Receiving a Mental Health Diagnosis
Having your life — how you act, live, think — “defined” by a few spoken words, can be daunting to say the least. Let’s talk about the impact of a mental health diagnosis…and also...
Confessions of a Lip Balm CEO
My previous goal for Mend was “How do I seem more professional/legitimate”, when, at the time, I was making lip balm in my apartment kitchen. I remember having a zoom meeting (on the floor, because I'd sold my living room furniture to fund Mend) and the person on zoom said “I'm shocked to find out you run this by yourself from your apartment. I thought you had a warehouse with employees from your socials.".
Congrats Rachel! You fooled people…but at what cost? I had lost all authenticity simply because I wanted to put my best foot forward. Feelings of inadequacy come easily in a world that only highlights "success stories". I so desperately wanted to seem “legitimate”, which, in my mind, did not equate to my current circumstance. Not true, past Rachel!!
So, 2 years ago, I decided to make a change with Mend. I decided to show up as me – working from my apartment – no couch and all. If I wanted to promote breaking the stigma around mental health, I felt as though I needed to be real and transparent with how I ran Mend. Mend was no longer a faceless business. I wanted people to see me! My passion and story is ingrained into what Mend is – why not share it?
Even in regards to these newsletters – I want them to seem ~professional~. But…here's the thing…I am silly and goofy and not one to, “circle back,” or, “per my last email,” with you. I am constantly reminding myself to be ME with my Mend audience! So no, I am not magically a pro at being authentic (I wish), but I'm always working on it!
In the spirit of authenticity/transparency/other fun synonyms…here are some personal goals I have regarding Mend right now:
- Measuring my “success” by my investment in my purpose and mission, NOT in sales/reviews/etc. (oof, this one is hard)
- Setting boundaries and sticking to them, even if it means forfeiting sales opportunities
- Knowing that sacrifices must be made in order to fulfill my dreams, but sacrificing my own mental health is not an option
Thanks for reading!
Rachel Parrett
Rachel is the founder of Mend Lip Balm and lives in Philly. As a mental health advocate, she finds a lot of joy in educating those around her about resources available to them. You can often find her reading a good book or spending time with friends.
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