Mental

We are searching for our first Head of Growth at Mental - the first mental health app built for men. We are early on and looking for someone who is experienced in growth, likes to wear multiple hats, likes to own a space, and is hungry to make a massive dent on the world. See job link in the comments. I really appreciate any reshares!

Looking for something to listen to this weekend? New podcast out with Anxiety Book Club. It was fun talking with Josh. He has interviewed a lot of heavy weights from the world of therapy, mindfulness, and academia, all with a focus on mental health, so I got to talk on a different of a level than I have on other podcasts. E.g, I got to talk about my graduate/post-doc research on rumination (repetitive negative thinking)! :) https://lnkd.in/gj4wGYtn

Calm grew massively by word of mouth and a big part of of that was because we knew how to insert ourselves into the cultural conversation. It hard to do this via traditional PR. The better way - especially in the social media age - is by "silly PR." This type of work partly depends on you having cultural tailwinds behind you. But it is also clearly a skillset. And a hard to learn one for most people. Fortunately for you all, Peter Freedman just wrote a book on how to do it! Peter led our Silly PR efforts at Calm (e.g., "Ba Ba Land" - a 14 hour movie of sheeps grazing that actually premiered in theaters) and these efforts were a huge part of our success. If you know this space, you know that Peter is a legend. Peter is also working with us at Mental. And having the band back together, it is very much not a coincidence that WSJ just featured us recently in a somewhat absurd article about business meetings and cold showers/plunges. 😂 More to come. 😀 https://lnkd.in/gsqtD4y6

Last weekend I started my one-year fellowship in Leaders in Tech (LiT) by doing a 4-day T-group with a small group of top-tier tech founders and CEOs near Point Reyes, Ca. I've never been part of the type of learning laboratory called a T-group that they use at LiT, and didn't really know what to expect. I do know that I was hugely curious why the legendary psychologist Carl Rogers called it "the most significant social invention of the century," and why the Touch Feely course at Stanford's B-school, which also leverages this tool, is so wildly popular. And I now understand why. Lit was put together by some extraordinary folks such Joe Greenstein, Sue Khim, and the Stanford faculty member who taught Touchy Feely for years, Carole Robin, LLC. And the experience was a wild ride. Before I started it, past members said they couldn't tell me what the experience was - better to experience it yourself. I've told my co-founder Tyler Sheaffer the same because I want him to do it. I'm sure he thinks I joined a cult. 😂 But I can tell you that in just a weekend, I've gotten 100x better at getting and giving feedback. I've learned amazing new tools for handling conflict and have a deeper understand of how I influence and connect with people. Plus I got to deeply connect with a small group of beautiful human beings, reminding me at a visceral level how connected we all are, despite all our differences. In general, it was a real step in my journey of self-growth and honestly, probably the type of work that I needed most. I'm so grateful that the fellowship continues on for the next year. If you are are tech founder or CEO (early or late stage) and are intrigued, let me know. Spots are available only to people nominated and in this past cohort, only 5% of the 1300 people nominated & applied were accepted. So if you get the chance to take this ride in a future cohort, count your blessings.

“This is how adults get high," said a friend to me after a sauna/cold-plunge combo. Never thought I would see this comment end up in the WSJ. Anne Marie Chaker has a great new article out on how people are using cold not just for the mental health benefits, but as a new way to bond and even do business. In our opinion, a much better way to come together than booze and drugs. Mental was featured because we like to live the brand. 😂 We have the first and only GUIDED cold shower protocol in our app. And it isn't just about helping others get "high" from cold water. When you get into cold water, your body responds by releasing stress hormones. This presents you with an amazing opportunity to rewire how your brain responds to stress. In our guided cold shower protocol, Master Chief Navy SEAL Stephen Drum trains you in science-based mental tools, under the stress of cold, so that they become your reflexive responses to daily stress. As one of our users recently said, "Now I just view everyday adversity as just another cold shower. I have the mental tools to handle it." If you haven't tried cold before (or been able to make a practice of it) - it's time to get Mental. #letsgetmental

🎙️ Exciting Announcement! 🎙️ I had the amazing opportunity to have Anson Whitmer, PhD on The Therapy4Dads Podcast. In this episode, Anson shares his personal journey that led to him becoming the co-founder of the MENTAL app, using intentional stress exposure, discusses the need for education about different approaches to mental health, and explores ways to engage men in seeking help. Here are 3 key takeaways from our discussion: 1️⃣ Shifting Mindset through Intentional Stress Exposure: We explored a method of building up tolerance to cold water, inspired by habit formation research and guided by a retired Navy SEAL. By intentionally exposing ourselves to stressors, like cold water, we can rewire our brain's response to stress, learn mental tools used by Navy SEALs, and decrease overall stress. 2️⃣ Expanding the Tools in our Mental Health Toolkit: The conversation highlighted the importance of moving beyond traditional therapy and emotional vulnerability as the only solutions for mental health. There are various approaches and tools available, such as exercise, breathwork, and understanding the birthing process. By embracing a multi-faceted approach, we can improve our mental well-being and lead more meaningful lives. 3️⃣ Breaking the Barriers to Seeking Help: We delved into the cultural and personal factors that can deter individuals from seeking assistance. The fear of disappointment, lack of safety, and survival instincts can discourage people from asking for help. However, we discussed the power of lifestyle adjustments, like exercise, as a potential first step towards improving mental health and creating an upward cycle. I am truly grateful for Anson joining me on The Therapy4Dads Podcast. Let's open up the conversation about mental health, share tools and resources, and empower each other on our journeys toward greater well-being. You can listen to the full episode "Let's Get MENTAL: World's 1st Men's Mental Health App" on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. #MentalHealthMatters #PodcastReview #BreakingBarriers #ToolsForWellbeing https://lnkd.in/gSKjpAv5

Congratulations to Anson Whitmer, PhD and the team at Mental for taking home first place at the Elevate Pitch competition during Reno Startup Week. https://www.getmental.com

Discussions about gender disparities in medicine often veer towards the challenges women face—and rightly so. But the fact is, men are not spared from one enormous gender gap: life expectancy. Men have higher mortality rates at every age. On average, male life expectancy in the U.S. at birth stands at 73.2 years, which is about *six fewer years* than women. This is even worse for Black (66.7 years) and Native American (61.5) men. In this deep-dive, I wanted to untangle the complex threads of men’s health, and explore what has been done, what is being done, and most importantly, what should be done. This piece covers: ⚰ Why men have a lower life expectancy 👨⚕️ Why we need an “OBGYN for men” specialty 🍆 Why urologists aren’t the answer 🚀 How startups are stepping up ⛩ Erectile dysfunction: the gateway healthcare experience? 5️⃣ Five massive opportunities in men’s health I talked to a lot of folks for this blog post: - Investors Chamath Palihapitiya and Steve Kraus - Urologist Bradley Gill of Cleveland Clinic and family medicine physician Kevin Stephens Jr - Founders Saad Alam, Stuart Blitz, and Anson Whitmer, PhD - Husband Jeff Hammerbacher There's a lot to unpack! Read now: https://lnkd.in/ewXyPB64

All good managers know how critical it is to hit the sweet spot in the Yerkes-Dodson curve with their team. Is this the new trick to make it happen? The Yerkes-Dodson Law dictates that too little stress is as bad for performance as too much stress. So if you find your team members under stressed, you actually want to find ways to nudge it up. That's why when at a recent long day at a company off-site, when we realized that team member Jason Kyle was kind of snoozing during a meeting, we decided we needed to do something completely different. A cold shower meeting. Fully clothed. Cold showers ramp up stress hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline and I knew it would it get him into the perfect spot. And not only did it wake him up, he gave us his best ideas to date. So now it is a core part of how we #getmental. Cold shower meetings work even better remotely. Meetings are now energetic, exciting, and always fast. What do you think? Are fully clothed cold shower meetings the next big thing? #mentalhealth #mensmentalhealth