40. Dealing with Mental Health in the Family Business with Michelle E. Dickinson

The pandemic has undeniably changed our lives on so many levels.  Aside from its devastating effects on global health and the economy, it has taken an enormous toll on people’s mental health as well.

A lot of family business owners today deal with mental health issues.  Unfortunately, most of them choose to ignore it because they’re not really equipped to deal with it, or worse, some don’t even recognize what it is.

In this episode, join Matt DiFrancesco and Michelle E. Dickinson, a Workplace Mental Health Strategist & Consultant, and TEDx speaker, as they talk about how to identify these invisible disabilities in the workplace, and what toolsets business owners can use to help their employees/family members get help with their mental health issues.

Michelle talks about

How having a bipolar mother made her become a mental health advocate
What led her to write her memoir
Her advice to business owners who are dealing with family members or employees with mental health issues
How many Americans are dealing with depression and anxiety today
Why we should stop comparing ourselves to others
The value of bringing somebody in who can help with our mental health
Where to go find mental health support
Why mental health has nothing to do with mental toughness
How being vulnerable can open up your leadership abilities
Why it’s important for business owners to be open about their mental health issues
...and more

Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Psychology Today

TalkSpace

Connect with Michelle E. Dickinson

Linked In: Michelle E. Dickinson, MM

Instagram: @michelledickinson71

Website: https://careforyourpeople.com/

To get a FREE chapter from Michelle’s book, Breaking Into My Life, go to:

https://breakingintomylife.com/ then go to Excerpt.

Connect With Matt DiFrancesco:

[email protected]

(814)201-5855

LinkedIn: Matt DiFrancesco

LinkedIn: High Lift Financial

Facebook: High Lift Financial

About Our Guest:

Michelle E. Dickinson grew up with a mother who had bipolar disorder. The years she spent taking care of her mom gave her a deeper understanding of what it’s like to love someone with a mental illness and how challenging it is.  Eventually, she found herself sharing her story and realized its power to open up a narrative and make other people feel less alone.

While working for a Fortune 500 company, Michelle had the opportunity to lead a mental health employee resource group. Her experience taught her what it takes to shift culture and what can be done to create stigma-free environments in the workplace. Years later, she decided to leave the corporate world, start her own company, and be the difference she wants to see in the world.

Today, Michelle works as a Workplace Mental Health Strategist & Consultant at Trifecta Mental Health. She provides interactive workshops to help recenter employees with their emotional and mental well-being. She wrote her memoir, Breaking Into My Life, to help people better understand the word of mental illness and she hopes that the story will help those who suffer become more understood, treated, and accepted.