Andy Dunn — Living & Leading With Bipolar 1 Disorder
May 12, 2022
auto_awesome
Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos, discusses his journey navigating bipolar 1 disorder and advocating for mental health awareness. Topics include disclosing his mental health journey, daily habits for managing his disorder, feeling fully known in the workplace, and the importance of psychological safety and friendship.
Leaders should disclose their mental health struggles to create a psychologically safe workplace.
Finding someone who fully knows and accepts you is crucial for self-acceptance and prioritizing mental health.
Deep dives
The Importance of Disclosing Mental Health Struggles
One of the main ideas discussed in this podcast is the importance of disclosing mental health struggles, especially for leaders and founders. By sharing their own experiences, leaders can set a norm of acceptance and create a psychologically safe workplace for others. The podcast emphasizes the need for leaders to be vulnerable and open about their mental health challenges, in order to create an environment where others feel comfortable doing the same.
The Journey to Self-Acceptance
The podcast also highlights the journey to self-acceptance and being fully known by others. It explores how hiding behind a mask can be exhausting, and the importance of finding someone who fully knows and accepts you. The guest shares his personal experience of being fully known by his wife, and how her acceptance of his mental health struggles allowed him to accept and prioritize his own care.
The Impact of Startups on Mental Health
The podcast delves into the impact of startups on mental health, particularly for founders. It acknowledges the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and the addictive nature of building a startup. The guest discusses his own journey of navigating bipolar disorder while building and sustaining his startup, and the challenges of maintaining stability and seeking help while facing the pressures and intensity of the startup world.
The Power of Friendship and Support
Lastly, the podcast emphasizes the power of friendship and support in maintaining mental health. It encourages individuals to find at least one person they can fully confide in at work, as having a friend in the workplace has been shown to positively impact employee happiness. The guest highlights the importance of friendship and being fully known, and how having a deep connection with others can contribute to a more fulfilling and supportive work environment.
As the co-founder of clothing brand Bonobos, Andy Dunn led the company to a $310 million acquisition by Walmart in 2017—a dream feat for any startup. But what was happening behind the scenes: His struggle navigating bipolar 1 disorder. In this episode, Andy talks with Marah and Naomi about the power—and fear—in disclosing his mental health journey, the daily habits that help him navigate his disorder, and the importance of feeling fully known by at least one person in the workplace.
Content warning: Today’s episode mentions bipolar 1 disorder, depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and suicidal thoughts. Please take care of yourself, and if you need support the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 800-273-8255. Things can get better.
Friends with Mental Health Benefits is brought to you by Shine at Work, an employee wellbeing program rooted in culturally competent care from the team behind the award-winning Shine app. Learn more about Shine at Work by heading to theshineapp.com/benefits.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode