168 - Eric Johnson

Nicole Arzt is the creator of @PsychotherapyMemes, author of Sometimes Therapy is Awkward, and co-author of the forthcoming For the Love of Therapy. Nicole discusses her origins and finding therapy as a career, as well as the advice she has for someone that is seeking a therapist. She also talks about counseling in addictions and compulsive behavior, and how she began her career there. Nicole then talks about her popular Instagram account and how she balances that with her regular practice, as well as what it's like being a therapist married to another therapist. Finally, she addresses advice for new clinicians and stresses the importance of new therapists going to therapy themselves. Follow Nicole on Instagram at her popular meme account @PsychotherapyMemes and her professional account @Nicole_Arzt Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us pictures of your favorite toy from the 90s: [email protected]

Sarah Alaimo is a Career Happiness Coach, Sobriety Advocate, and a sober wofe and mother. She discusses growing up in her household as an older sister in Southern California. Sarah discusses starting therapy in high school for disordered eating, and the lack of meaningful communication in her home when she was younger. She also discusses college and how the expectations of others were the first to point her in a career direction, and how that relationship ending coincided with the beginning of partying. Sarah then discusses her career in recruiting and how that lifestyle leaned into an increased alcohol use. She then talks about getting sober and finding a writing group that inspired her to write her first book, Pearls and Probation: Adventures of an Alcoholic Good Girl. Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us your books: [email protected]

This week, we are speaking with an Artifical Intelligence! Have you ever had a conversation with AI? Want to hear what I consider to be the best conversational AI currently available? Check out Pi AI and hear for yourself. Please share this episode and share your opinions! I think this is such an interesting place to be in technology and I would love to hear your feedback. You can comment below or email us directly! [email protected] It should also be noted that Justin Lamb and Friend Request are in no way afiliated or related to Inflection AI or Pi AI or any of their subsidiaries.  Follow us on socials @FriendRequestPod Email us your AI friends! [email protected]

Brad Petrinec was first on episode 039, in May of 2020. We discuss the impact COVID has had since then and the growth Brad has experienced since then, including getting married, starting a new job, and getting a new house. Brad also discusses his upcoming event, The 2024 Great American Beard & Mustache Championship. He also discusses what role sobreity plays for him, now that he is over 20 years sober, as well as how the hyperfixation of ADHD plays into the addiction mindset. Brad also touches on being a stepdad, attending an Insane Clown Posse show, and how he started working out after getting sober. He touches on some of his changing opinions of Detroit and how they are often in opposition of each other, as well as his schedule of upcoming facial hair events that he's going to be judging!  Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us your beard pics: [email protected]

Jackson Henderson (Episode 108) is back! He discusses how he used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to discover a pulmonary embolism that nearly ended his life. Jackson also talks about AI and tech and how he's using it in his voiceover career. Justin and him go through his experience with opioids in the hospital and discuss addiciton, as well as the predispositions our parents failed to warn us about. Jackson also discusses marketing, content creation, and his idea of the future of money. Finally, he discusses the idea behind time and money and what it means to value one over the other.  Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email your client lists: [email protected]

Kelley Doyle is a mother, wine connoisseur, and Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) survivor. She discusses growing up as the oldest child and how some of her innsecurities were shaped by her siblings. Kelley also talks about her parents' divorce and how her father's substance use and physical abuse set her up for acting out as she got older. Kelley then discusses getting into substances herself at a young age, and how that and an attempt at running away landed her in boot camp, followed by a cult, disguised as a boarding school. She then talks about becoming a mother, dating, the worst day of her life, and how she has learned forgiveness through all of her experiences.  Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us your cult photos: [email protected]

Neal Simms is a plant worker, guitarist, musician, songwriter, and all around cool dude. He discusses being born to a couple that was trying to make their way in life, both in college as he was growing up. Neal also talks about moving around a lot as a kid and how the combination of that disruption and his own mental illness culminated in him being locked up as a preteen. He also discusses moving to Michigan and how patterns quickly continued until he had dropped out of school and began living the life of a transient. Neal then discusses how bands saved his life and kept him from being homeless, and also how he met his first long term relationship and how the desire to be good enough for her temporarily took over the power his poor mental health had on him. He then discusses making significant occupational changes and finally a decision to quit inviting in something that always ends badly.  Follow us on socials @FriendRequestPod Email us your favorte Detroit bands: [email protected]

Eric Johnson is a pastor, author, father, husband, and trivia host. He discusses the good and bad of being an only child and growing up in northern Ohio. Eric also talks about the role church and religion played in his life as a child and how his involvement with Nintendo won him a youth group award. He also discusses his relationship with Young Life and how a former romantic interest told him he would be a pastor one day. Eric then talks about his parents divorce when he was 23 and all of the jobs he bounced around in before finding his calling, having two daughters, and settling down as a pastor in Lake Orion, Michigan.  Follow us on socials! @FriendRequestPod Email us your Enterprise Rent-a-Car bill summaries! [email protected]

Jacob Roderick is a former marine, father of twins, and hopeful comedy writer. He discusses growing up with divorced parents and what it was like to have his father take off. Jacob also talks about his sibling order and how his relationships have grown or changed with his siblings as he's grown up. He then discusses his decision to join the Marines and how he fit in marriage and classes while enlisted, getting out just soon enough to have his twin daughters be born. Jacob also talks about his struggle with alcohol and how it has played a role in his relationships. Finally, he discusses losing his mom last year and, in the same year, having his sister end up in the ICU for an extended period of time, and how therapy has helped him cope with the anxiety that accompanied the entire load.  Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us your mom pics! [email protected]

Katie Mills is a swimmer, psychology enthusiast, and professional counselor. She discusses growing up in a small town in the upper peninsula of Michigan, including the large percentage of native people she had the prvilige of growing up with and learning from. Katie also discusses her early interest in psychology and how that took her through two master's degrees and landed her in her current role as a therapist. She also talks about being a self-described awkward kid and how she didn't start dating until later in college, eventually finding her current relationship right under her nose. Katie then touches on her bouts with depression and how she found purpose in environmentalism.  Follow us on socials: @FriendRequestPod Email us your environmental tips: [email protected]