We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carys Mullins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carys below.

Carys, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

When I started The Advocates for LGBTQ Equality, that was not even the name it went by. The mission was meaningful but not far-reaching. I operated as a sole proprietor rather than an LLC, as I am now. That was not because I didn’t want to dream big. I just knew that, realistically, I lacked the resources, money, or time to aim higher. However, I never gave up on finding the means necessary to take that next step on the ladder.

For about a year, I kept going steady with what I could do while thinking up ways to fund and resource the things I wanted to do with the business. I spent most of my off-time (as I was in my senior year of high school) writing blogs on LGBTQ mental health equality. When I wasn’t studying or writing, I was researching ways to get in front of my community and looking for partners who shared the goals of my business. As it turned out, my first breakthrough didn’t come from business-related research.

During my senior year of high school, I struggled to find financial aid for college. I applied for a scholarship through a nonprofit by sharing my story of starting a business and overcoming mental health issues. The CEO of this nonprofit read my story and reached out to me directly. She wanted to elevate my voice and my business by getting my content in front of thousands of students nationwide. I began working with the nonprofit Humanity Rising to turn my blogs into a full-bodied program for youth. This development helped me find a target audience, form a better marketing plan, create a following, and grow awareness for the brand.

As more and more students became attracted to my program, they also began to ask for more ways to get involved besides reading blogs. Their encouragement motivated me to find ways to expand my business further. One way was creating a podcast where I interviewed LGBTQ community leaders about mental health equality, allyship, and more. I made the podcast to inspire and educate LGBTQ and allied youth, but it ended up doing so much more.

Before I came to Humanity Rising, I was researching ways to connect with partners who shared the goals of my business. That task was extremely challenging for various reasons. The most significant one was getting people to listen. I mean, why would they listen to me? A high schooler with no “real-world” business experience? Even when I graduated, I still felt challenged in this aspect. I am young, so people see me as inexperienced and naive. I am a woman. That means I have to fight for my voice to get heard in an industry dominated by men. I am a member of the LGBTQ community fighting a controversial fight. That automatically limits my pool of potential supporters.

But by starting this podcast and with Humanity Rising behind me, I had what I never did before. I had credibility, even if it was by proxy. I had a mutually beneficial opportunity to offer. So, I took the leap and contacted dozens of community leaders, companies, and groups, asking to interview them on my podcast. The positive response rate blew me away. I was excited to share so many inspirational voices with youth nationwide. The podcast became a great way to connect with partners and get my foot in the door while benefiting my audience and creating a positive impact in the world. These connections are what helped my business grow to the next stage.

I became more in touch with other businesses and leaders, which helped develop my networking skills and improve my confidence. I was inspired to get out and meet more people with similar business and personal interests. At that same time, I began to post my podcasts in video form. Since the videos were getting a positive response, I wondered if creating more video content related to the topics discussed on my blog and podcast would be the way to go. So, I combined my new interest in networking and my curiosity about video content into one idea. I started to attend LGBTQ community events like PRIDE festivals and conduct “man-on-the-street” interviews.

Producing quality video content was a challenge. Not all of the interviews were usable. Eventually, I realized I needed to invest in quality equipment to continue interviewing people in public, but the funds were not there. So, I took a step back and returned to podcasting and blogging. However, it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. I meet wonderful people doing these street interviews.

One individual was the director of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF). We hit it off, so to speak, and connected online after the interview. Our conversations generated the idea that I should do a documentary on the transgender youth experience. The director introduced me to the leaders of the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival, who helped me obtain the resources and insights I needed to produce the film. Humanity Rising helped with marketing and became the Executive Producer. Months later, You’re Loved premiered at the 2023 Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival to a sold-out house and received a standing ovation.

The film’s original purpose was to give trans kids hope and let them know they’re loved. But I realized that the film can inspire everyone to take action for equality. So, after talks with Humanity Rising, we decided to bring You’re Loved to companies as a DEI event. The film is under the umbrella of The Advocates for LGBTQ Equality content, so these DEI events also promote my business and help me connect with potential collaborators for future projects.

That’s where I am right now. My first DEI film screening is scheduled for this June, and I couldn’t be more excited! What started as a small blog site for LGBTQ mental health equality has expanded into a podcast, youth program, DEI initiative, and content production business that promotes LGBTQ+ equality in all forms.

The blog has thousands of readers across the globe. The podcast is listened to by students from hundreds of schools in the US. I created a film that got covered by the Associated Press and received rave reviews. All because of a scholarship application, feedback and advice from my youth peers, a few great conversations, and my determination to never give up on big dreams. While I’ve faced challenges regarding funding and resources and still struggle to get a seat at the table, each obstacle always guides me to a new path filled with new opportunities. I’ve learned that even if something seems impossible now, I shouldn’t give up on it because, in the future, anything is possible.

Carys, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been passionate. As I matured, I discovered that my passions mainly lay in LGBTQ+ advocacy and activism. However, I didn’t think I could make a career, let alone a whole business, out of that interest. My plan in junior year of high school was to become a nurse or social worker. I knew I wanted to help people in any way I could. That’s the reason I took up an internship with a nonprofit that teaches SEL to at-risk youth. I assisted during SEL classes, did office work, and supported their marketing efforts. But, toward the end of the internship, I was tasked with creating a passion project. That project was The Community Advocates for LGBTQ Mental Health (CALM). That was the original name of my business, which was recently re-branded to The Advocates for LGBTQ Equality.

When creating the project, I knew a major issue for the LGBTQ community was the lack of knowledge and awareness of mental health inequality. So, I started a blog to generate that awareness and inspire others to take action for equality. I still didn’t know how I could make a career of a blog, but I was interested in seeing how far I could take CALM. After a few months of writing informative blogs, I applied for a scholarship through a nonprofit organization that elevates the voices of young changemakers. The CEO of this nonprofit connected with me and helped turn my small blog into a podcast, a program for youth, and now, a DEI initiative. Today, The Advocates for LGBTQ Equality promotes equality, awareness, and support for LGBTQIA+ people with informative blogs, uplifting podcasts, motivational video series, and our resource database.

While well-known organizations are doing great work in this field, The Advocates for LGBTQ Equality sets itself apart by bringing our content and offerings directly to thousands of students across the USA to educate and inspire them to take action themselves. We believe in the power of community and this country’s youth to lead us into a future of equality. So, we put the power in their hands by offering education, actionable steps to join the fight, and a platform for them to share their stories. I am very proud of our ability to collaborate with students and elevate their efforts while participating in independent advocacy activities such as attending PRIDE events, speaking to our legislators, and working with community partners.

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

Business owners, artists, and entrepreneurs are constantly told that taking breaks equals failure or worse, burn-out (a scary word in our world). I used to fall victim to this lie. Honestly, I was forced to see the truth. I hope others can see it sooner to avoid hardship. For me, taking breaks wasn’t a choice I would make and then later feel guilty about. It was a necessity that I had to accept to continue building my business. I have been diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses that impact my energy levels and cause significant pain, distributing my personal and work life. Some days, my greatest accomplishment is getting out of bed. Doctors’ appointments interrupt my schedule. Flare-ups have me canceling meetings last minute. I have to take breaks because my body demands it. And yet, I am still running and growing my business. I am not a failure. I have not lost my passion for my work. Instead, taking breaks has made me appreciate working more, leading to more success. More importantly, I am healthier and happier for it. You can and should take breaks!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am a huge reader, but I watch documentaries even more. It may sound odd but watching documentaries about a wide variety of topics like the history of the LGBTQ rights movement, significant community leaders like Marsha P. Johson and Harvey Milk, and business-related docuseries like “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?”, has been very helpful. I learn about the historical and cultural contexts behind my work and industry and get a better understanding of iconic business and marketing practices, both good and bad. I recommend learning the real stories of those in your industry and learning from their failures and successes. I also feel that understanding the cultural and historical contexts of an industry/product can benefit business owners immensely and help them avoid scandals or misunderstandings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://advocatesforlgbtqequality.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advocateslgbtq/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advocatesforlgbtqequality