Nina Boski, Media Executive and Producer, "Marilyn: Behind The Icon"

We are back for another great interview on our podcast on how to unlock your world of creativity. Our guest today is  Nina Boski.  

She is a transformational leader and media executive and founder of LifeBites Global. A dynamic business, energy, and media consultant who believes that people, and their viewpoints and values, make a company what it is. Nina has worked on both sides of the business spectrum, as an entrepreneur and in the corporate world, and understands the creative and administrative sides of the business. She leverages this unique perspective as she coaches organizations through issues involving team, culture, sales, and marketing. Though she believes the people element is of primary importance, an organization’s processes and systems must also be running efficiently to achieve success.

In our interview, we discuss three main topics:

Marilyn

1. What makes this series different from what has already been portrayed about the star?

2. Marilyn appears to be a visionary, given her fragmented upbringing and she still created such success. 

4. Why do you think people are still so fascinated by her after all these years?

Mental health

5. You spend a lot of time educating people about mental illness and addiction. Why is this important to the series, and what kind of alcohol and/or drugs were Marilyn addicted to in her life?

6. How can we take Marilyn’s life and learn from it – teachable moments?

7. Why do you think mental illness and addiction are at an all-time high, even though there are many more tools and resources than back in 1962?

8. What type of mental illness did Marilyn suffer from in her life? What is the difference between Bipolar disorder and borderline personality and how did that affect Marilyn?

9. When you say Marilyn is the ultimate dreamer, what do you mean?

Creative process of series

• Team
• Experts interviewed
• “pitching” the series

Amongst her many achievements, she has produced two projects for the iconic Marilyn Monroe’s 60th anniversary. Today Nina talks to us about “All Things Marilyn,” and sheds light on the important subject of mental health and addiction. As she shares Marilyn’s story, Nina’s hope is to inspire people to build up their own resilience for their future and be determined to create a vision for themselves that can propel their life forward, especially during this pandemic and beyond. 

In the two projects, Behind the Icon, a dramatic podcast about the entire life of Marilyn, and a TV docuseries that deals with the mental health and addiction and the correlation between the two along with the actual investigation of the star’s death, she breaks down for the first time, fact from probability theory to the outlandish rumors. Most of the biographies on Marilyn up until this point, blend all of these elements together and claim it as fact. This 22-expert production makes this complex story more easily digestible for the average listener or audience member and allows us to set the record straight on the decades of rumors and lies. In addition to Marilyn’s story, the TV docuseries highlights the celebrity of today who deals with some of the same things Marilyn did back in 1962, not only with the price of fame with addiction and mental health issues but by being “Propped Up for Profit” by the celebrities’ handlers and even loved ones. 

This unique story gives people a window to look at mental health up close and personal! Nina has spent over 6 years researching Marilyn. She has realized that the icon’s life is filled with inspiration if we search for the teachable moments that can help people heal their lives. Nina’s goal is to make a positive impact in the media with stories that make a difference. This story angle allows the true Marilyn, the core of who she was, about transformation and helping fellow mankind be at the heart of her true legacy to be remembered. Marilyn Monroe is very much a cultural phenomenon that attracts millions of fans across the globe each day. Marilyn was not just a beautiful, glamourous movie star but was a soul on this earth who, just like all of us, wanted to love and be loved.

In summary, Nina thinks that the Marilyn Monroe story unfortunately is not unique, but the lessons we can garner from it are invaluable. 

From our conversation with Nina, we can highlight some of those lessons.

• The ability to dream the hardest, despite the fact that she had a rough childhood where she was married off at 16 years and also faced abandonment, and abuse, with a mother suffering from mental acute disorders. 
• We learn that She has resilience from her because she had a huge ability to visualize and manifest her life.
• Marilyn appears to be a visionary, given her fragmented upbringing and she still created such success.
• We learn that she was brave and humane, she stood up and fought for the rights of people who couldn't fight for themselves. For example, the Me too movement alongside African American rights especially back then when they didn't have a voice. 
• We learn the importance of spending time educating people about mental health and reminding them that they can seek help.
• To also educate people on alcohol and/or drug addiction and tell them that it is ok to seek help for it

 

Company website: Life Bites

LinkedIn: Nina Boski

Behind the Icon  podcast: behindtheicon.com

 

If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by certified crisis response professionals.

Mentioned in this episode:

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