Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barb Perkes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barb, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I believe human beings are unstoppable when we work together.
But I don’t care how successful you are, at some point in your life this world will bring you to your knees.
At some point in your life, you will need someone to say, “I’m here for you.” Auntidote was born from a desire to solve for these moments.

I was spending some time with three good friends, all who happen to all be Aunts, during the summer of 2023. We were talking about the good old days when we were younger and how life just seemed simpler, less worrisome in those days. We naturally moved to today’s youth and the state of mental health in our young people. We discussed how it seemed there was an overarching sense of apathy or loss of excitement about life experiences in general that was becoming more and more prevalent among not just young people, but all age groups.

We brainstormed on why we seem so distant and disconnected and how certainly that “lack” had at least a part to play in the current state of malaise, anger and/or anxiety so many live in. There is a polarization around just about everything and that tends to divide us. How do we begin to diffuse the polarization and convince people we have so much more in common than we have differences? How do we get the world talking again?

We though if we can start talking as just human beings, without any predetermined judgement, without any conscious or subconscious bias, we are certain to find our common humanity and kindness. Once that is found, enjoyment of life experiences and unity will soon follow. Our vision that summer night in 2023 was to build an anonymous support community that would allow for these kinds of “safe” conversations to happen. We decided the best way to build this community in order to help the most people would be to utilize technology. This would allow people to connect from wherever they live or anywhere they happen to be, 24/7/365. That way, no matter when or where life brings you to your knees, you will have instant access to an anonymous support community. Our cornerstone project at Auntidote was to build this technology platform that connects people looking for support or comradery to people willing to give it. That platform was built 9 months after our first conversation.

Auntidote’s overall mission is purposeful work and to bring out the best in each other along the way. We will partner with any person, cause or company that advocates for the well-being of human beings across the globe.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a 2-time founder and tech entrepreneur, a purpose driven visionary and an Aunt with 10 nieces and nephews. I love building technology because you are limited only by your imagination in what you can create. I am drawn to purposeful work because what are we here for if not to help one another?

I think the name Auntidote brings a level of lightheartedness to our mission of purposeful work. We are not therapists or perfect do-gooders without our own skeletons, we are simply three Aunts who want to use their power for good.

Because we believe anonymity and a simple conversation is the way to start re-connecting as human beings, building the Auntidote Support Community (ASC) was our first project and is our legacy project. Membership is free and anonymous. Members of the ASC have access to “The Note” (Social Media Platform) and auntieDirect (Modern Day Advice Column) directly from our website.

Members all have anonymous usernames, so they have no idea if they are talking to girls, guys, black, white, actors, athletes, musicians, young people or older generations. It’s anonymous and therefore a safe place for encouragement, advice or to just let it all out, to get things off your chest. Once you know you are not alone and that people care, your world becomes a bit brighter. We all make mistakes. They are not life sentences, just lessons to be learned. We hope this platform helps make everyone’s journey a little easier and brings a greater sense of unity and community to us all.

Our next project is to partner with organizations that have a commitment to purpose beyond profit. We built another platform on our website, this one for a For-Profit/For-Purpose Org List. This platform connects purpose driven consumers to for-profit, purpose driven organizations. This will be a free listing for any for-profit organization that has purpose driven initiatives and a consistent place for purpose driven consumers to go research who they want to buy from.

Auntidote will choose 4 nonprofit partners who we will donate 20% of our net profits to annually, in equal amounts. If you would like to be one of these nonprofit partners, please contact us.

Other partnership opportunities include potential sponsorships and any other mutually beneficial alliance that is purpose driven. If you have an idea and thought I don’t know what next steps to take or where to go with this idea, contact us. When you think about implementing purpose driven initiatives, think Auntidote.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson for me was being authentic. You spend so much time in the corporate world trying to fit in; to look a certain way, act a certain way and even speak a certain way that it takes a minute once you’re out of that space to find authenticity in your own brand.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was cruising through life, enjoying college and living oblivious to most things around me when I got a call one day telling me my dad had a terrible car accident and that I needed to get home immediately. My knee jerk response was, “Are you kidding?” No, was the answer and you need to leave right now. Everything in my life literally stopped. He was my biggest supporter and I had taken him for granted all these years. My best friend drove me to the hospital my dad was brought to. She and I did not speak a word for two and a half hours. The only sound was the hum of the tires on the pavement.

I witnessed my strong, steady and fun-loving father on a gurney, face full of glass and blood. I turned my head and saw my mother in tears, scared to death. My siblings as they arrived, one by one, asking, “Is he alive?” My dad lived the rest of his years in a wheelchair, having surgeries or receiving dialysis. I was thankful he was with us yet also forever changed – for the better.

My pivot was to become more aware that people all over the world and in our own backyards go through tragedy every single day. I can appreciate that how people act likely has nothing to do with me and not everyone thinks like me. I grew up in a flash. My family started hugging one another every time we saw each other after my dad’s car accident. I share this story to wake people up and to remind them to appreciate and be grateful for the people who love and support them. Don’t waste another moment, hug them now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://auntidote.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntidote_com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuntidoteWithLove
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auntidote/
• Twitter: https://x.com/Auntidote_com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ibSG3Xa-abhxFKpstUpHQ