“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If you have love for yourself and others, you won’t need it.” – Shannon L. Alder

Some of the most successful folks in our community thrive despite experiencing mental health challenges. We are inspired by their strength and honored that they would share their stories with us below.

Tessia Ridge

Transforming my mental health changed my life. So many people have said that in my life to me, I never understood the importance of being mentally healthy until I had my own child. I wanted my son to have a stable and emotionally aware mom. Growing up mental health was not a priority in my family’s life. I moved around a lot, different households, couple different schools it felt like every year, and undiagnosed issues they have themselves. Read More>>

Katte Hammer

I have dealt with mental health challenges most of my life, including having symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, OCD, and PTSD. It has been a very difficult road at times, but also one full of blessings, spiritual perseverance, victory, and God’s never ending help, protection, and grace upon my life. He is truly loving, kind, and faithful. I would not be where I am today if it were not for God and my relationship with Him. His goodness has and will continue to overshadow all the trials and problems that I experience. Read More>> 

Brandon “MINDFRAME” Russell

The literal answer (no matter how cliché) is that I just simply take it one day, one step, and one moment at a time. Being that it is Men’s Mental Health Month, and someone who suffers from PTSD, its only right to speak on this. Also, from the standpoint of being a Black Man, mental health challenges and issues are very serious, but treated as a crutch or a joke. This can be overwhelming at times for people in my community. I personally overcame these issues from a ton of self reflection, vulnerability, therapy, patience, and grace.  Read More>> 

Kylie Payne

I’ve struggled with mental health issues almost my entire life. I’ve showed symptoms of anxiety since I was a little girl, it runs in my family. I’ve been in therapy since I was 14 and put on antidepressants when I was 17. When I was 19/20 I was in a very unhealthy relationship and attempted to take my own life. It was a very dark and scary time and it took months to even process what I went through. I honestly did not cope in the best ways at first. Read More>> 

Nick Albertson

My mental health journey began in earnest back in 2018. I had what I believed to be a medical episode that thankfully turned out to be very mild, but until I knew that for sure I was a nervous wreck. Lost a bunch of weight, thought I was going to die, the whole nine yards. Since then, I have become much more aware of how bad my mental health can get if I let it and therapy has been an absolute godsend for me. Seriously, if you can afford it, do it. Everyone. Read More>>

Alexis Brown

Mental health as a business owner is a topic that is often overlooked, especially in the beauty industry. The aesthetics industry, while being at the forefront of self-care, can simultaneously encourage burnout and a culture of hustle. This dichotomy can put one at a crossroads, feeling like they always have to be producing or presenting themselves in a certain way to keep up with the industry’s pace. As someone who has felt the forefront of this, particularly this year, it is important to me that I use my platform to shed light on this issue that very few people seem to be talking about or may be too fearful to address. Read More>> 

Dave Rollins

My mental health issues stem from severe depression and ADHD. Specifically it affects my executive function and my working memory. For years due to this, I could really only focus and dedicate my energy on one thing at a time “professionally.” What this meant was, while I was able to teach art, I had no ability to create it. I also often couldn’t keep track of due dates for exhibition applications. I could remember to get my students’ grades in on time, but I couldn’t remember that yesterday was a show deadline, and today was the deadline to register for that conference. Worse than all of that, though was the fact that I didn’t care. It didn’t matter that I missed the conference… Read More>> 

Narsil

The truth is, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten over it. I’ve had a complex depression that’s lasted a long time (a process that’s fortunately been treated and supported by the people I love). Art; Illustration, and especially music, are personal elements that constantly keep me afloat. It’s not because I’ve forgotten the process of depression, but because I can pour something negative out of myself into something, let’s say, “constructive.” It’s a way of getting bad thoughts out and putting them down on paper or in a song. Read More>>

Christian Meyer

I developed PTSD in 2015 during my first semester in my third year of college. In a matter of months, I went from an outgoing, hard-working badass to struggling to focus, having seizure-like symptoms, severe depression, and was forced to quit my favorite job to focus on getting through my studies. It literally was like experiencing the death of myself. While I managed to graduate, the toll of my traumatic experiences left me frequently suicidal and antisocial. It’s taken me almost ten years of therapy, medication, and actively working on myself to overcome the range of mental health symptoms that I’ve dealt with as a result of multiple experiences. Read More>>

Ashley Loute

Let’s just say it: leadership with mental health struggles is brutal. Everyone talks about hustle, balance, grit—but no one tells you how hard it is to lead people, build vision, and not completely fall apart when your brain feels like it’s glitching every five minutes.

I have ADHD and bipolar disorder. That’s not a quirk. It’s a daily battle. Some mornings I wake up with fire in my chest and can move mountains. Read More>>

Chelsea Hensbergen

My personal journey with bipolar disorder has been both messy and beautiful. Through trial and error, an excellent therapist, and developing consistent exercise / self-care habits, I’ve learned how to navigate my natural energy cycles and build a life that works around them.

By balancing concentrated bursts of intense focus and explosive productivity with extended rest periods to recharge and take care of life outside of work, it feels like I can surf the waves of those natural rhythms instead of drowning in an unpredictable current. Read More>>