Team Mindy
Photo Cred: ExtraTV: Mindy and Zach
People often ask how I get guests for my show. I think they anticipate that I have some sort of method to my madness, but in actuality, I reach out to people I think have an interesting story to share or people whom I admire. Sometimes the universe has a way of delivering a guest to me. Someone might be a friend of a friend, a random person I meet out and about that I click with, or someone may seek me out to share their story. Regardless this is my favorite aspect of podcasting, meeting new people, hearing their story as if I was meeting them at a bar for a drink, and then sharing our conversation with my listeners.
Watching Season 10 of Married At First Sight, I identified with Mindy Shiben. I remember thinking how brave she was, marrying a stranger at first sight. I empathized with her when her parents chose not to be a part of her special day. The ceremony on MAFS is odd in general. It's always at a hotel. The hotel is usually pretty, but it's not a reflection of the couple like it would be normal circumstances when a bride and groom know one another and plan their special day collectively. Mindy did have her friends' support, standing by her side at the altar, committing to a man she just met.
When Zach walked out, I remember thinking, DAMN! He's good looking. I was impressed with the casting on Love is Blind. Everyone selected was attractive, even if Mark was a little on the shorter side, Jessica! With Married At First Sight, I feel like the cast members are selected based on compatibility and foundational principles versus attraction - which makes sense and probably leads to longer-lasting relationships. I did Google the success rate for MAFS, for fun. I was surprised to learn it's only 26%. Not sure why that's surprising, you're marrying a stranger, but with the help of experts, I'd like to believe you stand a fighting chance. I mean some arranged marriages work, or else the Indian Matchmaker, Sima, would be out of work. She's thriving, even in COVID Times.
If you didn't watch Mindy's season, here's a quick synopsis. Mindy marries Zach. Visibly they look like a match made in heaven. As soon as the honeymoon, we learn that Zach isn't giving his all to the marriage. He hardly tries at all. He's closed off, and viewers begin to question his motives for wanting to come on the show in the first place. Even the experts become frustrated with his actions or lack thereof. Mindy, however, refuses to give up. She gives Zach the benefit of the doubt and tries to make it work. It's not until Dr. Viviana guides her in setting some real boundaries that we witness Mindy have a moment of clarity. She can do her part, but she doesn't have to stay in the marriage if Zach is unwilling.
What transpires next is upsetting. Mindy learns her husband has been communicating with one of her girlfriends who attended the wedding via text. She confronts both her friend and Zach. Neither denies they were speaking to one another, but both conveniently deleted their text threads. Viewers, myself included, got real protective over Mindy after that. The nerve! Zach presses on, gaining the title, f*ck boy. He makes no real moves to apologize or correct his behavior. He seemingly has given up on being a husband, let alone a good one. Mindy then loses one of her best girlfriends along this journey. The punches keep rolling. The beauty, Mindy handles herself with class. She stands up for herself. She removes herself from both situations, and she somehow does it all with grace. Understanding this all happened to her, on national TV, makes me an even bigger Mindy Fan. Team Mindy all the way!
As Mindy's marriage continues to unravel and she grieves the loss of a friend, she also has to put on a brave face for the reunion show. More punches are thrown when Mindy learns Zach; still, legally, her husband asked another cast member out for drinks. All you had to do is say no, Katie! WTH? Mindy maintains her composure, handles herself with class, and presses on.
Can you see why I wanted to chat with Mindy? Honestly, I feel like we've all been there - not the marrying a stranger part. We've all been rejected by a guy, internalized it thinking if only we would have been this, or done that, he would have liked us back or treated us better. In actuality, it had nothing to do with us. That's a hard lesson to learn, but once you go through it and have that aha moment like Mindy did, you're reminded of your worth and you have a better understanding of what you want and what you don't want in a partner. You realize it's better to be single and happy than in a relationship unhappy or mistreated.
Tune in to hear my chat with Mindy. She's the epitome of a YSC Girl. She's beautiful, smart, charismatic, and open to love. She understands roadblocks and challenges may come her way, but that doesn't deter her from believing her love story will be written. I cannot wait to watch it unfold. You'll hear during our chat, I even tried to convince her to do another reality TV show. For now, I will settle for a front-row seat on Instagram.
