18: Lauren Riihimaki on Race, Social Media, and Boundaries

Welcome to episode 18 of the Madhappy Podcast. We’re excited to partner with CashApp on a new initiative to support your mental health. Every week, we’ll be giving out $200 to a handful of listeners with the hope that you can put this money towards something that can better your mental health. To enter, write a review for The Madhappy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, including your $Cashtag, or follow @localoptimist on Instagram to learn about other ways to win. This week we welcome content creator Lauren Riihimaki onto the show to hear about her growth as a Canadian content creator and the ebbs and flows that have come with her transition from suburban Canada to Toronto and to Los Angeles. We start off the episode by learning about Lauren’s childhood growing up in a rural Canadian town and her experience being half white and half Japanese as a teenager in the content world (3:31). Lauren talks about being an only child and how having no siblings allowed her to become more independent at a younger age (6:56), before speaking on her mental health experiences and anxiety throughout her childhood (11:00) and why she found a therapist and started medication after she moved from Toronto to Los Angeles (20:52). We get into a conversation about relationships and how social media often creates a false narrative about creators’ personal lives (24:00), as Lauren shares how podcasting has been an avenue where she is able to have a fresh start to be authentically herself (28:28). Lauren talks about the importance of boundaries (33:23) before we wrap up hearing about Lauren’s role as the host of HBO’s upcoming show Craftopia and her goals for the future (37:57). We talk about some serious topics on this show. We are not professionals and are not giving advice. If you or someone you know needs help, please text start to 741741 and for additional resources please visit LocalOptimist.com/Get-Help The Madhappy Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Follow us: @Madhappy | @LocalOptimist Visit us: Madhappy.com | LocalOptimist.com