‘MINDSET TOWN HALL’ IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
EVENT COVERAGE
From corporations integrating wellness perks and mental health benefits for their employees, to startups creating new mobile apps which focus on subjects like sleep and nutrition, as well as mental health and wellness has become more prevalent than ever – and Mindset by DIVE Studios is a platform that truly stands out from the rest.
Co-founded by Eric, Eddie, and Brian Nam, DIVE Studios and Mindset has become a space where artists can share their own personal stories and perspectives on their own terms. Now, it’s not the typical media outlet where a journalist conducts an interview or is covering a deep inside story of an artist, but it’s more of a friend telling you their own personal experiences to help you get through a similar situation that you may be going through. With Mindset being built upon an incredible business idea and foundation that was already making a positive difference in the world of K-Pop, it was bound to become an instrumental mental health and wellness resource for people all over the world.
PRE-EVENT
Video Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
Earlier this year, the Nams held their first set of Mindset Town Halls within the same week – the first event being held in New York City, NY and the other two being held in Los Angeles, CA. With the first three town halls being such a huge success, Mindset announced that they will be hosting their first Mindset Town Hall in the San Francisco Bay Area at AMC Saratoga 14 in San Jose, CA.
While the Bay Area is one of the primary locations that a lot of K-Pop artists travel to for their North American tours, it isn’t as much of a hot spot as Los Angeles or New York, where there are a lot of different types of events that K-Pop fans can go to, such as exhibitions and pop-up shops. But with Eric and Brian traveling to San Jose to meet with the Bay Area’s Mindset community, and them posting on their Instagram stories of them torching a pastry at the Neighbor Bakehouse in San Francisco, it just made the fans that much more excited to see the both of them enjoying their time in the Bay Area.
THE MAIN EVENT
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
From Eric and Brian making their grand entrance by sneaking into the theater, to the brotherly banter between the oldest and youngest of the three Nam siblings – the fireside chat was nothing short of an honest, fun, and great time! The fireside chat consisted of going over both DIVE Studios and Mindset’s purpose and mission in trying to become global platforms, as well as giving the Mindset community an in-depth look into how artists create their own Mindset collection. The Nam's also gave audiences a preview on what new features have been released on the Mindset App, as well as a sneak peek on what will be coming out soon!
Here are some detailed updates that Eric and Brian shared with their community based in the San Francisco Bay Area:
DIVE Studios
Video Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
Their podcasts are meant to talk about real human challenges.
The Nams wanted to normalize the motto: “It’s okay to not be okay.”
The Nams wanted to create a safe and authentic space for artists and their fans.
The company’s mission is to produce content that has real value, and can be applied to people all over the world.
DIVE Studios started off with reaching out to international K-Pop fans by picking podcast hosts that speak English.
Mindset by DIVE Studios
Video Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
The Nam brothers had an idea that they thought could have a great and positive impact on society, but they were worried that they couldn’t find artists to be on their platform. Even though they had a slow start during the first year and a half, Mindset started to gain traction as more artists wanted to share their life stories on the mental health and wellness platform.
While Mindset’s core is K-Pop artists, the Nam's wanted to expand their platform to artists of different ages, different genres, and who are also from different regions of the world because they believed that even though people live different lives, there are still things that we all have in common as human beings. Mindset was created to give artists a platform where they can share the obstacles they've overcame in their lifetime, so it can help others who may have gone or are currently going through a similar situation. This power of relatability and connectedness is what makes Mindset by DIVE Studios stand out from all the other mental health and wellness platforms.
Building a Mindset Collection
Video Courtesy: Summer Walker.
One of the best moments of the town hall event was hearing how the Mindset Team truly cares about the artists that they work with, especially since they will be sharing their dark, deep, honest, and/or innermost thoughts. The Mindset team goes through an extensive and highly detailed process with the artists to help build their Mindset collection. They first sit down with the artist and listen to what they would like to share with their fans, in which they will then draw up a storyboard where the artist can hone in on a specific experience or life lesson per episode.
One example of how the Mindset Team works with an artist, that both Eric and Brian wanted to share, was when they worked with Summer Walker. After playing Summer Walker’s Mindset video, Eric and Brian genuinely expressed how much they truly respect this particular artist, because of the amount of courage she took to tell her most personal and raw stories. Eric continued to explain that while Summer Walker had agreed to make her own Mindset collection, it was difficult to execute the production of it at the time because it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a person who deals with social anxiety and who also had a baby during the pandemic, Summer didn't feel comfortable traveling during that time, which is completely understandable. But since the Mindset Team always tries to make sure each of the artists they are working with feels completely comfortable, where they can feel free to open up and share their vulnerabilities, they came up with the idea to send out a small team to Summer’s home in Atlanta, to make sure she had the opportunity to share her stories.
The accommodations that the Mindset Team came up with are exceptionally above and beyond because the Mindset Team is made up of genuine and sincere people, the Nam's hope that Mindset can become a highly well-known platform, where artists can go to and feel like it's a home away from home, as well as a place where they can feel fully understood as an individual.
Mindset’s Mobile App
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
The new check-in feature on the Mindset App is
“...designed to help you connect to your most meaningful self...and help you get started on the right foot, where it will set yourself up for a day of confidence and authenticity.” - Brian Nam.
The retention for this new check-in feature is pretty high, and the Mindset Team is super happy to see many people using this feature to help take care of their mental health and well-being. Eric and Brian hope that this will become
“...a great resource to help [people] learn how to take care of [their] mental health, where it will eventually transcend into living a healthier and more positive lifestyle." - Eric and Brian Nam.
Closing Statements
Since Eric is a K-Pop star who has done a countless amount of different interviews and video contents to help promote himself as an artist, and to promote his music, he knows that public relations plays a significant role in how people view artists. Since Eric created a platform with his brothers that showcases an unknown side of an artist, he stated that
“Mindset is better than going to any other PR outlet because it’s from the artists’ perspective. They can tell their dark and honest stories on their own terms.” - Eric Nam.
STRESS & ANXIETY WITH DR. KAUFMAN
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
The special guest of the night was Dr. Michelle Kaufman, who is a social psychologist at John Hopkins University. Her work primarily focuses on how social interactions create or promote disparities, and she also studies mental health outcomes in context of risky sexual behavior, usage of substances, and how technology can help with social disparities. She also disclosed that she is currently doing a research project on how Mindset by DIVE Studios is positively or negatively impacting people.
As the first topic of the discussion, Dr. Kaufman talked about what anxiety is and how it comes in different forms to different people. She explained how there are clinical anxiety disorders where some may have to be medicated, and others that can be treated with therapy, meditation, or something else that helps relieve anxieties and stress.
As the Nam's built a platform that focuses on mental health and wellness, Eric and Brian shared what they stress about, as well as the different types of anxieties they have dealt with:
Brian’s Stress & Anxieties
Brian talked about his anxiety attacks and how a bad allergic reaction to food led him to become a hypochondriac, where he developed a fear of eating food. Brian said that he is good now, but there are other stresses and anxieties in his life because of work, and that he is still finding ways to cope with it. He admitted that he is an anxious type of person who gets deep into his thoughts a lot, and has even seen a therapist for help.
Eric’s Stress & Anxieties
Eric talked about his anxiety and stress, as well as his having his own experience with panic and anxiety attacks. He talked about the time when he was working on his first big acting project that he had night sweats and kept waking up in a panic. He didn’t know if it was caused by anxiety or not because after the movie was over, he didn’t have those symptoms anymore. Dr. Kaufman pointed out that while night sweats is a common symptom of anxiety, symptoms can be caused by other things that may not be anxiety induced, such as
“...having side effects to medication, or catching a virus, or having some type of illness. So if one person went to see their primary care physician to see what the cause was of certain symptoms they had, they would look at certain causes first, and then work their way down the list of other causes that could lead to those specific symptoms, such as anxiety.” - Dr. Kaufman.
Dr. Kaufman’s Stress and Anxieties
After Eric and Brian shared their stress and anxieties, Dr. Kaufman talked about her mental distress as well. She talked about how she had to learn how to manage her stress levels and her feelings of anxiety in the earlier years of her life, and that while it was specifically tough for her to deal with that at a very young age, she eventually became a person who knew how to navigate the really big obstacles in her life. As she kept getting older, she knew how to manage her anxiety and stress levels for more aspects part of her daily life.
Q&A SESSION
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
What was great about this Q&A session was the fact that Eric and Brian extended some advice based on their own personal experiences, and Dr. Kaufman also added her own knowledge and expertise into the mix as well.
Below is the advice that the Nam's and Dr. Kaufman gave to the audience:
Eric: “Everything will unfold in time, and you don’t need to have everything done in your 20’s. You should have fun in your 20’s, and hone in on trying different things because you never know where life will take you. You should just do whatever makes you feel good.”
Brian: “While you are in your 20’s, you should invest in yourself, be as present as you can, treat yourself right, and do what you are comfortable with.”
Brian: “Find something enjoyable, where it also helps you distress, and that also works with your schedule.”
Eric: “If meditation does not work for you, start with Mindset!”
Dr. Kaufman: “There are so many different ways for different people that can allow one’s mind to settle down. But what works for you is different than what works for other people...Find something that helps you stay focused, and keeps you grounded to keep up a routine that you like. Some examples that helps settle people down are:
Going on a morning walk.Meditation / Guided Breathing.Having a cup of tea and looking out the window in silence.”
Eric: “Be fair to yourself and make sure you are putting your best foot forward. Always try your best.”
Dr. Kaufman: “Try blocking out the noise and finding your course, if there are people telling you to become something you don't want to be. Find mentors who have had the same/similar career path that you want to follow, and be true to who you are. Don’t be afraid to break out of the social norm – it takes courage – but if you believe in yourself and your passions, go for it.”
Eric: “Everyone has a different outlet to distress like talking to people, talking to a therapist, and meditation doesn’t work for everyone.”
Brian: “Talking to people who have gone through the same thing, and who have had the same struggles is another way to vent out your frustrations.”
Dr. Kaufman: “People usually turn to vices such as substances, and alcohol, and risky sex to make themselves feel better for the time being, but if there is something that is causing you to constantly be anxious and you are worrying about everything, seeking professional help is the best option.”
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
Video Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
As the event started to wrap up, Eric and Brian announced some big news that left everyone gasping with excitement!
New Mindset Artists
Joshua of SEVENTEEN
Mingyu of SEVENTEEN
Tablo of Epik High
Paul Wesley
Tori Kelly
Jessie Reyez
Aaron Kwak
B.I
Raisa
New Verticals
Expert-Led Content
Celebrity x Mindset Merch Collaborations
POST-EVENT
Photo Courtesy: DIVE Studios.
Whether it's interacting with the DIVE Studios and Mindset communities on social media or in-person, the Nam's have always been about the people. After the town hall event ended, Eric and Brian took photos with everyone in attendance, and Brian also took the time to speak with people individually outside of the theater. From fans telling Brian how much DIVE Studios and Mindset has positively impacted their lives, to telling Brian how much he and his brothers are changing the landscape of how people see artists – it was such a heartwarming moment. The Nam brothers always have outstanding fan service, and the Mindset staff provided amazing services as well!
What we learned from this town hall event is that DIVE Studios and Mindset are headed into bigger and brighter things. Eric, Eddie, and Brian Nam have created a mental health and wellness platform that is both pure and raw – and that's what makes it so beautifully curated. The platforms the Nam brothers have built have so much potential to really change the world. Now granted, both platforms have already made a positive impact on everyone within the Mindset and DIVE Studios’ communities, as well as having a tremendous impact on the artists that have shared their stories on a Mindset Collection and/or via a DIVE Studios podcast.
With artists such as Tablo of Epik High, Vernon and DK of SEVENTEEN, Jay B of GOT7, and so many other well-known artists across different regions of the world – DIVE Studios and Mindset has truly given them a safe, open, comfortable, and therapeutic space where the artists can be their true and authentic selves. With societal pressures coming from every corner of the world, especially with a significant amount of it coming from social media, there are a lot more comparisons that people make about themselves rather than focusing on what makes us so similar – ultimately, what makes us human beings. Mindset by DIVE Studios has outstandingly done so much when it comes to mental health and wellness, especially when it comes to building it around artists who a lot of people look up to – they are humanizing artists in ways that has never been done before – and that in itself should be highly respectable. This is just the beginning of Mindset’s success story and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them in the future!
CREDITS
We want to thank Brian Nam, Eric Nam, and Samantha Dang for giving us the wonderful opportunity to cover the Mindset Town Hall event in the Bay Area, and we also want to give a huge shoutout to all of Mindset staff who put on a seamless event!
SOURCES
All photos and videos are credited to DIVE Studios.
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