Have you ever had a nagging voice inside your head that tries to tell you that you aren’t good enough for the job you are interviewing for; that you are going to fail this presentation you are giving in graduate school; that there is no way you can finish that marathon? These are the inner struggles most people can relate to, the insecurities in the psyche that can make it difficult to appear confident or achieve goals and aspirations. For Michael Nieling, this is an internal battle he has been fighting his entire life. Unlike a lot of people who give in to the negative voice in their heads, Nieling embraces the insecurities and channels them to help him succeed, or at least laugh at himself if he fails.
Following successful presentations at previous SXSW Interactive sessions with titles such as “Fuck No,” “Shit Yeah,” and “Damn Right,” Nieling brings his expletive-filled stories to SXSW 2017 with the goal of freeing people up from their negativity, and providing a safe place for people to realize they are not alone in feeling like an imposter in their own life.
Nieling has harnessed the philosophies he has brought in his SXSW sessions and applied them to the companies he is involved with, embracing the principals as part of the ethos and culture of the businesses themselves. After speaking at different conferences, including SXSW, Nieling would receive emails and Tweets from members of the audience. This allowed Nieling to see what was connecting most with the audiences he was interacting with, which was authenticity.
“What really resonated most with people were the intimate details I was giving during the talks, such as the challenges I have at work or in my personal life,” he said.
Knowing this, Nieling decided his next session at SXSW should be simple, which he intended to call “Stories with Slight Swearing.” But after sending over a rough draft of the major points to a friend without that working title included, the reply he received was one of admiration towards the “title,” which was actually the first line of the write-up. Thus, “They’re Going to Hate This & Think I’m Full of Shit” was born.
The session will touch upon intimate topics, including anxiety, depression, mental health issues, relationship issues, and other seemingly personal aspects of life that Nieling himself has had to deal with.
“My whole life I have dealt with anxiety, the constant backup vocals and undercurrent of a doubting voice in my head. Not just that I might not do well on a test, but that I am going to fail that test and flunk out of school,” said Nieling. “I am excited to be telling stories around the long standing feud going on inside my head.”
The disarming and diffusing elements of his curse-word filled sessions help people get more comfortable with difficult realities. For instance, how most everyone questions whether they deserve what they have or belong where they are.
“There are no grown-ups,” Nieling says, “No one REALLY knows what they are doing, but seeing someone on stage in front of a thousand people admitting as much – it’s empowering. Fuck, if he can do it, anyone can. Right?”
What does Nieling expect the audience will take away this year?
“People will definitely laugh,” he said, adding “hopefully there will be some inspiring points that will encourage people to change things in their lives to help them succeed. Things that people will relate to. Some sort of semblance of solidarity with people in the room.”
But who knows, he may be full of shit. 
Ralphie Photo: dailycaller.com
When and Where:
Sunday, March 12
12:30 – 1:30 P.M.
Hyatt Regency Austin – Zilker Ballroom 1 / 208 Barton Springs Rd.
Find out more: They’re Going to Hate This & Think I’m Full of Shit