Interview with Sally, CEO of Outta
Defying Mental Illness (DMI) had a great opportunity to interview an extraordinary lady, Sally Goncalves, founder of Outta. Sally has an interesting story to share with us because her experience of mental illness started from a very early age. For many, this would have been a cruel life sentence. But with Sally, she decided to do something that would advocate mental illness. Outta is a small apparel line based in Canada that brings awareness towards self care and supports mental health programs.
DMI: Hi Sally. It’s an honor to interview you at DMI. You started your clothes line from your experience. Tell us, what is self care all about?
SG: Thank you so much for this opportunity! For me, self care is all about nurturing the mind,body and spirit. It is really about taking care of ourselves from a kind, healthy place.
DMI: Interesting. Self care makes sense especially with mental illness. Caring for ourselves is often the first thing that goes out of the window with issues like mental illness. But what you are saying is that it is still possible to look after yourself. That is a hope message. So, what is your own personal story in line with your business?
SG: Well, my business idea really came to me through my recovery with mental health issues. As a child I was challenged with anxiety and later on depression; I know what it is like to be in that challenge for what seems a lifetime.
Depression ‘entered my life’ off and on since I was a teen and the last bout with it when I was in my mid 30’s. This last time is when I implemented a self care routine and found that slowly this was helping me feel better.
I learned how to connect with a deeper part of myself, really that was what was missing from my life all along. Once I started to feel better I wanted to do something to give back to the mental health community and also bring awareness to the importance of self care.
DMI: I like what you said. Firstly, you were proactive in taking recovery steps. Also out of a negative experience, something positive has been birthed which is your company, Outta. As you said, you wanted to give something back to the mental health community! Tell us a little bit more about just how is your company raising mental health awareness?
SG: My company is raising mental health awareness by advocating the importance of speaking up about mental health issues. I have had the privilege and honor to speak at two schools about my story and what Outta is all about.
I think that the more we speak about mental health the more comfortable everyone will become. So, I think that’s the first step. My company also donates 10% of proceeds to a different program or charity each month. This brings awareness to all the different initiatives going on in the community.
We also have a blog page on our site, that is an open blog. We welcome people to share their own experiences and challenges with mental health.
DMI: Speaking up is so important. Because of stigma many often don’t. The message of ‘outta’ on the apparel really is a great way of advocating mental health. I am sure people see the word and wonder what it means/represents. It is a great way of striking a conversation and creating more awareness. This is fantastic. And it is a very kind act to donate 10% of your proceeds to a different program or charity. And in so doing raising the profile of other charities too. Fabulous. Please continue doing so!
What message do you want to give our readers from your experiences?
SG:My main message is to get out of your head. This little saying became a daily remainder for me when I was navigating my way through depression. And it is what my company stands for. If we can move from our heads to our hearts then there is always hope and peace waiting for us.
DMI: In other words, get those negative thoughts outta your head. Thank you Sally for your time with us today. It’s great to see more being done to raise mental health awareness in the corporate world. Keep up the good work . And see you again next time!
SG: Thank you for having me.
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