Julia Belt: How Mindly is Revolutionizing Youth Mental Health with Single Session Interventions

Career Memos withSarina

Is your market not ready for your product? Here’s an idea: try a different market.

This is what Julia Belt and her co-founder, Margaret Hines did when their company, Mindly, a mental wellness platform focused on delivering digital single-session interventions, wasn’t taking off as fast as they expected it would.

The economy was doing poorly and mental health budgets were being cut. One advisor suggested waiting a few years and trying again. Instead, they floated the idea to the youth mental health network. It took off like wildfire.

So many founders think they need to find their market fit right away. The reality? You might need to try a few things before you get it right.

In this episode, Julia beautifully shares how her brother’s suicide inspired her to leave the chemical engineering industry to create innovative mental health solutions.

She shares thoughtful insights about the challenges of pivoting in business, mental resilience, and the importance of following your why, which she says will guide you no matter the obstacles you meet along the way.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Julia’s background in chemical engineering, and how the devastating loss of her brother inspired her to create BroglieBox, a mental health gifting company
• The genesis of Mindly, a mental health platform that delivers single-session interventions for youth
• The importance of letting go of ego, being willing to learn publicly, and continuously reaching out to experts and potential partners (even when it feels uncomfortable)
• The value of finding two types of mentors: one who has successfully built something similar to your goals, and another who is just a few steps ahead of where you are
• Julia’s advice for entrepreneurs, including scheduling focused work blocks, identifying your most productive hours, and maintaining clear boundaries between work/personal time

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Learn more about Mindly on their website and check out Julia’s favorite book, The Surrender Experiment: My Journey Into Life’s Perfection by Michael Singer.

Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.