It's Okay To Feel

✨ Wellness in the Wavelength Episode 12 ✨

This week, we’re joined by Marissa, founder of It’s Okay to Feel, for a conversation about mental health, self-compassion, and the importance of embracing our emotions instead of hiding from them.

We talk about breaking the stigma around mental health and her mission to make support more accessible by partnering with clothing artists and creatives to help fund free therapy for those who need it. Through community, creativity, and connection, she’s working to make a meaningful impact on mental wellness.

At the end of the day, this episode is a reminder that it's okay to feel, okay to ask for support, and okay to give yourself grace as you navigate life's ups and downs.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

What's up, hockeys? Welcome back to another episode of Wellness in the Wavelength.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Today we have Marissa with It's Okay to Feel. Marissa, do you want to tell us a little bit about you and what you're building?

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Yeah, absolutely. So my name is Marissa. I am building a mental wellness brand offering free therapy to anyone who needs it, essentially. I'm doing that through the modality of clothing, working with small artists and building up them. And while doing that, also funding the mobile app that I've created to have therapists on it. So eventually it'll just be an app where you can log in and schedule a therapy session.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Oh, flexing. You're like, I'm my app that I am building. I'm gonna get a room for therapy. Nope, biggie.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

That's amazing. I make it sound much easier than it is because let me tell you, just this last week, I've been spending like waking up at 6 a.m. and then working until I'm going to sleep to make it what it is today. And even then, I still get on it and it's not perfect.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

And I'm learning that it's like you can always build, keep building on it, and it's gonna get better and better over time. And like once it's live, you also like kind of already checked that box of like now I've made this available to people, which is like the most important part. So I mean, the fact that you're been doing something like this, especially in regards to like our scene in particular, where so many people do need access to mental health support, but with our current healthcare system, it's very it's rough and it's difficult. Um, so I'm and I know Paige is too excited to see like what this is gonna do for everybody, but also our scene, because a lot of people are hurting right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Yeah, yeah, that's kind of what inspired it. Was I know that there's a lot of amazing brands out there raising awareness and giving support and giving all that they can. And I started to think about it. I'm like, well, how can we make it free? How can we make it truly free? Where someone who's struggling can get on the app and find resources and eventually have a therapist too. Because even with the app at the beginning stages, it still has a ton of resources to navigate you through your own feelings and then land on something that can help you right in that moment, even if it's not a person yet to talk to, it still gives you a space to not only understand yourself, but also find community. I think that's the biggest part of this for me is I feel like a lot of people feel that they're alone and that it's not okay to feel their feelings, or even especially our generation. We were told when we were younger, stop crying or don't like throw a fit, things like that were really ingrained into us. So now we're all adults and we're trying to figure out how to feel our feelings and understand them and not feeling alone in them is really important. So the biggest part of it is the community too. I want everyone to feel like they can come to the space and find people who are going through similar things and experiencing similar things and not feel as alone as the world makes us feel or divided as the world makes us feel too.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

Yeah, I just got chills, honestly, like when you said that, because right now the world is so divisive and like wanting to like separate us and put us in all these different boxes when to your point, it's like it gets to the point actually where like nobody wants to feel anything. Everyone's like, I'm actually, and then when they do, they're like, I'm feeling too much. And it's like, no, no, no, it's like actually okay to feel and like navigate both like the positive and negative feelings and like the resource part of it, they're not being like resources available for people to know what to do with all those big feelings. So that's even more of a divide, right? Because now you have the people that do have the resources, right, to be able to, and then you have the people that don't. And often more than not, the people that do have like the resources do end up kind of like putting themselves on this like high horse that be, and it's like, well, you had access to like those things. So like the judgment for those that don't shouldn't really be there.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, absolutely. We can't, we're all on our own journey of growth, and we can't expect everyone to be at the same level that we're at, especially when you look at things like access. Someone who is privileged, just like myself. Like, I'm a white girl, American. I'm so privileged and I recognize my privilege all the time. And then I look at someone who does not have the access that I've been privileged enough to have. And I really it, I find the sense of like injustice in it all. And I'm like, well, what can I do with my privilege? And this is what I can do create something bigger than me that I fully believe in. I fully believe that free therapy will be free in the United States because I am so determined to for this goal. And I also know that there's so many people who will hear what I'm saying, believe in what I'm saying, and we're all just going to become this big wave that eventually just transforms lives and changes people's lives and gives them space to feel, regulate. And then with these, with access to things like this, it's like negative things go down. Like you're not gonna see as many crime, as much crime, you're not gonna see as much suicide rates will go down. Like, there's so many things that this will have a ripple effect and affect in a positive way.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yeah, this is just amazing work that you're doing, and I commend you on it because I know that in the scene, like there's so many people out there that I just read, like on Facebook, or just even my own friends that they go out and try to find, they literally look and try so hard to find a therapist, and either there's not they're not taking any new clients or it takes months to get in, and then like just that time to wait. And I love that you're even implementing uh tools and ways to help them immediately, even if there isn't a therapist available for them, so that there is that access, there is real-time tools that they can use. And I I just I'm so excited to see how all of this continues to grow.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah, me too. I think that it's a big project to take on, but I think everything in my life has led up to this big project. Um, that's the skills that I have just I work as a sales consultant, so I understand a lot about building businesses. I've helped build other businesses to great extents, and they're for things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of life. So I have the skill set, I have the determination, I have the knowledge of how to do things to build them on the back end, to build a website, to DM anybody and everybody. I am in everyone's DMs, I am in EDM artist DMs, I am in graphic design DMs, I'm just sending Instagram messages like it's nobody's business because I have that belief of you miss all the shots, you don't take. So I have the drive, and now I'm just working to find the people who also have the same belief to make it as big as it can be.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

I also love like how you are working with like artists. You mentioned that and things, because there are like tons of artists out there that like are obviously pushing like mental health awareness and things like that and kind of doing their best, but it feels like this will be an option for them to like work with someone that they can also measure. Like now I'm also helping people, like giving people allowing people to have free therapy. You know what I mean? Because I see a lot of these things like, you know, they'll do like fundraisers or they'll dedicate a tour to this X thing and X money might go here. But like I feel like with what you're doing, there'll be artists of like every tier being able to kind of like really measure their impact and talk about this on such a larger scale than just these sort of like one-off things, which like are definitely needed and appreciated. But like, what's the like long-term, can you say like long-term sort of support, right? Whereas like partnering with you, it's like they can really see that and what that so what does that look like when you're working with an artist?

SPEAKER_00 8:13

So I right now am looking for more artists to work with. So a lot of the designs were just me making designs and I on for the shirts, and I was just, you know, I have a lot of skills, and I wouldn't say that's my biggest one. So I have designs on my website that I've made. I bought a design from a small artist, and I was like, maybe I'll go this route. But then I was like, no, I need actual artists who are good at it. And my first partnership is actually uh that I just launched yesterday, is with my partner. She's an artist, and I was like, why are we not doing this together? Like, you need to make something. I I need to post it, and it's so beautiful, and it's the first time I've worked one-on-one with an artist, and even though, yes, it's my partner, I still gotta, I learned a lot from it. I learned a lot about the process, and now I feel even more prepared to work with other artists who want to design something together or they design it and get to bring awareness to that artist. I think that's like a side project of it's okay to feel is I want to work with artists that aren't huge. I think it'd be great to work with a huge artist, but I want to work with a smaller artist that are in marginalized communities and don't necessarily have the same um access that everyone else does. And I want to propel them because once it's okay to feel has millions of people looking in its direction, some a small artist that could propel their career. And that's what I want to do. I want to help everyone win in this. So, and then whenever it comes to other artists, I want to work with EDM artists because I just know the energy of festivals and pleur and all of that exists, and you can feel it, and it's different than any other community of people I've ever been around. So I know that it aligns, and I know that the people that attend these festivals are very much in alignment with understanding that we gotta take care of each other and we have to support each other and how better to support each other than to buy a piece of merch that might buy someone else therapy. I think that that's a beautiful way to put it.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

I love that. I'm like, say thanks for the people in the back. Yeah. No, truly, like buying something that could give some, like give someone therapy, like genius. It's like a way better, like pay it forward system.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Like a Starbucks and they're like, oh, they paid for it. Just for therapy, though, like that's give me 10.

unknown 10:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

Right. And then like the like, and then you can wrap that in clothing and expression, which is obviously huge in EDM culture. It's like the fashion part of it. So it does like hit everything, and it makes sense why you also want to kind of work with smaller artists because that feels like that's part of your whole ethos, right? Is like helping the people that don't have access, helping the people, like helping people elevate themselves who don't have the privilege to be able to do that on their own. And so hearing you talk about how that like literally is like weaves through every part of your ethos and your mission and your values is really beautiful. And I can feel the authenticity from you when you like talk about it and and how it's so tiered.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

I think about this all the time. So it consumes my mind 24-7. And it's funny because I came up with the idea back in 2023 to just have it be a clothing brand. I knew that a mantra that I would tell myself for my own nervous system regulation was it's okay to feel. And that phrase alone truly saved my life in a way. And telling myself that, I was like, wow, this is so powerful. Everybody needs to be told this. And it was like almost like this revelation where I was like, I have to tell everybody that it's okay to feel your feelings. It's okay to have them, it's okay to not know what to do with them. And I didn't know how big it would grow to what it is now in my mind, but I think through the details at such a precise level that I was like, every single part of this has to be aligned with my values, has to be aligned with something bigger than me. And I don't want to talk about it too much until I know that everything is set up. I don't want to say perfect, but set up to a point where, like right now, today, I feel so confident talking about it because I feel like the mission is clear on the website. So now if someone goes to the website and doesn't know about it, they'll understand. And I feel like I finally have products that I'm like, I can stand behind this. And I feel that I'm ready to just fearlessly speak about it to whoever I need to to make it happen. I've kind of just removed ego of like, people are gonna see me and they're gonna like, what if it's not perfect, or what if this shirt comes out wrong, or what if someone gets a package and or they don't get their package, and I think I would obsess over that because I care so much about the customer experience and the person who's having the experience. And I just kind of had to tell myself, because I care so much, that will translate, and no one's going to be left in the dark. I'm not trying to start some unethical company to make a ton of money. I'm trying to simply give people what they don't have in a way that is different than I've than anyone else doing it.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

That's so funny that you mentioned that because I had just like had that whole like thought process for myself today of like being able to sit with my thoughts and be like, it's like it's even better that I'm sitting here thinking about it from the holistic ethical side of things because I care that much. And because I care that much shows that I'm doing everything in my power to do my best. And it's just such a I love that you're coming at it from that perspective as well, and like tying it into your values and your why, because this project is so much bigger than yourself, and it's so amazing, just uh like the process that it takes to just even show up for that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Yeah, good for you, by the way, for sitting with yourself and and experiencing that. I think that it's powerful and showing up authentically as yourself is gonna get you farther than anything else in your life. And I even tell myself, you know, if I tell someone, because there's been times in my life where I've expressed what I'm doing with it's okay to feel to people that I used to consider friends, and I can see on their face that they're thinking that's impossible, or they're thinking I'm a little crazy. Um, but you can really feel who's aligned with you and your purpose and who sees you in your heart. And those are the people that you want to surround yourself with, and those are the people that are gonna help you achieve what to others might seem impossible.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Listen, this episode 10 and to 11 into 12 is gonna be so beautiful because our episode 10 was about making sure that like you're surrounded by complimentary people for the the direction you want to go. Episode 11 is about like, okay, now how do you do that like sort of inner work? And now you're kind of bringing it all together in this one. So I'm just like kind of like geeking out over that because it's just like what you like that final line you just said around like the people around you will support your dreams and being authentic. And it's so true because also those same people will give you grace. So it's like stay in order doesn't get to them, like they know where your heart is and they know that's not something that like you're not trying to rip them off. You didn't like it wasn't something you did because you don't care. It's just like what happened, and like that's gonna make your business even more successful because of the way that you're moving, that all those like normal business like hiccups that happen, like people are gonna show you so much grace because of what you're trying to do and it being such a mission, like a true mission to like the moon type thing that's like amazing and your confidence behind something where to your point and what I was picking up on, where some people are like, What do you mean, free therapy? Like, what do you mean you're gonna work with that's not like what do you? And it's like, no, people just haven't found the formula and the right audience for it to work with. So I love that you push through that and you're and not letting anyone bring you down because it is okay to feel and you feel confident about it as you should.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Yeah, yeah. It's it's and I think it's important, like just to speak to what you said about who you surround yourself with, you it's so important. I used to be the girl that would like wanted to be friends with everybody, and you can't, and that's like the hardest lesson I've had to learn in my 30s is you genuinely can't just have everyone in your circle because everyone in everyone isn't always holding you in the way that you need to be held and recognizing who should be there and who shouldn't be there. The quicker you can do that, the quicker you can propel and all your dreams can come true. That's what I tell myself, at least.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

That's the facts of the 30s. I mean, I just turned 33 and I've been saying that same thing. I'm like, listen, some of y'all gotta go. I love you and I want the best for you, but like, listen, we're not on the same wave, and I gotta be on this one. And so I keep saying that it's it's so real and so true, and not in a like anyone's better than anyone type of way. It's we all have different paths, and like you do. I said this in the in the last like episode 10, is like you want to have people complimentary to like the direction that you want to go. So for you, it's like obviously people that are like, you're crazy, like this will never work. How dare you try to give people free therapy? How dare I? Like, you know, we're all on the same wave. And like that's okay, but you're already, I mean, attracting people that are on the same wave. I mean, obviously, this is the first time we're meeting you, and we all seem to be riding the same wave. So I know that you probably are already do have a ton of people that are supporting you, but I love that you're like pushing boundaries with this and also leaning and seeing how it's like also impacting your personal life, which is so real too when you're going through therapy and you're going through hardships and you're going through change. It's like that's a real part of it. It's like, yes, going to therapy, yes, changing your circle, but yes, changing yourself. But then there's so much around you that's going to change at the same time. And like your tools that you're talking about, even if they're in therapy, are probably still gonna be helpful to have for people to tap into. Because it's just this like ever group, ever evolving thing, right? Of us like continuing to find ourselves over and over and over again through life, basically.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah. Yeah, we're always evolving, we're and it's a never-ending journey. And I think that I, well, I know, I want to say I know that through therapy and through even simple practices like breathing, you can learn so much about yourself and have so much more clarity on the direction that you need to go. Uh, I took a breathwork class this past Saturday, and the woman hosting it said, your triggers are your treasures. And it was so beautiful to me. I just sat there with the feeling of yes, our triggers really are our treasures because they tell us about ourselves and where we still need to heal and we still need to grow. And I think that recognizing that we're all on this journey together is the best way forward to heal and holding each other when we're sad, holding each other whenever we're happy, just holding that genuine space of love for each other is the best way to create community and for the world to heal. Like, I want to heal the world with this brand. I, of course, am gonna start in the United States, but I wanna I don't have a limit on my dreams. I just know that I'm meant to be on this planet to help people. And this is my first real like effort, other than you know, showing up for people, showing up for friends. But this is my first real effort to get that out there in a way that I feel like I know this is going to do something, and it's gonna be so cool. And I just can't wait to see the journey like that it takes to me on.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

That's amazing. I'm just thinking about the journey for you too. I'm like, I feel like sky is kind of the limit because it's like when especially with uh clothing, that there's so much, there's so many options with that. Like obviously you have shirts, you have hats, you have bags, you can have there's so many, you can have sunglasses, like there's so many different ways that you can like flip it and reverse it to figure out to like even give yourself more opportunity to be able to like make those funds, to be able to provide the free therapy to people. It's kind of ever growing similar to us, right? And the way that you position it, that's what I instantly went to just a second ago. I was like, wow, we're thinking about apparel, but it could really go into there's many other ways. It's okay to be able to look, can look. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

I couldn't agree more. Even this opportunity being on this podcast, you know, for the last few weeks, I'm like, okay, I've been working so hard to perfect things, like even just checkout on the website to make sure that checkout goes smoothly. I'm like, okay, I'm putting in all this effort, and but no one really like people, some people know about it's okay to feel, but I'm like, I need to think bigger. Like, how do I get people to know about what I'm trying to accomplish? And then all of this happens, and I just feel like everything is so aligned. Like, I feel so much gratitude that you even asked me to be on this podcast, and I feel like it's aligned. Even you said it was aligned with your last episode. That makes me feel so good. It's like the universe is all working in everyone's favor all the time if you look for it. And I think that's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Oh, mic drop. I know a boss lady. I'm like, I love to just see like boss ladies like leveling up and like even further and all that. We've just had like back to back. I'm like, this is amazing. This is just divine intervention. I told we're about to have some banger episodes coming out of just like women popping off. And on for electrical specifically, like, we are so also focused on like just pushing women and supporting women as much as we can that it's nice to just have this like diversity of women on here and how powerful you are, and even our past guests are. And so we will definitely be continuing this conversation, finding other ways to support you. And I know you and I talked a little bit about some of those ways we can too, like in the future. So we definitely will, but we appreciate your time and listeners, a follow, purchase, community love. We're here. We're so glad you're on here. And thank you all. We'll see you on our next episode.