We recently connected with Kathy Long and have shared our conversation below.

Kathy, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When my daughter was in 9th grade we had to admit her to a residential program for her eating disorder and other mental health challenges. After several years, during her time in an outpatient program, she told her story at a high school . The following year the school requested her specifically to return to share her story again. At the end of that talk, she was told by a young person that they were in a bad place the previous year and were contemplating suicide but her story influenced them to reach out for help. Her story saved a life and she was incredibly happy about that.

My husband and I realized at that moment that young people need to hear from their peers about mental health challenges. Teens listen best to teens, not adults and not professionals. If they can understand that they are not alone, that others have been through similar situations and there is hope, help and recovery, then that can make a huge impact. We also know that the sooner people can address their issues, the quicker they can learn coping skills and ways to overcome them .

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My husband brings a 30-year career as a director, editor, and producer of video and film, making him exceptionally suited to help launch our nonprofit, which is centered around a video-based platform. I bring 30 years of experience running my own business as a licensed acupuncturist and functional medicine practitioner, with a passion for supporting people both mentally and physically. This foundation enabled me to take on the role of co-founder and now Project Manager, where my business sense allows me to manage the many responsibilities required to grow our organization.

We began with an idea, sought validation from mental health professionals, and partnered with business experts to map out our next steps. Along the way, guidance and encouragement came from therapists, school counselors, young people, and business consultants, while obtaining crucial funding at key moments allowed us to keep moving forward. We find ourselves again in a place of looking for sustainable funding for the upcoming year.

What started as a vision shared between my husband, our daughter and myself, has grown into a dedicated team driving content, community connections, and resources. A cornerstone of our work is our youth board, which now includes over 100 young people nationwide. They act as mental health ambassadors, provide insight, help create content, and gain professional development opportunities under the guidance of our youth board manager. This past year they put in over 4,200 hours of community advocacy work.

As a grassroots organization, we are dedicated to addressing the growing mental health crisis among young people. By offering free support, information, and resources, we’ve found our work is not only reaching individuals in need but also proving valuable to schools, treatment centers, youth clubs, and community organizations. Every step of our journey has reinforced the impact of accessible mental health support and the power of community-driven solutions.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting from practitioner to co-founder of a nonprofit was a transformative shift in my career. It required not only envisioning what we wanted to create but also gathering the right resources, and collaborators. We began with an idea, sought validation from mental health professionals, and then partnered with business experts to map out the next steps.

The journey was marked by serendipity that reinforced we were on the right path. One particularly memorable moment was connecting with the widow of our academic advisor, unaware to either of us that she had been our original supporter, it was a tear-filled confirmation of the meaningful network supporting our mission.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

From the onset of our idea, we have engaged the support and guidance of professionals. One of the first things we did was create a professional advisory board and a youth advisory board. They have provided support, information and input on all aspects of our work. We also provide authentic, powerful, sincere stories by courageous young people who want to make a difference.

We were keenly aware of our strengths and weaknesses in regard to starting something we have never done before. Our professionalism, strong team and incredibly powerful and important message was integral in gaining the respect and support of the mental health community.

Our understanding of the best ways to address teens and the best ways to deliver the message of hope and help was confirmed and supported both by teens and those who work with them. Teens listen best to teens, and stories save lives. It is really that simple. The need is great, the messaging is sincere, and the impact is undeniable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teens4teenshelp.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teens4teenshelp/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Teens4TeensHelp#

Image Credits

Nolan, Kara, Kathy, Jeff and Ace Long