TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie Opens Up About Mental Health Ahead of Podcast With Matthew McConaughey

To kick off Mental Health Awareness Month, Blake Mycoskie is launching a weekly series that brings together scientists, healers, and cultural voices to talk about mental wellness, including Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Love, Michael Pollan, Jewel, Kristin Neff, and more.

Mycoskie has been on his own mental health journey since selling TOMS, the $650 million shoe company that put shoes on the feet of millions of kids. He started the company when he was 29 with the concept of his “buy-one-give one” for kids around the world.

When he sold the company and had many adventures snowboarding, surfing in Costa Rica, building a dream house for his family, and making extravagant purchases, he felt something pulling at him. Depression. It started from having a lack of purpose, which pulled him down into very dark times and while he struggled, he couldn’t quite figure out what was eating at him. For all his financial success, he felt ashamed saying that he felt bad at all.

“I have all this money. I live in Costa Rica, and I surf every day. I didn't post anything on social media for over three years because I was so ashamed of how I was feeling. I think people would laugh at me if I said I was depressed,” he said.

His marriage crumbled. He considered ending his life. And then he had an epiphany.

“My whole life was a strategy to earn worth, and once I saw that that strategy had failed, I was able, in a very emotional and humble way, to realize that I will never feel enough if I'm looking outside of myself.”

I AM ENOUGH

“If anyone should feel enough, it should have been me, and I was at my darkest point,” he added and that was when a shift started to happen.

He sought professional help through different modalities, including therapy and medication, based on a misdiagnosis. He found a meditation expert to help him try a new path. Through mindful meditation, he was able to find a mantra that worked to help him dig out of his depression. “I am enough. I’ve always been enough.”

“I could reprogram my subconscious, which at first I thought sounded kind of woo, woo.” But his meditation leader explained to him that he had seen success with other people who had really bad limiting beliefs in their life, or core wounds where a very intense mantra-based meditation practice can actually work. So I committed 40 days.”

What came next was his new philanthropic venture, We Are Enough. This is a business and a mental health movement. All proceeds from We Are Enough bracelets, t-shirts, hat, and hoodies, go directly to mental health organizations like Project Healthy Minds.

The concept of the bracelet is simple. You buy two. You give one to a person who has always valued you and you give one to someone who needs that reminder that they are enough.

No Magic Pill Podcast

Starting today, you can stream the new “No Magic Pill” podcast on Spotify to listen to actors, sports stars, and scientists discuss something many men shy away from: their mental health.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, take a listen to people who will take you on a journey about their mental well-being struggles and what they did to improve them.