We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gretchen Yax a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gretchen, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I am a naturally very optimistic person. It’s just my nature to always look on the bright side with a cup that is at least half full.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
The call that changed my life…
Kevin, my big brother, was a mix of contradictions—life of the party one moment, painfully shy the next. He didn’t always give his all, but when he did, things didn’t always pan out. But man, did he love his son, Zack. That love now carries on to Zack’s own kid. And yeah, he teased me like crazy, but he was also my best friend.
Back in 2004, I was working as a dental hygienist in Austin when the phone rang. “Kevin hung himself, we’re rushing to the hospital,” they said. My mind went into overdrive. Was he gone? Why the hospital then? Was it for a vigil or a funeral? And how the heck was I supposed to handle a 9-hour drive with all this going on? What about Zack? How do we even begin to explain this?
After ten days of life support, we honored his wish to donate his organs. At his funeral, heavy metal ballads filled the room, a tribute to Kevin’s passion for music. “Stairway To Heaven” played softly because that’s what Kevin would’ve wanted.
A year later, I found myself at Austin’s inaugural Out of the Darkness Community Walk, surrounded by folks who knew my pain. But when I looked back home to Louisiana, there was nothing like that. So, I reached out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and jumped on board to organize Louisiana’s first walk. A year later, my mom got in on it too, becoming and continuing to be a total champ for suicide prevention.
We moved from Austin to Sugar Land and back again. And especially post-Covid, mental health issues are on the rise. So, in 2023, we rallied the troops and kicked off Sugar Land’s first-ever Hike for Hope. What we thought would start small blew up big time, with over 600 people joining us each year. In two years, we helped bring in over $58K and over $67K to help AFSP save lives across Southeast Texas.
Kevin’s memory lives on, reminding us to fight to bring the stigma of suicide out of the darkness with everything we’ve got.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. With more than 39,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP’s mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
“I’m just a volunteer,” I tell myself as walk season kicks into gear. God and family always come first. But deep down, I believe in the power of giving, even if it’s just a little, to something worthwhile. Imagine if everyone did that—the world would be a whole lot brighter.
In the past five years, I’ve been through a whirlwind—multiple moves, a divorce. Yet, through it all, I’m a single mom to two teenage boys. I want them to see resilience in action. For the first time, I can offer them a stable, loving, sober home where they’re cherished without condition.
Alongside my dental hygiene career, I’m diving into launching two businesses. Surrounded by an incredible circle of friends, both old and new, life feels pretty darn amazing.
No matter what curveballs life throws my way, I’ll keep giving my all, nudging others toward better choices, and spreading as much joy as I can muster. Because that’s what makes this crazy ride worth it.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
As a freshly certified nutrition coach, I’m diving headfirst into my very first venture: Better Choices with Gretchen. It’s all about empowering others to navigate life with options in hand. Sure, there have been some unexpected turns along the way, but my mission remains clear: to guide people towards better choices in every aspect of their lives. From deciphering food labels to decluttering pantry shelves, I’ve been on a mission to help folks make smarter decisions about what they put into their bodies. Through workshops and discussions, we’ve explored how these choices can transform not just our gut health, but our overall well-being.
And that’s not all—there’s Better Endings on the horizon, a new venture I’m embarking on with my business partner. Together, we’re on a mission to assist everyone in facing the inevitable: death. It’s not an easy topic, but it’s one we’ll tackle head-on, guiding clients through every step of end-of-life planning. From practicalities like burial or cremation, photos and finances, logistics and legalities, we’re here to help folks organize their affairs and, who knows, maybe even find some peace and fulfillment in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: BetterChoiceswithGretchen.com
- Instagram: betterchoiceswithgretchen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091860828361
