In this episode, Dave reviews Everkind, an AI-powered journaling and emotional wellness app he's been using personally, and explains why it's become one of his go-to tools between therapy appointments or when he simply needs to feel heard. He covers the company's origin story, the research on why AI validation can feel genuinely comforting, and a pricing tip worth knowing before you subscribe.

Topics covered:

• Dave's personal experience using Everkind and why he recommends it
• The company behind the app, its founder, and why it was built
• Current app statistics, ratings, and growth
• New research on why AI emotional support can feel just as validating as human support
• The important limits of AI as a mental health tool
• A pricing tip for anyone considering the subscription
• A challenge to try the free trial and notice what you learn about yourself

If you've ever wished for a mental health check-in tool that's available at 2am with no waitlist, this episode walks through one that might be worth trying.

In this episode, Dave shares how a real estate mindset practice called Ninja Selling turned into one of his most powerful mental health tools: writing 5 daily gratitudes and 25 affirmations by hand every day. He breaks down the surprising neuroscience behind why handwriting works better than typing, what the research says about gratitude and mental health, and why he can literally feel his mood dip on the days he skips it.

Topics covered:

• Dave's personal Ninja Selling practice and how he applied it to mental health
• Why writing by hand activates the brain differently than typing
• Research linking gratitude journaling to reduced depression, anxiety, and stress
• What the science says about affirmations and when they actually work
• Oprah Winfrey's decades-long gratitude journal practice, including the time she let it slip
• A challenge to try 5 gratitudes and daily affirmations, by hand, for one week

If you've ever wondered whether a simple daily habit could actually move the needle on your mental health, this episode makes the case, backed by research and Dave's own experience.

In this episode, Dave shares his own experience with shame — and why he has come to see it as the root underneath so many mental health struggles, including anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. Drawing on Brené Brown’s research, he walks through the 5 W’s of shame: Who feels it, What it actually is, When it shows up, Where it lives, and Why it is so damaging. Then he gets practical about How to move through it without letting it define who you are.

The most important distinction in this episode is simple and easy to miss. Guilt says, “I did something bad.” Shame says, “I am bad.” Guilt is about behavior and can lead to repair. Shame is about identity, and it usually makes people hide, disappear, or lash out.

Topics covered:

• Why shame is a universal human experience — and who tends to carry more of it
• The difference between shame and guilt, and why that difference matters for mental health
• When shame shows up: failure, rejection, exposure, mental health, money, body image, parenting, and addiction
• Brené Brown’s finding that shame grows in secrecy, silence, and judgment — and dies in empathy
• Research linking shame to depression, social anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thinking
• A clip from Brené Brown’s TED Talk, “Listening to Shame”
• Practical shame resilience: name it, speak it to the right person, separate identity from behavior, and offer yourself the same empathy you’d give a friend
• This week’s challenge: tell one trusted person one thing you’ve been carrying shame about, and notice what happens to the weight of it

If shame in your life is tied to thoughts of self-harm or suicide, this episode is not a substitute for real help. Reach out to a professional or a crisis line. In the U.S. and Canada, you can call or text 988. The goal here is not a shame-free life. It is refusing to let shame keep operating in silence.

Resources mentioned:

• Brené Brown TED Talk, “Listening to Shame”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0
• The Mentally Ill Mentor by Dave Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Mentally-Ill-Mentor-Principles-Maintaining/dp/148105869X

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If you’ve ever walked away from a mistake thinking “I’m the problem,” this episode will help you name what’s actually happening — and give you a way to put the shame down.