What if the systems that save your life don't come from textbooks—but from breakdowns, addiction, and radical honesty?
Nikki Torres-Langman is a force of nature. Recovering addict. International keynote speaker. Creator of the BADASS framework and Unbrickable—a resilience program that launched at Yale and uses Lego bricks to teach what most people are too afraid to talk about.
Her story starts at seven years old. By 21, she was bedridden with a broken back and a prescription for OxyContin. For 15 years, she fought to free herself from what she describes as being "caught in a riptide underwater and wrapped in barbed wire."
The turning point? Her husband came home one day and said, "Babe, one day I'm going to come home and you will be dead. I know it. I'm prepared for it."
In that moment—what the Greeks call kairos, a moment within a moment where time stands still—Nikki stood up and said, "Not me, not today."
This episode is raw, unfiltered, and necessary. Nikki talks about what "life-tired" feels like, why the self-help industry is full of false prophets, and why "be your best every day" is terrible advice. She's bringing the truth we're not saying out loud—and if you've ever led while falling apart, this one's for you.
You'll learn:
- The BADASS framework: Brave, Authentic, Direction, Action, Self-love, Self-talk
- Why "be badass every day" is achievable (and "be your best" isn't)
- What real self-awareness actually means (hint: 90% of people get it wrong)
- How Unbrickable is teaching resilience with Lego bricks in universities
- Why the mental health crisis has become a tsunami
- The 1% shift: Practice being 1% braver than yesterday
Content Warning: This episode discusses addiction, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation.
Guest Bio: Nikki Torres-Langman is a recovering addict, international keynote speaker, emotional intelligence master practitioner, and creator of the BADASS framework and Unbrickable program. She's spoken at Yale, coached C-suite executives, and is on a mission to make emotional intelligence education a movement. Her bestselling book, How to Be a Badass: Navigating Your Road to Self-Mastery, is available at bookshop.org.
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