We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Nett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristen, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Mental health is something I strive to be an advocate for in my personal and work life. Five years ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and it flipped my whole world upside down. In the previous months before my diagnosis, I was struggling with alarming and scary thoughts that I couldn’t get out of my mind. I didn’t know what was happening to me because I wasn’t fully aware of OCD as a disease. Many people go undiagnosed for years because of society’s stigma of OCD. For example, the narrative that OCD only correlates with being a “clean freak” or always needing to have your pencils straight on your desk. This can be true, but many don’t realize that OCD can be more than physical compulsions. OCD can be horrible, unwanted thoughts and images such as, “what if I jump off this cliff I’m standing on?” or “what if I smother my sleeping baby with a pillow?” These thoughts play over and over in your head until you start to believe that you actually might act upon them. It is truly a terrifying disease that makes you question yourself as a person and can make you not fully trust yourself. Despite these issues that I deal with to this day, I started my own nonprofit and have a successful career that I love. It was and is not easy to get to where I am today. Many times, my brain likes to tell me that I am not good enough and that I don’t deserve good things that I work hard for. I actually almost didn’t start my nonprofit because I was so scared of failure. I learned that it is important to surround myself with good people who push me to always be my best and who truly see me for the person I am. I am thankful for my family, my best friend Kylie and my nonprofit executive leadership team, Emma and Cameron, for all the support they give me. Some days, I feel lack of motivation to achieve my goals, but I know I can always count on these people to remind me who I am and what I’m worth.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Im December 2022, I founded Women in Sports Helping Inspire the Next Generation (WISHING), a nonprofit that helps high school girls learn about careers in the sports industry. Through mentorship, job shadowing opportunities and scholarships, we strive to level the playing field for all women! In our first year of programming, we served 27 high school girls around the nation and developed a network of 150 women working in sports who served as mentors. We also were able to award FOUR $1,000 scholarships to some of our senior students in our mentorship program. I feel like we have built WISHING in a very exciting time where so many eyes are on women and women in sports. Our goal is to diversify the sports industry and get more women into careers in sports. We are always looking for new partners or people to join our mission! Applications are now open for our mentorship program. We are looking for women who work in sports who want to give back and high school girls who are interested in learning more about careers in the sports industry. More information can be found at www.wishingmentors.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Perseverance, confidence and flexibility. As cliche as it sounds, it’s so important to never give up on what you want to achieve. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “no” before I finally heard my first “yes.” I want people in the early stages of their journey to know that many people are open to helping and being of assistance. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional via LinkedIn or email. It isn’t as scary as you may think! Confidence is key to everything you do in life. What helped build my confidence was surrounding myself with good people who have the same values and motivations as I do. Sometimes you need a push to see that you are amazing and can do anything you put your mind to! Lastly, flexibility is very important, especially trying things you might not have an original interest in. Many times, you will make a connection that can help you down the road.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents are truly incredible people and are the reason why I am the person I am. My dad is funny, outgoing, sensitive and kind. He never has a bad word to say about anyone. He has taught me to always see the best in people and to not judge a book by its cover. My mom is selfless, hard working, caring and passionate. She is a big reason why WISHING exists today. All of these qualities that my parents possess have given me confidence in myself to achieve my dreams. I learned at a young age that not everyone has amazing role models in parents like I do or equal opportunities to succeed. This belief that my parents taught me has pushed me to be mindful of others and to help create equal opportunities for people. To make a long story short, my parents have not done ONE impactful thing, they have done many impactful things throughout my entire life to make me the person I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wishingmentors.com
- Instagram: @wishing_org
- Facebook: Women in Sports Helping Inspire the Next Generation – WISHING
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wishing-women-in-sports-helping-inspire-the-next-generation/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
Image Credits
N/A
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