Our guest this week Mark Metry is, as he puts it, a 22-year-old trying to do his best during his limited time on planet earth. Mark is a driven individual with a list of impressive accomplishments. He is a successful entrepreneur and the host of Humans 2.0, an iTunes top 100 podcast. Mark is the founder of VU Dream, a virtual reality tech company based in Boston. At 12 he started a YouTube channel which grew to 35,000 subscribers and at 15 he started the World’s #1 Minecraft Serve experiencing a six-figure business.
However, despite Mark’s early successes, he experienced Social Anxiety and Depression. Outwardly, Mark appeared to be a highly successful young entrepreneur but inwardly, he was struggling. His is a story of feeling beyond lost, yet somehow, finding himself. Mark was able to work his way through the darkest points and now, he is on a mission to share his learnings with others. Mark has recently published a new book titled “Screw Being Shy: Learn How to Manage Social Anxiety & Be Yourself in Front of Anyone”. It is an inspirational book that Mark hopes will provide help and understanding to those struggling with Social Anxiety and Depression.
Mark has been featured on Amazon Prime’s TV documentary series “The Social Movement” about reinventing education. He is a Forbes and TEDx keynote speaker. Mark routinely consults and educates Fortune 500 companies, conscious organizations, entrepreneurs and startups on podcasting, company communication, marketing and branding.
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Takeaways from this episode:
Success does not cure Social Anxiety Disorder.
- Mark experienced remarkable success as a young entrepreneur, however as his success grew so did his insecurities.
- He learned that money and success were not the key to fulfillment. Instead, Mark discovered an inward journey of wholistic healing.
Specifically, Mark shares three areas of focus that helped him navigate his struggle with Social Anxiety Disorder.
- First – Identify the root issue.
- For Mark, social anxiety was not really the main problem – it was not the root. Instead, the early psychological trauma he experienced as a child, through exposure to racism and sever bullying, was the source of his struggles – impacting his sense of identity as it was being formed.
- Address your biochemistry.
- As a young man, Mark had neglected his health severely. A combination of stress and highly processed foods had left his body ill equip to respond to the battle his psyche was waging.
- However, Mark made intentional decisions to improve his health. He began eating whole foods, exercising and cutting out artificial ingredients. The result was transformative both inward and outward.
- Don’t turn to band-aid solutions.
- Mark shared that he, like so many others who suffer with social anxiety, turned to artificial means of escaping. Such things as alcohol, vaping, food, caffeine or sugar – can all serve as methods of escape that do not address the root issue. Mark addressed this in his own life and encourages others to do the same.
Mentors make a difference.
- Mark has mentors, people who are a little further down the road than he, that offer guidance and support. This was a game-changer for Mark and for so many of us.
Be bold. Be you.
- Mark’s new book title is bold, but it is bold with a purpose. Mark is sharing his story in the hopes of helping others who struggle in similar ways. This is such valuable work and Mark should be commended for his dedication. His boldness is to be admired.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
- Mark Metry | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
- Book, “Screw Being Shy: Learn How to Manage Social Anxiety & Be Yourself in Front of Anyone”.
- Tim Ferriss Podcast
- Bulletproof Nutrition Information
