Success, Rewritten

What happens when the stigma surrounding bipolar becomes part of how you see yourself?Emily sits down with psychotherapist, author, and mental health advocate Dr. Andrea Vassilev to talk about living with bipolar, overcoming self stigma, and building an identity that goes far beyond a diagnosis. Dr. V shares her own journey from being diagnosed with a mood disorder at 14 to experiencing years of severe symptoms, ECT treatments, and eventually turning her lived experience into work that helps others.They explore why bipolar can look so different from person to person, the importance of medication and sleep in Dr. V’s own wellness routine, and the power of peer support and community. Dr. V also shares the story behind her workbook, Beyond the Bipolar Label, and how a doctoral project focused on self stigma grew into a program being used internationally.The conversation also explores the difference between having bipolar and allowing a diagnosis to define your entire identity, how to challenge shame and self stigmatizing thoughts, and how to decide when, how, and with whom to share your diagnosis. Above all, Dr. V encourages people to respect their own pace because healing is not linear and everyone’s relationship with bipolar is different.In this episode:Losing Years to BipolarDr. Andrea Vassilev’s StoryHow a Bipolar Diagnosis Can Affect IdentityUnderstanding Self StigmaThe Years Dr. V Lost to BipolarHow Seasons and Sunlight Can Affect MoodUnderstanding the Bipolar SpectrumWhy Bipolar Can Be Difficult to DiagnoseBipolar and Other Mental Health DiagnosesSeparating Symptoms From Your IdentityWhat Stigma and Self Stigma Really MeanWhy Peer Support Can Be So PowerfulTurning a Dissertation Into a Global ProgramDr. V’s Nonnegotiables for Managing BipolarFinding Your Bipolar CommunityThe Story Behind Beyond the Bipolar LabelWhat You’ll Find Inside the WorkbookDeciding Whether to Disclose Your DiagnosisLiving Openly and Challenging StigmaHow to Support Someone Living With BipolarWhy You Shouldn’t Judge Your Healing JourneyHealing Is Not LinearResourcesDr. Andrea Vassilev's websiteDr. V on Instagram: @best.life.bipolarBook: Beyond the Bipolar Label: A Workbook to Overcome Self Stigma, Break Free from Shame, and Live AuthenticallyDepression and Bipolar Support Alliance: dbsalliance.orgThis Is Bipolar: @this.is.bipolar on InstagramDisclosure Decision Cheat Sheet: Available through New Harbinger Publications as a free companion resource for Beyond the Bipolar LabelNew episodes of Success, Rewritten every Tuesday. Check out the show website for previous episode articles and more about our guests. And check out the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessRewrittenShowTo connect with Emily, email [email protected] or follow her on social: Emily's Instagram, Mental Health Advocacy profile Bipolar Brought Balance, and the show's Instagram: Success, Rewritten

Emily shares the most expensive business mistake she has made during her first ten months as an entrepreneur and what the experience taught her about choosing the right partners.She explains why she initially hired a higher priced podcast production company for Success, Rewritten, hoping for a collaborative relationship that included production, strategy, and organic growth support. Over time, she began noticing gaps between what she expected and what she was receiving, from tight review timelines to missed opportunities on YouTube and a lack of the strategic partnership she had hoped for.Emily also shares how a conversation with another podcaster led her to a new production company that offered a free sample edit before asking her to commit. Even after realizing she could receive more support at a significantly lower cost, leaving her original contract meant paying an early cancellation fee. She reflects on why taking that financial hit was ultimately the better decision, the importance of recognizing when something is no longer the right fit, and why other entrepreneurs can be one of the best resources when navigating difficult business decisions.In this episode:Emily’s Biggest Business Mistake So FarWhy It Can Be Hard for Entrepreneurs to Talk About MistakesWhy Success Rewritten Needed a Production CompanyLooking for a Collaborative Production PartnerWhen Expectations and Reality Started to SeparatePaying More for Strategy and SupportTight Turnarounds and Growing FrustrationThe Small Details That Started Adding UpDeciding Whether to Ride Out the ContractHow a Fellow Podcaster Helped Emily Find Another OptionTrying a New Production Company With a Free Sample EditRealizing How Much She Was OverpayingGetting More Support at a Lower CostWhy the New Production Process Worked BetterPaying the Early Cancellation FeeWhy Leaving Was Still the Right Financial DecisionLearning the Lesson and Letting Go of the MoneyKnowing When It Is Time to Find Another SolutionAccepting Mistakes as Part of EntrepreneurshipWhy Talking to Other Entrepreneurs MattersResources MentionedBipolar Brought BalancePodcast EngineersFind me: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | InstagramTo go deeper on my experience with bipolar disorder, visit bipolarbroughtbalance.com

Paul Gilmartin spent years making people laugh on television and in comedy, but behind the scenes he was struggling with depression, addiction, shame, and the lasting effects of childhood adversity. Those experiences eventually became part of what inspired him to create The Mental Illness Happy Hour, a podcast built around vulnerability, honest conversations, and helping people feel less alone.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Paul joins Emily for an open conversation about his journey through depression and addiction recovery. He shares how support groups changed his understanding of intimacy, vulnerability, and connection, and why hearing other people tell the truth about their struggles became the foundation for his podcast. Paul also discusses learning to recognize unhealthy patterns without letting shame define him, and why recovery is about more than simply stopping a behavior.Paul also opens up about experiencing thoughts of suicide, the importance of listening rather than trying to fix someone who is struggling, and the practical ways friends and family can offer meaningful support. He shares the tools he continues to rely on after more than two decades of sobriety, including support groups, exercise, meditation, self care, and learning to meet himself with compassion when life gets difficult.If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.In this episode:Why Shame Does Not Lead to HealingMeet Paul GilmartinCreating The Mental Illness Happy HourUnderstanding Childhood AdversityHow Vulnerability Changed Paul’s RelationshipsHow Support Groups Inspired the PodcastUnderstanding Depression and AddictionWhen Drinking and Depression Became DangerousMore Than Two Decades of SobrietyWhy Support Groups MatterTalking About Suicidal ThoughtsHow to Support Someone Who Is StrugglingTrying Different Treatments for DepressionWhy Shame Fuels Compulsive BehaviorWhat Paul Does When Depression ReturnsResourcesThe Mental Illness Happy HourMental PodcastThe Mental Illness Happy Hour Anonymous SurveysThe Erotic Mind by Jack MorinNew episodes of Success, Rewritten every Tuesday. Check out the show website for previous episode articles and more about our guests. And check out the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessRewrittenShowTo connect with Emily, email [email protected] or follow her on social: Emily's Instagram, Mental Health Advocacy profile Bipolar Brought Balance, and the show's Instagram: Success, Rewritten

Michael Filosi built a dental practice nobody wanted into one of the most desirable practices in his market. What started with possums in the walls, no computers, and no website eventually grew into a thriving business that attracted four private equity buyers.In this episode of Success, Rewritten, Michael shares what it took to go from struggling with the technical side of dentistry to becoming an ambitious business owner, obsessed with building something exceptional. But as the practice grew, so did the personal cost. Stress began showing up physically, and Michael eventually had to ask himself whether the success he had worked so hard for was still worth pursuing.Michael opens up about selling the business in just 81 days, walking away at 41 without knowing exactly what would come next, and redefining success around health, curiosity, fulfillment, and enjoying his life. He also shares why sometimes the drive that makes us successful can become the very thing we need to learn how to manage.In this episode:The Lost Decade of Your LifeMeet Michael FilosiFrom Dentist to Business OwnerBuying the Dental Practice Nobody WantedTaking the Practice From Worst to FirstThe Drive Behind Michael’s SuccessWhen Stress Started Making Him Physically SickThe Conversation That Made Him Consider SellingAvoiding the Lost Decade of His LifeAsking Why He Was Still Doing ItSelling His Business in Just 81 DaysFinding Your Second Act After SuccessWhy Knowing You Can Leave Can Keep You StuckThe Reality Behind Entrepreneurial SuccessWas Building the Business Worth It?ResourcesMichael Filosi on LinkedInNew episodes of Success, Rewritten every Tuesday. Check out the show website for previous episode articles and more about our guests. And check out the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessRewrittenShowTo connect with Emily, email [email protected] or follow her on social: Emily's Instagram, Mental Health Advocacy profile Bipolar Brought Balance, and the show's Instagram: Success, Rewritten

Emily introduces Say the Words, a new event series beginning with a suicide symposium on September 24, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.She shares how conversations with people who have experienced suicide loss opened her eyes to how much stigma, uncertainty, and discomfort still surround the topic, even within mental health spaces. Emily explains why bringing together practitioners, loss survivors, people with lived experience, and community members can create more open and compassionate conversations.She also explores why language matters when talking about suicide, how prevention messaging can sometimes unintentionally affect those who have lost someone, and why sharing personal stories can help others feel less alone. The episode offers a look at the purpose behind Say the Words and Emily’s hope to create space for imperfect but meaningful conversations about mental health.In this episode:Introducing the Say the Words Event SeriesWhy Suicide Is Still Difficult to Talk AboutEmily’s Personal Mental Health JourneyLearning From People Who Have Experienced Suicide LossCharlotte Maya’s Story and Sushi TuesdaysRealizing How Much Stigma Still Surrounds SuicideHow Say the Words Became a Suicide SymposiumBringing Lived Experience and Professional Perspectives TogetherCreating Space for Loss Survivors and Prevention ConversationsQPR Training, Crisis Resources, and NeurodiversityWhy Imperfect Conversations MatterWhy the Language We Use Around Suicide MattersHow Sharing Experiences Can Help Others Feel Less AloneDifferent Losses, Shared GroundWhen Prevention Messaging Can Unintentionally HurtThe Bigger Vision for Say the WordsHow Sharing Our Stories Can Reduce StigmaResources MentionedSay the Words Suicide SymposiumNAMI Southeast WisconsinCharles E. Kubly FoundationSushi Tuesdays by Charlotte MayaQPR TrainingSuccess, Rewritten keynoteFind me: Success, Rewritten | Website | Instagram Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | LinkedIn | Instagram Bipolar Brought Balance | InstagramTo go deeper on my experience with bipolar disorder, visit bipolarbroughtbalance.com