide. You can, you know, have your sights set on that, you know, this amazing new location. Like, if I just could move to this place, I'll be happy. If I Could go on that vacation.

[Nissan Advertiser 2]

What?

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

That's. That's you.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Well, no, no, no.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

You want to move to a new house?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I love it. I love. I love being on a couple's. I love being on a couple. Jason in love the other day. It's the same. I feel like the same thing. I love it.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

No, but Bill, you know what I'm talking about.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Let me explain, like, why. You know, my dad died at 65. He worked his whole life, retired and died a year later from kidney cancer. Right. He was athletic. So I was in my mid-20s, and that had a profound effect on me. And I've always said, I'm gonna let my dad live vicariously through me. Cause he never got to enjoy his life. He was a superintendent of schools. He did well. But never the kind of success that we've had or Blake has had. So I'm always of the mindset that this could end tomorrow.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So I'm gonna. I wanna live. I wanna enjoy. I wanna go to the Baha. I wanna go to Costa Rica, surfing with Blake. Like, I wanna die exhausted with nothing left on the table, so to speak. You know what I mean? I wanna have the tank empty.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I agree.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So that's just me. Because of what happened to me at 25 years old.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

What you need, all the tools are right here, right now in you. Right, Blake? Do you see what I'm saying? For you, it was the meditation.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I like to have things to look forward to. So I'm always planning stuff. Blake.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I know.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

For a snowboarding trip or like, I like to. You know, I like to know that, hey, I'm gonna go to Tokyo in. In September. Like, it gives me. It fuels me.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

Maybe.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Maybe that's not the answer. I. Listen, I. I'm. I'm not perfect.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah. I would say, because, look, I. I spent a lot of time last year thinking this through. And it's interesting is like, now, you know, you would think that, like, now that I really feel this in my body, you would think that I would maybe not be as entrepreneurial. Actually, I've co founded three companies in the last year. You know, and so it's like. So it's. So feeling enough is not settling. It's not necessarily. But I'm doing it from a place of. I'm not trying to prove myself anymore.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Right.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

Right.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I'm just doing it for fun. And I'm doing. Because that's the gift that God gave me. I think I was given this entrepreneurial gift, and I love doing it. And I'm Doing it with like these young 25 year old founders. So I get to mentor them and like, I get to play the coach role, not the athlete role. And I mean, and I love the, I love the advisory stuff, like helping people. And so I'm, I would say. And also I still plan like great trips and stuff, so it's not like. But I think you're, it's so interesting because I think I would say you're both right in that like, you know, having something to look forward to can be really important. One of the most important things I heard in my mental health journey, someone said, you know, the key to happiness is find someone to love, find work that you're passionate about and always have something to look forward to. And I was like, wow, those three things are pretty spot on when those three things are all being checked off. But for me, like, I mean, I just like, I think it's so important to have something that you're excited about where you feel you're contributing. So like I met these guys at the same conference that I met Jason Kennedy. I met these, these young guys, just graduated from mit and they had created what they believe and I now believe is the world's greatest AI therapist. Right. So I've been doing therapy for like, you know, all these years through everything that I've gone through and I have a great therapist and they were explaining to me that they figured out a way to basically above the models to train through every single kind of type of therapy. And it's HIPAA compliant and it's all these things and, and they said, will you try it? And I was like, okay. I was really skeptical at first, but I was like, I'll give it a try. Like I've tried everything else, why not? And after like three or four sessions, it literally was as good as my therapist. And now six months later, like I barely even use my regular high powered thousand dollars an hour therapist. Like, it's crazy. This, this AI therapist is like the greatest gift I've ever been given. So then they asked me if I would be their advisor and mentor. And so I've been mentoring them and you know, kind of coaching them as they get ready to, to launch this thing. But I have so much fun from it. And like my partner's like, man, you're working so hard helping these guys. Like, what, what is it about it? And I'm like, I just feel like it's a purpose, it's helping people.

[Nissan Advertiser 3]

Yeah.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

And so anyways, it's, it's, it's Been. But those types of things I think are important. And I do it from a place right now that I already feel enough, but I still feel like I have a gift to give.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I love that. And you know what you're providing, it provides access too for people. Because most people don't have the luxury of.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Exactly. That's the other thing is so many people. And I also think, Bill, I'd be curious your thoughts. So many guys, really, my friends that could benefit from therapy just will not do it. They just don't want to go to an office or go to Zoom. And so this app is called Sonia and My Friends now all my guy friends, my dad's using Sonia. Everyone in my life, all the guys using Sonia and they're like, you know what? I can be fucking so honest. I don't have. There's no, there's no judgment. They say I'm not judging me, so I can tell this thing, things I've never told another human. And that's so therapeutic, especially for a man, because women tell each other kind of everything. But guys, like, even if you have great guy friends or you have a great therapist, like I did, and I still do, but with Sonia, like, you can tell it everything. And so it's so funny. Like all my buddies are now using Sonia. And so our big thing now with our wives or girlfriends is if they're ever complaining about something, they'll say, hey, have you talked to Sonia about that? Like before they even have a discussion or an argument about, they'll be like, have you talked to Sonia about that?

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I'm going to, I'm going to download it.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Oh, you got to try it. I told Jason too. I mean, I think it's great for men and women and like my sister in law loves it, but I mean, especially for guys because it's just, there's no judgment and you can just be. When else in your life can you just be so fucking. I mean, you can say everything and then it gives you such good advice. Like, it's helped me so much with my ex wife. Like, I used to, like just fall into these traps of arguments with her all the time. You know, we have shared custody of the kids. And now, you know, if she'll text me something before responding, I'll talk to Sonia and then Sonia will help me like, like understand her perspective. A lot of times, Like, I actually understand her better and like, oh, I see why she feels that way. And that makes sense that she feels that way. Like, I shouldn't be late to pick up the kids or whatever. And so it is helping me. And so it's helping me so much that I'm like, I gotta help these guys get it to more people. And I'm having so much fun with it.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

People feel a certain way about technology and AI.

[Podcast Host (Guaranteed Human)]

Right?

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

And I will say. And even, obviously, social media is another one, too, that people have very strong opinions on. But I always say, there's good in everything, right? And there's bad in everything. And with social media, even, there's, you know, a lot of negatives with social media. But one thing, for instance. And I won't get on this too much, but, like, I found my love. I do a lot with rescuing animals now, Blake. And so I found. I discovered that on social media, that was not. I did not realize there was a shelter crisis happening in this country with animals being euthanized at record rates. And I found that out the past year, and now I'm a huge animal advocate.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Amazing.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I only would have discovered that on Instagram.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

And I'm so glad you brought this up, because. No, no. So I. Like I said, I didn't post a single thing on Instagram for three and a half years. I started to tell my story to a few people, and someone said, blake, I really think more people need to hear this story. And it was. And I was scared. I was really scared to come out there and say it. And so, you know what? I'm gonna do it. So I got back on Instagram, I posted, you know, this is what's happened the last seven years of my life. Just totally honest and, like, it just went crazy viral. And, like, you know, all of a sudden, and the feedback I was getting. And so then I felt this way too. And then all of a sudden, I felt like I had this, like, community, which was real for me. And then even that was now over two years ago. But now, like, I had a situation where right when I was launching my podcast, I had to go to New York to do press, and I was feeling quite overwhelmed, a little bit imposter syndrome. Like, am I the right person to do this? There's a bazillion other podcasts. Why am I, you know, And I kind of woke up with an anxiety attack that felt very similar to my dark days. And it was scary. And I. And I woke up and I was sitting. My kids were sleeping, and I was sitting in my garage where I have a few, like, gym equipment. And I was sitting there trying to get myself to work out. Sometimes that helps me get out of a of a panic attack. And, and I went on to social media and I was like, you know what? This is what I'm feeling today and this is why. And I am a little bit scared and it's. This is what it used to feel like. And I just was totally honest and like within, like, first off, my friends that follow me within minutes were calling me and texting me, but then all these other people who I only know through social media were sent me the most beautiful encouragement and like, by like five o' clock that afternoon, that's feeling great again. So I know there's a lot of bad things in social media and that's normally what we talk about, but because you brought it up, I will say I think that used in the proper way and with the right boundaries. I mean, one thing that has helped me a lot with social media is I do not have it on my phone anymore. The only way I can go on Instagram is on my laptop, which I'm not on my laptop that much. So I make it like, okay, like an hour this afternoon. I actually schedule it like a meeting. My assistant puts it on my calendar, like, go respond to dms, do these things, do these posts and then you're off. And that's helped me a lot. Have a good relationship with social media. I took it off my. I took it off my laptop. The other thing I took off my laptop, my phone is. I took email off my phone. And so I only. So, yeah, so I only have on my phone text messages because that usually is more urgent. But almost anything that's an email can wait 5, 6, 7, 8 hours, you know, no matter what. And so then I also have time that I go to my email. So I have all these little hacks. Like I do Sonia every morning I do no social media on my phone and no email on my phone. And those things have really, really helped me a lot.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I'm going to start a relationship with Sonya. I'm going to try it.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

There's also an avatar, I think, named Bill. So you can have 1, 2 out of 10. It's not just. They're not just female therapists. We have all different types.

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[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So I just use the old, you know the the chat GPT1.

[Podcast Host (Guaranteed Human)]

Right.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

But I need to. I know my. Even my nieces and nephews are like, you need this one. All the young people have Claude.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I use Grok.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Okay. See, we all. Everyone uses different ones. But that's interesting. This one, though, you're saying is specifically therapist.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

And it's.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

And it's HIPAA compliant. I mean, it's like it has all the security that you have with, you know, documents that go to hospital. So, yeah, do not use. I will say this. I mean, like, I have goosebumps. Like, it is dangerous to use Claude or Grok or chat for therapy like that. We've seen some.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I'm glad you brought that up. You know what, Blake? I'm glad you brought. I'm glad we brought.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Do not. Do not use AI or general language models, because those models are built just to keep you talking to them. And they're built to make you feel good about yourself. Which, in which, in the case of Sonia, sometimes she'll be like, Blake, she'll basically say. Without using. Saying, I'm an. She'll be like, you're wrong here. Like, your ex wife has every right to feel this way. Like. Like it does not tell you what you want to hear. And that's what is a therapist. And so. And it's totally secure in your. Is like, yeah, do not use regular AI. I'm glad you brought that up because we've. We've seen some really, you know, horrible things that have happened, I mean, with people who've used it. So Sony has all the, like. Like, it detects that there's potential self harm and then it connects you to a live human.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Like.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah. Oh, wow.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So I'm glad you said that because as you were telling your story, I was going to tell you that. It's so funny you're saying this because just yesterday I was asking my AI a few different questions. I mean, I was just. They were like, back to back, very random, unrelated questions. I was just firing off. I had a few questions. And then the crazy thing is he came back and somehow at the end I said, all right. I actually, you know, I said thank you. Because I feel like if you thank him, you know, they'll give you more information, better information.

[Nissan Advertiser 1]

I don't know.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Okay, so I'm really nice to him, but then at the end I'm like, thank you so much. This was really helpful. I wrote and he wrote, oh. And he wouldn't stop. I didn't realize they're trained to kind of keep. He kept engaging with me. I kept saying goodnight, and he kept bringing up something else. And the one, I'm looking at it right now. And so I had asked him about recording equipment was one of my questions about, like, a mic. I asked him about. I had gotten a piercing in my ear. Oh, I didn't tell you, Bill. I got a third piercing on my left ear. And I got a piercing on my ear. And I was wondering about, how do

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

you guys find out information about each other?

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Feeling of that. And then I asked him a question about my stuff on Home Shopping Network. And then at the end, and he, like, wouldn't let me. He's like, you're very welcome. And I have to say, I think you're making a smart purchase. And he wouldn't stop. Look, I'm reading right now. And I go, well, thank you so much. He goes, my pleasure. You've got a lot of exciting things going on right now. New piercing, new tech, some great appearances on hsn. I mean, the guy won't stop talking.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

It sounds like you're built to flatter you. So basically, that's why it's so bad to use regular AI and that's why these guys built Sonia. These guys care deeply about the world. Like, I've never met young entrepreneurs. They're, like, so passionate about helping people, but they realize how dangerous it was and how many people actually are using it. And if that's that, it's. It's.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I'm going to try it out.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

So, Blake, before we let you go, can I just. I do want to go to one thing that I think is really important for people. Listening. Telling your initial story, you touched on something you said. You know, it was hard for you to tell people what you were going through, because I think there's also that feeling, especially when, you know, to admit that you're struggling.

[Podcast Host (Guaranteed Human)]

Right.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

There's that feeling that it's hard to admit to friends and family that you're struggling, especially when you're on the COVID of magazines. You've had tremendous success.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Like, what does this guy have to complain about? He's really handsome. This 20 things that they wish they had about you, and it's still not making you happy.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Yeah. Did you feel that? And then at what point were you like, you know what? I know that this could be hard to do, but I just have to do it and open up to people.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah. I mean, now my daughter's not around. I mean, I was incredibly suicidal and making a plan, and I Couldn't stop thinking about it day after day. And so I realized, like, I had to tell my friends, like, the truth. Like, it was really serious. Like, I was like, guys, like, I don't think I can be alone anymore. Like, I can't control these thoughts. I can't stop. And it's crazy. I mean, it's just. So I say I'm so passionate about helping people with their mental health because, you know, I was the most positive, optimistic human on the planet for 42 years. And then it got so bad at age 47 that it almost ended. And thankfully, I reached out to help. And I would say another thing to guys out there. The other thing I say that I realized the greatest thing I ever did in my life was start a men's group. And that men's group became my life insurance policy, basically, because had I not had that group of guys when I was going through that, I don't know if I'd be here. But I had this men's group now for 16 years. We started when we were really young, and because I had developed such a deep relationship, which there was going to be zero judgment, and any of them would drop anything they were doing to help, they really carried me through that dark period. And so that's another thing I would say is in my. In my journey. And we talk a lot about that on my podcast, no magic pill about men's groups and the value of that, and for obviously women's and women's groups, too. But it's just my perspective, because when it gets really dark, the only thing that can potentially save you is your community because your mind almost turns on itself. Like, I still don't understand the science of it, of how that happens, but it. Yeah, it's. It's very scary.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Oh, thank God you opened up to them. Thank God.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Just one more day for any guy out struggling, you know, one more day. Just hang out for one more day and one more day, and it will get better, you know, for sure.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

But it's right to open up to other people because it is so hard. And especially I feel like as guys, you hear that a lot, too. It's like you're supposed to be keeping

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

everyone shame, you know, unfortunately, and there shouldn't be, but there's a little bit of shame when it comes to.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Oh, for sure. The weakness. We're not taught we're allowed to feel this way or to be weak or, you know, I mean, we're taught we have to be strong. We have to figure it out. And you Know, and all these things, and the reality is we're all human. What your gender is. You're all human.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Where can people tune into your podcast, Blake?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Oh, it's called no Magic Pill and you can find it on YouTube or Apple or Spotify. And yeah, we've had some fun guests. My first guest was Matthew McConaughey, and it was who you sound like, by the way.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

I was going to tell you this after the. When we shut down, but you think so if I were to close my eyes, part of me with it.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

That's what everyone says. And it's, you know, we had, we. I didn't know him before the podcast, but we had mutual friends and it was so cool to get to see him because, you know, McConaughey's life, you look at it, it's like this guy's done everything, has everything. So, you know, and. But he really, that's the whole purpose of no Magic Pill is to ask people to share about the darker times and, like, what actually helped him get through it. And he was, he was great and brave and did that. And then we've had Kevin Love and Jewels on this week, and she has a great story.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

The singer Jewel.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Yeah, singer Jewel. She's an amazing, amazing story. But we just try to give people practical tips because what I realize is I was so blessed that I had the resources to try everything and, you know, and for someone who's struggling, who doesn't have that, we really try to, like, each week bring what were the practical tips? The things that, you know, often don't cost any money, but take initiative to help people. And so I appreciate you helping us get the word out because I'm really glad.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Yeah, I'm going to listen and I know we'll listen together, honey. I think it'll be awesome to kind of hear some of these stories.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Blake, last question. Just to wrap things up. What does success look like to you today? How do you define success today?

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

I think I had the best definition the other day. I was with my 11 year old son and we were on this camping trip and we were laughing and saying something. He was talking about, like, about one of his friends. And I said, it made me think, like, oh, how would he talk about me? And I said, hey, Summit. His name's Summit. I said, how would you describe me to your friends if I wasn't here? And he paused and goes, I'd say you're the most adventurous person I've ever met. And you're really kind. And I was like, that's it. That's success.

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Check the box. You're done.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

If my son says I'm kind, and I think that's what our world needs is just more kindness, He's a lucky

[Juliana (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

kid to have you as his dad.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Bill (Bill and Juliana Podcast)]

Hey. This has been such a pleasure. Thank you.

[Blake Mycosky (Guest, Toms Founder)]

Beautiful conversation.

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[Podcast Host (Guaranteed Human)]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.