“Life doesn’t stop to clear a path for you to pursue your startup."
—Thai-Anh Hoang, Founder of EmBeba
Starting a business is a huge challenge, and one thing a lot of entrepreneurs don’t think about before they take the leap is the fact that life doesn’t stop to clear a path for you to pursue your startup. Throughout my adult life, I’ve struggled with my mental health, both because of clinical depression and stressful experiences. And yet, I have managed to build a business during two of the most challenging years of my life.
Being honest about mental health is important in opening up the conversation, and it also allows those of us who are struggling to feel less alone as we develop the skills we need to stay mentally well. My entrepreneurial journey has taught me many things, but perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that I’ve learned how to better cultivate resilience in the face of challenges.
I was diagnosed with depression in my early twenties due to work-related stress and I went to therapy for a year because of it. Then, several years later, my mental health took another hit when my daughter was born and I was diagnosed with severe postpartum depression. While incredibly difficult at the time, this was a blessing in disguise: I became more proactive and aware of my mental health and understood the important balance of therapy, medication, and specific personal habits that could help me.
In 2018, I was on a family trip to Europe with my husband and my infant daughter. It was during this trip that the idea for my clean family skincare brand, EmBeba, came about. The idea for the brand’s first product, a diaper balm, was sparked by a homemade balm a family member gave me in Bosnia. Inspired, I returned home and channeled my energy into building EmBeba, applying modern technology to an age-old family recipe. Redirecting my focus onto a new purpose and entrepreneurial venture was a good strategy for me, and I spent nearly two years building a product and brand that I expected to launch in the spring of 2020.
To say it has not been smooth sailing would be a tremendous understatement. As I worked on launching my business, we lost my dog in a hit-and-run accident, and I miscarried shortly after. But this time, I was able to quickly recognize the signs that I might be sliding into depression. I began taking proactive steps that I knew benefitted my mental health: exercising more often, gardening, and spending time with my family, to name a few. I also reminded myself that I have a lot of positive things in my life and that we are bound by fate. And I became laser-focused on building EmBeba.
Then came COVID. Like many brands expecting big things in early 2020, I was devastated when the pandemic’s effects meant we couldn’t get products or launch the brand I’d been working on for two years. My family also contracted the virus, and my husband and I faced the challenges of recovering while caring for our toddler in isolation. It was a difficult time, but when we emerged I recognized we’d survived–and that was something to be proud of.
We’ve since launched EmBeba. It was later than we’d planned, and we—like many—have had a challenging year. But when I look back at my journey to bringing our first product to market, the resilience and mental toughness I built through my personal challenges really helped me in starting my business. Despite the multiple challenges that came my way while launching my business during COVID, being comfortable with the strategy of tackling each problem as it came kept me from being overwhelmed.
And, having gone through so much in the past several years, I feel like I’ve developed better coping mechanisms—and a steely spine—to plow ahead. Focusing on a goal allowed me to compartmentalize my feelings and redirect my energy positively.
As female founders, we’re often on our own when we start—and that can be a challenge when it comes to developing good habits for managing your mental health. By sharing my story, I hope to open up a dialogue around some of the challenges women entrepreneurs are facing and how we can prepare for and leverage them whenever possible.
Below, I’m sharing three strategies that have helped me cope with disappointment, grief, and uncertainty along the way.
Tune into your mental health.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in your life or business and push down any negativity. My early experience with depression helped me become better attuned to recognizing the potential of falling back into depression. While life is busy and it’s easy to become distracted, I always make sure I’m paying attention to how I’m feeling.
Recognize your triggers.
To that effect, I recognize the triggers that can send me down a slippery slope, having battled with them before. Understanding what situations may be more challenging for you allows you to put support systems or positive habits in place proactively.
Have a plan.
In my case, exercise, gardening, and spending time with my family are all activities that really help me stay positive and well. Take the time to recognize what makes you feel good, and be sure to build that into your plan to stay mentally healthy.
Of course, the challenges of running a business don’t stop after launching—I was in the midst of launching my business while pregnant with my second child. While a product launch and a new baby are two happy, momentous occasions, they come with their fair share of overwhelm. But as I channel my energy into something I’m passionate about, I’m provided with an opportunity to think positively towards the future and cultivate the resilience required to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship.
About the author: Thai-Anh Hoang is the founder of the clean, family-friendly skincare line EmBeba. A daughter of entrepreneurs, she was inspired to start the company after a family member gifted her a generations-old, homemade balm that worked miracles on her family’s sensitive skin. She’s a mom of a toddler with another child on the way.
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