Megan te Boekhorst is 'unapologetically vulnerable' about mental health
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Photo Cred: Alice Xue Photography
Young Women in Business Toronto (YWiB) aims to provide our diverse community of young, self-identified women with genuine career advice, encouragement, and examples of local role models. That's why, for the next few months, we’ll be interviewing both career professionals and entrepreneurs our community can be inspired by and learn from.
Megan te Boekhorst, Founder, Sequoia Life
Megan, tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to start Sequoia Life?
I have always been ambitious, so I began Sequoia Life (then known as In A Sequoia) in 2014 during my final year of university. Back then, it was one part blog, one part body care line, and one part goal coaching. It was my first business, and in hindsight I really had no idea what I was doing. But I started it because, well, I wanted a challenge.
I was bored. So I started a business. That’s what young 20-somethings do, right?
As I began full-time employment after graduation, I transitioned In A Sequoia from a product and coaching business to a traditional blog. It became a way to express my creativity and document my journey. But this year, I wanted to go back to my roots, my calling, and grow my coaching practice. So I rebranded to Sequoia Life and began to introduce my coaching offerings.
On your website, you describe yourself as "unapologetically vulnerable… and [never letting] let mental illness prevent [you] from building [your] own empire." How does this show up in your work and brand?
In 2014 I wrote a blog post detailing my history with depression, and my commitment to unapologetic vulnerability began. I quickly saw how that hastily written post made an impact on others. Since then, I’ve always openly shared my mental health journey, from triumphs to relapse. As Sequoia Life has grown and evolved, that commitment has remained true.
Now that I’ve returned to coaching, it shows up in my sessions all the time. I never want to project the false idea that I have it all figured out and adhere to perfect practices 24/7. I slip up too, I’m human, and in my sessions I share my slip ups and mistakes. What’s important is that I, like us all, continue to work to do my best.
What are some misconceptions about mental illness that you're trying to address through your work?
There are countless misconceptions. From the idea that cheerful, positive people can’t experience mental illness to that belief that mental illness will automatically negatively impact one’s career, etc. I remember that when I first started sharing my mental illness story, people were shocked I could have depression because I always wear a smile or that it was something I could just shake off if I tried hard enough. Most clearly, I remember once telling someone I had an eating disorder and they immediately took a step away from me - as if an eating disorder was as transmittable as COVID-19.
We’ve been conditioned through our media and our culture to think that mental illness is to be feared and will completely derail our life. That’s just not true.
What advice would you have for other entrepreneurs facing uncertainty or increased mental health challenges during the pandemic?
I encourage entrepreneurs to work on letting go of guilt and listening to what your mental health needs. Life is not normal right now and we cannot expect to function as it is. If you need to take a mental health day, take a mental health day. Build in mental health practices for your daily life, schedule it in your calendar, and don’t let shame and self-criticism dominate your self-talk when you are caring for your mental health.
Read: YWiB Role Model Interviews: Shakira Rouse on learning disabilities, stigma, and the workplace
Can you share one tip or activity you personally use in caring for your mental health?
I rejuvenate best in nature. It’s where I feel grounded and connected. I know that for an immediate energy boost, I just need to get outside, by some trees, and wiggle my toes in the grass. I’m so fortunate to live near Trinity Bellwoods Park so I just have to step outside my apartment to do this whenever I need to.
In your opinion, how can our community of self-identifying women encourage more honest conversations about mental health in their professional and personal realms?
It starts with the stories we tell and being willing to be the example. Fear of judgement often holds us back from sharing our experiences of facing mental health challenges. Yet, when we do begin to talk about it, others find commonality in the story we share. More often than not, sharing my experiences has allowed me to bond more deeply with my community rather than ostracize me.
Fear of judgement often holds us back from sharing our experiences of facing mental health challenges. Yet, when we do begin to talk about it, others find commonality in the story we share.
Connect with Megan: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website
She challenges you to find better balance. She loves goals that light you up. She is unapologetically vulnerable. Megan te Boekhorst never let her mental illness prevent her from building her own empire. Bringing her bold approach into the lives of career-driven folks struggling to find balance, Megan leaves a trail of confident, goal-minded people who live life by their own definition of balance in her wake. Megan’s magic has been affirmed and celebrated by many sources. CityNews, Daily Hive, Global News, and The Globe and Mail to name but a few. Her circle are grateful for her driven energy, her passionate presence and her unwavering commitment to challenging our misconceptions on mental illness.