Educating Entrepreneurs on Mental Health

The Boost Pad exists to provide underrepresented entrepreneurs with the resources they need to build successful businesses. Of course, that means business training and professional mentorship, but you might not have considered the importance of mental health training for entrepreneurs. 

Entrepreneurs are typically self-driven individuals used to working in high-pressure, high-stakes situations. On the outside, it can look like everything is okay – even when they are really struggling on the inside. We decided it was important to equip our cohort members with the knowledge and tools they need to maintain their mental health.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

An Expert Who Understands Our Community

The Boost Pad partnered with Tameka Brewington of Real Talk Counseling to deliver Mental Health 101 sessions as part of our curriculum.

Tameka is a licensed therapist who has been working in mental health and substance abuse counseling for 26 years. Additionally, she has teaching experience through her position as a community college instructor.

Helping entrepreneurs maintain their mental health.

Tameka explained, “Everybody has the capacity to have a mental health diagnosis.”

With that understanding, she teaches The Boost Pad cohorts what she calls Mental Health 101. She equips them with knowledge and practical actions they can take to protect their mental health. 

That training includes everything from guidance on finding a therapist to what to expect during an appointment to understanding how to pay for mental health services. 

For Mental Health Month, Tameka shared four practical mental health tips for entrepreneurs . 

1. Take care of yourself

When you’re not regulated, you can’t operate at 100% when it comes to your business. Pay attention to the things that help you regulate: 

2. Watch your surroundings

Do you have people who are encouraging you, or do you have people doubting you? Be intentional about who you allow speaking into your life. 

3. Stay grounded in reality

Entrepreneurs are visionaries, but vision can turn into a fantasy of instant success and wealth. Be real. There are going to be challenges. Stay grounded in your skills and abilities and stay the course.

4. Ask for help when you need it

If you feel like you need to talk to somebody, reach out. Don’t wait until you are in a full crisis. If you wait, it can put you in jeopardy of losing everything. And remember, if you start therapy, it doesn’t mean it’s forever. You may just need to talk to someone for a couple of months to recalibrate. 

Tameka knows how to talk to entrepreneurs because she is one. In 2019, she decided to open a private practice with a focus on urban working professionals. She helps her clients manage a range of conditions, but high-functioning anxiety and depression are common struggles for professionals. 

Her goal is to empower individuals to live meaningful lives. She explains, “Just because you’ve gone to school and have a job and you’re ‘successful’ does not mean that you are living the American dream, that you’re happy, or that you’re not dealing with something.”

Tameka understands her target market and structured her practice around their specific needs. Scheduling an appointment during working hours can be a struggle for professionals. Real Talk therapists are available seven days a week and during non-traditional hours so they are there when their clients are not working. They also utilize other tools to make connecting easier, like telehealth.

Underrepresented populations deserve help to overcome barriers to mental health support. Tameka explained, “There aren’t a lot of minorities that are in the clinical counseling field. And so a lot of people are hesitant to reach out and talk.”

Real Talk Counseling is intentional about creating a safe space for a diverse range of urban professionals. 

“From a cultural perspective, minority populations – especially African Americans because I can only speak from my perspective – are not taught to talk about their problems or to talk about what’s going on inside their household. And so a lot of people are holding things in and they’ve internalized it … they’ve been dealing with mental health and they don’t even know they’re traumatized. They think it’s just part of living their experience. So, it is very important for minorities to have representation.”

To learn more about Real Talk Counseling, visit www.therealtalkcounseling.com or call 980-939-0991.