The Work of Warriors

Kim Rapach (00:06.082)
Hi Megan. I'm great. How are you?

Meghan Linsey (00:07.515)
How are you?

Good! Sorry, trying to get all my ducks in a row. It's a lot. They're still not there, but we're working on it.

Kim Rapach (00:13.511)
my ducks still aren't in a row.

It's okay. think it's the effort that counts. I'm so glad you're here. I love that. I love that you emailed me and said you'd log on in two minutes because 21 pilots has a new song on their new album called Midwest Indigo. And one of the lines is what's your ETA? And then he says two minutes. And so we, nobody ever asked us a question. What's your ETA without us saying two minutes.

Meghan Linsey (00:21.506)
Exactly. I'm glad I'm here.

Meghan Linsey (00:33.489)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (00:44.838)
Two minutes, two minutes. I'm like, it was probably more like five, but you know, that's typical fashion for me.

Kim Rapach (00:48.808)
Yeah, Yeah. Well, you showed up in your happy sweater. Love that. Super cute.

Meghan Linsey (00:53.947)
I'm, yeah, nice, right? It's a whole set. There's pants and everything.

Kim Rapach (00:58.913)
Love it.

Cute, So thank you for being here. Let's just start there. Of course, most people that have a passion about mental health, especially artists, but I think everyone who has a passion for mental health has a story and has their own experience with it. And so I'm wondering either why you said yes, or if you're willing to tell us what's your story, what's your experience?

Meghan Linsey (01:07.49)
Yeah, thanks for having me.

Meghan Linsey (01:22.329)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (01:32.192)
man, well, I mean, it's a journey, right? It's been on my whole life. I think for me, it's just like in the last, I think COVID is kind of when I really like, I think probably it was the time when I had enough time to just be still and like really like, I don't know, learn about myself. guess you could say for lack of a better term, but I really learned a lot about myself during COVID and.

I realized that I needed to be medicated and for years I had avoided that. Like just, I don't need that. I'm strong. don't, you know, I don't need anything. And it really, changed my life. Like I am like a totally, total 180 since I came to terms with that. But really it's just, it's just been a journey, a lot of up and down, you know, I'm in the industry. So it's a lot of, you know,

I've dealt with body dysmorphia and eating disorders and depression and anxiety and just all the things throughout my whole career. I mean, even since I was a kid, to be honest, but yeah, it's definitely something I've come to terms with and I'm like, I feel empowered by it now. Just having learned what I've learned and having, I feel like I have a hold on it now in a way that like, I don't let it rule my life.

Kim Rapach (03:00.758)
Yeah, part of my journey early on when I started, I think I started Lexapro and it changed my life. And I don't necessarily, I don't need to take it now for various reasons. However, when I took it, my first thought was, why did I not do this sooner?

Meghan Linsey (03:23.339)
That's exactly what I thought. Yeah, I start, cause I was like, I think I was afraid of it, you know? And I think there's a lot of stigma around it. And I just, I hadn't really like, I don't know, the way I looked at it was, I looked at it as bad or like a crutch or like I wasn't a strong person if I had to be medicated. And I'm, you know, I just, started a low dose of Prozac and honestly like, I realized that there, it's not.

I realized it's something that I can't control. Like I used to think, I just need to like be positive. I need to be happy. I need to, you know, and I, and I do all those things. I practice all of that, but there was just, was, it was a chemical imbalance, like legit. Like I could feel it. It's like I feel it working, you know, and it really changed my life.

Kim Rapach (04:11.49)
Yeah, that's amazing. And you know, there's so much still today, it's so much stigma around medication. And, you know, it doesn't make sense. Because if you had asthma, right, or something worse, you would take medication. But we still have this judgment, which is why I think these conversations are so important. Like there's healthy, normal, fun, exciting, talented, successful people.

Meghan Linsey (04:26.25)
Right.

Meghan Linsey (04:30.711)
Absolutely.

Kim Rapach (04:35.182)
who are doing lots of things to care for their mental health. And there's, you know, 500 ways you can do that. And medication is one of them. And you can choose to or not. I oddly had a very bad reaction to small dose. Well, it was too big of a dose for me. A bad reaction to Prozac. And it hijacked. Yeah, it hijacked. So you have to work with someone who knows what they're doing.

Meghan Linsey (04:54.911)
Yeah, everyone's different.

Kim Rapach (05:02.187)
And you have to be patient and you have to know that you're you know, it is a chemical imbalance that You're not necessarily gonna get it perfect the first time and that's okay, and it's not you. It's just science

Meghan Linsey (05:17.395)
Absolutely. Yeah, I've learned all this.

Kim Rapach (05:21.622)
Yeah, yeah. So do you want to share a little bit about your experience in the industry?

Meghan Linsey (05:28.117)
Sure, what do you wanna know?

Kim Rapach (05:29.678)
You're a songwriter. Well, you're a singer songwriter. I saw you in Nashville at the Hope for the Holidays event last December in 23. And there was so much hope in the room and I fell in love with everyone. So that's how I heard about you and that's how I found you. And so I know you're a singer and a songwriter, but every artist has their own journey. So I would just love if you would share whatever parts you feel like would be helpful.

Meghan Linsey (05:40.053)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (05:47.698)
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I started singing when I was so young, you know, I think I was, I don't know, five, maybe just singing in church and, know, doing all of that. And then I really,

Kim Rapach (05:57.548)
to someone else who might be struggling or a new artist, a young artist, whatever it may be, just whatever you think would be helpful.

Meghan Linsey (06:17.019)
really started to get serious about it. I must've been about 12 years old. I think my mom, I was actually decorating the tree with my mom, I remember this, and Dolly Parton, Hard Candy Christmas came on the radio, and I was singing, like at the top of my lungs, my mom turned the radio down and she was like, like you sound really good. Like, she's like, I think you might have something. So that was kind of like the first moment that I was like, I could be, like I could be a singer.

So I started, I really started like, I put a band together and started playing shows and I started writing at a young age. I started coming to Nashville when I was in high school. I made a record here and then I moved, I moved as soon as I turned 18, which was great, but also very, very hard. I think it's hard to leave home as a, I mean, you're like a kid, know? Like I had just graduated high school and my mom helped me.

She drove with me up here and got me an apartment and helped me get up, helped me get set up, which was, I know not everyone has that luxury. But even as soon as she left, I mean, for weeks, I remember just crying myself to sleep because it was, you know, it's hard to be on your own and not know anyone. And I was going to Belmont for a little bit. I lasted for a little while. But I just, you know, it was, it was a struggle. think, I think that people, the other thing I think

that isn't talked about as much as it should be is just being a female in this industry. it's, I had a moment the other day, I was looking at photos of when Steel Magnolia, cause I was in a band called Steel Magnolia. And we were very, very young when we started. I think I met him when I was 20 and we were dating and we were making music and it was so, it was an exciting time cause everything was new, right? We were making all these cool songs and.

I remember looking at a photo, this was literally last week, I was looking through old photos, which I never do, because it's a very painful part of my past that I don't try to not look at those photos or think about it, honestly. But I was looking at pictures and I looked at myself and I was like, my God, I was a child. I was a little girl. I was not even fully grown.

Meghan Linsey (08:37.04)
when we were doing that. I really had like, it was emotional, because I was like, I almost healed something in me, because I realized that like, this person that I've blamed and I've been mad at, she was a little girl, like she was just like a kid trying to figure it out. So it was a struggle, but I also realized like, just all the compromising positions I was in, men in power that like took advantage of me and...

just the industry as a whole that takes advantage of you when you're that age. I mean, that was hard. And that's a lot of stuff that I'm, I try not to dig it back up too much, but when I do, realize I'm like, I was just a kid going through all that and trying to figure it out. And I had to forgive myself for a lot of things. I got really deep, sorry.

Kim Rapach (09:25.164)
Yeah. gosh, please don't apologize. These are the conversations that I want to have. And I'm just thinking like, okay, I'm switching from my podcast hat to my coach hat because what you said a couple of very profound things. I'm not even sure you realize how profound they are, but you said I had, well, you, just said I had to have to go back and forgive that version of myself. But you had said that person I was so angry with that I was blaming. You were talking about yourself, right?

Meghan Linsey (09:36.526)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (09:54.406)
Yeah. Yeah.

Kim Rapach (09:55.382)
Yeah. And that is so much of the mental health healing process. And I do a lot of somatic work. So body work and my coaching. And that is a lot of what I teach is how to go back and to reconnect with younger versions of yourself.

Meghan Linsey (10:00.334)
Mm-hmm.

Kim Rapach (10:13.502)
And you know, the other profound thing that you said was it was emotional and, I think it healed something in me. And I was like, yes, because that is how it works. When you allow yourself to feel on behalf of those parts that were crushed and to forgive yourself for surviving or doing the best you were doing with the tools you had at the time. That's the work that's huge. And that's really powerful. And so when we grieve.

Meghan Linsey (10:14.638)
you.

Kim Rapach (10:43.29)
or even have anger, it's healing. It heals our nervous system because it's like we have these little parts inside of us that are like, Hey, don't forget about me. And then they just try to kind of seep out sideways and, know, try to, you know, get attention in their own way. And so when you go back and do that, I mean, that is powerful work.

Meghan Linsey (10:48.937)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (11:03.4)
Yeah, and I didn't even realize what it was doing, to be honest with you. Like it just came, I just came across this photo and I was like, my God. Like I just, I had been like burying that so deep and I haven't really like looked at it or come to terms with it really, or like dealt with it in such a long time that when I saw that I was like, I was almost taken back. Cause I was like, wow, like I was a kid. Like I was so young and

Kim Rapach (11:06.764)
Right? That's why I wanted to talk about it.

Meghan Linsey (11:30.632)
And I really was just doing the best I could. And I have a real heart for young girls coming up in this industry. And my husband's a producer and he works with some girls that are younger. They're like 18, 19 coming to Nashville. And I'm like, I turned into like mama bear. I'm like, I just want to protect you at all costs. Cause I know, cause I've been there and I know what it is to go through it.

Kim Rapach (11:54.732)
Yeah, pay attention to that because that's not, it's not an accident. And when you have a burn, you know, if something burning in you, like, you don't know, you might be being called to do something else. Like maybe there's coaching in your future and where you get to be mama bear because it is needed.

Meghan Linsey (12:04.817)
Yeah. Yeah. I. I feel like I do. I do. I do it. You know, I'm doing it already. It's like it's just innate in me to want to do that. And I don't have kids. I have dogs, but.

Kim Rapach (12:27.335)
hold on, you're cutting out on me. I can't hear you.

Kim Rapach (12:34.37)
How's your... Okay.

Meghan Linsey (12:37.615)
to, I'm sorry, Kim, hold on one second. Let me put, I don't think I put this on Do Not Disturb. Are you willing to edit this? I'm sorry. Yeah, let me.

Kim Rapach (12:41.614)
That's okay.

Okay, you were just kind of cutting out too. How's your Wi-Fi?

Meghan Linsey (12:51.172)
I think I'm on wifi, but I think it's because my brothers called me about 10 times and I forgot to put it on Do Not Disturb. Can I deal with this really quick? I'm sorry. One second. I'm gonna put it on Do Not Disturb.

Kim Rapach (12:56.864)
Okay. Of course, of course, of course, of course.

Okay, no worries.

Meghan Linsey (13:14.451)
Okay, let me just put this on do not disturb mode. I am so sorry. Okay, great. That is what it was. Okay, I put it on do not disturb now. I thought I had it on do disturb, but I think I must have just silenced it. Okay.

Kim Rapach (13:19.926)
No worries, we can edit all this out.

Kim Rapach (13:24.626)
Just clip.

Kim Rapach (13:31.406)
Okay, no worries. So yeah, you're finding your way as mama bear in the industry. You were saying that you have dogs.

Meghan Linsey (13:38.935)
Yeah. Yes. I have two Beagles and a Morky currently. My Morky's like a multi-shorky mix, but I got him when I was touring like back when I was in still Magnolia. So he's he's 13 now, which is crazy. But and then I have two little Beagle babies that are lab dogs that came from a lab, the rescues, but really sweet.

Kim Rapach (13:43.458)
What kind of dogs do you have?

Kim Rapach (13:49.358)
It's a morky.

Meghan Linsey (14:08.916)
Sweet babies.

Kim Rapach (14:11.246)
Well, it sounds like you've had quite a journey in the industry with some really early experiences. You've had some support from your family, but you've also had what sounds like some very harmful or dark experiences being taken advantage of. And what would you say?

Well, I would I guess I would say what would you say is your darkest moment? Not necessarily having to share what happened to you, but in your own mental health, if you're willing to share what was the darkest season where you were like,

Meghan Linsey (14:46.325)
funny thing is that the darkest... It's crazy to say it because with my band Still Magnolia, we signed a deal with Big Machine Records and we were touring. We had a number one or number two song in the country or whatever. we did really well and it was exciting and it was cool. But it was also honestly the darkest time for my mental health.

it was, it was hard. I was in a relationship that was not healthy and with my partner that I was in the, in the bandwidth and, oftentimes very abusive. And, also just the whole, I don't think people know what they're signing up for when they set up for a record deal, especially with big machine. I kinda knew, but I, I really had no idea. I was, I was a

I was 23 when we signed our deal. So I was young and hadn't had much life experience. And so I learned a lot. I learned a lot in a very short period of time. And I also had to really like, I found out what I was capable of. I don't know if I ever want to be pushed to the point that I don't, I don't ever want to be pushed to that point again. However, I did learn a lot from the experience. I think, you know,

having to balance this not so healthy relationship while also our career is blowing up and doing all the tours and the interviews and the travel and being on the bus. We were gone, I think we were gone 200 days. The first couple years we were just gone on a bus and flying everywhere and it was exhausting. I was able to do it more probably because I was young.

It was exciting, but it was also, it was hard. It was really hard. It was hard because he was not okay. And, you know, he's had his own struggles and been to rehab and is dealing with all of that. But I was trying, essentially I was trying to keep the train on the tracks, you know, and it felt very heavy. Like I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world, trying to make everything, you know, just keep everything afloat, you know? And that was a lot of pressure.

Kim Rapach (17:09.292)
Yeah. Yeah. I'm so glad that you said that because you said, I don't think people realize what they're getting into. And you talked about big machine, but I think we could apply that to, and this is another reason why I'm so passionate about this is we were teaching a young generation of people that if they go viral, they'll be happy. And it, you know, and I know going viral is not what makes you happy.

Meghan Linsey (17:16.435)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (17:36.348)
No.

Kim Rapach (17:36.45)
Getting a record deal is not what makes you happy. know, hitting the biggest stages is not what actually does it. Would you agree?

Meghan Linsey (17:43.741)
No, I agree. Yeah, no, totally. Because I mean, I've done it. I've done a lot. I've done a lot. I've done, I did the voice. I was on TV every week. there's, I joke all the time and it's not even a joke really. I probably, I tend to use humor to deal. But I joke all the time about coming off the voice and it being like, it's like a post-voice depression.

You you're coming off this huge high and then you have to figure out how to like, you're like, I can't do all of this on my tour. can't, you know, I don't have the tools to do everything I was doing on this show. there's just, it's just like, there's highs and lows to all of it. And I think you have to find yourself somewhere in the middle and just realize and, find the joy in all of it, you know, no matter what level you're at or what, what, you know, part of the journey you're on. think it's all about finding

the joy in the little things every day, you know? And I thought getting a record deal and having a hit and all that stuff was gonna make me happy. And really I was more miserable than I'd ever been in my entire life, so, you know.

Kim Rapach (18:54.899)
Thank you for your authenticity. Yeah.

You said finding the joy is so important. And I also think having the tools, right? Like I'm not here to say, don't chase fame. Don't chase success. I want you to have it. Just don't want it to take you out. And I think if we're going to have an industry that is going to have this level of demand on its artists, it's only fair to support them with care and support and tools all along the way.

Meghan Linsey (19:27.727)
Yeah, agreed. And I had none of that. I mean, I really didn't have any support. I went to, I finally kind of towards the end when everything was falling apart, you know, started going to therapy and trying to figure it out. But it was too late at that point for our, as far as our career and like our relationship with the label and just our relationship with each other. it was just like everything was already so damaged at that point.

You know, and so I didn't really have, I feel like I didn't have the tools going in that I needed and I didn't really have the support. I had people that wanted, I only had people in my life at that time and I had friends and I had my family. I had good people in my life, but I also, as far as from a professional standpoint, I had people that viewed me as a product. And so they didn't care about my mental health. They just wanted me to get on stage because it was costing them money.

or, you know, I was sick all the time at that point. I ended up with a cyst the size of a grapefruit on my ovary and I walked around going to, you know, playing shows with that for I don't even know how many months I was in pain before I finally had that taken care of. had to have like an emergency surgery. So physically even, you know, it takes its toll as well. It manifests in that way, I think, when you suppress it for that long. for me, it was like, I was getting steroid shots like.

every few weeks because I was sick and I never let myself get better. So these, you know, and these were my managers and my label and everybody is, you know, we got to get her a steroid shot. got to get her, you know, it's not like, let's let her have a few days to like feel better. It's like, no, she needs a steroid shot to keep going. I do think things feel, it feels like things may be improving a little bit in that area. This was, you know, 15 years ago. So it was, it was.

There was none of that, or 14 years ago, whatever it was, but there was none of that. It was just like, you gotta keep going. Like, you can't sing tonight? Yes, you can. Just don't talk at the meet and greet. And so it was hard. It was really hard. And I pushed really hard to get through that time, but it was a detriment to myself to push that hard.

Kim Rapach (21:43.47)
Yeah, wow. Well, thank you for just calling it out that you're seen as a product. You're seen as an object. You're seen as a moneymaker, right? And yes, things are starting to change a little. And I will say, I believe in

Meghan Linsey (21:49.025)
huh.

Meghan Linsey (21:53.463)
Yeah, you are.

Meghan Linsey (21:59.551)
a little.

Kim Rapach (22:04.662)
part it's changing because what producers and managers are realizing is that it's actually cheaper to give them rest, to give artists rest and care than to have them burn out or to have something tragic happen. And so if

You know, any producer or manager is listening. It is, it does behoove us to take care of our artists. It's a win-win. It you'll actually make more money and have healthier, more talented artists because they're in their genius and you can't be in your genius if you're tired and hungry and exhausted and sick and have tumors on your ovaries. Like you're just not going to last. And that's not because there's anything wrong with the artist, right?

Meghan Linsey (22:50.474)
Right. We're human. It's just you're human, you know, and it's hard. It's hard to be human and, you know, live within this machine, as I call it.

Kim Rapach (22:50.494)
It's not sustainable. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's just not sustainable.

Kim Rapach (23:03.904)
Yeah, yeah. Well, and that's, you know, I'm hoping with one conversation at a time, the more we have collective conversations about the realities and about the importance of mental and physical health, that we can make some significant changes in the industry.

Meghan Linsey (23:21.654)
Absolutely.

Kim Rapach (23:24.014)
a lot of talented artists like you who are suffering and don't have the tools and don't have the support and are going through similar experiences. And it's like you hit a certain point in your career in this industry and you just start to feel like you have to accept it. Right? Like, I don't want to lose it. Come so far. What will happen if I say no, and then you lose your boundaries? Right? And then? Yeah, and

Meghan Linsey (23:48.872)
Yeah, I didn't have any boundaries. None.

Kim Rapach (23:53.206)
I mean, I have my own thoughts, but what happens when you don't have your boundaries?

Meghan Linsey (23:58.452)
Yeah, I mean, it's just, you're living, you're doing whatever they say. I mean, for me, was like, everything short of how to brush my teeth was told to me, and I just did it, because that's what I thought I had to do. I was media trained to death. I literally would go into interviews and I'm just saying nothing. And I'm like, I have so much to say, why am I saying nothing?

And then just the schedule, all of it. if you look at just the schedule was not, no one could do what we did. I mean, we did it, but to, you know, it just, it caused damage, I think in the long run. You know, going and doing radio at, you know, three stations a day and then going to bed at.

2 a.m. to get up at 5 a.m. to get on a 6 a.m. flight to go do three more radio stations and do it all again the next day. And then on the weekend we're on the Brad Paisley tour and doing those shows. like, just was not, I don't know how anybody would do that. It's just crazy.

Kim Rapach (25:10.754)
Yeah. Well, and it speaks to mental health from a perspective of looking at your nervous system. You were literally in fight or flight, right? You weren't grounded. You weren't in alignment with yourself. You weren't attuned to yourself. You were producing and grinding and the only way to make it through that. If you, if you don't have a healthy setup, if you don't have a healthy system, if you don't have a team that is pouring into your health,

Meghan Linsey (25:19.922)
constantly.

Meghan Linsey (25:40.37)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Kim Rapach (25:40.64)
you dissociate, right? You dissociate and you can't feel what you're feeling or you can't keep going.

Meghan Linsey (25:48.945)
No, and I didn't realize that's what I was doing until I got a little older and kind of got into this stuff. like, I always be like, man, we're doing all this stuff, but like, I wouldn't realize what I'd done until like weeks later. I'm like, wait, we did that. Like we did Titan Stadium during the CMA Fest. I'm like, but I didn't feel anything when I was doing it. Which sounds like.

Kim Rapach (25:54.702)
Of

Kim Rapach (26:13.326)
because you can't.

Meghan Linsey (26:14.385)
You can't, and it almost sounds like, I almost was like, God, am I just ungrateful? Am I like, you know, like what's wrong with me? And I feel like people will hear this and there's, you know, especially like the just people who don't work in the industry or like the audience. It's like they, think artists are trying to talk about this stuff and it's like we get shut down. Like they're like, please, like you have it so good. Like you have a record deal, you have a hit song, have it, you know, and it's like, so then you start thinking like that, you're like, God, maybe I'm wrong.

you know, for feeling this way. But it was just like, I just didn't feel anything. I was like, it's cool, I'm grateful, but I'm not even able to like experience or enjoy it, really.

Kim Rapach (26:56.886)
Wow, the word like mind F is just coming to mind like, wow, because it's so common for artists to feel that way, right? Like, I'm just not grateful. Maybe the industry has ruined me. Maybe I'm too cocky. you know, whatever. And it's so disorienting because like you said,

fans and the audience they think if you have a hit single then you're you've made it you're rich you have everything you need you don't have any problems and it couldn't be farther from the truth

Meghan Linsey (27:30.426)
Yeah, and we weren't rich. We had no money. That's the thing. People don't realize it. We're doing all of this and we barely have enough to pay our rent. It is funny. I feel like it's either feast or famine in this industry and it's like you're either Tim McGraw or you're busking on the corner. And if you're anywhere in between, it's like you're not really

point we weren't making enough to like barely live you know even though we had a hit song so it's you know the goal obviously is to get to the point where you are Tim McGraw and selling out stadiums you do have enough but like at the time it's like the labels fronting everything you owe them money it's it's everybody wants their percentage like it just wasn't you know it was hard

Kim Rapach (28:24.054)
Yeah, yeah. Well, and why do you think I want to go back to the media stuff? Why do you think you were so you said I was so media trained or you said I think you said I was media trained to death. Can you say more about that? You said I had things I wanted to say and I said nothing. And I would love for you to talk a little bit about that.

Meghan Linsey (28:35.682)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (28:43.627)
I think I was just scared to say anything. they do, you go through media training, I mean, where we did with Big Machine and it was like, we're trained when you're asked a question to just redirect the question back to what you're single or whatever you're trying to promote. And it's almost like I was just so scared in interviews to say anything wrong or to say anything that I was really feeling at the time. And I really think that just came from.

my team and the label. I just had kind of the fear of God put in me that I was not supposed to really have a personality or say anything. I was really just supposed to be promoting this single or whatever I was doing at the time. And so that was just, I don't know, that was hard for me. Especially the me now that I've become, I'm like, okay, this is who I always was. And I was just suppressing that. And that was more, I mean, that was hard.

It's hard to do that when you're in an interview and you want to say something and you're just like, you know, listen to our single. I know I cared about your single. They care about your story. I wasn't giving any of that, you know.

Kim Rapach (29:54.604)
Yeah, say more about that. They don't care about your single, they care about your story.

Meghan Linsey (29:58.956)
I just feel like people know, they know when you're real, they know when you're telling the truth. I think like, I do think that there's good and bad for us.

of social media, right? There's things that go viral for the right reasons and there's things that go viral for the wrong reasons. But I think for me as an artist, my goal is to just connect on a personal level and for people to kind of see, know, connect with my story. And I was giving none of that. It just was, it was very like squeaky clean and like, here's a single, like check it out. Like when I go to people's pages, I don't want to just see videos of them going.

Come to my show on Thursday. I wanna be like, okay dude, where are you from? What happened to you? What makes you you? Why is this the single you're putting out? And I was giving none of that at the time. I do that now, but it was just, I do think that that's where artists miss a lot is we think like, yeah, it's a machine and it's a product. But at the end of the day, if you don't have heart, you don't have anything to connect to, I don't think people care.

Kim Rapach (31:04.14)
Yeah, yeah, and I think we're seeing more of that. Do you feel like producers and managers are or will catch up to that?

Meghan Linsey (31:06.953)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (31:16.094)
I think they are. There's stuff that's cutting through. I mean, there definitely is. mean, you have, you know, people like Casey Musgraves that are writing like real, real shit and just being their authentic selves. know, Maren Morris is a good example of that too. think Jelly Roll. mean, people are like really connected to his story. I mean, and he has been really honest. And so, I don't know. I think that, I think they are. I think it's just, you still, you're always gonna have.

that like shiny pop thing, right? That's like manufactured. That's always gonna exist. But I think that for me, it's just more important to me to be able to just be real and tell my story.

Kim Rapach (32:01.496)
So what would be something that if you could just say that's whether it's part of your story or who you are, what do you want people to know about you?

Meghan Linsey (32:11.272)
I'm like, want to tell my story. I'm like, no, I think for, you know what?

Kim Rapach (32:12.014)
See what I did there?

Meghan Linsey (32:24.68)
I've been through a lot, you know, I've been through a lot of stuff and I've always just persevered and I've kept going and I think that that's probably the biggest thing is just I want to empower women, I want to empower the LGBTQ plus community, I want to empower anyone who has ever felt like they weren't good enough or like they don't fit in because I felt like that, I felt very defeated and I was able to

you know, turn it around and use that energy to create, you know, things that I'm proud of. And I think that that's, there's a lot there, you know? I definitely want to be, I want to give people hope. That's kind of the goal, I think, at the end of the day.

Kim Rapach (33:15.854)
Yeah, well, you're saying so much about what you've been through and persevering. And that's really what the work of warriors is all about, because so many artists create and hustle and grind and persevere until they don't. Right. And so for those, especially people who have experienced trauma or complex levels of trauma, especially in childhood,

Meghan Linsey (33:33.765)
Right.

Kim Rapach (33:43.53)
we see that and and I was one of them while I'm not an artist, I hustled my way I built a business until it nearly took me out and I had to figure out what was going on within me and you can't outrun it. And so that I think what you're talking about that middle space is where the mental health piece comes in. It's like, yes, you can persevere. Yes, you can overcome your adversity, you can, you are not your story, you are not those things that happen to you. And

Meghan Linsey (33:50.95)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (34:13.29)
you need to take really, really good care of yourself because you are turning that pain into creativity, into art, into music, and it's beautiful and we need it. But we can't lose you in the process.

Meghan Linsey (34:14.062)
Yeah. Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (34:27.299)
Right. Absolutely. Yeah, think that, yeah, I, I lost my train of thought. I don't know I was going to say, but I think that,

I think that that's the other part of it, right? Is like just being able to, and I tell all the female artists that I work with, like, I'm like, it's okay to like say no. Like, no, it's a complete sentence, right? It's okay to say no. It's okay to have boundaries. It's okay to take a break. Like, those are things that I really pride myself on now. I don't do a whole lot of stuff I don't wanna do.

I'm just being honest. I do, I, I sometimes you have to do, obviously you have to do stuff you don't want to do, but I don't feel like this overwhelming like need to go to industry events that I don't feel like going to or try to pretend. Like, I don't know. I went to a few things last week and, and, and one of the things that went to, was like, I don't even want to be here. What am I doing? And I went home.

You know, and I had fun at the other one because I gave up caring. Like, I don't care what these people think about me. I'm just here to, I deserve to be here just as much as anyone else. You know, my imposter syndrome is a whole nother can of worms, like a whole nother thing that I've come to terms with and I still deal with, you know, is feeling like I don't belong or I don't deserve to be where I'm at. So I don't, you know.

I'm going off the rails a little bit, I think that there's a lot to be said for just doing things on your terms and saying no when you have to.

Kim Rapach (36:20.386)
For sure. And you're in an industry that that thrives off of imposter syndrome and thrives off people's insecurities. It makes a lot of money off of that. And for anyone, you know, who's not in the industry, just being on social media can make you question yourself and your worth and bring up all kinds of shame and all of your, you know, all of your history. And so being in the industry is just tenfold, maybe a million fold.

Meghan Linsey (36:25.763)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Meghan Linsey (36:38.551)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (36:47.02)
Yeah. Just, it just amplifies it all. But yeah.

Kim Rapach (36:51.87)
Right, right. What would you say for maybe a brand new artist? Why? I mental health is important for everyone. Right? We all have mental health. We all need to protect it. I'm not a fan of like, some people have mental health issues and some people don't. I think it needs to be looked at like, non-binary, like on a spectrum, that we all have mental health and we all need to protect it.

Meghan Linsey (37:02.23)
Mm-hmm.

Meghan Linsey (37:16.502)
Yeah. Yeah. I agree.

Kim Rapach (37:20.492)
What would you say to a new artist who is starting out and is excited and ready to persevere? And what would you say, why is mental health so much even more important in this specific industry?

Meghan Linsey (37:39.227)
I mean you have to, you have to be prepared for it. You know, like for, even when I was on The Voice, it's like there's message groups of people tearing apart my looks and the way that everybody on this one message where I was talking about my resting bitch face or I didn't look like I was happy to be there. And like those kind of things like honestly like used to would have bothered me. I was very.

I very much look at it now like they're not even talking about me. It's almost like I'm dissociated from that in a way. I'm like, that's not about me. It's about them and their whatever they're dealing with. But you do have people talking about you. You do have people picking you apart. Even within my team, when I started out and I had my first record deal, it's like they're talking to me about, do I wanna get my...

breast done? I want to get, do I have thought about Botox? I mean, I was 23 at the time. It was like, no, I haven't thought about that. You know, there's a lot of things I feel like you have to be prepared for and for when you put yourself out there, people are going to judge you, you know, they're going to judge every little thing that you do. And you just have to be ready to be like, it doesn't.

For me, at this point, it just doesn't even affect me. I'm being honest. There's few times where there's something. I'm like, ugh, that bothers me. But usually, I'm like, it's their problem. It's not my problem.

Kim Rapach (39:13.849)
Yeah. Well, what you're speaking to though, I think even more important to have your grounding, to know your values, to have your foundation. Because if you have people commenting on your body and your looks, and then you have your agents and managers and producers who are like, yeah, that's not a bad idea. You should have this done. And there's this constant messaging that you're not enough no matter what. so

Meghan Linsey (39:26.119)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I felt like that for a long time, and especially when I was younger and starting out and

Kim Rapach (39:40.844)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (39:43.186)
had my first deal, like that was my big, and I was in a relationship that made me feel like I wasn't enough. Like it was all compounded. Like I was like, I'm just, you know, I had no, I didn't value myself at all. Like I had very little self-esteem at that point.

Kim Rapach (39:48.867)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (39:59.274)
Yeah, yeah, it's so important to have those values. Imagine if we could, you know, really equip young artists with not just self confidence, but a self knowing, like I said, a foundation, and to know, here's what I'm willing to do. Here's what I'm not willing to do. Here's a line I won't cross, because that line is going to present itself, you'd like to think that it won't, but it will. And if you don't know,

Meghan Linsey (40:17.319)
Yeah. Absolutely.

Kim Rapach (40:26.198)
And if you're not solid, you will cross lines you never thought you would cross. Would you agree?

Meghan Linsey (40:31.298)
Absolutely. Yeah. I think that also your team, like your team is so important. It's important to surround yourself with some people who care about you because there's so many people who will not, they won't care about you and they just look at you like a product. And so I think you have to have people on your team that love you and care about you and are not just yes people. Like they're people that will tell you the truth.

You know, and I was lucky that I did keep some of those people around me. just, even as far as, I wish that I would have had a manager that cared about me. Or like, you know what I mean? Just somebody that really cared. I see a lot of artists now, like I've known Laney Wilson for a long time and like her manager, you know, Mandolin, like they were friends. Like they were really good friends. And then Mandolin's like her manager now. And it's like, that makes sense to me because she cares about you and she has your best interest at heart.

One of my best friends is managing me now. I feel comfortable with that because I'm like, just need people who care about me around me. My husband does a ton for me with my career and I trust him. It's important to have people that you trust.

Kim Rapach (41:41.014)
Yeah, that's huge. Yeah, my son is an actor. When he was little, his manager was just it was such a gift. He was very straightforward and honest, but he's like, Look, everybody's going to want to make money off of him. And you have to accept that you have to know that. But there are right ways to do that. And there are wrong ways to do that. And you also need to know that and you and only you. At the end of the day, he's like, he'll be my client for as long as he wants to act, but he will be your child forever.

Meghan Linsey (41:57.213)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (42:09.312)
And so at the end of the day, you have to make decisions that match your family's values that you feel OK with. So even people just to tell the truth, right? It's like a manager. How about that?

Meghan Linsey (42:20.014)
Just to tell the truth, yeah. How about that? We would have thought. I think too, just being able to separate it. Like, yeah, you are a product. Yeah, have, you know, that for me has been a huge thing too. Cause I'm like, own, I'm this one thing, right? I'm just this artist that gets on stage and I sing songs and I like write songs and this is what I do. But it's not like, it's not who I am.

Right? And so I think that there's gotta be some degree of separation where you're like, okay, I do that, but I'm also like, this is who I am. And I think, especially in the last few years, I've found other things that I'm really good at and like passions and things that I'm into that aren't necessarily like my career. And that's been really important. Cause for so long, was just all my whole life was just.

career focused, right? And I couldn't separate it. So I found myself more at peace since I've figured out how to separate that.

Kim Rapach (43:28.558)
I love that. That is one of the things that I talk about when I speak, but also with my clients. Even if it's making music that you're not going to put out into the world, that it's just for you, but having other activities that have nothing to do with you being in the public eye, that are just for you. And play and other forms of creativity and singing and dancing for yourself as opposed to other people is also just as important.

Meghan Linsey (43:55.202)
Yeah. Yeah, I think so. also think the other thing I was just thinking about when you said that, you know, doing things that aren't in the public eye, when you are doing things in the public eye, like having other purpose for that too, I think is important. Like using your platform to lift up, you know, other things that you're into. Like for me, it's rescue dogs and, you know, human rights and stuff like that. It's like, I...

I try to use my platform for that because it very easily can become a vanity project, right? Like you're just putting out this music to feed this ego and it's like, it can become that very quickly. And I think for me, I've been able to like use it in other ways. And I feel good about that, you know, being able to kind of use my platform for good, hopefully.

Kim Rapach (44:47.918)
Yeah, like knowing your why.

Meghan Linsey (44:50.144)
Knowing your why. Yeah, having a purpose, you know? Like, there has to be, I think there has to be a purpose to it. Otherwise it becomes, why are you doing it? You know?

Kim Rapach (45:00.802)
Yeah. So what are some of the other things, if you're willing to share, what are some of the other things that you found that you like to do that have nothing to do with your career?

Meghan Linsey (45:09.398)
I'm very into fitness lately. I've become very, very into that. and I enjoy it and I just, I, I, I love it. So I love, love, I love working out and, which is so funny. I never thought I'd get to this point in my life. I used to hate it. but over the last year I've gotten really into that. I'm really into, to just dogs. dogs are.

everything in life to me, honestly. I do a lot with rescue. I'm kind of the person when anybody finds a dog, they immediately text me. just kind of using and that's the way I find that I can use my platform and my resources too. It's like, cause somebody might have this dog that they're trying to rehome or figure it out and I'm able to like reach out to a rescue or put them on my platform in some way. And so that's been a really cool thing that I, I'm really into that. I think I'm good with animals.

Like I just love animals and helping and being able to, you know, be a voice for animals. That's been a cool thing. I think what else? Fashion. I love fashion. Love it. Love it so much. Really into that. I end up dressing so many of my friends all the time. Like they just come shop in my closet and I style them and it's fun. Like I just do that for me because it's fun.

I'm good at planning. Yeah.

Kim Rapach (46:36.128)
Again, so important just for you. It's so important. Like we don't want to downplay that. That's everything because it's, makes me happy. brings me joy.

Meghan Linsey (46:44.948)
It brings me joy. Yeah, I love dressing my friends. It's so fun. I like dressing myself too, you know? Like I just, get joy out of that. I don't know, I'm good at planning. I'm good at putting stuff together. I think just years of being on the road and being like, you know, I had a record deal for a while, but I've been independent for a long time too. And so like, I've had to learn a lot of things. Like I'm like, I would be a really good manager.

Kim Rapach (46:47.938)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (47:10.88)
I would be a really good tour manager. I would be a really good travel agent. I would be a really good... I could do... I wear a lot of hats, you know, and I've definitely like... I've definitely found my strengths from doing so many different things as an independent artist, so...

Kim Rapach (47:26.562)
Yeah. So you know the chandeliers. They were they were on and they had just come off a tour and they were just recapping and learning all the little lessons they learned like turns out you don't need you don't want to pack 12 hoodies when you go on tour. And they were just talking about you know, learning how they were carrying way too many things and learning how to minimize and it was just cute when you were talking about touring and all the things that you learned. That's what came to mind.

Meghan Linsey (47:29.97)
Yeah, they're my girls.

Meghan Linsey (47:48.273)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (47:55.025)
Yeah, yeah, you definitely learn how to pack. I'm really good at it. I actually wait till an hour before the flight to do it now. No, but I will like the day of I'm like, it's fine. I've got this.

Kim Rapach (47:57.987)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (48:03.735)
You're kidding.

Kim Rapach (48:10.51)
I've done it 800,000 times. Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (48:12.593)
Yeah, I also think that, I mean, not to self-diagnose myself, I do think I need to probably go see somebody, but I've kind of been like reading a lot about ADD, ADHD and women and how it manifests. Pretty sure that because I just I mean, when I will wait, I will tell I'll wait till the very last minute and then I will furiously get everything done, you know, in an hour. It's crazy. Mm hmm. That's how I live my life.

Kim Rapach (48:36.054)
Yeah, that's that's how it works. That's when the dopamine kicks in. So I don't like I hate that it's called a disorder, right?

Meghan Linsey (48:43.985)
Yeah, isn't it crazy? I know. Because I'm like, I've just always been like this. I think that that's just how I am.

Kim Rapach (48:50.444)
Yeah, yeah. And it's just different. It's just, you know, there's, there's neuro typical and there's neuro diverse and neither is right or wrong. And I think just self-knowing is the name of the game. Like who am I and how do I tick? How does my brain work? How do I function at my best? And how do I put in systems and tools to help me live in my genius and in my highest self?

Meghan Linsey (48:58.726)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I think, you know, obviously I have my days and I'm not perfect by no means, but I definitely feel like I'm at a really good point with that. Just like I know myself pretty well.

I've come to terms with a lot of things. I've reckoned with a lot of things. There's still work to be done. There's always work to be done, obviously, with all of us. But just the people I surround myself with now and the way that I operate, and I don't feel pressure from people anymore like I used to. I just do my thing and I have boundaries with people. if you don't bring me peace, I can't.

I can't do it. just there's people I've had to cut out of my life that are it just was too much chaos. And I'm like I deal with I can only deal with so much, you know, you have to choose where you're putting your energy. And so I'm in a really good spot, I think. But you know, it took years and it took years of like learning and practice and figuring it out, you know, and it's and there's a lot to be said. What we talked about earlier was just forgiving your younger self because you didn't have those tools and you didn't know any better.

And so that's the part I feel like I'm delving into now.

Kim Rapach (50:29.228)
Yeah, I love that. you had someone come to you early on when you were 23 and told you what you've since learned. So they said, okay, this is going to be hard, the more you take care of yourself, the more you have boundaries. And they had tried to speak into you. Would that have changed the trajectory of things?

Meghan Linsey (50:55.63)
want to think so, you know, I hope so. I don't know. Like, also think there's part, I do think that that would have been nice. Yeah, if I had just at least been told, it would have been nice to know. do, I also think there's part of it is just like, are, you know, you're ready to accept what you're ready to accept, you know? I don't know.

Kim Rapach (51:20.15)
Yeah. What is that saying? When the teacher is ready? No. When the teacher is ready, the student will come? Something like that. Something like that. When the student is ready, the teacher will come. There we go. That's what it is. OK. So.

Meghan Linsey (51:26.54)
When the... Something like that. Yes, I know what you mean. But yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

Kim Rapach (51:42.614)
What would you say to an artist who is listening to this and really struggling? And this isn't a replacement for mental health treatment, of course, but what would you say to somebody who's listening and they're just ready to throw in the towel, whether literally or figuratively in their career and their life?

Meghan Linsey (52:02.219)
Yeah, that's been me so many times. mean, I've literally gone into just, I call it a black hole almost, or like this feeling like I'm carrying a boulder like on my head. That's kind of what it feels like. I think there's no shame in seeking help. I think that's the biggest thing I would say. Because like for me, there's so much shame around it. And I felt so like...

something's really wrong. Like there's something wrong with me or like I'm not okay or I'm never going to be okay because I'm not enough. I had a lot of that going on in my in my mind a lot. So I think I think that it's it's

Pulling out of the shame, I think, was the biggest thing and being able to seek help and finally getting, you know, my diagnosis and getting on the right meds was huge. That was the biggest thing for me. think that's what, that was a huge moment for me. So yeah, I would say to just, it's hard to tell someone going through that, like, it's gonna get better, like, you're gonna be okay. Like, no one wants to hear that when they're in that, you know?

I mean, that's just the truth. That's how I always felt anyways. And I would, you don't care. And it's hard to pull out. It's really hard to pull out of it. I would isolate a lot. Whenever I get into depressive episodes, I just don't wanna, I don't wanna talk to anyone. I don't wanna see my best friends. I don't wanna see my family. I just go kind of into myself and wanna be left alone. But.

Kim Rapach (53:24.47)
And sometimes we don't care when we're in that dark hole.

Meghan Linsey (53:48.68)
And I don't even know, to be honest with I don't even know how I pulled through some of those moments. Sometimes I just had to sit in it to get out to the other side of it, you know? But yeah, think that there's, for me, a lot of it was just shame and feeling like it wasn't okay to be medicated or to seek any kind of help.

Kim Rapach (54:11.362)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (54:11.892)
People also look at me like I'm the strong one, you know? Like I'm the one that's gonna fix everybody else and pull everything together and make everything happen. And I am always that person. So I think it made it even harder for me in a way, because people don't look, like people look at me like, she's got it all together. Like she's the one that like fixes everybody and does everything and like always has a plan. like, you know, I think that that part made it.

extra shameful in a way to me.

Kim Rapach (54:44.834)
Yeah, well, I relate. I was a therapist and had built a six figure practice and was really good at helping people. And along the way, without even realizing it, even being trained as a therapist still lost myself. And so talk about the shame of, wow, I don't really want to help people if I can't help myself. And the shame that comes with that.

Meghan Linsey (54:48.198)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (55:12.466)
but for me, was learning how to regulate my nervous system, learning that those depressive moments and those anxious moments were, you know, a tidal wave that were coming from within me that were part of my story. And so for me, that somatic work of learning how to regulate my nervous system. Once I learned that and felt so empowered, I was like, I'm never going back.

Meghan Linsey (55:16.733)
Mm-hmm.

Meghan Linsey (55:26.449)
Right.

Meghan Linsey (55:37.053)
right.

Kim Rapach (55:37.3)
never going back. And then what happens is then you learn and you talked a bit about this too. And I'm not sure if you made that connection, but you talked about having to let people go. Like you start to realize when you're attuned to yourself and what makes you feel alive and what makes you feel terrible or makes you feel ashamed. You start realizing, I can't have this substance in my life. I can't have this person in my life. I can't have this level of work. I can't have whatever it may be.

Meghan Linsey (56:00.36)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (56:06.304)
anything I'm gonna say somewhere, anything that takes away my peace, it has to go. It has to go.

Meghan Linsey (56:10.093)
Yeah, it has to go and that's where I'm I'm there too. Yeah, it's just Yeah, you only have so much energy and you can only give so much to so many things, you know and so I and I give back in my own ways but I do it in a way that I'm I It doesn't it's not a detriment to me, you know I Give because I I want to give and I enjoy it and it brings me joy

but when things start draining me, I'm.

Kim Rapach (56:44.558)
Yeah, I just said something to somebody the other day. They were talking about, you know, I'm the one who shows up for everybody and I'm the one. And I was like, okay, let's just clarify. There's a difference. There's a difference in giving from a place of authenticity from a grounded place with a regulated nervous system that says, this brings me joy. I authentically want to show up as opposed to

Meghan Linsey (57:07.224)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (57:09.454)
know what I consider a trauma response where you're giving from an empty cup because you have shame if you don't show up. Those are two entirely different experiences.

Meghan Linsey (57:14.194)
Yeah. Yeah, I don't very different things. And I feel like people fought like there's some sort of like, what's the word like, like there's some sort of like valor and like being like the person that always shows up and doing the thing, you know, just always being that person. And it's like that I've had to realize that that doesn't like, don't know, it's just it's not always associated with like

something good, you know what I mean? Like I would just be the person that would always give and always show up and always do the thing because that was what people expected me to do. But yeah, there's a clear difference.

Kim Rapach (57:56.546)
Yeah. How many times did you show up and then afterwards you're like, thank God that's over. We don't want to do that.

Meghan Linsey (58:00.037)
All the time, all the time. And I would leave, you know, I leave social, I'm very much an introvert. Like I'm an extroverted introvert, but very much like I have to have my time by myself. I take a bath at night. I like to just chill and just like get grounded and find my peace. And like, I don't like, I love people, but I also like feel energy very strongly. And so like when I'm in a...

big group of people doing stuff all the time, it drains me. And I don't, I hate that feeling. Like sometimes I leave places and I'm like, like I just feel so empty, you know? So I try to just limit my, what I'm doing to things that I just really want to do or things that I really care about.

Kim Rapach (58:50.582)
It's such a power move that we are not talking about and we are not training people to do because that is your body communicating to you. If you really listen, your body will tell you all the things that you need to be doing and where you're supposed to be because it's communicating. Like, you know, you leave drain that wasn't for you. And how do we limit that moving forward? And how do we, know, central center our schedules around things that, lift us up, that light us up. Yeah. Yeah. okay.

Meghan Linsey (58:53.263)
Yeah.

Meghan Linsey (59:15.001)
Yeah, for sure.

Kim Rapach (59:21.196)
Last question, rapid fire. Three non-negotiables for maintaining your mental wellness.

Meghan Linsey (59:30.235)
Non-negotiable. So for me, it would be boundaries with people. I find time every day to meditate or just find my grounding. I ground every day too. Like I'm like, I have to touch grass every single day, right? Like if I have to.

So grounding and meditation and just the people around me. I just only want people that fill me out.

Kim Rapach (01:00:12.268)
And how many people, well, I said that was the last question. How many people is that for you?

Meghan Linsey (01:00:17.858)
It's a handful, you know, like I've got it and it's a small circle. I'd say my husband, my manager, my best friend, my family, my mom and my dad and my brother, but it's, the list is small.

Kim Rapach (01:00:36.962)
And it changes through life experience, doesn't it? Like you think you need all these people in a big community and really it's like you need a strong community and that can be just two people, really. It can be so small as long as it's valid.

Meghan Linsey (01:00:38.722)
It does.

Meghan Linsey (01:00:48.611)
Yeah, it can be very small. I mean, it's, yeah, I don't need to be, I used to feel like I had to be friends with everyone. You don't have to be friends with everyone. You can be nice and cool, but you don't have to be friends.

Kim Rapach (01:01:01.584)
Sure, sure.

Anything else that you want to touch on for anybody who might be listening that you wish you had known? I know I said I was going to ask you the last question, but I don't think I want this conversation to end because I'm enjoying it. What's one more thing that you would want to say? Like you wish you would have heard.

Meghan Linsey (01:01:20.44)
For me, it's always directed. guess just because I'm a female it's always I always think about young girls coming up in this industry But I found so I like what I was talking about like I really enjoy You know working out now and I never thought I would I think that my mindset has shifted about my body Especially in the last year. I've been working with a trainer who's actually her whole mission is love your body and at every size and at every stage and

Her name's Danny D Fitness is her name on Instagram. do you know Danny? Danny's great. Yeah, she's awesome. I think for me, it's just like I've shifted my, I don't weigh myself anymore. I've struggled with an eating disorder. I have struggled with body dysmorphia. So I've learned, I know my triggers, right? Like I know I can't weigh myself.

Kim Rapach (01:01:56.763)
I Dani, I've met Dani, I love her. Yeah, I don't know her well, but we've chatted, I love her, yeah.

Meghan Linsey (01:02:19.239)
I'm not working out to be skinny anymore. I'm working out because I enjoy it. I want to feel good. And I think that that's so important because there's so much pressure on us as women and young girls coming up to be skinny. some people are just naturally skinny and that's a whole nother discussion. for me, it was just always about that. And I struggled with...

I've struggled with it my entire life and it has, you know, it has been detrimental to my mental health. Just being so, just picking my body apart to the point that like, I just couldn't find anything that I liked. I still have issues even at, you know, even now I'm like, I'll look at a photo. I'm like, that's what I look like. But like, I can't see it for myself or I feel a certain way about myself because that's how I've always felt.

I don't know, I just feel like I've come a long way with that and I think that it's important to work with somebody too. think that that focuses on that when they're training you and it's not just about cutting weight and being thin and getting ready for an event or a photo shoot or whatever it is. My whole life was this. It was like, I'd lose a bunch of weight to do the.

ACM carpet and then I would like binge eat and gain it all back, you know, and it's just been very up and down. But this last year, I think I really have a way better handle on it. So.

Kim Rapach (01:03:56.02)
I'm so glad I asked. That was very important and so relevant.

Meghan Linsey (01:03:58.473)
Yeah, I knew I wanted to say something about that. I forgot that I wanted to talk about that, but it is important. It's like, and it's not talked about enough. I think there is so much pressure on young girls to look a certain way.

Kim Rapach (01:04:11.916)
Yeah, well, I think the industry is lucky to have you as a mentor. And as an example of not only like, have it all figured out, my mental health is great. That's not reality. I'm a coach and I can't say that.

Meghan Linsey (01:04:15.647)
Thank you.

Meghan Linsey (01:04:23.473)
Yeah.

Kim Rapach (01:04:29.198)
But we have the tools and we have the skills and we have the self love to, you know, choose healthy habits to, you know, maintain our wellness. So I'm glad you're, you're, you're a warrior and I'm glad you're here. And I'm glad that the industry has you and that young artists have you. Yeah. Thank you for being here.

Meghan Linsey (01:04:37.279)
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad I'm here too. I love talking to you too. I really appreciate you reaching out to me about this.

Kim Rapach (01:04:57.12)
Yeah, well thank you for accepting the invitation.

Meghan Linsey (01:04:59.646)
Absolutely.

Kim Rapach (01:05:02.444)
All right, take care.

Meghan Linsey (01:05:02.758)
You too. Thank you.