Mighty Pursuit Podcast

Episode 10: Abigail Reighard on battling chronic pain, mental breakdowns & self-harm

For the last 15+ years, Abigail Reighard-Fusco has had to go through bouts of suffocating pain due to chronic kidney stones and a bladder disease. If you’ve ever had just one kidney stone, then you know how painful this is.
In Abigail’s words, it’s like someone is stabbing you. Abigail has had to carry up to a hundred stones in her body at once, which sounds almost unimaginable for that to be anyone’s reality.
This episode is especially relevant because of how much we struggle to deal with pain as a society. When we are in pain, hope seems to be distant and we don’t really know how to cope in the midst of it. What do you do when the pain doesn’t go away? What do you do when your situation doesn’t change? Now a speaker and brain health advocate, Abigail has so much to teach us in these areas.
In this conversation we talk about chronic pain, mental health, self-harm and how to find the light in the midst of overwhelming darkness. 
Abigail's Socials + Website:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigailreighard/?hl=enWebsite: https://www.abigailreighard.com/
Chapters0:00 - 2:02 - Intro2:02 - 6:27 - Abigail’s battle with chronic pain6:27 - 8:29 - The first time she felt the pain8:29 - 10:48 - The Mayo Clinic10:48 - 12:20 - The day she found out it won’t go away12:20 - 13:46 - Isolating from people13:46 - 17:00 - The bladder disease17:00 - 18:11 - Spiraling down a dark path18:11 - 19:00 - Living in constant fear19:00 - 20:55 - Screaming in the hospital20:55 - 28:17 - Adjusting to a new reality28:17 - 33:28 - Wrestling with her spiritual journey33:28 - 35:09 - Hooked on painkillers35:09 - 38:50 - Mental breakdown38:50 - 50:25 - Self-harm50:25 - 53:21 - Mental hospital is like the movies53:21 - 55:28 - Inpatient center55:28 - 57:29 - Reframing pain57:29 - 1:01:41 - DBT & radical acceptance1:01:41 - 1:02:32 - Finding meaning in pain1:02:32 - 1:05:43 - Signs & turtles1:05:43 - 1:09:28 - How could God allow suffering?1:09:28 - 1:11:24 - Grieving the life she thought she’d live1:11:24 - 1:16:13 - Getting married & having a daughter1:16:13 - 1:20:24 - Dealing with chronic pain now1:20:24 - 1:24:18 - How pain has shaped Abigail positively1:24:18 - 1:25:53 - To the hopeless person
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:Website: https://www.mightypursuit.comInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 9: Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. Arianna Brandolini on emotions, dating and mental health

Dr. Arianna Brandolini is a Harvard-trained psychologist based who specializes in treating OCD, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders. Over the last couple years, she's gained a large following online, helping people walk through relationship anxieties.
This conversation serves as a definitive guide for everything mental health. We leave no stone unturned. We talk about cognitive distortions, negative thinking patterns, mental disorders, emotional intelligence and therapy. We then turn our attention to relationships, attachment styles, ghosting, rejection and navigating toxic behavior on dating apps. 
Given the nature of this episode, we believe that listening to this conversation could be an important investment for your mental health and your relational future.
 
Arianna's Socials + Web:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drariannaanswers/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@answeranxiety?lang=enWebsite: https://www.drabrandolini.com/
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:Website: https://www.mightypursuit.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 8: 26-year-old widow Jessica Rice on tragedy, grief & redemption

When she was 26, Jessica Rice’s life got turned upside down. She tragically lost her husband Jarronn in a motorcycle accident – just two and a half months after they got married. Four years later, Jessica got remarried to Jordan, who also lost his spouse tragically in his 20s.
 
Their love story has been featured in ABC News, The Huffington Post and DailyMail, not to mention a video that has gone viral on YouTube. Few things are more tragic than losing a spouse instantly, especially when you are really young and just got married. In this conversation, we talk about grief, tragedy and navigating the road forward.
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:
Website: https://www.mightypursuit.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 7 | Top scientist Dr. Jan Holden on near-death experiences, the afterlife & the soul

Dr. Jan Holden is one of the leading scientists in the field of near-death studies. She is the president of International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and the editor of the scholarly peer-reviewed academic journal The Journal of Near-Death Studies.
Few questions have been as hotly contested throughout history of what happens when we die. All major religions have put forth an answer. But finally, science has weighed in on the subject. 
What we’re about to discuss today is one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century, and has massive implications about the nature of life itself. 
For over 40 years, Dr. Holden has studied people who have died, but then under extraordinary circumstances, came back to life. What they report – and the striking similarities between them – is nothing short of remarkable.
Top books on near-death-experiences:After by Dr. Bruce Greyson: https://shorturl.at/bgoxXImagine Heaven by John Burke: https://shorturl.at/elqvOThe Self Does Not Die: https://shorturl.at/wD027
Mighty Pursuit Links:Website: https://www.mightypursuit.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuitFor business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 6 | Ex-porn star Joshua Broome on OnlyFans, mental health in the industry & sex

From 2007 to 2013, Joshua Broome was one of the biggest stars in porn. Under the pseudonym Rocco Reed, he made over 1,000 films during that six year period. In this conversation we talk about OnlyFans, mental health in the industry and his outlook on sex.
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:Website: https://www.mightypursuit.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit

Episode 5 | Dr. Marion Nestle on the corruption in the food industry

Dr. Marion Nestle is a molecular biologist, nutritionist and public health advocate. She’s authored dozens of books, and many consider her to be the top food researcher in the world. With a career spanning over 50 years, she’s been at the front lines fighting the corruption in the food industry for longer than many of us have lived. In fact, Forbes ranked her #2 on their list of “most important foodies”. 
 
In this conversation, we’ll be unpacking one of the biggest injustices in the world today, which is that food companies are knowingly feeding us products that cause disease and early death. It’s happening right under our nose, but it gets a fraction of attention that it should.
 
Dr. Marion Nestle's Books:Food Politics: https://shorturl.at/drHT7Unsavory Truth: https://shorturl.at/bwzX9
 
More on Nutrition:Nutrition Hub: https://mightypursuit.com/nutrition/Processed Food: https://mightypursuit.com/blog/what-is-processed-food/The Food Industry: https://mightypursuit.com/blog/the-rise-of-disease-greed-inside-the-global-corruption-of-the-food-industry/
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:Website: https://www.mightypursuit.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
 
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 4: Supermodel Michelle Ivana on beauty standards, the industry & dating

A model by trade, Michelle Ivana is signed to one of the top agencies in the world — Ford Models. Over the past year, she's also grown a significant following for sharing her wisdom and perspectives across social media. In this conversation, we talk about what life is like as a model and all the attention that comes from it, in addition to body image issues, beauty standards, navigating the dating scene and self-worth.
 
Chapters:
0:00 - 1:22 - Trailer
1:22 - 2:11 - Intro
2:11 - 5:42 - Childhood & Bullying
5:42 - 7:30 - Body image as a teenager
7:30 - 10:33 - Almond moms
10:33 - 11:48 - Thigh gaps
11:48 - 16:44 - Attention from men
16:44 - 18:59 - Attention on social media
18:59 - 27:14 - Getting into modeling
27:14 - 33:19 - The reputation of the modeling industry
33:19 - 38:35 - The loneliness of modeling
38:35 - 44:49 - Does attention improve your life?
44:49 - 46:47 - Dating apps & hookup culture
46:47 - 55:11 - Being seen as desirable
55:11 - 1:05:03 - Compromising your standards in dating
1:05:03 - 1:10:00 - Narrowing your dating pool
1:10:00 - 1:17:28 - Unhealthy relationships & weight gain
1:17:28 - 1:20:46 - Adjusting back into the industry
1:20:46 - 1:23:23 - Feeling hopeless 
1:23:23 - 1:25:01 - Beauty fades
1:25:01 - 1:25:58 - Putting your identity in beauty
1:25:58 - 1:30:03 - Why do we hate our bodies?
1:30:03 - 1:31:54 - Plastic surgery
1:31:54 - 1:36:36 - Beautiful people & insecurities
1:36:36 - 1:39:03 - The pretty privilege
1:39:03 - 1:41:19 - The polarization of our society
1:41:19 - 1:44:28 - God, your body & rejection
 
Michelle Ivana's Socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishkaivana/
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/mishkaivana
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:
Website: https://www.mightypursuit.com
Body Image Hub: https://mightypursuit.com/body-image/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit/
 
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 3: Dan Bilzerian on women, money & pleasure-seeking

A polarizing figure, Dan became one of the most famous people in the world for broadcasting his lavish lifestyle on Instagram, which included having sex with thousands of women. In this conversation, we talk hedonism, happiness and some of the surprising realizations he's had.
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:
Website: https://www.mightypursuit.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 2: Dr. Anna Lembke on addiction, dopamine & finding freedom

A global authority on addiction and dopamine, Dr. Anna Lembke serves as the director of addiction medicine at Stanford. She's the author of the New York Times bestseller Dopamine Nation and was featured in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. In this conversation we talk about avoiding pain, why everyone is developing addictive behaviors and how this is all impacting the mental health crisis.
 
Mighty Pursuit Links:
Website: https://www.mightypursuit.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightypursuit
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mightypursuit
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mightypursuit
For business inquiries: hello@mightypursuit.com

Episode 1: Brian "Head" Welch on fame, drugs & redemption

Rising to fame as a rockstar and member of the metal band Korn, Brian "Head" Welch's (unexpected) spiritual journey caused a nationwide craze in the mid 2000s when he was baptized in the Jordan River. In this conversation, we talk fame, rock n' roll, mental health, drugs and redemption.