The Algorithm Was Designed to Keep You Miserable — Here's How to Fight Back

What does it actually mean to be successful — and what if everything you've been chasing has been keeping you from the peace you already have? In this episode of **August After Dark**, host Matt sits down with entrepreneur, digital marketing pioneer, and consciousness explorer **Nicholas** for one of the most honest, wide-ranging conversations the show has ever had. Nicholas's story starts before he was even born — a miracle pregnancy, a prophecy spoken over his mother, and a path that led him to pastor a church at 17, build a **$100M+ digital advertising empire**, and eventually walk away from it all to ask the questions that actually matter. They cover it all: - How Nick went from **church pastor to Facebook ads pioneer** — generating close to a billion dollars in client sales - The **dark side of social media algorithms** and how platforms are engineered to keep you anxious, scrolling, and never enough - Why your **identity might not actually be yours** — and how to start questioning the stories you've inherited - The **McLaren obsession** — from a six-supercar test drive to hunting down a 765LT and why toys are just toys when you know who you are - **Dream Rally** — and the unexpected ripple effect it has not just on the kids in the cars, but on every single person watching from the sidewalk - Nick's new documentary **"Unbecoming"** — a two-year, seven-country journey through monasteries, neuroscience labs, and psychedelic research centers asking one question: *What if fulfillment isn't about becoming more, but unbecoming everything you're not?* - The **5MEO DMT protocol** Nick and his team have developed — combining clinical therapy, neurofeedback, Buddhist coaching, and psychedelic medicine to collapse the patterns that cause suffering - Why **presence, not performance**, is the new definition of success This episode will challenge the way you think about ambition, identity, social media, philanthropy, and what it means to truly know yourself. **Key Themes:** Inner clarity · Entrepreneurship · Social media & mental health · Psychedelics & consciousness · Philanthropy · Dream Rally · Identity & suffering · The Unbecoming documentary *Good things happen to good people. Throw the ladder back down.* **Subscribe, share, and if this episode moved you — visit augustafterdark.com to support the kids and families behind Dream Rally.**