KOOL KEN: Peace, peace, my friends. How y'all feel out there? It's your guy, Cool Can checking in with another episode of the Get Your Mind Right Podcast. And again, I got another special guest. United States Air Force veteran. Nick Thompson is in the building this evening. How you doing there, sir?
Nick Thompson: Doing wonderful, brother.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Nick Thompson: Down, calm down. I'm doing good. I'm doing good. How you feeling family?
KOOL KEN: I'm I'm great. I'm great. No complaints at all. I thank you for choosing to come onto the show and telling your story on what it took to get your mind right. I wanna tell them a little bit about you. That's what I do first. I always brag on my guests. extremely proud of you. when I met you, you were a college student. trying to work your way through college, wanting to be a doctor, former athlete. And yeah, it was an interesting meeting, meeting you selling cars when we worked together selling Hondas. I left the dealership shortly after you arrived and went to Acura, right across the street. And then you came across the street not too long after. And we worked for g how long did we work together, you you recall?
Nick Thompson: So I met you around twenty seventeen
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Nick Thompson: and then I ended up leaving say maybe close to Halloween twenty eighteen. So it was
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Nick Thompson: like two years from there.
KOOL KEN: Okay. Word. Yeah. And it again it was an honor meeting you. and you became like a nephew to me, man. you know, I to look out out for you a little bit and point you in the right direction. And I want you to tell your story. This is about you telling your story on how you were able to overcome some obstacles. Towards your your journey. You have a great journey and let's tell the story, brother. start off before I met you. Well, who was Nick Thompson before I met you in twenty seventeen?
Nick Thompson: So I think my story was always has been me just ultimately trying to find my place.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: And growing up I was always a shy kid. even going back to the family thing, I came from a loving home. But I just never really felt well, I really had no way to contextualize that when I was younger, but I just always felt off. Like I was Well, I know like the popular thing to say is introverted or whatever, but that was definitely me growing up. And going from different schools and everything like that. I was just always trying to find some sort of idea of a community or some sort of idea of a family where it didn't feel forced. And I mean with some family members like my my parents growing up and my cousin and my grandparents, it was kind of a effortless flow. But
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: the second I was not under their roof no more or my cousin wasn't around, I was just always trying to find whatever that really means, the idea of community. So just dealing with a lot of things growing up in Long Island, New York. I dealt with a lot being mixed out here, dealt with a lot as far as it was always like the I know it's a common thing, but I was especially out here, I was considered too white to be with black folks. And I was considered too black and that came out of a lot of ways to kick it with white folks. So that like increased my shyness that much more as far as ultimately Where do I belong? But even better yet, what's ultimately right for me, as opposed to just what the crowd feel. So that's when football came to my life.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: I mean it always started with just being a gym class hero, but it was something that I want to say effortless, but being able to actually exhibit something, something that was actually able to garner some sort of community that felt really good.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: And it had nothing to do with street things or getting to whatever crap back in the day. It just felt great to fail accept it without me overly trying to act. And it led me to like different possibilities. Like, hey man, like I wanna make it to the league. I wanna play college. I want to do all these great things and it didn't come till much, much later. The only
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: reason why I loved it the way I did was because of the people around me. And at that point it could have been Chinese checkers. You know what I'm saying? It didn't
KOOL KEN: Well.
Nick Thompson: matter. I just loved the idea that I was no longer this. I was no longer that. I just felt like I had some sort of worth. And When football didn't work out and I ended up getting injured, that's what ultimately led me to Cincinnati.
KOOL KEN: What type of injury did you incur?
Nick Thompson: So I subluxed my shoulder, my right. I had a funky tackle, and it was a combination of where like the helmet hit and how I landed, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: from that point, it was just like extremely easy for my shoulder to just come out of socket. And lack of a better term, it just kind of ended my career from there. Like everything from you know how it is, you you with your career as a football coach. I mean, down to the bear crawls we used to do, down to even just backyard wrestling or even slap boxing. If I came out too wide, that was it. So there we go again. You
KOOL KEN: Good.
Nick Thompson: know what I'm saying? Like, and you know what? That's my gift to the world. I'm glad my suffering brings everybody's smile, so be it. But it's just one of them things where, and I guess this will just kind of be the theme or whatever, but My story from then till now has always been just this idea of being more than what I've been through. So go ahead.
KOOL KEN: And and I and not not to cut you off, but when I when I met you, you you kinda shared some of that with me.
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: And what kind of made me interested in kind of helping was your determination. you're you're extremely intelligent and determined.
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: and your determination you were using it channeling it the wrong way and I used to just want to point you in the right way like hey channel that energy channel that determination in a positive direction. But that being said, when you were in college, this is now we're talking about Cincinnati. what
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: what were your goals once you got to Cincinnati?
Nick Thompson: My immediate thing was well, for one, to escape New York because
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: everything around around me was kind of a reminder of what could have been.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: And the second I got to Cincinnati, I mean you you already know, like it's the stereotypical college thing. You could be whatever the hell you wanted to be.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Right.
Nick Thompson: I mean, I told people I was an astronaut at eighteen. I said any damn thing just to yeah, you know, see what gravitated.
KOOL KEN: Right. Right.
Nick Thompson: But my ultimate goal then was like I went in exploratory. I ain't exactly scream like anything medical at the time, but I mean the whole idea of exploratory, let me try a little of this, a little bit of that, and we'll see where it comes to. My
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Nick Thompson: issue though, that freshman year, I tried a little bit of everything else but school.
KOOL KEN: What
Nick Thompson: Like my whole my whole dichotomy was to just get my mind off of things and all that. So I did everything from just trying to get my mind off through whether it be you know, a stereotypical college thing, whether it be women, whether it be weed and alcohol and I no matter how good I felt in that moment, sure I was able to get my mind off whatever, but that next day, it was just right back to the misery of what could have been and what could have been. So Needless to say, that first year I just didn't to the point where it didn't really hit me till I finally got that grade book. It was just a bunch of bunch of big C's and all.
KOOL KEN: So y when you were in Cincinnati, was that your first time away from home?
Nick Thompson: I vacationed a little bit. my mom's side of family, they all ever since nine eleven, my uncle was a firefighter and he was part of the grand cleanup during that time, but he messed up his lungs, so his family and sever like the basically the rest of my mom's family just all migrated down to Florida. So before football got sherry ish, every summer I would kick it with my cousin Cody. And you know, just getting into Whatever hood rest up in Florida, which I got stories for days about, but yeah, I haven't been back down there in a minute. other than that, just a little spots throughout the country, a little bit of the Caribbean, but nothing long standing to embrace any culture.
KOOL KEN: how'd how'd you end up selling cars, man? You you were in college and and thinking about becoming a doctor and all that. How how'd you end up selling cars? And what was going on in your life at that time?
Nick Thompson: So leading into my sophomore year, I got my act together. I kind of realized that well, I wasn't completely sold, but I
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: decided, you know what, let me dive head first into biology. And then my grades started to pick up and everything, and I had a girlfriend at the time, so it was just me, her, and this dog that we used to have. So everything was copesthetic until I wouldn't say toward the end of my junior year, I got really sick. And because
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: of that, I was just too weak to go to school, wasn't even sleeping no more, wasn't eating no more. I went from 205 fit to like 140. Like I withered away, withered away. And my days consisted of just constantly going to doctor's appointments and all that. And since I wasn't sleeping, I just spent most of the time just being miserable.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Like I'll give it to my ex at the time she did all she could, but the majority of that to say yeah, I was just low-key a burden. I didn't want to try nothing and I mean for good reason. I just had whatever pain was going on, but yeah, it took a out a lot on everybody. But once I thank God, like, And missed the ideas of having cancer, missed the ideas of all these other diseases that could have been. God saw fit that I was able to recover through all that. And from say 2014, 2015, I was I was healthy, cool, clean bill of health,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: but I was faced with crazy debt, brother. Crazy medical debt. And the messed up thing about that was also mentally, because all these things was going on. I was just literally just withering away. And then I remember one of my last doctor's visits before I got this last test, he just basically haphazardly just looked up and said, Hey, you might have cancer.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Nick Thompson: And it was just like that smooth with it. And it's it was like a weird thing 'cause at the time. It shocked me a little bit, but to be real, brother, I kinda made peace with dying.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Nick Thompson: Everything that led me up to that point as far as what I wanted to be and what I wanted to do and aspire to, that was taken away from football to school to community to I mean me and her at the time wasn't kicking it or whatever and I was having peace with the family or whatever. So maybe I was just ordained to tr to try and die, literally. And I made peace with that. And then when I got with
KOOL KEN: I never do that.
Nick Thompson: that clean bill of health, that messed me up even more because it was like, all right, I I thought I was supposed to die. But I'm here. But now I got this thing from from the floor to the heavens, as far as like all these medical bills. Right. So what led me to cause was I did everything under the sun in Cincinnati. From good things and bad things to ultimately raise the money up. I mean, I even did that that 1-800 got junk. Like I did it all as far as like legal things or whatever. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah.
Nick Thompson: that ultimately led me to y'all doorstep at forgive me if I butcher the name, but it was performing Honda in Fairfield. And
KOOL KEN: Well, yeah. Exactly, yeah. That's where we met.
Nick Thompson: it was cool though. I mean, To a degree, it was kind of a gamble. Cause, I mean, outside of like street things at the time, it kind of felt like this felt more of a gamble than just selling weed or whatever. But the idea of sales legitimately scared me more than the other way around. But ultimately, you already know the penalties of that. But funny how the idea of Well, if I can't sell a car, I guess we not eating scare me more than the potentiality of some dark things. But the second I actually like walk through that showroom and I actually like like meeting you and meeting other people through that dealership, I kind of felt okay finally.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: If fet like if I make that first sale wasn't the end of the world, and once I've made that first sale to be real though. I forgot exactly who it was or what it was about. I'll take that back. It was a Honda hybrid. Like
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: the sure I was stuttering, muttering, whatever, like, this car got three wheels. I just said whatever, just to
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: coast through it. And they looking at me funny, like, come on, what what three wheels? But I ain't yo, I didn't care. You know what
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm saying? Like, but the second they signed on, like, even though that that punk. check was maybe four ninety five, like four dollars ninety five cents. Back then that was half a Chipotle sandwich. I was good. Yeah I mean like
KOOL KEN: You know,
Nick Thompson: it it legitimized it. So I felt all right, man. Like I had like some sort of flow.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. I I I remember when you first came there and Matt Lockwood, he was like, Hey, look after Nick. He's he's new, he's from New York City. And Matt's got some ties to New York as well, and as well as I do. And yeah, we met and yeah, it wa it wa it was cool. And you would always, you know, introduce to yourself to the clients, would you like a water?
Nick Thompson: You know what? I gotta list from here to there as far
KOOL KEN: To everybody. Amen.
Nick Thompson: as everyone trying that impression, man. Like
KOOL KEN: A man, hey, Kennedy at the time was little. Matter. Would you like a water? She was funny, man. Shout out to Kennedy, man. Seventeen years old now. yeah, like I said, it's been like ten years since I've known you now. Yeah,
Nick Thompson: That's a trip, yo. And I 'cause I met your daughter like this tall, literally.
KOOL KEN: it's going on ten years. and we we stay connected, man, after we stopped working together. So we we worked at Honda, we worked at Acura. You came over work with me for a little bit at Acura. And then you had to move back. And we stayed connected during that time. what do you remember about some of the conversations that we used to have during that time?
Nick Thompson: But let me pay the light bill. I'll be right back.
KOOL KEN: Yep, yep.
Nick Thompson: Woo! Alright. Mike check. All right.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you are. We are.
Nick Thompson: Yeah. Man, ain't getting no lighting, no craft services. What kinda deal is this? All right. There you go. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Go, he's back.
Nick Thompson: I'm still freaked out with these ad libs, but whatever, we're here.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we hear my chat.
Nick Thompson: Above everything, and I leaned on you for a lot. Like you were basically my quasi therapist for the time for the good and the bad. But above everything, like a like a jackhammer, you was always telling me to stay positive. No matter what was going on, just stay positive. And at the time, like especially when I mean down to so much stuff in my life. If someone's just telling you, hey, w why don't you smile every now and again? It's just like, all right. But such a simple philosophy, it's infectious. Because, like, after a while, your message came through in a lot of ways, and and it didn't exist in Honda, but at least in Acura,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: it was at least a community where no matter how long the hours were, no matter Cause we had weeks where there was no sales really, and snow days where we had to be there. But you in particular, you always had us laughing, man.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Like, I still remember the days like, and we talked about this, but I remember, you know, when you're like speaking to a customer when you're trying to sell them anything at that point, you're in a zone where you're just tunnel visioned on. Whatever they're gonna s say, whatever they gonna not say, whatever arguments or whatever they got going on, you plugged into that. I remember in particular, this one customer was telling me something about, yeah, man, I w worked on an oil rig and I was making like thirty grand every two months or whatever, and then you come out of nowhere purping. And yo.
KOOL KEN: What?
Nick Thompson: It took me everything, everything. And you know me, I I I could be stoic as hell, but
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: when you did that I like that like the
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you gotta hey, you gotta s hey you gotta stay professional. Hey, I'm I'm a I'ma test you.
Nick Thompson: Like that Jack-Olan and smile just like came through like like Joker face. It might as well have been sliced off. But from that alone, like just little things like that, it just always Yeah, like you guys made me for once in a mad long time happy to actually go into work. Like the check was meh, but at the end of the day, down to like random pranks we used to pull on each other, down to random banter and like debates or whatever, talking about football, comedy, whatever it is. And of course we were always talking smack about each other. But what do y'all call it down there, Jonin? Like it was just it was everything. There you go. Yeah, keep it going.
KOOL KEN: Roasting. Cap it.
Nick Thompson: Yeah, tha
KOOL KEN: Heat.
Nick Thompson: that's why I get for trying to bring down bring up Southern Inacula. But
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: it was just it f actu legitimately felt like a community where to a degree a big part of me kinda made peace with all right, this is my situation. I gotta pay off these bills, but even though it's happening slowly but surely, I'm finally happy. You know what I'm saying? Like, me and the ex were okay at the time. I was lifting again, I was getting my weight up and I got got to work at a gig where and here's the other thing too, maybe the most important thing. Especially at that time in Cincinnati, it was a business where it was just nothing but brothers. And that that right there, especially compared to and well, I've already told you those stories with the stuff I dealt with in Cincinnati. It was definitely a breath of fresh air.
KOOL KEN: Let me ask you this. after that, when did times start getting a little tough for you? Like when 'Cause it was a period where things got a little difficult for you. What what were those years like?
Nick Thompson: When do we leave them years? It was I mean at this point it's just like, and this is something that was just a matter of fact for my whole life. I would start low, then I'll feel like I'm in a groove where, all right, things are actually working out for me. This is this is me, this is what I'm about. And then something happened and then back down again. And it's just constant ebb or flow of refiguring things out. And for that time the happy family wasn't no longer a happy family.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Nick Thompson: The ex broke up with me over some whatever whatever was going on. And technically, if me and her were no longer together, that kind of eliminated my reason to truly stick around. You know what I'm saying? Cause she was maybe, yeah, like a hundred percent of the reason why I was still around. Like the ultimate goal was to make enough bread, to go back into school, and then probably where my mindset was at the time to head back to New York. But that plan obviously shattered, so that's essentially forced my departure from Cincinnati a little preemptively.
KOOL KEN: Okay. and where'd you go?
Nick Thompson: Came right back here on back to back to Long Island. And it was essentially just picking up the pieces and similar thing. Pay off the things I needed to pay off and just doing the same funky combination I was doing before I was selling cars at Honda. Street things and legitimate things. And it was just again all these things with a vague premise of someday you'll get over that hump and that hump never came.
KOOL KEN: And we had a lot of talks during that time. And what was the main thing that I kept saying to you?
Nick Thompson: Stay positive for one. Stay motivated. And ultimately, and I'm and I apologize for not quoting you directly, but there's still life. There's still so much to fight for.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. And that was the main thing I would say, like your your your better days are to come. Like you haven't even reached your peak yet. And I recommended the military for you. And how how'd you feel about the first time I talked about going to the Air Force?
Nick Thompson: Yeah. No. Like yeah what I mean? Like it's just
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: 'cause this is my whole dichotomy of it. A portion of it was historically when it comes for black men is especially through the Vietnam days and all that. I was anti the idea to that degree. But
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: a huge portion of that was probably the biggest portion. I kinda live my entire life. On the idea that it's just me. Meaning, I gotta figure this out. I gotta figure out how to get out get out of this hole. And when I was in relationships, how am I gonna fix the thing? And then even how my father raised me for the good or the bad, it was his constant lessons was ultimately you're a man, no matter. if you wanna cry or whatever it is, cause ultimately in this world no one cares if you're bleeding or otherwise, you gotta figure it out. So that basically made me too stubborn to be open to your idea. Because I thought at the time that was like all right, me like throwing the flag and just tapping out, tapping out on reality.
KOOL KEN: What made you decide to go ahead and and look into the Air Force? Cause I know I I I know I share it with you that I was a veteran and so forth and I was trying to give you all as much information as possible. But what ultimately may you decide, I'ma look into it, I'm gonna do this.
Nick Thompson: I hit another rock bottom portion of my life. Again, the ebb and flow. And this was during the height of COVID. So around 2021, it's similar thing. I was in another relationship that was toxic for the both of us. And it got to the point where brother, I was homeless. And I remember, I mean, this is a little bit after the fact before I started seeing recruiters and all that, but leading up to the Air Force, this was my schedule most days. I was in a job where so this is a kind of a combination, but I was in a job where I kind of had a foreshadowing as far as exactly what I wanted to do and what I want to be, which is ultimately a therapist.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: so through this job I was able to render treatment to patients, but for that hour of giving treatment to patients, I was essentially a quasi-therapist. I had to get a gauge on how they were feeling, what was good, what was bad, and not necessarily give medical advice, but just give somewhat life advice, just something to cheer everybody up and Beautiful thing about that though is other than one day out of the whole week, I had the whole office to myself, so it was on me to open. It was all up to me to lock up. Like I even had the corner thing and the window with the beautiful view. Like, if they paid me decent bread, like who knows where my life could have been otherwise, but this is what the reality was at the time, though. I would at the The workday I believe ended at around 5 30. And what I would do is I would keep in mind that the whole office building, it closed at 8. So I would have to sprint out the office, get something bad to eat, like McDonald's or whatever. Or I would quickly run to the gym, get a quick workout and take a quick shower, and then sprint into that office before eight o'clock. Because before if it was a second after eight, the building closed. But I'll run up there and I would close the office door behind me. And yeah, that's those were my nights.
KOOL KEN: Wow. D did you ever get locked out? Did you ever get there after eight?
Nick Thompson: Most definitely. Especially in the beginning before I read that rhythm and what what would go down was I would just have to sleep in the car. And during the summer that was extremely rough because the heat and all that and I'm already kind of a paranoid brother, so any little like noise or any little whatever I was just you know s like I was already too ready, so I never really fell asleep.
KOOL KEN: And how long did this go on that you were living like this?
Nick Thompson: On and off for weeks. And sometimes me and the ex would reconcile, but something else would happen, which it just was just that kind of a tumultuous thing. And here's a little bit more icing on the cake as far as everything that I had going on at the time. When I this was all happening in the midst of speaking to the Air Force recruiter out there in Bridgeport, Connecticut. And the Air Force wouldn't touch me until I lost a good forty pounds. And I wasn't chunky, but I was maybe two thirty, but like like athletic. Who said that?
KOOL KEN: It was chonky. That was chonky. Yeah, right. Chonky.
Nick Thompson: You know, the the the birds in New York are funny. But like I had I had muscle and everything, but so that made things that much harder. Not only did I had to worry about somewhere to stay, but I had to cut weight at the same time. And
KOOL KEN: You made it happen though, right? You made it happen.
Nick Thompson: Yeah. I remember like I looked up something on Google as far as like prepping for a fight. Like I went and you know from your days what I would do would be leading up to it, it would be nothing but six or seven meals a day of chicken and spinach. But my water intake, especially leading to the weigh in, four I I forgot the exact split, but four days out, two gallons of water, third day one gallon. second like my bad, like last two days, I was running on maybe like a cup of water and that's it. And that made me literally I went from in a month period or so, like two thirty to like one ninety four.
KOOL KEN: I remember some of those conversations and the thing with me, I I just knew and still know that you have so much to give to the world, you know, your young brother and and and intelligent brother. again, determine. I mentioned that word earlier, your determination. once you set your mind on something. That's when you're the best Nick Thompson. When you went in, you You remember the first phone call we had once you decided to go in? You remember how that went?
Nick Thompson: One, I remember I was very emotional. I couldn't thank you enough. Even though that came with a bunch of I told you souls and and all that. Like it well deserved, well deserved, but it's like, yeah, you got me. But I was just beyond thankful that again, it felt like I had not just another lease on life, like another attempt, but it felt as if things were actually gonna turn around for me. And for once it just felt promised. It felt legit where I ain't had to worry about where I'm gonna sleep or what I'm gonna eat or none of that. So that alone was a beautiful feeling.
KOOL KEN: and that that was one of the the dopest things for me. as a mentor, as unc, you know, it
Nick Thompson: Most definitely.
KOOL KEN: it was great to see you rise, you know what I'm saying?
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: Where did where did you go? Like you w you went to San Antonio, right?
Nick Thompson: Right.
KOOL KEN: And you had no idea what was gonna come out of this. when did you start feeling that you made the right decision?
Nick Thompson: I'll even go earlier than that. I felt I felt I may made the right decision when boot camp was going on. and they gave me a a position in leadership immediately. Like they
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. What was that? What was that?
Nick Thompson: so for the Air Force, I forgot what the name is for the Marines and all that, but they call it Dorm Chief where You're kind of right under the MTI or I guess the popular term is drill sergeant in general, but they low key put me in charge of making sure that some of the other trainees were where they were supposed to be. and that similar to my that previous job, the reason why I loved it, it put me in more positions where I could actually practice where I wanted to be, which is a therapist. Like from the conversations I had with with those young men and women to trying to be a a big brother just despite w all the stuff that was going on at the time, it it felt great that I was actually making some sort of difference.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Let's talk about some of your travels. Where'd you go? so we just talked about San Antonio boot camp. What'd you do after that?
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir. So I had my tech school in San Antonio. And then from there it was literally like just hopping from one place to the to the other on the board. I went from San Antonio, Texas. Then from there I had part two of my training in Vegas and yeah, that was everything I was supposed to be cracked up to be. And then from there, literally I skipped the board all the way to the other side of the planet in Okinawa, Japan.
KOOL KEN: give you some claps on that one because that
Nick Thompson: Thank you, brother. Thank you.
KOOL KEN: To to go from not knowing where you were gonna sleep to finally having some stability. How did that make you feel?
Nick Thompson: Similar to what I was saying before, it finally felt like I didn't have to have a gun to my head to figure out my next move. And to this day I still have like these moments of anxiety of all right, if I don't push the right button, the bomb is gonna trip and all that, but it just felt like a breath of fresh air. 'Cause especially Okinawa in particular,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: it was just always a lifelong dream to head out that way. With Okinawa being the birthplace of karate and not only just that, but to be able to just be out in Japan and on top of that, an island of Japan, like the down from the island culture and everything else, it was truly a dream come true. And you don't understand, like, I was out of here before it was time to be out of here. Like, you couldn't kick me out faster. Like it just felt It just felt like that's exactly where I was supposed to be in every sense of the time.
KOOL KEN: So how how much time did you spend in Okinawa?
Nick Thompson: I was there for three years, brother. F from
KOOL KEN: three years. How long were you in the Air Force total?
Nick Thompson: I was in the air force for about four.
KOOL KEN: And you went in initially Not knowing what you wanted to do. we had conversations that you said you were gonna make it a career, you was gonna do 20. what made you
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: get out early?
Nick Thompson: Well, I mean I'm a little older, you know what I mean? Like it takes a little bit more, you know what I mean, like oil to like get my joints going and my body took me out more than my mentality did. So about a year ago, I had a knee injury and that was kind of a snowball effect to both of my knees to my back to my shoulders to my hands and with all that those things racking up. My job at the in at Kadena, Kadena Air Base, I was a EMT. So it was dope. I was doing ambulance calls and everything and being able to well, a lot of those stories were some good and some bad, but it was great practice for ultimately a career in medicine. But with those old style buildings and those dorms, there was no elevators. We had a bunch of calls where I was just running up flights of stairs and all that. And after a while, along with the jungle tour I did with the Marines, it was just I guess whatever. At my age, just too much wear and tear. So that's when my knees tapped out before my mind did.
KOOL KEN: Hmm. So you get injured. So you you were injured in college, high school. Now you're in the military and things are moving smooth for you. And now you get another injury. How are you coping with the new injury? And what are your new dreams? Because now you have a new dream route that you got to take. What are you going to do about that?
Nick Thompson: More than anything, my here's the grand difference between then and now. Sure, that ultimate goal or that ultimate idea had to rewrite itself as far as ambition wise.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: But especially compared to a sixteen, seventeen year old kid who who put his entire soul into
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: something based off of the love he was gonna give from his community. When this injury happened, it was a sidestep, sure, but because and I think my time in Okinawa Foyless, I've had an established version of who Nick was, an established version of what my tenements were, an established version of what my likes and dislikes were, where sure, I was I was upset.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Especially 'cause I'm a I'm someone that I express myself through physicality, whether it be working out, whether it be martial arts, whether it be anything under the sun. So when I was a able to do that to my fullest extent, it took me out. But at that point, brother, I had such a I had a foundation of not only of who I was, but I had such a great hunger to figure out more about me, what really makes me tick. What really are my ups and downs, and that hunger alone got me through a lot of dark nights.
KOOL KEN: Still.
Nick Thompson: Thank you.
KOOL KEN: what would today's Nick? Nick Thompson today, what would you tell a younger Nick Thompson or a younger kid who was bouncing around? without a permanent place to call home. What w what would you say to that kid or to you?
Nick Thompson: That the customer, the audience, or the community ain't always right. Meaning, instead of do putting your whole entire emphasis on finding a community, the ultimate lesson I've learned through all these things is don't be afraid of just ultimately finding yourself before you find whatever that community is. Because when I went through it the reverse way, I mean, down to getting in trouble, down to just trying all these things like a chicken with its head cut off, ultimately I may have found different places where I was comfortable at moments, but without that self-love, like that inner foundation, like any like any messed up foundation, the house and the walls will be soon to crumble. So I'm screaming this to any young brother or sister out there. You Gotta love yourself first. Above everything, you gotta figure out and have that hunger, hunger, and drive to ultimately figure out what your ups and downs are. What did what are you like as a person? What what are your more moral things that you will not be able to let anybody detear you from? And that alone is something that will open your open the doors. in life, whether it be family, friends, relationships and even job opportunities, careers, it'll happen naturally instead of like you constantly going to those doors and pounding on everything yourself, hoping the means to get in.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. What would you tell a young person who's talented? feels like life isn't going anywhere. What would you say to them?
Nick Thompson: Regardless of how talented you are, always work at why the thing you're talented in. But to take it even further, not even just going with the groove of something because you're talented in, but why you're give true meaning and true discovery on why you're just going with your talent. I mean, there's some people out there that are just naturally gifted runners. But I've heard stories of even though their parents or the community pushed them to be a track star, they ultimately, I got a story in mind right now, the brother ultimately wanted to be a chef. But to be able to kind of just, again, goes back to where I was saying, just stand the audience for a little bit and allow yourself to kind of just be pushed into the abyss and actually try something, even if you're bad at it. Be willing to like throw the dice until it's actually working for you and when you actually have that flow, who knows where you're really gonna end up. From the kitchen to the courts to whatever you wanna be. Life is too short to just go with what the audience tells you to go.
KOOL KEN: you want to go. How did the military change your definition of discipline?
Nick Thompson: Did it really. And that answer's kind of a multi headed thing also, but more than anything. Even though I wasn't well with the emergency calls, I had a few. But in the beginning, it gave me an idea of what these brothers and sisters that came before me and joined, the wars, the battles, and everything they came through, why the military has the culture of what it what it has. It's such a culture where And again, I have my quarrels with it as someone that cares about mental health, but there's a reason why there's such a high bar as far as people that can not only get in but to stay in. Because you're coming from people in a culture where the possibility of dying is real. Like people lose their lives every day, their limbs or what and all that, and that's if everything is going well, death is death may be promised. But the discipline comes from being able to simply just go to work on when you're supposed to. That right there teaches the the your coworkers around you, like, hey, this young man is able to clock in. He's able to do all these things. That that that culture, where in that culture, it translates to, okay, I could trust him going down enemy lines. Okay, he sc scrubbed the floors or she did this or she did that. All these things are different derivatives of ultimately saying I could trust that individual with my life. So that right there, as far as all these different metaphors, that's what heightened the idea of discipline. Regardless of what goes down from the minuscule to the big, Regardless of whatever goes on in life. Everything has that metaphor
KOOL KEN: That was a bar.
Nick Thompson: in life and death.
KOOL KEN: That was a bar right there.
Nick Thompson: Reset.
KOOL KEN: What what does being a United States Air Force veteran mean to you today? What does that mean to you? Because you a veteran now. What does it mean to Nick Thompson today?
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir, yes sir. I mean I was apprehensive going into this, but the second I got my D D two fourteen, which is ultimately a layout that gives you that separation from the military, especially with the mindset I have now, I'm beyond, beyond I feel liberated to the point where I could finally investigate who I am with the mind and the heart that I got now.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm gonna be graduated with school soon and the second that's
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: over, I'm gonna try everything. I wasn't playing to you earlier about Chinese checkers. I don't care. Like I'm trying
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: any activity under the sun until you know what? Yeah. Nick is all about pottery. Whatever it is, like
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm down for whatever that whatever that journey's gonna be and wherever it leads.
KOOL KEN: Good. But
Nick Thompson: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: tell us right now,
Nick Thompson: Yes sir.
KOOL KEN: and that this is a good lead up question.
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: What's the next chapter for Nick Thompson?
Nick Thompson: Do everything I can that much more to discover myself and through those lens figure truly figure out the community that brought me up. And as I was saying before, I guess in a more of a surface level, I should be done with school around Halloween, and then I'm gonna give myself a year to to study for ultimately medical school or PA school and
KOOL KEN: What will your degree be in? What what what what's your degree gonna be in?
Nick Thompson: My undergrad degree will be in biology, a bachelor's in biology, and then from there, it's just gonna be a fast track road to becoming either a a medical doctor in psychiatry or physician assistant in psychiatry. Either way it's just a long time coming.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I'm super duper proud of you. You already know, nephew. Super proud of you, man.
Nick Thompson: So yes sir, thank you, thank you.
KOOL KEN: and that leads to the title of the show. Get your mind right. So this is
Nick Thompson: Right, right.
KOOL KEN: the final question I'm gonna ask. I ask this at the at the end of every episode.
Nick Thompson: Okay.
KOOL KEN: basically. I I always say something, you know, in order to get your mind right. So this is a a question directly for Nick Thompson.
Nick Thompson: It's like
KOOL KEN: when life doesn't go according to the plan that you wrote for yourself, how did you get your mind?
Nick Thompson: To rewrite your own plan, your own history, but even to take it further, be open and vulnerable enough to take advice from genuine sources like yourself. And for that, brother, I can't thank you enough.
KOOL KEN: Absolutely. Absolute honor knowing you. you you've been
Nick Thompson: Likewise, brother, likewise.
KOOL KEN: a part of my family for 10 years now and for many more years to come. I love to see you reach back and lift some other young brothers up that could possibly be scared and not scared of the unknowing. You know what I mean. I was that young
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: brother that had to make a decision to go to the military. That wasn't my first choice. but it was the best decision that I made in my life. It allowed me to meet people that are still great friends. Big shout out to P Fields, Prince Fields, a good, good friend of mine. He's we were stationed together in Missouri. Korea and Georgia. same
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: homeboy, Jay Smooth. we were in in Missouri and Korea together. But Prince Fields, that was one person who stayed, we stayed connected since 1991. I've known him that long. we continue to talk, we talk. You know, a few times a year, you know what I'm saying? but nothing but love and respect for you, Prince, if you out there listening. you you're one of my Air Force brothers, you know. And Nick, with that being said, you got any words that you wanna say before we get out of here?
Nick Thompson: I think we covered it all, brother, but I can't scream this enough. And this is to I guess this is inspired by fortunately with from the people I've lost and I can't say it enough. Whoever you are out there, you're never alone. It you have no idea what a simple phone call would will mean as far as the utter despair you may feel. No I mean, I know mental health with everything that's going on now, everything can seem unbearable, but regardless of w whatever's going on, please make that call. A neighbor, a friend, a loved one, it doesn't matter who it is, but you'll be quite surprised to find out who cares out there. It could be a complete stranger. Regardless if the electric go out again.
KOOL KEN: Hey, hey, the lights telling you something, brother. That's telling us that this is the end of our show. And let know how they can find you. If they want to get in contact with Nick Thompson, how can they find you?
Nick Thompson: Through a carrier pigeon, I ain't giving nothing up.
KOOL KEN: There it is, there it is. Hey hey, so if y'all want to hire him, send a send a carrier pigeon. You know what I'm talking about?
Nick Thompson: Most definitely. Like Terry Cruz and Training Day. Like I no. I mean for the
KOOL KEN: Right.
Nick Thompson: kids out there saying the Harry Potter owl, I don't care. Do what y'all gotta do.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. Hey. So for Nick Thompson, man, nothing but love and respect for you, nephew. I'm the host of Get Your Mind Right, Cool Ken. find me at CoolKin Z15. And this episode will be airing soon. So again, we're out of here. We definitely appreciate you again. I think this very informative.
Nick Thompson: Sir, yes, sir. Thank you, thank you.
KOOL KEN: Good show. You enjoy the rest of your evening. Alright? We outta here. Get your
Nick Thompson: You two won't appreciate you.
KOOL KEN: mind right, cool can. Peace.
Nick Thompson: Peace.
Nick Thompson: Doing wonderful, brother.
KOOL KEN: Yes.
Nick Thompson: Down, calm down. I'm doing good. I'm doing good. How you feeling family?
KOOL KEN: I'm I'm great. I'm great. No complaints at all. I thank you for choosing to come onto the show and telling your story on what it took to get your mind right. I wanna tell them a little bit about you. That's what I do first. I always brag on my guests. extremely proud of you. when I met you, you were a college student. trying to work your way through college, wanting to be a doctor, former athlete. And yeah, it was an interesting meeting, meeting you selling cars when we worked together selling Hondas. I left the dealership shortly after you arrived and went to Acura, right across the street. And then you came across the street not too long after. And we worked for g how long did we work together, you you recall?
Nick Thompson: So I met you around twenty seventeen
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Nick Thompson: and then I ended up leaving say maybe close to Halloween twenty eighteen. So it was
KOOL KEN: Okay.
Nick Thompson: like two years from there.
KOOL KEN: Okay. Word. Yeah. And it again it was an honor meeting you. and you became like a nephew to me, man. you know, I to look out out for you a little bit and point you in the right direction. And I want you to tell your story. This is about you telling your story on how you were able to overcome some obstacles. Towards your your journey. You have a great journey and let's tell the story, brother. start off before I met you. Well, who was Nick Thompson before I met you in twenty seventeen?
Nick Thompson: So I think my story was always has been me just ultimately trying to find my place.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: And growing up I was always a shy kid. even going back to the family thing, I came from a loving home. But I just never really felt well, I really had no way to contextualize that when I was younger, but I just always felt off. Like I was Well, I know like the popular thing to say is introverted or whatever, but that was definitely me growing up. And going from different schools and everything like that. I was just always trying to find some sort of idea of a community or some sort of idea of a family where it didn't feel forced. And I mean with some family members like my my parents growing up and my cousin and my grandparents, it was kind of a effortless flow. But
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: the second I was not under their roof no more or my cousin wasn't around, I was just always trying to find whatever that really means, the idea of community. So just dealing with a lot of things growing up in Long Island, New York. I dealt with a lot being mixed out here, dealt with a lot as far as it was always like the I know it's a common thing, but I was especially out here, I was considered too white to be with black folks. And I was considered too black and that came out of a lot of ways to kick it with white folks. So that like increased my shyness that much more as far as ultimately Where do I belong? But even better yet, what's ultimately right for me, as opposed to just what the crowd feel. So that's when football came to my life.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: I mean it always started with just being a gym class hero, but it was something that I want to say effortless, but being able to actually exhibit something, something that was actually able to garner some sort of community that felt really good.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: And it had nothing to do with street things or getting to whatever crap back in the day. It just felt great to fail accept it without me overly trying to act. And it led me to like different possibilities. Like, hey man, like I wanna make it to the league. I wanna play college. I want to do all these great things and it didn't come till much, much later. The only
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: reason why I loved it the way I did was because of the people around me. And at that point it could have been Chinese checkers. You know what I'm saying? It didn't
KOOL KEN: Well.
Nick Thompson: matter. I just loved the idea that I was no longer this. I was no longer that. I just felt like I had some sort of worth. And When football didn't work out and I ended up getting injured, that's what ultimately led me to Cincinnati.
KOOL KEN: What type of injury did you incur?
Nick Thompson: So I subluxed my shoulder, my right. I had a funky tackle, and it was a combination of where like the helmet hit and how I landed, but
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: from that point, it was just like extremely easy for my shoulder to just come out of socket. And lack of a better term, it just kind of ended my career from there. Like everything from you know how it is, you you with your career as a football coach. I mean, down to the bear crawls we used to do, down to even just backyard wrestling or even slap boxing. If I came out too wide, that was it. So there we go again. You
KOOL KEN: Good.
Nick Thompson: know what I'm saying? Like, and you know what? That's my gift to the world. I'm glad my suffering brings everybody's smile, so be it. But it's just one of them things where, and I guess this will just kind of be the theme or whatever, but My story from then till now has always been just this idea of being more than what I've been through. So go ahead.
KOOL KEN: And and I and not not to cut you off, but when I when I met you, you you kinda shared some of that with me.
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: And what kind of made me interested in kind of helping was your determination. you're you're extremely intelligent and determined.
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: and your determination you were using it channeling it the wrong way and I used to just want to point you in the right way like hey channel that energy channel that determination in a positive direction. But that being said, when you were in college, this is now we're talking about Cincinnati. what
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir.
KOOL KEN: what were your goals once you got to Cincinnati?
Nick Thompson: My immediate thing was well, for one, to escape New York because
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: everything around around me was kind of a reminder of what could have been.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: And the second I got to Cincinnati, I mean you you already know, like it's the stereotypical college thing. You could be whatever the hell you wanted to be.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. Right.
Nick Thompson: I mean, I told people I was an astronaut at eighteen. I said any damn thing just to yeah, you know, see what gravitated.
KOOL KEN: Right. Right.
Nick Thompson: But my ultimate goal then was like I went in exploratory. I ain't exactly scream like anything medical at the time, but I mean the whole idea of exploratory, let me try a little of this, a little bit of that, and we'll see where it comes to. My
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Nick Thompson: issue though, that freshman year, I tried a little bit of everything else but school.
KOOL KEN: What
Nick Thompson: Like my whole my whole dichotomy was to just get my mind off of things and all that. So I did everything from just trying to get my mind off through whether it be you know, a stereotypical college thing, whether it be women, whether it be weed and alcohol and I no matter how good I felt in that moment, sure I was able to get my mind off whatever, but that next day, it was just right back to the misery of what could have been and what could have been. So Needless to say, that first year I just didn't to the point where it didn't really hit me till I finally got that grade book. It was just a bunch of bunch of big C's and all.
KOOL KEN: So y when you were in Cincinnati, was that your first time away from home?
Nick Thompson: I vacationed a little bit. my mom's side of family, they all ever since nine eleven, my uncle was a firefighter and he was part of the grand cleanup during that time, but he messed up his lungs, so his family and sever like the basically the rest of my mom's family just all migrated down to Florida. So before football got sherry ish, every summer I would kick it with my cousin Cody. And you know, just getting into Whatever hood rest up in Florida, which I got stories for days about, but yeah, I haven't been back down there in a minute. other than that, just a little spots throughout the country, a little bit of the Caribbean, but nothing long standing to embrace any culture.
KOOL KEN: how'd how'd you end up selling cars, man? You you were in college and and thinking about becoming a doctor and all that. How how'd you end up selling cars? And what was going on in your life at that time?
Nick Thompson: So leading into my sophomore year, I got my act together. I kind of realized that well, I wasn't completely sold, but I
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: decided, you know what, let me dive head first into biology. And then my grades started to pick up and everything, and I had a girlfriend at the time, so it was just me, her, and this dog that we used to have. So everything was copesthetic until I wouldn't say toward the end of my junior year, I got really sick. And because
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: of that, I was just too weak to go to school, wasn't even sleeping no more, wasn't eating no more. I went from 205 fit to like 140. Like I withered away, withered away. And my days consisted of just constantly going to doctor's appointments and all that. And since I wasn't sleeping, I just spent most of the time just being miserable.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Like I'll give it to my ex at the time she did all she could, but the majority of that to say yeah, I was just low-key a burden. I didn't want to try nothing and I mean for good reason. I just had whatever pain was going on, but yeah, it took a out a lot on everybody. But once I thank God, like, And missed the ideas of having cancer, missed the ideas of all these other diseases that could have been. God saw fit that I was able to recover through all that. And from say 2014, 2015, I was I was healthy, cool, clean bill of health,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: but I was faced with crazy debt, brother. Crazy medical debt. And the messed up thing about that was also mentally, because all these things was going on. I was just literally just withering away. And then I remember one of my last doctor's visits before I got this last test, he just basically haphazardly just looked up and said, Hey, you might have cancer.
KOOL KEN: Hm.
Nick Thompson: And it was just like that smooth with it. And it's it was like a weird thing 'cause at the time. It shocked me a little bit, but to be real, brother, I kinda made peace with dying.
KOOL KEN: Mm.
Nick Thompson: Everything that led me up to that point as far as what I wanted to be and what I wanted to do and aspire to, that was taken away from football to school to community to I mean me and her at the time wasn't kicking it or whatever and I was having peace with the family or whatever. So maybe I was just ordained to tr to try and die, literally. And I made peace with that. And then when I got with
KOOL KEN: I never do that.
Nick Thompson: that clean bill of health, that messed me up even more because it was like, all right, I I thought I was supposed to die. But I'm here. But now I got this thing from from the floor to the heavens, as far as like all these medical bills. Right. So what led me to cause was I did everything under the sun in Cincinnati. From good things and bad things to ultimately raise the money up. I mean, I even did that that 1-800 got junk. Like I did it all as far as like legal things or whatever. And
KOOL KEN: Yeah, yeah.
Nick Thompson: that ultimately led me to y'all doorstep at forgive me if I butcher the name, but it was performing Honda in Fairfield. And
KOOL KEN: Well, yeah. Exactly, yeah. That's where we met.
Nick Thompson: it was cool though. I mean, To a degree, it was kind of a gamble. Cause, I mean, outside of like street things at the time, it kind of felt like this felt more of a gamble than just selling weed or whatever. But the idea of sales legitimately scared me more than the other way around. But ultimately, you already know the penalties of that. But funny how the idea of Well, if I can't sell a car, I guess we not eating scare me more than the potentiality of some dark things. But the second I actually like walk through that showroom and I actually like like meeting you and meeting other people through that dealership, I kind of felt okay finally.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: If fet like if I make that first sale wasn't the end of the world, and once I've made that first sale to be real though. I forgot exactly who it was or what it was about. I'll take that back. It was a Honda hybrid. Like
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: the sure I was stuttering, muttering, whatever, like, this car got three wheels. I just said whatever, just to
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: coast through it. And they looking at me funny, like, come on, what what three wheels? But I ain't yo, I didn't care. You know what
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm saying? Like, but the second they signed on, like, even though that that punk. check was maybe four ninety five, like four dollars ninety five cents. Back then that was half a Chipotle sandwich. I was good. Yeah I mean like
KOOL KEN: You know,
Nick Thompson: it it legitimized it. So I felt all right, man. Like I had like some sort of flow.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. I I I remember when you first came there and Matt Lockwood, he was like, Hey, look after Nick. He's he's new, he's from New York City. And Matt's got some ties to New York as well, and as well as I do. And yeah, we met and yeah, it wa it wa it was cool. And you would always, you know, introduce to yourself to the clients, would you like a water?
Nick Thompson: You know what? I gotta list from here to there as far
KOOL KEN: To everybody. Amen.
Nick Thompson: as everyone trying that impression, man. Like
KOOL KEN: A man, hey, Kennedy at the time was little. Matter. Would you like a water? She was funny, man. Shout out to Kennedy, man. Seventeen years old now. yeah, like I said, it's been like ten years since I've known you now. Yeah,
Nick Thompson: That's a trip, yo. And I 'cause I met your daughter like this tall, literally.
KOOL KEN: it's going on ten years. and we we stay connected, man, after we stopped working together. So we we worked at Honda, we worked at Acura. You came over work with me for a little bit at Acura. And then you had to move back. And we stayed connected during that time. what do you remember about some of the conversations that we used to have during that time?
Nick Thompson: But let me pay the light bill. I'll be right back.
KOOL KEN: Yep, yep.
Nick Thompson: Woo! Alright. Mike check. All right.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you are. We are.
Nick Thompson: Yeah. Man, ain't getting no lighting, no craft services. What kinda deal is this? All right. There you go. Yeah.
KOOL KEN: Go, he's back.
Nick Thompson: I'm still freaked out with these ad libs, but whatever, we're here.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, we hear my chat.
Nick Thompson: Above everything, and I leaned on you for a lot. Like you were basically my quasi therapist for the time for the good and the bad. But above everything, like a like a jackhammer, you was always telling me to stay positive. No matter what was going on, just stay positive. And at the time, like especially when I mean down to so much stuff in my life. If someone's just telling you, hey, w why don't you smile every now and again? It's just like, all right. But such a simple philosophy, it's infectious. Because, like, after a while, your message came through in a lot of ways, and and it didn't exist in Honda, but at least in Acura,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: it was at least a community where no matter how long the hours were, no matter Cause we had weeks where there was no sales really, and snow days where we had to be there. But you in particular, you always had us laughing, man.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Like, I still remember the days like, and we talked about this, but I remember, you know, when you're like speaking to a customer when you're trying to sell them anything at that point, you're in a zone where you're just tunnel visioned on. Whatever they're gonna s say, whatever they gonna not say, whatever arguments or whatever they got going on, you plugged into that. I remember in particular, this one customer was telling me something about, yeah, man, I w worked on an oil rig and I was making like thirty grand every two months or whatever, and then you come out of nowhere purping. And yo.
KOOL KEN: What?
Nick Thompson: It took me everything, everything. And you know me, I I I could be stoic as hell, but
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: when you did that I like that like the
KOOL KEN: Yeah, you gotta hey, you gotta s hey you gotta stay professional. Hey, I'm I'm a I'ma test you.
Nick Thompson: Like that Jack-Olan and smile just like came through like like Joker face. It might as well have been sliced off. But from that alone, like just little things like that, it just always Yeah, like you guys made me for once in a mad long time happy to actually go into work. Like the check was meh, but at the end of the day, down to like random pranks we used to pull on each other, down to random banter and like debates or whatever, talking about football, comedy, whatever it is. And of course we were always talking smack about each other. But what do y'all call it down there, Jonin? Like it was just it was everything. There you go. Yeah, keep it going.
KOOL KEN: Roasting. Cap it.
Nick Thompson: Yeah, tha
KOOL KEN: Heat.
Nick Thompson: that's why I get for trying to bring down bring up Southern Inacula. But
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: it was just it f actu legitimately felt like a community where to a degree a big part of me kinda made peace with all right, this is my situation. I gotta pay off these bills, but even though it's happening slowly but surely, I'm finally happy. You know what I'm saying? Like, me and the ex were okay at the time. I was lifting again, I was getting my weight up and I got got to work at a gig where and here's the other thing too, maybe the most important thing. Especially at that time in Cincinnati, it was a business where it was just nothing but brothers. And that that right there, especially compared to and well, I've already told you those stories with the stuff I dealt with in Cincinnati. It was definitely a breath of fresh air.
KOOL KEN: Let me ask you this. after that, when did times start getting a little tough for you? Like when 'Cause it was a period where things got a little difficult for you. What what were those years like?
Nick Thompson: When do we leave them years? It was I mean at this point it's just like, and this is something that was just a matter of fact for my whole life. I would start low, then I'll feel like I'm in a groove where, all right, things are actually working out for me. This is this is me, this is what I'm about. And then something happened and then back down again. And it's just constant ebb or flow of refiguring things out. And for that time the happy family wasn't no longer a happy family.
KOOL KEN: Right.
Nick Thompson: The ex broke up with me over some whatever whatever was going on. And technically, if me and her were no longer together, that kind of eliminated my reason to truly stick around. You know what I'm saying? Cause she was maybe, yeah, like a hundred percent of the reason why I was still around. Like the ultimate goal was to make enough bread, to go back into school, and then probably where my mindset was at the time to head back to New York. But that plan obviously shattered, so that's essentially forced my departure from Cincinnati a little preemptively.
KOOL KEN: Okay. and where'd you go?
Nick Thompson: Came right back here on back to back to Long Island. And it was essentially just picking up the pieces and similar thing. Pay off the things I needed to pay off and just doing the same funky combination I was doing before I was selling cars at Honda. Street things and legitimate things. And it was just again all these things with a vague premise of someday you'll get over that hump and that hump never came.
KOOL KEN: And we had a lot of talks during that time. And what was the main thing that I kept saying to you?
Nick Thompson: Stay positive for one. Stay motivated. And ultimately, and I'm and I apologize for not quoting you directly, but there's still life. There's still so much to fight for.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. And that was the main thing I would say, like your your your better days are to come. Like you haven't even reached your peak yet. And I recommended the military for you. And how how'd you feel about the first time I talked about going to the Air Force?
Nick Thompson: Yeah. No. Like yeah what I mean? Like it's just
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: 'cause this is my whole dichotomy of it. A portion of it was historically when it comes for black men is especially through the Vietnam days and all that. I was anti the idea to that degree. But
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: a huge portion of that was probably the biggest portion. I kinda live my entire life. On the idea that it's just me. Meaning, I gotta figure this out. I gotta figure out how to get out get out of this hole. And when I was in relationships, how am I gonna fix the thing? And then even how my father raised me for the good or the bad, it was his constant lessons was ultimately you're a man, no matter. if you wanna cry or whatever it is, cause ultimately in this world no one cares if you're bleeding or otherwise, you gotta figure it out. So that basically made me too stubborn to be open to your idea. Because I thought at the time that was like all right, me like throwing the flag and just tapping out, tapping out on reality.
KOOL KEN: What made you decide to go ahead and and look into the Air Force? Cause I know I I I know I share it with you that I was a veteran and so forth and I was trying to give you all as much information as possible. But what ultimately may you decide, I'ma look into it, I'm gonna do this.
Nick Thompson: I hit another rock bottom portion of my life. Again, the ebb and flow. And this was during the height of COVID. So around 2021, it's similar thing. I was in another relationship that was toxic for the both of us. And it got to the point where brother, I was homeless. And I remember, I mean, this is a little bit after the fact before I started seeing recruiters and all that, but leading up to the Air Force, this was my schedule most days. I was in a job where so this is a kind of a combination, but I was in a job where I kind of had a foreshadowing as far as exactly what I wanted to do and what I want to be, which is ultimately a therapist.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: so through this job I was able to render treatment to patients, but for that hour of giving treatment to patients, I was essentially a quasi-therapist. I had to get a gauge on how they were feeling, what was good, what was bad, and not necessarily give medical advice, but just give somewhat life advice, just something to cheer everybody up and Beautiful thing about that though is other than one day out of the whole week, I had the whole office to myself, so it was on me to open. It was all up to me to lock up. Like I even had the corner thing and the window with the beautiful view. Like, if they paid me decent bread, like who knows where my life could have been otherwise, but this is what the reality was at the time, though. I would at the The workday I believe ended at around 5 30. And what I would do is I would keep in mind that the whole office building, it closed at 8. So I would have to sprint out the office, get something bad to eat, like McDonald's or whatever. Or I would quickly run to the gym, get a quick workout and take a quick shower, and then sprint into that office before eight o'clock. Because before if it was a second after eight, the building closed. But I'll run up there and I would close the office door behind me. And yeah, that's those were my nights.
KOOL KEN: Wow. D did you ever get locked out? Did you ever get there after eight?
Nick Thompson: Most definitely. Especially in the beginning before I read that rhythm and what what would go down was I would just have to sleep in the car. And during the summer that was extremely rough because the heat and all that and I'm already kind of a paranoid brother, so any little like noise or any little whatever I was just you know s like I was already too ready, so I never really fell asleep.
KOOL KEN: And how long did this go on that you were living like this?
Nick Thompson: On and off for weeks. And sometimes me and the ex would reconcile, but something else would happen, which it just was just that kind of a tumultuous thing. And here's a little bit more icing on the cake as far as everything that I had going on at the time. When I this was all happening in the midst of speaking to the Air Force recruiter out there in Bridgeport, Connecticut. And the Air Force wouldn't touch me until I lost a good forty pounds. And I wasn't chunky, but I was maybe two thirty, but like like athletic. Who said that?
KOOL KEN: It was chonky. That was chonky. Yeah, right. Chonky.
Nick Thompson: You know, the the the birds in New York are funny. But like I had I had muscle and everything, but so that made things that much harder. Not only did I had to worry about somewhere to stay, but I had to cut weight at the same time. And
KOOL KEN: You made it happen though, right? You made it happen.
Nick Thompson: Yeah. I remember like I looked up something on Google as far as like prepping for a fight. Like I went and you know from your days what I would do would be leading up to it, it would be nothing but six or seven meals a day of chicken and spinach. But my water intake, especially leading to the weigh in, four I I forgot the exact split, but four days out, two gallons of water, third day one gallon. second like my bad, like last two days, I was running on maybe like a cup of water and that's it. And that made me literally I went from in a month period or so, like two thirty to like one ninety four.
KOOL KEN: I remember some of those conversations and the thing with me, I I just knew and still know that you have so much to give to the world, you know, your young brother and and and intelligent brother. again, determine. I mentioned that word earlier, your determination. once you set your mind on something. That's when you're the best Nick Thompson. When you went in, you You remember the first phone call we had once you decided to go in? You remember how that went?
Nick Thompson: One, I remember I was very emotional. I couldn't thank you enough. Even though that came with a bunch of I told you souls and and all that. Like it well deserved, well deserved, but it's like, yeah, you got me. But I was just beyond thankful that again, it felt like I had not just another lease on life, like another attempt, but it felt as if things were actually gonna turn around for me. And for once it just felt promised. It felt legit where I ain't had to worry about where I'm gonna sleep or what I'm gonna eat or none of that. So that alone was a beautiful feeling.
KOOL KEN: and that that was one of the the dopest things for me. as a mentor, as unc, you know, it
Nick Thompson: Most definitely.
KOOL KEN: it was great to see you rise, you know what I'm saying?
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: Where did where did you go? Like you w you went to San Antonio, right?
Nick Thompson: Right.
KOOL KEN: And you had no idea what was gonna come out of this. when did you start feeling that you made the right decision?
Nick Thompson: I'll even go earlier than that. I felt I felt I may made the right decision when boot camp was going on. and they gave me a a position in leadership immediately. Like they
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm. What was that? What was that?
Nick Thompson: so for the Air Force, I forgot what the name is for the Marines and all that, but they call it Dorm Chief where You're kind of right under the MTI or I guess the popular term is drill sergeant in general, but they low key put me in charge of making sure that some of the other trainees were where they were supposed to be. and that similar to my that previous job, the reason why I loved it, it put me in more positions where I could actually practice where I wanted to be, which is a therapist. Like from the conversations I had with with those young men and women to trying to be a a big brother just despite w all the stuff that was going on at the time, it it felt great that I was actually making some sort of difference.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. Let's talk about some of your travels. Where'd you go? so we just talked about San Antonio boot camp. What'd you do after that?
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir. So I had my tech school in San Antonio. And then from there it was literally like just hopping from one place to the to the other on the board. I went from San Antonio, Texas. Then from there I had part two of my training in Vegas and yeah, that was everything I was supposed to be cracked up to be. And then from there, literally I skipped the board all the way to the other side of the planet in Okinawa, Japan.
KOOL KEN: give you some claps on that one because that
Nick Thompson: Thank you, brother. Thank you.
KOOL KEN: To to go from not knowing where you were gonna sleep to finally having some stability. How did that make you feel?
Nick Thompson: Similar to what I was saying before, it finally felt like I didn't have to have a gun to my head to figure out my next move. And to this day I still have like these moments of anxiety of all right, if I don't push the right button, the bomb is gonna trip and all that, but it just felt like a breath of fresh air. 'Cause especially Okinawa in particular,
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: it was just always a lifelong dream to head out that way. With Okinawa being the birthplace of karate and not only just that, but to be able to just be out in Japan and on top of that, an island of Japan, like the down from the island culture and everything else, it was truly a dream come true. And you don't understand, like, I was out of here before it was time to be out of here. Like, you couldn't kick me out faster. Like it just felt It just felt like that's exactly where I was supposed to be in every sense of the time.
KOOL KEN: So how how much time did you spend in Okinawa?
Nick Thompson: I was there for three years, brother. F from
KOOL KEN: three years. How long were you in the Air Force total?
Nick Thompson: I was in the air force for about four.
KOOL KEN: And you went in initially Not knowing what you wanted to do. we had conversations that you said you were gonna make it a career, you was gonna do 20. what made you
Nick Thompson: Mm-hmm.
KOOL KEN: get out early?
Nick Thompson: Well, I mean I'm a little older, you know what I mean? Like it takes a little bit more, you know what I mean, like oil to like get my joints going and my body took me out more than my mentality did. So about a year ago, I had a knee injury and that was kind of a snowball effect to both of my knees to my back to my shoulders to my hands and with all that those things racking up. My job at the in at Kadena, Kadena Air Base, I was a EMT. So it was dope. I was doing ambulance calls and everything and being able to well, a lot of those stories were some good and some bad, but it was great practice for ultimately a career in medicine. But with those old style buildings and those dorms, there was no elevators. We had a bunch of calls where I was just running up flights of stairs and all that. And after a while, along with the jungle tour I did with the Marines, it was just I guess whatever. At my age, just too much wear and tear. So that's when my knees tapped out before my mind did.
KOOL KEN: Hmm. So you get injured. So you you were injured in college, high school. Now you're in the military and things are moving smooth for you. And now you get another injury. How are you coping with the new injury? And what are your new dreams? Because now you have a new dream route that you got to take. What are you going to do about that?
Nick Thompson: More than anything, my here's the grand difference between then and now. Sure, that ultimate goal or that ultimate idea had to rewrite itself as far as ambition wise.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: But especially compared to a sixteen, seventeen year old kid who who put his entire soul into
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: something based off of the love he was gonna give from his community. When this injury happened, it was a sidestep, sure, but because and I think my time in Okinawa Foyless, I've had an established version of who Nick was, an established version of what my tenements were, an established version of what my likes and dislikes were, where sure, I was I was upset.
KOOL KEN: Mm-hmm.
Nick Thompson: Especially 'cause I'm a I'm someone that I express myself through physicality, whether it be working out, whether it be martial arts, whether it be anything under the sun. So when I was a able to do that to my fullest extent, it took me out. But at that point, brother, I had such a I had a foundation of not only of who I was, but I had such a great hunger to figure out more about me, what really makes me tick. What really are my ups and downs, and that hunger alone got me through a lot of dark nights.
KOOL KEN: Still.
Nick Thompson: Thank you.
KOOL KEN: what would today's Nick? Nick Thompson today, what would you tell a younger Nick Thompson or a younger kid who was bouncing around? without a permanent place to call home. What w what would you say to that kid or to you?
Nick Thompson: That the customer, the audience, or the community ain't always right. Meaning, instead of do putting your whole entire emphasis on finding a community, the ultimate lesson I've learned through all these things is don't be afraid of just ultimately finding yourself before you find whatever that community is. Because when I went through it the reverse way, I mean, down to getting in trouble, down to just trying all these things like a chicken with its head cut off, ultimately I may have found different places where I was comfortable at moments, but without that self-love, like that inner foundation, like any like any messed up foundation, the house and the walls will be soon to crumble. So I'm screaming this to any young brother or sister out there. You Gotta love yourself first. Above everything, you gotta figure out and have that hunger, hunger, and drive to ultimately figure out what your ups and downs are. What did what are you like as a person? What what are your more moral things that you will not be able to let anybody detear you from? And that alone is something that will open your open the doors. in life, whether it be family, friends, relationships and even job opportunities, careers, it'll happen naturally instead of like you constantly going to those doors and pounding on everything yourself, hoping the means to get in.
KOOL KEN: Yeah. What would you tell a young person who's talented? feels like life isn't going anywhere. What would you say to them?
Nick Thompson: Regardless of how talented you are, always work at why the thing you're talented in. But to take it even further, not even just going with the groove of something because you're talented in, but why you're give true meaning and true discovery on why you're just going with your talent. I mean, there's some people out there that are just naturally gifted runners. But I've heard stories of even though their parents or the community pushed them to be a track star, they ultimately, I got a story in mind right now, the brother ultimately wanted to be a chef. But to be able to kind of just, again, goes back to where I was saying, just stand the audience for a little bit and allow yourself to kind of just be pushed into the abyss and actually try something, even if you're bad at it. Be willing to like throw the dice until it's actually working for you and when you actually have that flow, who knows where you're really gonna end up. From the kitchen to the courts to whatever you wanna be. Life is too short to just go with what the audience tells you to go.
KOOL KEN: you want to go. How did the military change your definition of discipline?
Nick Thompson: Did it really. And that answer's kind of a multi headed thing also, but more than anything. Even though I wasn't well with the emergency calls, I had a few. But in the beginning, it gave me an idea of what these brothers and sisters that came before me and joined, the wars, the battles, and everything they came through, why the military has the culture of what it what it has. It's such a culture where And again, I have my quarrels with it as someone that cares about mental health, but there's a reason why there's such a high bar as far as people that can not only get in but to stay in. Because you're coming from people in a culture where the possibility of dying is real. Like people lose their lives every day, their limbs or what and all that, and that's if everything is going well, death is death may be promised. But the discipline comes from being able to simply just go to work on when you're supposed to. That right there teaches the the your coworkers around you, like, hey, this young man is able to clock in. He's able to do all these things. That that that culture, where in that culture, it translates to, okay, I could trust him going down enemy lines. Okay, he sc scrubbed the floors or she did this or she did that. All these things are different derivatives of ultimately saying I could trust that individual with my life. So that right there, as far as all these different metaphors, that's what heightened the idea of discipline. Regardless of what goes down from the minuscule to the big, Regardless of whatever goes on in life. Everything has that metaphor
KOOL KEN: That was a bar.
Nick Thompson: in life and death.
KOOL KEN: That was a bar right there.
Nick Thompson: Reset.
KOOL KEN: What what does being a United States Air Force veteran mean to you today? What does that mean to you? Because you a veteran now. What does it mean to Nick Thompson today?
Nick Thompson: Yes, sir, yes sir. I mean I was apprehensive going into this, but the second I got my D D two fourteen, which is ultimately a layout that gives you that separation from the military, especially with the mindset I have now, I'm beyond, beyond I feel liberated to the point where I could finally investigate who I am with the mind and the heart that I got now.
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm gonna be graduated with school soon and the second that's
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: over, I'm gonna try everything. I wasn't playing to you earlier about Chinese checkers. I don't care. Like I'm trying
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: any activity under the sun until you know what? Yeah. Nick is all about pottery. Whatever it is, like
KOOL KEN: Yeah.
Nick Thompson: I'm down for whatever that whatever that journey's gonna be and wherever it leads.
KOOL KEN: Good. But
Nick Thompson: Yeah.
KOOL KEN: tell us right now,
Nick Thompson: Yes sir.
KOOL KEN: and that this is a good lead up question.
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: What's the next chapter for Nick Thompson?
Nick Thompson: Do everything I can that much more to discover myself and through those lens figure truly figure out the community that brought me up. And as I was saying before, I guess in a more of a surface level, I should be done with school around Halloween, and then I'm gonna give myself a year to to study for ultimately medical school or PA school and
KOOL KEN: What will your degree be in? What what what what's your degree gonna be in?
Nick Thompson: My undergrad degree will be in biology, a bachelor's in biology, and then from there, it's just gonna be a fast track road to becoming either a a medical doctor in psychiatry or physician assistant in psychiatry. Either way it's just a long time coming.
KOOL KEN: Yeah, I'm super duper proud of you. You already know, nephew. Super proud of you, man.
Nick Thompson: So yes sir, thank you, thank you.
KOOL KEN: and that leads to the title of the show. Get your mind right. So this is
Nick Thompson: Right, right.
KOOL KEN: the final question I'm gonna ask. I ask this at the at the end of every episode.
Nick Thompson: Okay.
KOOL KEN: basically. I I always say something, you know, in order to get your mind right. So this is a a question directly for Nick Thompson.
Nick Thompson: It's like
KOOL KEN: when life doesn't go according to the plan that you wrote for yourself, how did you get your mind?
Nick Thompson: To rewrite your own plan, your own history, but even to take it further, be open and vulnerable enough to take advice from genuine sources like yourself. And for that, brother, I can't thank you enough.
KOOL KEN: Absolutely. Absolute honor knowing you. you you've been
Nick Thompson: Likewise, brother, likewise.
KOOL KEN: a part of my family for 10 years now and for many more years to come. I love to see you reach back and lift some other young brothers up that could possibly be scared and not scared of the unknowing. You know what I mean. I was that young
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: brother that had to make a decision to go to the military. That wasn't my first choice. but it was the best decision that I made in my life. It allowed me to meet people that are still great friends. Big shout out to P Fields, Prince Fields, a good, good friend of mine. He's we were stationed together in Missouri. Korea and Georgia. same
Nick Thompson: Mm.
KOOL KEN: homeboy, Jay Smooth. we were in in Missouri and Korea together. But Prince Fields, that was one person who stayed, we stayed connected since 1991. I've known him that long. we continue to talk, we talk. You know, a few times a year, you know what I'm saying? but nothing but love and respect for you, Prince, if you out there listening. you you're one of my Air Force brothers, you know. And Nick, with that being said, you got any words that you wanna say before we get out of here?
Nick Thompson: I think we covered it all, brother, but I can't scream this enough. And this is to I guess this is inspired by fortunately with from the people I've lost and I can't say it enough. Whoever you are out there, you're never alone. It you have no idea what a simple phone call would will mean as far as the utter despair you may feel. No I mean, I know mental health with everything that's going on now, everything can seem unbearable, but regardless of w whatever's going on, please make that call. A neighbor, a friend, a loved one, it doesn't matter who it is, but you'll be quite surprised to find out who cares out there. It could be a complete stranger. Regardless if the electric go out again.
KOOL KEN: Hey, hey, the lights telling you something, brother. That's telling us that this is the end of our show. And let know how they can find you. If they want to get in contact with Nick Thompson, how can they find you?
Nick Thompson: Through a carrier pigeon, I ain't giving nothing up.
KOOL KEN: There it is, there it is. Hey hey, so if y'all want to hire him, send a send a carrier pigeon. You know what I'm talking about?
Nick Thompson: Most definitely. Like Terry Cruz and Training Day. Like I no. I mean for the
KOOL KEN: Right.
Nick Thompson: kids out there saying the Harry Potter owl, I don't care. Do what y'all gotta do.
KOOL KEN: I know that's right. Hey. So for Nick Thompson, man, nothing but love and respect for you, nephew. I'm the host of Get Your Mind Right, Cool Ken. find me at CoolKin Z15. And this episode will be airing soon. So again, we're out of here. We definitely appreciate you again. I think this very informative.
Nick Thompson: Sir, yes, sir. Thank you, thank you.
KOOL KEN: Good show. You enjoy the rest of your evening. Alright? We outta here. Get your
Nick Thompson: You two won't appreciate you.
KOOL KEN: mind right, cool can. Peace.
Nick Thompson: Peace.
