On this SPECIAL episode of Slightly Shook, it's giving new era with my bestie! This episode also is a transition from the podcast first introduced with two hosts, now solo with yours truly... DEAN aka your daily reminder bestie. Today I wanted to introduce you all to my BESTIE, Lindsey Ingram. We've been friends since 2015 and on this episode we've decided to be unhinged (but what is even new). We're talking about childhood trauma, our friendship, and how to move forward after being disappointed our whole lives. You'll get the scoop on our shared traumas and how life really made the two menaces of society ... best friends... oop. Thanks for listening and STAY TUNED in this next chapter of Slightly Shook. And as always, you can send your questions to ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send me a DM on the Slightly Shook instagram ⁠@slightlyshook⁠! You can find me on instagram, if you haven't already ⁠@deanwlin⁠ . You can find Lindsey on Instagram ⁠@Linds_Tay15⁠ LOVE YOU BESTIE! x

On this Episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko are SHAKING because they’re joined with special guest Aurora Matrix! Aurora Matrix was born and raised in Toronto. Since starting drag in 2019, Aurora is known for their high-energy dance numbers and striking makeup, becoming the Aries Fire of the Toronto drag scene and a staple performer in the community. Aurora competed on Season 4 of Canada’s Drag Race, ultimately placing as the first runner-up. Since then, they have been gracing stages coast to coast across Canada, and even internationally in the US and the UK. Aurora’s drag is heavily influenced by their Chinese culture, drawing inspiration from their own experiences as a Chinese-Canadian. They strive to be a role model for queer Asian youth and to share their stories about growing up queer in a traditional and religious Chinese household. Buckle up and set the temperature to “Asian Hot” because Aurora Matrix is always ready to take you into the Matrix.   We hope this episode was fun, insightful, and left you GAGGED!! Thanks for listening bestie–let us know who we should have on next… And as always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko. You can find Aurora on instagram @auroramatrix

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko dive into the different types of people we fall for, even if they may be really detrimental to our mental health and quality of life. It’s fall, but we aren’t falling for no toxic people. NOT THIS CUDDLING SEASON. Bestie, the type of people we fall in love with is extremely telling of what we may be going through, what we WENT through, and what we are afraid of. We dive into the five different lovers we are drawn to–or the so called ‘lovers.’ We dive into the five types from our perspective: 1) THE RICH B*TCH – Falling for someone's wealth and material possessions rather than their personality and character 2) LOVER TO ALL – Falling for someone who is available to EVERYONE  3) THE SKATER BOY/GIRL – Falling for the allure of a rebellious or 'bad boy/girl' persona 4) STOP DOING CARDIO - Falling for someone who you are constantly chasing…but they’re clearly emotionally unavailable or uninterested in a committed relationship. 5) BOB THE BUILDER MENTALITY – Trying to 'fix' or change someone else rather than focusing on yourself and your needs 6) CODEPENDENCY – Falling for someone where you are not dealing with your own self-loathing. Bestie, this is when you start becoming overly reliant on others for your happiness and self-worth. We hope you found some solace and could relate to this list as both of us has been dragged through the trenches in our past experiences and how we navigated getting out of these delusionships… WE LOVE YOU and hope you’re reflecting after listening to this episode. Thanks for always pressing play <3.  And as always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko dive into the ups and downs of our mental health recently… and GIRL, what has us SHOOK this week is our coping mechanisms! Recently life has just been stresssinggggg us out, and sometimes we just deal with that stress in different ways, and in this case, Dean & Nickko are almost polar opposites… Bestie, reflecting on an off day, can often lead to more answers and solutions to your daily stress than you think. On this episode, we discuss the importance of reflecting on the way you act (or cope) when things are getting tough in your life, and why its so important to surround yourself with people who can support you through those off days. Nickko, when dealing with their off days, can often shut down and feel overwhelmed when life stresses them out… And when Dean gets stressed? He works, works, and overworks until the sun comes up… But in many ways Dean & Nickko balance each other out, regardless of what they’re going through. Listen to this episode if you need to be reminded that no matter what you’re going through, it's important to reach out to those besties around you, because bestie, YOU ARE LOVED. And remember, nobody needs to suffer in silence, especially you.  We hope this episode gives you a push to develop new strategies to deal with that stress, and help you remember that no matter the wave you’re riding, its always important to just speak with your heart. We LOVE you! Thanks for listening BESTIE. And as always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko dive into dating preferences... and GWORL, what got us SHOOK this week is preferences people have when it comes to dating in the gay community, the stereotypes that come with labels such as “masc for masc,” amongst others. Bestie, sometimes what is disguised as a preference is underlying insecurity from the other side and or just problematic. On this episode, we discuss the importance of questioning your own preferences and where they may stem from because sometimes we notice a pattern of why we constantly get our heartbroken when going after “our type.” Listen to this episode if dating apps give you SO much fatigue, make you feel bad about yourself or question whether or not you should just delete them all together… But remember, another person’s problematic preferences do not define your beauty, your worth or how you should live your life. If they make excuses for being fat phobic, racist, etc… then you don’t even want to interact with them anyway. We hope this episode gave you a push to either get back on dating apps, or find some hope in dating because we understand… it’s ROUGH out here in THEE trenches… LOVE YOU and thanks for listening bestie! As always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko dive into finding motivation, discipline, and how to start pursuing your dreams/passions. What got us SHOOK this week are the challenges of dealing with unsupportive friends and the need to embrace change and growth, even if it means outgrowing certain relationships/friendships. Bestie, sometimes we realize people are not good for us and that is OKAY! Let us remind you the importance of self-reflection, self-care, and taking action despite fluctuating motivation levels… aka procrastinating and holding out on YOUR dreams! On this episode, we discuss the importance of not relying solely on feelings, having an abundance mindset, and being grateful for yourself and curating your support system to set YOUR life up for success. Cause remember, who you surround yourself with creates your reality. Just know that motivation comes in waves and that we’re here for you while you embrace change and growth–learning not to rely on your feelings alone to make life altering decisions. We hope this episode helps you start living your truth, your dreams and continue thriving like the amazing person you already ARE. Let’s get consistent. Let’s develop discipline. Let’s feel fulfilled–together. LOVE YOU and thanks for listening bestie! As always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko

Please note bestie: This episode includes discussions of eating disorders and body image issues, which may be triggering for some listeners. On this Episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko dive into the complexities of body dysmorphia with their personal experiences. They explore the origins of their body image struggles, the impact it has on their lives, and their previous and current coping mechanisms–bringing up some of the reasons why its more common than you might think… Nickko talks about their relationship with food and self image, and where these struggles may have originated, and how they’ve learned to grown to accept themselves. Dean shares about his time in rehab and does a vulnerable deep dive into his struggles with eating disorders, self-image and his relationship with exercise, and how body image issues usually start way before social media takes a toll….   We hope this vulnerable episode helps y’all navigate the complicated relationship we all have with our bodies… we LOVE you! Thanks for listening. And as always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko are joined with a special guest… Jared Milrad! Jared is the CEO & Founder of Movikarma, a non-profit aiming to close gaps for underrepresented talent in hollywood and connect diverse/inclusive stories with impact. Tea is, Jared is also Nickko’s boyfriend so LETS GET SHOOK! On this episode, we dive into healing after heartbreak– we talk about relationship trauma, heartbreak, trust issues, and finding/believing in love again after being disappointed. Jared shares his personal stories, what he is going through, and how he is navigating his love life and lessons he has learned throughout the process. Again, we are not licensed therapists, but slightly shook life lessons obviously serve as bestie-worthy advice. We hope some of Jared’s story relates to y'all in some way shape or form. If you’ve ever been through a long term relationship break-up, disappointed by someone who you love(d), and questioning if you'll ever find love again...this one's for you. Thanks for listening, BESTIE! And as always, you can send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko & you can find Jared @jaredmilrad along with his non-profit–here is the link to the website and resources page

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko talk about AUDACITY... why people have so much of it, traumatic experiences, and situations where some people have too much audacity… Nickko shares his horror story with a person who had so much audacity and did him SO dirty. Audacity is very not demure, not mindful, not cutesy. They dive into why some people might have the audacity to treat you poorly, why you need to get things in writing, experiences that taught them to stand up for themselves, pet peeves, and the ways some people have audacity that make it literally seem on CLEARANCE. Send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook ! You can also find Dean & Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin & @nxckko As always, we love you bestie! x

In this episode of Slightly Shook, Dean & Nickko are  talking about relationships, self-love while being single, dating disasters, and more relatable relationship advice… from their own experiences that taught them lessons. They'll share their fair share of trauma they’ve endured in the dating scene and trying to find the “fish in the sea,” even if most of it is rotten. Although again, they are not licensed therapists, but slightly shook life lessons obviously serve as bestie-worthy advice. They dive into why staying in love may be difficult, being taken for granted, experiences that made them question their worth, dating apps, and the ways they navigated loving themselves so that they attract abundance and the connections they deserve/make them feel fulfilled. Send your questions to [email protected] or send us a DM on our instagram @slightlyshook ! You can find Dean and Nickko on Instagram @deanwlin and @nxckko LOVE YOU BESTIE! x