Nion Radio With Nick Onken

“This was the deepest surrender I’ve ever had to give way to a medicine.” - Nick Onken Today I am excited to share with you some takeaways from my personal plant medicine journeys in 2023 and to explain in-depth my most recent recent experience with a new plant medicine for me: the Tree of Light plant medicine. I just got back from this amazing trip to Peru and in this episode, I explain the ceremonies I took part in and talk about managing ego deaths. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “It was very subconscious. What I learned, I don’t even know; it was very in the body.” - Nick Onken Some things we learn in this podcast: Nick’s 2023 plant medicine recap [1:46] What is the Tree of Light medicine [13:52 ]Takeaways from the Tree of Light ceremony [18:22] How to manage ego death [29:33] Links Mentioned: Connect with Nick on Instagram Get your Nick Onken original hat at Onken Made

“In this moment, are we bridging our own gaps?” - Rev. Briana Lynn Today I continue my conversation with Reverend Briana Lynn. Last week we discussed unraveling religion from society and culture and how to avoid the pitfalls of leadership. In this episode, Briana shares how she came to be at peace after having spent so much of her life trying to escape her own body. She argues that art is anything we interact with or participate in. She and I also discuss the importance of both celebrating the kink in each of us and avoiding the guru-fication of the self.  Listen in as we talk about learning to be okay with things as they are while also striving for personal growth. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “The battle or the journey that we all have…is about bridging the persona and the person.” - Rev. Briana Lynn Some things we learn in this podcast: How does Briana define identity alchemy [4:00] What are the dangers of adopting a perso

“Our greatest joy comes when we are giving our purpose for the highest good of the most people that we can.” - Rev. Briana Lynn Today I talk with Reverend Briana Lynn about the journey of getting to a place of self-expression. Briana is a coach, mentor, and ceremonialist and the Founder of the Orgasmic Oracle Mystery School. We talk about treating ourselves like a piece of art and how to use our angst as fuel. We also touch on the ideas of bottling of our ecstasy and mastering energy. Listen to this episode to learn more about burning witches, unraveling religion from society and culture, and how to avoid the pitfalls of leadership. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “The more I stepped away from the church, the more hungry I was for spirituality and actual experiences of God.” - Rev. Briana Lynn Some things we learn in this podcast: Briana’s journey [6:17] What is Briana’s work [11:24] How do people get in the way of their full

“Your identity is a blank canvas for who you want to be.” - Nick Onken Today I share some of the identity alchemy that I have been working on and go into detail about what it means to master ourselves. These past few years I have been going through some major changes that I talk about. I have been doing some serious work to grow as a person and I've been searching for a partner who is on the same path. Identity alchemy and the five C's of self-mastery are helping me to get where I want to go. What do commitment, containers, and celebration have to do with becoming who are meant to be in this world? You can learn all of these things in your head, but if you’re not practicing them, they don’t get integrated into this vessel that we call our earthly body. In this episode, I define what self-mastery actually is and share a list of the five C’s that you can implement in your own life. I also explain how to use containers and introduce my upcoming Identity Alchemy course. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podca

“Like a lot of men, I was convinced that nothing would change until I hit rock bottom.” - Connor Beaton Today, serial guest Connor Beaton and I discuss what it means to be a good, healthy, grounded, and responsible man. In this episode, Connor opens up about his own personal journey to manhood and explains how he reconciled his relationship with men. We also unpack men’s complicated relationship with porn and talk about the roots of that relationship.  Listen in as Connor and I explore the shadows of men’s psyches, break down the patterns of arousal, and discuss his new book. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “When we are in some kind of pursuit of developing ourselves we are more fulfilled.” - Connor Beaton Some things we learn in this podcast: What is men’s work [4:29] How does work spill over into relationships [6:56] What is the end goal of men’s work [10:46] Connor’s journey with men’s work [13:40] What are some key tak

“I’m really interested in activating a collective sovereign awakening in this lifetime for humanity.” - Kaia Ra Today I talk about channeling our divine creativity with author Kaia Ra. Kaia says that creativity wants to self-heal, expand, and regenerate and that we can prepare ourselves as vessels for this process by facing our trauma head-on. In this episode, Kaia and I talk about normalizing and accessing the psychic gifts inside each of us. We also define the divine genome and discuss how resonance re-sculpts reality. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “We were bred for our gifts and specifically for our psychic gifts and creativity.” - Kaia Ra Some things we learn in this podcast: What was Kaia Ra’s path to creativity [3:42] How to define Kaia’s psychic abilities [14:37] Ways to access our psychic abilities [17:06 ]Tips for spiritual protection [23.45] What is the divine genome [27:00] Unpacking the teachings of the orig

“How we feel, move, and be in life directly affects our business.” - Nick Onken In this episode, I offer up a list of the best business tools for entrepreneurs that I have learned over the past few years. Listen in as I explain how our mindset affects our business. I share the morning routine that I have cultivated to set myself up for success each day. I also talk about when it makes sense to hire a consultant for your business, when you should outsource work, and how to optimize your business networking skills. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “When you dive into yourself to develop and evolve as a human your business will grow with that.” - Nick Onken Some things we learn in this podcast: Nick tools for entrepreneurs [0:01] How does mindset affect business [1:07] Personal development tips for business [1:25] Nick’s morning routine [2:39] Moving your body to clear your mind [4:17] Should you hire a consultant for your bu

“We can all be polyamorous.” - Meleza Morris I am going through a phase of exploring my sexuality, so today I talk with Meleza Morris, an intimacy coach and intimacy coordinator for television and film, about love, sex, tantra, gender-bending, and more. In this episode, Meleza breaks down ethical non-monogamy, conscious non-monogamy, and consensual non-monogamy and shares the journey she took to re-learn her boundaries through kink, bondage, and BDSM (discipline or domination, sadism or submission, masochism). We also talk about using sexuality as a tool to heal trauma. Listen in to learn how to step into polyamory, what consent really looks like, and the role of an intimacy coach. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “Understanding the definitions and the differences between gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation is so huge.” - Meleza Morris Some things we learn in this podcast: Meleza Morris’ exploration of spirituality [7:1

“It takes courage to be able to do plant medicine.” - Nick Onken I am flying high after my last retreat in Tulum, Mexico, and today I am sharing my experience with not only my own personal metamorphosis through the guided use of plant medicines but also co-hosting one of these powerful events for the first time with my spiritual co-creator, the wonderous and mythic E11even, who has been featured in past episodes of the show. We are all on our own paths and it is my pleasure to be able to share a piece of my journey with you in the hopes that you might find something useful or relevant in my story. In this episode, I talk about more of my recent experiences with plant medicine and the purpose behind these spiritual journeys. I also talk about plant medicine as a beautiful tool to help us know ourselves better and to work through past trauma. The impact of working with plant medicines is wide-reaching and is having a profound effect on my relationship with the world. I dive into those effects in this episode.

“People are following people more than companies more than ever before.” - AJ Vaden My guest this week, AJ Vaden, has found herself doing something she never thought she would be doing: teaching people how to become more well known for what they do. AJ is the CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group, one of the world's leading authorities in personal brand strategy. In this episode, AJ talks about the power of the personal brand and explains how she helps people turn their thoughts into thought leadership. She and I discuss what Americans consider a personal brand and how to use each social media platform to appeal to a different part of who you are. Listen in to learn why it’s important to build a personal brand within a company, which surprising factors affect your return on investment, and one key thing that lawyers, employers, and doctors have in common. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “People don’t care much about what you sell

“Are psychedelics the Google Maps to the kingdom of heaven?” - Brian Muraresku Today's guest is author Brian Muraresku. I just finished his book, "The Immortality Key", so it's the perfect time to have him on the show to dive into the fascinating topic of the role of psychedelic use in early Christianity. Brian was raised Catholic just like I was, so we had a great conversation about seeing the Church as a business today and what role rituals have in society. Humans have been studying this question for thousands of years and we are still pinning down an answer. In this episode, Brian and I discuss what was in ancient wine, what they drank at the last supper, and when Christianity became mainstream. He also shares some of the research he came across while writing his book that points to early psychedelic use within the communities that gave rise to Christianity. While looking into the historical records of mysticism and the birth of religion as we know it, Brian found examples of people seeking out the meanin

“Create your moments.” - Nick Onken As we close out 2021 and step into the new year, I wanted to take some time to reflect back on some of the things that I learned recently. For today's episode, I compiled a list of 11 things that I learned over the course of the past year that I want to share with you. Life is a learning process, so it's great to take some time to muse on your experiences and all that you can learn from them. I hope this list is a reminder to you that an important part of growth is to always be creating. In this episode, I share some of the most important things I learned in the past year, how I've been affected by them, and how I am incorporating what I learned into my outlook on life as we glide into 2022. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “We need the community,” - Nick Onken Some things we learn in this podcast: What did Nick learn this year [1:00] How to use identity alchemy [7:00] What is the identity alc

“It’s an in-your-face moment.” - Nick Onken My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about two years ago and we became a lot closer as I spent as much time with her as possible, even while we don’t necessarily see eye to eye on the way that we view the world.  In today's episode, I share my recent learnings from her passing away a couple of weeks ago. Sharing with you helps me to process and move through a lot of emotions that I've been feeling. I talk about navigating my mother's last few days, grappling with the loss of a parent, and the ways grief evolves. If there is something that I can be certain about in this uncertain time, it is that healing comes from the inside out. We are all just consciousness receptors and my mother is moving on to the next stage of her journey as I am moving through the world with one more guardian keeping watch over me. Listen in as I muse on tough topics like what death really is and how we can give permission for someone we love to move on into the next stage of consc

“All of these things around joy and pleasure are so penalized and stymied in this country for the business of capitalism.” - Grace Harry Today's guest, Grace Harry, is a Joy Strategist among many other things. What even is a Joy Strategist you may ask? In this episode, I sit down with Grace as she explains the job title that she created for herself, her upbringing as a wild child with a young mother in Brooklyn, and her drive to help other people focus on joy and pleasure as their only teachers. After dropping out of high school in tenth grade and working for The Cosby Show, Grace ended up working in the record industry for 27 years. When she decided to move on from the industry, she was the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services at Def Jam Records. She shares her fear that people are forgetting how to be their own selves and explains that, now, her thing is people who create art to connect with others. She and I talk about how to get back to how we feel and the process of shedding the t

“You have to allow the messiness and the struggle.” - East Forest Today's guest, East Forest is one of my all-time favorite musicians and a kindred creator. His music has been the soundtrack to many of my magic mushroom journeys and in this interview, we talk about the ins and outs of creativity, healing, and mindset. After a difficult childhood plagued with depression, East Forest started using psychedelics and making music for other people on psychedelic journeys. He maintains that you have to allow the messiness and the struggle to unleash your creative potential. We touch on many key questions surrounding music and psychedelics, like how to create music that can accompany a psychedelic trip, which instruments he uses for his albums, and how to unlock your creativity. We also answer some questions that have been nagging me for a long time, like why psychedelic ceremonies so often begin with percussion. Listen in to this episode as he and I discuss the line between commerce and art, why we need to take bac

“Follow your feels.” - Nick Onken Let's talk mindset, folks. Your mindset controls so much of your world experience, why not make every effort to optimize it? Along the way, you'll solidify your values and optimize your days to suit the life you seek. That's what I've been doing over the past few years and it has made a world of difference in my creativity, productivity, and overall happiness. I put together a comprehensive list of the things that have been working for me as I seek a more expansive life. They might not work for everyone, but they can be a great jumping-off point for your own journey. In this episode, I share steps you can take to access your creativity, live a better life, and feel better doing it. You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And please leave me a Rating and Review! “You attract who you are.” - Nick Onken Some things we learn in this podcast: How to deal with your trauma [4:00] What is the difference between medicines and drugs [5:00] How to opti

“Whose story was I living?” - Blu Today's guest on Onken Radio is Blu, a friend I met at Arkana who is defying expectations at every turn. Blu also goes by Blu Cosmic Eagle and she served in the Royal Air Force before trying magic mushrooms for the first time and starting her journey as a curious mystic. When she learned that she would gradually lose her hearing due to an incurable hereditary disorder, she bought a guitar and went traveling with it. Now an accomplished musician, Blu had to work through her own shifting identity alchemy to reach the point she's at today where she sees her hearing loss as an invitation to listen deeper. She encourages others to turn their traumas own into their greatest gifts in her recent TEDx Talk where she shares the amazing story of how she moves through the world. In this episode, Blu explains what it looks like to live to blow your own mind. We also discuss what it was like for Blu to lose her hearing, the difference between prayer and performance, and why she wants eve

“Our ego is our teammate.” - Nick Onken Hello my fellow alchemists! I’m your host, Nick Onken, and we're back with another solo episode of the ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. Today. I'm going to talk more about identity alchemy, and I want to share with you my journey of finding my self-worth and my identity.  As I've gone through this journey myself, I've realized that the more you attach your self-worth with the identity that you put out into the world — whether that's your career, your relationship, or your family — if you're solely attached to that identity, what happens when that goes away? What's left for you?  What I have learned through my 20 years of experience as a photographer is something that I am applying to help people tell their visual stories and build their brands. People want real authenticity, and the story you are telling the world is what needs to resonate. This is where identity alchemy comes in

“I have made a conscious decision to evolve without pain.” - Maejor Hello, my friends! Welcome to another episode of the Onken Radio podcast (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey! Today, I’m excited about my special guest and music master, Maejor. I really wanted to have him on because he is all about frequency and healing the world through frequency in his music. He’s produced albums and songs for Justin Bieber and is also a leukemia survivor. All these things have given him a unique perspective on life, making him a great guest to talk to about the alchemy of life. We will also share with you his mission to heal the world through frequency by creating all of his music in 432 Hertz and other healing frequencies.  Here’s a quick taste of what’s to come from my interview with Maejor: “I believe this year has

“Nick was such a huge part of capturing the beauty of our relationship.” - E11even Hello friends! Welcome back to ONKEN RADIO (previously NION Radio), the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It’s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I’m so glad you’re joining me on this journey. Today, I’m excited to bring to you another episode with my dear friend, Eleven. We chatted in Episode 204 about their transition to non-binary. As a follow-up, we both decided to create another podcast that dives deep into how our relationship has progressed since we first met in 2013.  We’ve been able to explore different spaces in our lives as friends, creative collaborators, and Eleven’s even been a muse for me, my photography, and ONKEN hats. Today’s episode is all about blurring the lines between the muse and the artist as we explore beyond friendship. Let me just give you a little preview here: “We’re dealing with sexual identity and ident