With over 2 million followers across his social channels, influencer Rod Thill, who you know as just plain Rod in your feed, is best known for creating content that focuses on millennial mental health in the workplace.
LISTEN NOW: Corey Crockett talks with Rod Thill
After getting his start creating content surrounding mental health in the workplace at the beginning of the Work From Home model at the height of the pandemic, Rod has since realized he was helping to break down barriers. What pushed him in this direction was the lack of personal experience with "work besties" who simply weren’t available while working from home, so he turned to social media. Now with the COVID pandemic subsiding, people have been approaching Rod to share stories of how he continues to help get them through their day.
"I realized the things I was internally kind of keeping to myself that I started putting out into the world, that other people relate to it," Rod tells Audacy host Corey Crockett. "I never expected any of this to happen... sometimes I'm still in disbelief because you see the little 1 million or 2 million views on your video and think, 'Oh it's just a number,' then you realize that's 2 million eyes, or 4 million eyes I guess, on your video. That's when I had a moment literally sitting in my home office by myself, I looked at that number and go, 'Wait, these are real people looking at this' and then realized the impact that it has."
Finding ways to open up about mental health and making ourselves open to talking with others around us about their own problems can have a lasting influence. "You would just be surprised at what people go through," Rod adds. "The most grounded people in my life or in my workplace, even my boss one time sent me one of the videos and was like, 'Man, I really took this hard,' and it was about him. Not anything negative, but just of me being afraid of a random call without doing anything wrong. I think you just realize everyone internally goes through it, it's just all about how people express it."
"Even with the pandemic or just life," Rod continues, "realizing how important it is having therapy or just constructive ways to speak about your mental health is really important... You realize the impact too that your mental health can have on others. You know, show people the good of your life, not just the bad."
Rod also shares some of the things he has found work for him, such as journaling and taking the time to find the right therapist. "I don't want to say that what I do is for everyone, that's why I kind of limit myself to how much self-help books I read because I'm easily impressionable, so I don't want to ever take what someone else does as what works for me. But figure out how to reflect on your life and think about the good that's happening not just the bad."
Listen to Corey Crockett's full interview with Rod Thill above and stay tuned for more conversations surrounding mental health on Audacy's I'm Listening.
Related
Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.