In August of 2018, Russell Barlow went on vacation with friends for the sixth year in a row. He found himself drinking to blackout for most of it, in the throes of a deep depression.

Following that trip, he was diagnosed with Bipolar 2, or as he calls it, “Bipolar Lite.”

What followed was a several-year process of waking up. The diagnosis was just the first step to a constant process of evolution and change.

In this episode of the Get the F*ck Off Podcast, we talk very intimately about Bipolar 2, mental health, and the stigma associated with it.

We talk about the pandemic, and the necessary pause that allowed for a respite in the American obsession with constant motion; a pause that allowed for some to experience a much-needed break from the assault of grueling jobs where they were undervalued.

We also talk about the importance of well-being.

Russell and I both worked in the hospitality industry for a large portion of our lives, which we use as a lens to examine the importance of work-life balance.

We also discuss the nationwide restaurant employee shortage and the dated mindset of the industry that imperatively needs to change its value system to become more person-centered.