Managing Mental Health: Interview with Jemma MrDak, a young entrepreneur
Last year Jemma MrDak went on national television to talk about her personal experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Her video went viral and she received hundreds of messages thanking her for her honesty and willingness to inspire the thousands of people watching, who had also suffered from a mental illness.
Jemma is the owner and sole employee of her social media business Dak &Co. She is also regarded in Canberra as an ‘influencer’ with a social media audience of over twenty thousand people, and has a strong reputation for delivering beautifully composed images and in-depth blog posts on her website A Stylish Moment. Her work includes collaborations with local business including Southpoint Tuggeranong, Rebel Muse and the Canberra Centre.
I sat down with Jemma for a coffee, wanting to know more about her strategies for managing her mental health as a young entrepreneur, and also the struggles of getting a new business of the ground when you hold the fate of its success in your hands.
Thanks for joining me today Jemma. Tell us about your business and how it started?
So my business started because I started a blog many years ago when I was at university, studying public relations and arts at UC. I did a student exchange in Italy which was fashion related, when blogging was becoming a bit of a thing.
I started my own blog and it was the best thing ever. I just wanted to get myself out there and do something other than just study. Over time the blog evolved, I finished university and I started working full time. It was then that I realized that I actually wanted to work for myself one day. So I developed the blog, changed the name and started taking it a little bit more seriously. I was really lucky because my job at the time gave me a lot of opportunities to work with media so I made a lot of connections, which helped boost my profile.
It was then that people started reaching out to me wanting help with their social media because mine had grown, which was really cool. I’d sit and have a coffee with them, and I thought you know I could probably make a business out of this. So I thought wouldn’t it be cool if I could make a living out of being an ‘influencer’ (I hate that term) online and also help people, particularly small businesses with promotion on social media platforms. I used my platform as evidence to my clients that it is possible to grow your social media following the right way.
So that’s when I started Dak & Co, got a couple of clients on board whilst also working as a personal trainer. That really helped with the money side of things and making sure it continued to come in because when you run a business it can be really hard to know where the money is coming from and if a client is going to stick around. I always used to doubt myself but now I’m a lot more confident in my abilities and my services. I’m very passionate about what I do and particularly helping out small businesses, as well as communications and media in general.
Do you think that being an entrepreneur has put you in situations where your mental health is at risk?
Definitely, because I have an online profile. I don’t over share for the very reason that I don’t want to overexpose myself, and I also don’t want to be online all the time because that can be quite detrimental to my mental health. So it is a risk, but at the same time the reason why I am successful is because of social media and the digital sphere. I’ve learnt over time what to do when I feel like things are getting too much, or I know when to take a step back and reassess what my lifestyle is like at that point in time and change it. I never used to be like that, it’s what I’ve learnt over time.
Why is it so important for you as the owner/sole employee of your business to take care of your mental health?
Well I’m the only person that’s running the business. I do have contractors that work for me but I don’t have any full time staff. Basically, if I fall apart my business falls apart. Looking after myself is a massive priority that I’m constantly reminded of by friends and family, who will tell me to take a break. If I’m just feeling really run down and tired which I am at the moment, and I’m going to take a few days off next week to step back and just look after myself. I’m also really self aware which is important, and I know when it’s time to take a step back. But yeah, it is a massive risk being just me, and only me to run the business.
Do you think that being your own boss and running a business has put a strain on your mental health?
I don’t think so, because I enjoy it. It’s not a job that I hate, like when I used to work for someone else in a different environment I didn’t like being there so that took a huge toll on my mental health. I love what I do now so I don’t think it affects my mental health in a negative way, I think it helps that I talk about mental health in what I do.
Do you have strategies in your everyday routine that help you to manage your mental health?
I call it my non-negotiables and it’s things that I have to do everyday or mainly every weekday, weekends I try to chill out and relax. I like to exercise everyday and it has to be in the morning. It’s the very first thing that I do after I get up, I jump out of bed and go straight to the gym. I love to do a quick session at F45 in the morning and then I come homw and I walk my dog Rex for an hour.
So I’m exercising for a good couple of hours in the morning, which might sound like a lot to some people, but it’s what works for me and if I don’t do that in the morning I don’t have a good day. What I mean by ‘not a good day’ is I’ll feel lethargic or tired, I won’t get a good sleep that night and I’ll probably make really bad eating choices which will make me feel worse. Doing some form of movement in the morning is super important for me and I notice the days that I don’t do it and how I feel. I use that feeling and remembering how bad I feel on those days as motivation to get out of bed and go to the gym at 5am because I know it makes me feel good.
I also like to take time out and spend time with family. Family is really important for me; I’m very close with my mum and dad. When I’m with my family I make a conscious effort to put my phone down, I sometimes put it in another room or I lock myself out of it for a certain period of time. My job means that I’m always on my phone replying to emails or messages or taking calls. When I take my dog Rex for a walk in the morning I leave my phone at home. I try to look up and just take in my surroundings on my morning walk because I feel that we are always looking down at our phones.
I practice mindfulness as much as I can. I don’t necessarily sit down and do a half hour meditation on an app, which is great for some people, but it just doesn’t work for me. I’ve found that walking is my form of meditation, and I talk to myself. It may sound weird but I just have a chat to myself as if I am a therapist and it can be in my head or out loud if no one’s around. It’s my way of checking in with myself and seeing how I’m going.
Any advice for young people out there trying to manage their mental health?
Definitely seek professional help. I think it’s all well and good that there is people out there like myself, giving advice and sharing their stories, and I wish there was people like that for me when I was younger. They are such good sources of inspiration, motivation and hope that you will feel better one day. But I do think that seeking professional help is the most important thing you can do. Go and talk to a qualified psychologist or your doctor or whoever it may be and they can give you proper strategies. Everyone is so different and everyone’s mental health plan and mental health experience is so different and so we all need different strategies whether that be medication, or cognitive behavioural therapy. Its just so much better than trying to work it our for yourself and googling things. Go straight to the professional source for help. I found it so helpful to talk to someone who didn’t know me at all, didn’t know my story or my background and came from a place of zero judgement.
Also try not to let go of those people closest to you, whether that be your friends or family. Your gut instinct will be to push them away, but they love you, want the best for you and are your best support system.
You’ve said that you have struggled at times starting up your own business. What advice would you give to others looking to start their own business?
Don’t get too ahead of yourself and don’t jump into everything all at once. Pick a couple of things that you are really good and want to focus on, and let yourself and your business grow at a healthy pace over time. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin and burn yourself out before you’ve eve made progress. Focus on a few key things and do them well.
I’d also say don’t quit your full time job straight away. When you think that you want to run your own business that’s cool, but it’s really tough. If you can hold on to a part time or full time job while for as long as you can just to keep the money coming in. Otherwise you don’t know when the money is going to come in and you have a back up plan in case things go pear shaped. It’s just about being smart by taking care of yourself financially.
And last but certainly not least be kind. Everyone knows everyone regardless of what industry you’re in and you need to have a good reputation if you want to succeed with your business.
You are so busy! What are your plans for the future?
Honestly I have no idea. I love what I’m doing now and I’m super passionate about the work that I do in supporting local small businesses. I’d love to continue with my MC work and also advocating mental health is a key thing for me. I also want to grow Dak & Co to have a few staff in the long run, and keep working with small businesses who need help with their social media and communications. I just want to keep being a quiet achiever because slow and steady wins the race.
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