Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: And thank you for tuning in to your best. You real conversations on mental awareness. And we're going to be doing our Starlight spotlight today where we're getting into the success in the psyche of entertainment industry leaders and professionals. Hopefully you enjoyed the previous episodes. With us, we have Michelle Barone of Michelle Barone Media. Michelle Barone, Red. A lot of great things in and around the area. She's been spearheading a lot of great initiatives and especially the 988 challenge. By the time that we're recording this, a lot of the stuff is just starting to come out. So hopefully you've seen a whole lot of content for that. By the time this airs, we'll be getting into that initiative, what it means to her and so much more. So, Michelle, how are you?
[00:00:44] Speaker A: What's up?
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Connor, it's so good to have you here. Thank you. So nice.
[00:00:47] Speaker A: It's a pleasure to be here and I'm really excited about this.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, we've had you in for so many meetings when it comes to getting ready for the 988 challenge, and it's like we got to get you behind the microphone to talk about it now. So this is second nature to you. You're behind a microphone, behind the camera all the time. So nice and easy. So you, if I'm not mistaken, you were the one that came to Andrew with the concept for the 988 challenge. Right. Do you want to walk us through what that was like in the very beginning before people started posting the videos?
[00:01:14] Speaker A: So I'm really excited about this because Andrew and I have been working together with Red for the last three years. He's partnered with Red, one of our major partners. And I love him. We've known each other a long time. He is awesome. And so is MHA of Duchess. So we got together and I said, this year I want to do something different. I want to. Last year we had some good initiatives with KeyBank and other other businesses where we raised some funds. We did the challenge at Christmas time.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:01:39] Speaker A: And what, what do we do? Like, what was that called?
[00:01:41] Speaker B: Well, we had the fill the baskets. We raised the. Raised the $5,000 on the live stream.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: Right.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: Which. That was fun. That was like my second week here.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Yeah. And we were like, ding, ding, ding. And we raised some good money. And Connor's like, okay, what am I getting myself in do?
[00:01:54] Speaker B: No, it was mainly the live stream because I've many live streams before and when we're recording, it's nice and easy, but it's a lot when it's a live stream.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: Right.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: So many more versatile things going on. And not versatile, volatile. It's volatile. It's like anything could go wrong in an instant.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: Connor's sweating.
[00:02:11] Speaker B: Oh. I was like. I was Niagara Falls.
I was like, come on, please let this go out without a hitch.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: You did great.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: It worked out well. It was fantastic.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: And we, we raised the money and we were really excited to do that. And then I said to him, I think this could, could be bigger. I think we could make some type of national campaign. I have a large reach in the industry. I know so many people. I was like, there's got to be a way to raise more money and to get the word out. So we went to a brainstorming lunch. What was it, maybe in January. And then we went to another one in February. And he was like, oh, you know, be interesting to get 980 out there. I'm like, what the heck is 980? He's like, It's a mental health. It's a mental health crisis line. And the mental health. 911. And I was like, it is. And I was like, does it serve the entire us? Yes. And we have people there waiting to take calls. And I was like, what? I was like, how do I not know about this? Like, I know everything. Everyone, what's up? Am I just missing something? He goes, no, no one knows about it. And I was like, that's it. That's what we're going to do. So I came up with the challenge, like the ice bucket challenge. And him and I just brainstormed through the whole thing.
As he was explaining what 988 was, I was like, well, we need people to scream that from the rooftops. So I said, scream it. Sing it. It. That's it. That's what we're going to do. And he's like, oh, my God, I love this. I was like, we are going to have people make videos from all walks of life, from people who are in their homes, to content creators, to celebrities. This word needs to get out. We need to be behind this. And I, I've messaged 4,000 people to, to do these videos. I know a lot of people personally, about 13,000 people on my cell phone. I used to have a text by system, but the FCC shut that down.
You're not allowed to do mass text like that anymore, but years and years ago you were. And I wish I could text everyone in my phone, but I did text, email, call personally, a ton of people. We have a lot of videos rolled have rolled in and are rolling in. And because Mental Health Awareness month is May, we really want to roll it out now and to do as much as we could to really get the word out.
People who suffer from mental health, especially crisis, need to know about 988. So, you know, people like Heidi D' Amelio who are supporting this, who is so amazing, what a beautiful person. I mean, inside and out. She's just willing and just gorgeous and such an amazing content creator. To all of the people who are at Amare magazine, the icons like Teresa Giudice, Teresa Romer, Gigi, and so many more. So many people care about mental health. It's an epidemic and we need to address it. And one way to do it is through 90 day.
[00:04:41] Speaker B: I 1000% agree on that. You know, there's been a couple of times in my life I've needed to call 980 for a couple of reasons. I shared one of them on a previous previous episode. I accidentally ingested 60 milligrams of THC and I was tripping out like crazy.
[00:04:56] Speaker A: Oh, my go.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: So I called them. I was like, what do I do?
We shared that. I was talking to Natalie Seely, who runs our mobile crisis team, and, you know, they answer a lot of the calls for it in this area. We had a good laugh about that. Fortunately, I was fine. That's probably one of the worst comedic moments. I was in New Jersey and I tried a new seltzer that this country club was offering. Turns out it was a THC induced seltzer with 60 milligrams.
[00:05:21] Speaker A: And you didn't know what to do?
[00:05:22] Speaker B: I didn't know what. I didn't know what it was all about.
[00:05:24] Speaker A: Yeah, you poor thing.
[00:05:25] Speaker B: I was so out of it. I've never touched any kind of drug in my life.
[00:05:30] Speaker A: So I'm sorry, I'm just laughing thinking about the, you know, you doing this because it's just not you.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Oh, no, it's so not. Because I'm just there for dinner and it was like, would you like to try our new seltzers? Yeah, sure. We'll love to try it. What makes them so special? Oh, there's THC in it. Oh, I wonder how much 60 milligrams is. 60 milligrams a lot.
Five hours later, I'm laying starfish totally blacked out on a hotel bed because I couldn't drive home.
Oh, my God. It was funny, but it was in a moment where I had a substance in my system that I was unfamiliar with and I was able to reach out to them, to help kind of walk me through the process and guide
[00:06:09] Speaker A: me through the process, and that's what's important. Because you were nervous.
[00:06:11] Speaker B: I was nervous.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: It's moments to laugh about now, but in the moment, it's not funny.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. No. It was terrifying then, but, like, now looking back, it's like, I can laugh and it's a fun time, but there are a lot of people out there who could really use it. As Natalie was describing on that episode, how she's there sitting on the sidewalks with people on what could be their worst days.
[00:06:32] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:06:33] Speaker B: And the matter that she can be there and she and her team can be there and make people's worst days a little bit better and hopefully not their last days.
[00:06:41] Speaker A: That's what's important.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: That is such a huge and crucial thing about it. So again, as you said, scream it, sing it, show it. Andrew always screws it up every time.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: Can we make this simpler? I'm like, scream it, sing it, show it.
[00:06:52] Speaker B: Yeah. No, what were we. We were at the coach's conference, and he tried to say it, and I forget what he said. It was so off. And I whisper into the microphone right next to him, scream and sing it, show. He's like, ah, whatever. I'll never get it right.
But we got the message out nonetheless. But it's a fantastic program because very similar to the Ice Bucket challenge. It does bring a lot of awareness to something that is, you know, under talked about.
[00:07:14] Speaker A: Right.
[00:07:15] Speaker B: And I think it's a great way of going about it, because Scream and Sing a show that gives people a lot of versatility and a lot of variety of what they can do for this challenge.
One of the things that people can do, they can either sing along or lip sync a song that you wrote and recorded. Can you talk about that?
[00:07:31] Speaker A: Yeah. So I. I said to Andrew, we came to brainstorm here, and he loved the idea. So we came to the team. Connor was in that meeting. Megan, Noel, and someone else was there. John was there, and John was there, too.
And Ashley was there. And we had, you know, it was a good pow wow. And I was like, all right, what do you guys think? And you're. Connor was like, this is great. Everyone loved it, and everyone from that conversation that I've talked to about it loves it and thinks it's great. There's not a person that doesn't want to jump on board, which is so awesome and rare, you know, fair. I push a lot of campaigns. I'm telling you, this has Been the most well received.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: I'll tell you this right now. When a nonprofit organization hears about public outreach and relatively free.
[00:08:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:11] Speaker B: They're pretty good to jump on board.
[00:08:13] Speaker A: Exactly. And I said. I was like, this is. This is going to be great. So I asked Andrew and the group, do you guys want me to write a song? Because on TikTok you need to have a song in the background or it doesn't work. And we could use like Justin Bieber's Hallelujah or whatever, but it's gonna. That already has a trend and so does everything else. Yeah. So let's make our own. So we did, and it's called 988. There's three different versions. They're almost up on TikTok.
I post put them on CD, baby. For distribution. And they're going there. They're almost there. So they should be up in the next week. But right now I recorded it and so did you on Instagram, so we could at least play it. But it's a 988 song and it's by Michelle Barone. That's with two Ls and spelt like bar one, so you can check it out there.
But you know, I wrote the song with Dylan, Emmett. Because to me, it's so important to talk about this and share this and to know that there's a voice on the other side. Yeah. So. So I can sing the chorus for you if you want.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: Go right ahead.
[00:09:10] Speaker A: All right, let's do it.
988 don't you hesitate there's a voice on the other side oh, God. Wait. Can I do that over clip it? I need a sip of water.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: Get some water in. You're good.
[00:09:23] Speaker A: Hold on, Let me do it for real. Yep. All right. Ready?
[00:09:26] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:27] Speaker A: 988 don't you hesitate there's a voice on the other side 988 here to keep you safe Shit.
Anytime, day or night okay, I'll do it one more time.
[00:09:44] Speaker B: I love these bloopers.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:09:46] Speaker B: This is good.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: 9, 8, 8 don't you hesitate there's a voice on the other side 988 here to keep you safe anytime, day or night call 988 so that's it.
And I love the song you wrote too.
[00:10:05] Speaker B: Oh, thank you very much. That was impromptu. That was just.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: Was great.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Yeah. When Andrew singing challenged me. Let's see. Let's. I don't even remember my lyrics either. Isn't it funny? Like, here we are. As the ones who wrote the songs is like, what's the lyrics.
Yeah.
[00:10:19] Speaker A: We write a lot of different things.
[00:10:21] Speaker B: See, I actually have it on my phone so I can look up the lyrics.
At least I hope I wrote it on my phone.
I think that's where I originally wrote it. Yeah.
Here. I won't. I won't do the whole thing. But 988 can save a life when your mind's in overdrive Feeling lost without a prayer Someone will be there 988 is by your side Guardian angels day or night when you think that no one cares Someone will be there that's part of it. I won't. I'll spare you the whole thing.
[00:11:01] Speaker A: No, stop.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: But no, I.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: That's what we want people doing.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: Exactly. So if people, like, if you are inspired to do something with 988 and you want to write your own song, go for it. Because that just makes the stories even more unique, personalized and special out there. Because everybody's got a reason to want to be a part of this campaign, whatever that might be. So definitely, if you want to write your own song, go for it. If you want to write your own poem. I know some spoken spoken word artists who are coming up with stuff right now that they want to put out for May. As I said, we're recording this early. This is coming out mid May, but so they got some stuff that they want to do. Andrew is coming up with all these great ways of screaming it out there. He wants to record all these different movie scenes with 988. We already did the Coming to America one.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: It was amazing.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: He's got another one that he wants to do, which is going to take a few things to get by. I'll share it to you later. Who knows, I might be out by that point. And then also one of the first ones that we did for the show, it. We used Michelle's song and we got like 20 people from around the MHA building to hold up the sign showing off at 988. So it could be something really simple or you can make it as elaborate as you want and that's the fun thing. And yes, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but this extends further than just May. Hopefully this is still being talked about months into the year after this point. Who knows what it's going to look like months from now, right? What is.
At the very least, what is the goal that you want people to get out of this?
[00:12:28] Speaker A: I want people to know, just like they know 911 1. They know 980. I think that people know there's someone on the other side willing to take the call. Ready to take the call. Trained to talk you off the ledge. Whether it's a true ledge or a ledge mentally that you can't get through, you need to call 988. I also think that donating to support Mental Health America is a really big part of this. Mental Health America does some of the best work, especially here in Dutchess County. So make sure you visit mhaduchess.org backslash90day challenge. You can donate 9.88, 99.88, or any donation of your choice. Any, any dollar amount helps. And these folks do incredible work here.
I'm, I'm not, you know, here to. To say that because of our partnership, I've loved Mental Health America well before. We worked together, and I personally donated many times for many causes and will continue to do so and have even for this.
So please feel free, open your pockets. This is one that really counts. And.
And please make the call.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: Amen to that. Absolutely. And something that I talked to Andrew about this. When it comes to mental health, it's something that isn't physically seen.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: You don't like something like a broken arm, everybody sees it. But something with mental health, you don't always directly see it. And something that Andrew and I were discussing was you might know somebody who's had to call 988 for any variety of reasons and you have no idea about it.
[00:13:54] Speaker A: Oh, I've called 911 a hundred times.
[00:13:57] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:13:57] Speaker A: Like, my kid gets stitches, my mom, whatever. There's no shame in that. Yeah, right. You may not want to press the button because, oh, God, the ambulance is coming. And this, you know, you have to call and you have to call. And it's the same way for mental health. You may not want to because there's a level of shame where there shouldn't be. Just make the call. Whether people know or not, who cares? And to be honest with you, at the end of the day, like, forget who knows and doesn't know, this is about your life and protecting your safety. Make the call. Make the call. For a loved one. If they don't want to call, make the call. For anyone in need, make the call. It doesn't even need to be severe, as you know, suicide, it doesn't have to be only for that. It could be for a substance. It could be for a moment where you're weak, a moment where you just need to talk through something. Yeah.
You know, it's a really, a tool where so many lives could be lived more comfortably if they utilize it and in a very safe way.
[00:14:52] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. And especially there are a lot of people out there who feel like they don't have access to therapy, psychiatry, something like that, and they don't know where to start or they don't have the resources. And there's many people who have literally just called and said it's like, hey, I'm not in a crisis at this very moment, but I know I've been having a tough time. Could you point me towards the right professionals? And that is something that the 988 crisis team has dealt with thousands of times.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: So call. Yeah, make the call. Without a doubt, any mental health issue, of course, mostly for crisis, but please make the call.
[00:15:22] Speaker B: Yeah. So with your experience, and I definitely want to get into your career more in a little bit, but I want to stay on this mental health kick for a moment. You know, here you are, you've been in the music industry, you've been in publicity, marketing, all that. You have a lot to balance. But one thing that I found that's been very helpful to me is therapy to be able to kind of figure things out in my own right.
You've shared this and you've expressed it before that you've dealt with anxiety for a good majority of your life.
Is that one of the main reasons why 988 is so important to you? Or is there something else that really connects you to this?
[00:15:57] Speaker A: No, I think that that is the reason anxiety could take over your mind, your body. I mean, people take it lightly. Oh yeah, I have anxiety over this. It's a phrase now, right? Because it's accepted. But when you have anxiety over this, it's awful. Yeah, it's debilitating. Mentally, physically, emotionally, your world stops. You're in the middle of something, you can't think straight. You know, you're ruminating over and over and over as if nothing else exists.
Friends of mine who know I suffer think I'm like the greatest thing in the world because they don't really know how bad I suffer from it.
And it's something I don't share with a lot of people because I don't want them to take that burden on. Right.
And as I've become an adult, I kind of have learned on my own and through therapy to, to. To cope with it. Right. Having the coping skills, breathing, the. The control physically to help your mental control. All those things, the breathing techniques, grounding, meditation, yoga, all those things help me so much. I've now at a Place in my mind where I am calm.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: That's nice.
[00:16:59] Speaker A: So very good. Even among the chaos, it's like very strong without medication where it can't be broken. I'm kind of exist here, but I act like I'm here. So I kind of exist right here. And I just mellow and swallow in this zone. And so I've learned to be able to control myself to get to getting to that point. And that's a very tough thing to do. It's exhausting. Oh, absolutely, it is. But now it's become second nature and I feel better.
[00:17:25] Speaker B: Well, you have the coping skills now. You have. I always look at it. Before I started therapy, I didn't have Batman's utility belt to whip out and work on the things that I can do now.
[00:17:34] Speaker A: Right.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Fortunately.
It's interesting what you said about, like, friends who look at you at a certain light and don't 100% know everything that's going on. I shared this story with Andrew. I think on the very first episode of this, I had a friend that I've known since kindergarten. And I've had anxiety for as long as I can remember. But it was during the pandemic. I reconnected with this guy. He was living in Florida at the time. And we're talking and he goes to me, connor, is this what you've been feeling like majority of your life as long as I've known you? I was like, yeah, that sounds like it. And he's like, I am so sorry if I didn't give you, like, enough credit or if I didn't validate this enough because what I'm feeling sucks and it's real.
And I thought that was like, such a huge thing for him to say. And no, I don't think he ever invalidated me.
We were middle school and high school guys. Of course we were going to rib each other about certain things, but that was like, never anything I felt disrespected on. But I found it interesting that he had the perspective. Now I feel unfortunate that he had to go through that period of anxiety, but it really awakens something. Something that he calls very beautiful in himself of self and outer awareness. So that's been huge for him.
Another thing I want to touch on,
[00:18:46] Speaker A: thank you for being vulnerable and sharing that, because men need help too.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: Oh, without a doubt. Therapy, yes.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: And women do go, but men have to have this tough Persona where they can't cry or crack. That's all bs. We are human. We have feelings. Everyone needs to go through them.
And some Men really do suffer. I mean, they don't get the help they need and they struggle through life and it's sad.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: It is a machismo thing, without a doubt. You know, it's, you know, real men don't cry. You don't believe in this. Whatever.
I'll admit it wasn't in my vocabulary for a very long time. I remember in high school I was getting all these different heart scans because, you know, I was having heart palpitations and whatnot and it wasn't anything to do with my cardiovascular system. I was having extreme anxiety.
[00:19:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: But we didn't have the vocabulary at the time to direct ourselves in that direction. It's interesting to look back on it now and be like, oh, the answer is so clear to me now.
[00:19:41] Speaker A: Right.
[00:19:41] Speaker B: But back then I wasn't educated on it. My parents weren't educated on it. I don't blame them. I don't blame myself. I don't blame any of that. We just didn't know yet.
[00:19:48] Speaker A: Right.
[00:19:49] Speaker B: I remember one of the first people who like started pointing out that I had anxiety before I even realized it. I was in middle school and I was known for having like these tics and these tics and some really bad, like.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: Give me an example of one.
[00:20:06] Speaker B: Yeah, I would, I would be like in the middle of class just going like this. I would call it like a shaking episode because it was me trying to rein in the anxiety that I had and I was trying to bottle up and internalize it. And that literally came out physically.
And at the time we were like, oh, do I have hypoglycemia? Do I have this? All these non mental health things. And then finally I go down to the nurse during one of those like tic issues.
And the nurse just goes to me, so what did the teacher say to set you off? And I'm like, what?
What are you talking about?
And she's like, why are you anxious? It's like, I don't know what you're talking. And that was like the first time where it really hit me like that.
And it's interesting when it comes from like a trusted outside source for it to give you that perspective.
[00:20:49] Speaker A: My son is the same way. That's why I asked about an example. He has anxiety.
He's always worried about what other people think about him. Like they're not thinking about you brother, thinking about themselves. You have to understand people are self centered by nature. And not self centered has a bad,
[00:21:05] Speaker B: not a, not in a bad way.
[00:21:07] Speaker A: It has a bad connotation. But you are you. You have your brain. You're thinking about your physical being, that that's normal.
[00:21:13] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:13] Speaker A: Like, you know, you have to make like you're checking in with yourself. That's just you. You are made to be worried about you. That's how life is. But when you know you're a giver and you care about others, you expect others to care about you. And that's just not how life is meant to be. So I keep explaining to him, you have to focus on you. And yesterday he came home, I'm quitting basketball. I suck. I said, luca, you don't suck. You got to practice. You're not going to be better than the kids on. On your. At school. You're not until you practice.
So if you want to sit here and sulk in, I suck. Go ahead, cry all day. But if you want to get better, get the ball and go play. Yeah.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: It's a matter of putting in the
[00:21:49] Speaker A: work, and that's it. Your brother plays soccer seven days a week. He's really, really good. He's really, really good. But he puts the time in and he tries and he fights and he doesn't want to, and then he does. And then he's like, I'm great. And then he's like, I think it's a mental game, dude. This is teaching you strength. Yeah. Sports teach you strength, resilience, getting back up again, figuring out how to do better and being the best person. Leadership qualities, teamwork. That's what sports do 100%, and that's what he needs to learn. And if you're not in sports as a kid, you don't learn those skills as well, and that's okay. But you got to get the experience somewhere.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: Yeah. There's a lot of different collaborative places. I feel like you could get it in band, you can get it in theater, you can get it in whatever. My main thing is, if you are a kid or teenager, get involved with some kind of group project, because that's what gives you the resilience. That's what gives you the collaboration.
[00:22:36] Speaker A: Right.
[00:22:37] Speaker B: I was lucky enough. I did it all. I did the sports, I did the theater, I did the music. I did every kind of group activity possible. And I know you did as well, so.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: But that's why we're so comfortable.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: In life. Right. And creative, and I think that's important. My son Luca is not, you know, he. He doesn't want to go to flag football, but then when he gets there, he loves it. So those kinds of kids, you Got to push.
[00:22:57] Speaker B: Yeah. How old's he now?
[00:22:58] Speaker A: He's 10.
[00:22:59] Speaker B: Okay. So he's still got time. He's still got time.
[00:23:02] Speaker A: And if he's not going to be the next. Who's the best basketball? LeBron. Oh, well, like, he's learning. This is a. This is what life's about. There's one LeBron, there's not a million. And it's okay. Yeah. And to be honest with you, like, he's just got to be come the best version of himself and learn how to cope with his anxiety and his fear so he can make it through life and take on those hard challenges. Yeah.
[00:23:22] Speaker B: His best self. Your best you.
[00:23:24] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:23:24] Speaker B: Exactly. So with something like the 988 Challenge and the partnerships that you've been doing with MHA, what is the kind of legacy that you want to leave behind for your kids?
[00:23:34] Speaker A: I want the 988 challenge to be the best marketing campaign that I've ever done in my life and in my career. And I've done a lot of great ones. A lot that have made a lot of money, that have been very successful.
You know, I took Ryan big bank from 645 million to 1.2 billion in assets with the help of an incredible team there in sales. My counterpart, Mark, who was there for a long time, Jamie Bloom. So many people. I did. I did a lot to help cultivate that, but there was a very big machine behind that, too. Yeah. And. But we were on a mission, and we had, you know, some companies, like, when the. The. The wheels are turning, they're turning, and that was where we were at that moment, and I'm very proud of that. But I think that could be second to this. This could have millions, if not billions of impressions. That's my goal. I want every content creator and every celebrity I've known to put something out. I want to raise a ton of money. And I think that with the strength of the us being so divided, this could bring us together and really help close the loop on this epidemic.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Absolutely. It's not a political issue. It is.
It is a human issue.
[00:24:38] Speaker A: It is.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: Everybody deals with mental health one way or another. And hopefully, the more that people, you know, actually start learning, educating themselves on their mental health and really honing into it, I think the more one we
[00:24:53] Speaker A: can be 100 it is about being united in your family, in your work unit, in the US when you travel. Unity is important. That's why it's our founding principles.
[00:25:02] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:25:02] Speaker A: And we need to stand on that. And 988 helps. Helps us do that.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: Yeah. So let's talk about your career a little bit more. You are, this is kind of opposite for you. You're the one doing a lot of interviews. Most of the time.
[00:25:12] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:25:13] Speaker B: Whether it's on a red carpet like the Amare Awards you just had or whether it's on your podcast. So when you have that, let's kind of bring the unity and the conversations, the microphones together there. One thing that I see that you're very good about is having these open ended conversations that allow people to tell their piece. You don't like to sway one way or another. You don't like to be gossipy like some tabloids or something.
You really want to get to the truth of people.
Why is that? In a world that's so filtered, why do you want the unfiltered responses from people?
[00:25:49] Speaker A: Because people are good hearted 90% of the time and they get a bad rap because of one micro moment they had. If people looked at you and were like, oh, that thc, that Connor, he took this bottle, he just was irresponsible and grabbed the seltzer. He didn't even know what it was and he did it. That's one perception that blew up. And now the whole us, every time they see Connor, they think of that. That's mentally debilitating. Okay. Now these people have hundreds of moments like that where we do too. They're not talked about, they're not as publicized, they're not publicized, they're not talked about. You sweep it under the rug, you made a mistake even though you're an adult and you move forward and you'll never do it again. Great. You got burned. You touch the fire, you move forward. They don't have that opportunity and I want to give it to them. I want them to come to me to be that safe space. No one's ever done it because they want the ratings. I don't care about that. I'd rather have less views and a real friendship and somebody that has an outlet that can actually tell their story then of you.
[00:26:43] Speaker B: That's huge. Do you have an example of that? Anybody who you feel would be comfortable with you sharing the experience that you had with them.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: I have so many. Everybody, every single person I've interviewed feels like this. In my chair, I can be myself.
[00:26:57] Speaker B: That's nice.
[00:26:58] Speaker A: They come and sit down. I'll talk about Renee Graziano. Love her. From my wife. She's been through it. I mean she did drugs on the show.
Not physically on the show, but she was under the influence of. I don't know what. Under the show. On the show, made bad choices. She died on the show. She's brought back to life. She had a huge career from this whole legacy.
If, you know, Mob Wives of the Italian culture. Renee's been a staple and is. Because she was, you know, acted like she acted on tv. She has changed her life.
She is now, you know, first of all, in the best house she's ever been in. She's so focused. She's on an amazing path. She's. She's a. She's an amazing person. Like, one of the best people ever. And just because she went through what she went through doesn't make her horrible. It made. She made some choices that she probably wouldn't have made sober.
[00:27:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:50] Speaker A: And it's okay because I don't judge. I don't care. What I care is that she can now come on and share her greatness, because that's what I'm here to do.
And she said. She called me after we did our first interview.
You know, sometimes for bigger celebrities, I pay him to come on. And I paid her to come on my show the first time. And then she called me, was like, I love you. I need to get this out about my play, and I think we can do a lot together. And I just want to be there. And I was like, all right, that's awesome. And that's what I want. I want people to know me for me, appreciate what I do, and come on to share their real stories and wear their hearts on their sleeves because they know I'm not out there to ostracize. And if they feel ostracized, we'll take it down. I don't want you to feel that way. Or now, if you want to start a little fire and you're willing to do that, I'm willing to, too.
You know, there's things that go on with some clips. They're like, can we please make this go viral? I want to talk some shit. Let's do it. But I'm not going to put you in that position if you don't want to. Yeah, there's the difference.
[00:28:46] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:28:46] Speaker A: A lot of times they'll be like, oh, hey, by the way, I heard you went to jail last week. What was it? You know, did you beat the girl up or not? I don't do that to people. Now, if they want to talk about it and they want me to say it that way because they need to communicate it a certain way, I will. Oh, yeah, but I want the person to know I have their back and that we're going to tell the story the way they want it told.
[00:29:04] Speaker B: Absolutely. And that's the difference 100% with you on that. You know, when I'm talking with a lot of clients and I know that there is certain something specific in their past, and I'm like, hey, are you comfortable talking about this? How much do you want to talk about this? One of the things that I always said at the radio station especially was, like, if I ask a question that you either don't have the answer to or you don't want to answer, you don't feel comfortable doing it, just say, pass. It'll be edited out and we move forward.
[00:29:28] Speaker A: Right. And sometimes they want me to ask, and then they say pass. And sometimes that's fine, too. Just to make it a moment, you know, I am down for whatever. Yeah, you want to go there? We'll freaking go there. Yeah, you want to go there. But then make me look like, why'd you ask me that? I'm fine with that, too, but I'm never gonna let the person feel like they are not empowered to do what they want to do with their own story.
[00:29:49] Speaker B: Yeah, without a doubt. Well, it's interesting. You know, here we are, we're. We're making. We're storytellers. At the end of the day, we're storytellers, and if that helps them tell their story, it's like we're making decisions behind the camera. Is most of the stuff that we say unscripted? Yes. But is there a little template sometimes?
[00:30:07] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:30:08] Speaker B: So it goes. Goes without saying, like, we don't publish anything that's going to, like, utterly ruin somebody.
So with Renee and how you're saying, like, she had the whole Italian mob wife Persona before the show, during the show, and then she's cleaned up afterwards.
There's something very interesting about that. You've talked about your experience growing up Catholic. I went to Catholic school myself. All your kids are in Catholic school right now.
[00:30:32] Speaker A: My oldest now is at Spackill. The place I went.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Gotcha.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: Small school in Poughkeepsie.
[00:30:36] Speaker B: Gotcha. So with the Catholic background, and it doesn't have to be Catholic. It could be any kind of religion. But just simply the fact that we can relate on this. I really want to ask this question. Growing up, going to Catholic school myself, when I was really young, I was under the perception that anybody who is, like, on drugs, alcohol, or some kind of substance was evil. That was just the perception that I got. And then by the time that I, you know, got older and exposed to much more in the world, it's not that black and white. There's so much gray. And some of the nicest people, unfortunately, get stuck into one way or another.
So with that, somebody like Renee and somebody like other people that you've worked with talk about that element of redemption that you want to show on your show with people. And also, coincidentally, through the 988 challenge.
[00:31:25] Speaker A: Sure.
Redemption is interesting. Sometimes I meet people that are still on their path.
[00:31:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:32] Speaker A: That haven't had redemption yet.
A lot of them. And in the entertainment business, most of them. Some people think they're sober, and they're like, man, I've been nine years sober. But they're still drinking. Just because you're not doing heavy drugs doesn't mean you're sober and still doesn't mean you're making good choices. If that's your narrative and that's what you want to believe, that's fine. You're living your life. We're all entitled to do what we want. But a lot of people I know are under the influence, and I don't judge. I think the thing that makes me different is I want to interview and touch everyone's life, and I want 988 to fall right in line with that. I want everyone communicating that to the world, to our country, because it is only here in the US and what I want to do is, you know, not make you feel like you need to have redemption if, you know, for Renee's case, that was the case. If you come on. I've had people come on having a drink, and I had one guy come on and love him to death. One of my favorite people in the world. He only drinks wine. He does not drink anything else.
[00:32:34] Speaker B: Oh, interesting.
[00:32:35] Speaker A: So he makes wine. He drinks wine. He carries wine. He does not drink anything else.
[00:32:39] Speaker B: That's just his life right there.
[00:32:41] Speaker A: He's a wine guy. Okay? And that's fine, and I respect that. That's his life. You can do whatever you want with your life. And I had him on because he's a staple in the entertainment community and everyone loves him. If you knew he was, you'd be like, oh, my God, he's fantastic.
He is fantastic. Just because he drinks wine and only wine doesn't mean he's horrible. He's still fine, you know, So I don't judge. My goal is to interview anyone relevant on the planet who has a story to tell and the way they want to tell it. And, you know, content creators, influencers, celebrities are primarily who I interview. But again, like, I just want to tell stories and people to feel comfortable enough to do that. And I want 988 to roll right into that. So anyone I interview falls right in line with promoting the challenge.
[00:33:22] Speaker B: Absolutely. One thing that's very interesting about your career, because you started off in music before you ever started interviewing anybody. You have so many. So many talents, so big of a network. You could easily be making yourself the Star 24 7, but you choose to put other people in the spotlight. Why is that?
[00:33:41] Speaker A: You know, I think the most powerful thing in the world is storytelling.
As far as making me the star, like, I feel like I. I am out there, and, you know, you are as good as what you bring to the world. And I want people to look at me as a safe space. I just fall so in line with Mental Health America. Like, and I'm not just saying that because I'm here. Like, when I pitched this to Andrew, I was like, if you don't do this, I'm gonna cry because I. This is all I talk about. And it's really what I stand on. So, like, you have to do it. Like, there's no other option.
But. And he was like, of course, of course. But truly, like, again, like, I just. I want to be known as the world's best influencer. The Oprah, the Ryan Seacrest, the Mario Lopez. I'm calling it out.
[00:34:23] Speaker B: No, the Michelle Barone.
[00:34:24] Speaker A: That's right. That's me. Yeah. So, you know, I want to be that person that's just a friendly face that people feel comfortable with, and, you know, that can be my claim to fame, because that gives other people the spotlight as well, and together, we'll rise as one, you know?
[00:34:37] Speaker B: That's beautiful. That is beautiful. 100%. If we have any theme of this episode today, it is unity.
[00:34:43] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:34:43] Speaker B: I was just talking to another content creator, John Burton. I don't know if you know him. He's got the Home From Here podcast. He runs the Lifted project, which raises thousands of dollars for nonprofits in and around the area. Great guy. Just had him on Walsh Wednesday, and this was a very interesting perspective that he brought up, and I would be very curious to see what you think as well.
When you have so much of yourself out there already, you don't feel like you need to put your stamp on every single project. You're okay kind of being in the background and supporting and pushing somebody else's narrative. Because he was saying in regards to me how I produce X amount of shows.
[00:35:22] Speaker A: Right.
[00:35:22] Speaker B: He's like, and then I have my own show. Do I feel like I need to put my stamp on? And it's like, no, not really. And I think that's interesting, what you said there. It's like, yeah, I got my own space. There's enough of me, so let's give it to somebody else. What do you think of that perspective?
[00:35:36] Speaker A: I think so differently. I think that if I'm building my brand, it aligns with my brand, then I want to be a part of it no matter what.
Because I think that that only builds a bigger brand. I'm a marketing person, so. Yeah. But I also think that I love giving other people the spotlight. That's the fact. That's why Interview.
But I also think that, like, you know, we rise. Cream. Rise to the top together. You know, it's multiple particles that make one whole. And that's why I like the unity concept. Yeah. But I do in a lot. In some cases, I do feel that way. Listen, a lot of projects come across my desk. I can't do them all, but I help in some way. Either I'll donate or I'll figure out how to get someone else to attend, or I will. You know, a lot of times they ask me to emcee. I can't do everything, but I want to.
[00:36:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: I want to be a part of everything. And I try. I try to do as much as I can. I just can't physically do it all.
[00:36:24] Speaker B: You're only one person.
[00:36:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. But I also, you know, I like when people take the front seat, too. But I really. If someone asks me and goes out of their way to include me in something, I really try to make it happen. Oh, yeah.
[00:36:33] Speaker B: Without a doubt. I hear what you're saying. I think you're very much online with what John was saying, too. I think he was more, you know, having to physically be front and center of it all.
Because. Because I have a house style. You have a house style. That is our stamp in a way.
[00:36:48] Speaker A: Right.
[00:36:48] Speaker B: But not physically. Like, I'm front and center every single time, you know, that kind of idea.
[00:36:53] Speaker A: Yeah. No, And I agree with him.
[00:36:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:54] Speaker A: You know, you don't have to always be the front runner. As a matter of fact, when I'm with the celebrities, I'm not.
[00:36:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:59] Speaker A: And I don't want to be. That's their moment, you know.
[00:37:01] Speaker B: Yeah. You're just the sidekick.
Sidekick, in a way. You are the method of transportation, of getting the story out to the masses.
[00:37:11] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's interesting. All my friends are affluent. Every one of my friends are someone ever. And it's not because I hang out with all kinds of people, but my core group of girls, you know, And I don't mind being the second person. I don't care if their business is bigger or they're more popular or they're whatever. They could take that. I don't need it. Yeah. I'm here to do one job and I love what I do.
[00:37:30] Speaker B: You're comfortable in your own skin. You're doing it.
[00:37:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:33] Speaker B: Yep. You're comfortable in your own skin, under your own light and behind your own mic.
[00:37:36] Speaker A: That's it, baby.
[00:37:37] Speaker B: Amen to that.
[00:37:38] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: Fantastic.
[00:37:39] Speaker A: I feel like we're male, female.
[00:37:42] Speaker B: We are cut from the same cloth, I would say. And I certainly have a lot to learn from you. You've been doing phenomenal things. I'm. I still see this as getting off the ground.
[00:37:50] Speaker A: So listen, you're killing it. You're doing so good, and I'm so thankful to have your support.
[00:37:55] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:37:55] Speaker A: Here and to work with Andrew and hopefully this builds into 20 million more podcasts and whatever else your goals are.
[00:38:01] Speaker B: Hopefully I can hire some other people besides just me at that point, but I know you got places to be.
[00:38:06] Speaker A: We'll talk soon.
[00:38:07] Speaker B: Absolutely. Is there any last little nugget that you want to wrap up this episode with?
[00:38:11] Speaker A: The last thing I'd like to say is make it happen.
Don't be scared. I. I love Gary Vee. I love all of our mentors out there who are always like, just do it. Just make it happen. You're sitting at home or in your car dreaming about doing it. Do it. Just make it happen. If you don't, you're going to live your life not full of purpose and sad. And that is not a life. That is just a being. So go out there and make it happen.
[00:38:37] Speaker B: Thrive, not just survive.
[00:38:39] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:38:39] Speaker B: Beautiful. You guys can check out everything on Michelle Barone. We're going to have the links in the description of this episode along with the links in 988challenge, please. Considering checking it out. We're going to have a lot of examples by the time this episode comes out of ways that you can do the 988 challenge.
[00:38:53] Speaker A: Donate, donate, donate, donate, donate as well.
[00:38:55] Speaker B: We have so much going on. Michelle, thank you so much for being here.
[00:38:58] Speaker A: So much pleasure. Thank you so much. And we'll see you next time.
[00:39:01] Speaker B: Amen.
