Her Story
About Grace
I've been a mental health advocate and podcaster for over 10 years, though I'd say I've been doing this work unofficially for 20 years. I grew up watching my mom work in the mental health system with people with disabilities. She was one of the first people in New York trained to work with individuals when they started closing institutions that were unsanitary and dehumanizing. My parents taught me that everyone deserves dignity and to be treated how you'd want someone to care for your favorite person. My journey into formal advocacy began after having my twins, who are now 17 and are neurodiverse with ADHD and autism. I went through severe postpartum depression and anxiety for about a year and a half, and nobody had told me about the dark parts of motherhood. It made me feel abnormal until my brother noticed something was wrong and pushed me to get help. After getting treatment and talking about it with others, I realized how many people were struggling in silence. I also spent years fighting to get diagnosed with lupus, finally standing up to doctors who kept dismissing my symptoms. These experiences led me to start speaking publicly, making videos, getting on radio shows, and eventually joining a podcast network about 2-3 years ago. I'm a certified life and spiritual coach, and I help people with mental health resources, live coaching, navigating relationships, setting boundaries, and advocating for themselves. I work with people dealing with everything from postpartum depression to domestic violence, homelessness, sex trafficking, and chronic illness. I'm finishing my bachelor's degree in psychology and hold certifications as a mandated reporter and in trauma-informed mental health first aid. My work is about showing people that healing is possible, helping them find resources, and teaching them to give themselves the same grace they'd give their favorite person.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Grace
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to advocating for people, which has been my best thing. I didn't even grow up hearing the word advocate - we just called it standing up for people 40 years ago. I've worked with almost every sector, from the unhoused to survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence to the LGBTQI community, and I've seen that regardless of how much we do or do not make and where we came from, a lot of us have the same issues and battles. What's made the biggest difference is teaching people what right and wrong looks like to them, how to stand up for themselves or for a loved one, and how to do that work within themselves first. Once you do it within yourself, you can do it in community, and then you can pay attention to who's in office locally and how policies affect us. I've also been blessed to have mentors who showed me it's great to have inspiration and goals, but you need to make it your own, tailor it to yourself, and realize that what works today may not work tomorrow. That lesson of being authentic and flexible has been huge for me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be you, be true to you, whatever that is. If you don't know, figure it out. It does take time, but definitely do that. If you need help doing it, by all means, swallow your pride if need be, but be you, because being you will help you personally and career-wise. If you stick to what is for you, even on the hard days, you'll still have the motivation to keep doing it, because nothing is worse than selling out or doing something that is against your beliefs and your morals. You'll end up having a midlife crisis trying to figure out what's wrong and what you did wrong. Being true to yourself will help you go into the career path that's right for you. As Confucius said, a person that does what they love never really has to go to work, so let your passion drive you. And if that doesn't look like something you see out there, then create it your own.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is really establishing oneself. There are so many people out there, and while I'm a firm believer there's more than enough pieces of the pie and my approach is different so who's supposed to find me will find me, unfortunately there are so many scammers out there and people willing to take advantage of vulnerable people. So it's about building the rapport and establishing yourself, which takes time. You're dealing with your own obstacles of how much time it takes, what to do, finding the right products, and everything that goes into running a business or practice. You have to constantly be willing to be taught and teach yourself, just like you would with any industry. But then there's also the unique challenge of building that rapport with people who have been hurt or misled, and you have to be prepared for the naysayers. It's about proving your integrity over time and showing up consistently.
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