I met NHL great @theofleury14 (someone I consider one of my best friends,) abt 4 yrs ago.
Theo was 1st on my list to reach out to – bc of all the celebs talking abt MH at the time (not very many), he was the only one who led w the HOW, instead of the label. Yes, he suffered from PTSD, but that wasn’t as relatable as the lived experience trauma he’d gone thru. The experiences are what get others to listen & understand – wow, same here.
And so why bring up Theo, & that relationship, on a post where we’re so excited to celebrate some NFL news abt this upcoming wk? Because now, after these 4 yrs, when we reflect back: whether it’s the person who sweeps the floor at the corner store, the CEO, or the pro athlete, when ppl start to open up to one another in a vulnerable way, they feel connected.
As Theo’s been telling me for the last yr – “Eric, this is blowing up, bc – we collect people. Our community we’ve built collects ppl in a special way that once they feel that connection, they never want to leave.”
@robinlehner40 felt connected. You’ve seen us share his helmet (prob way too many times ;))….but it’s bc we love the guy. Well, Robin asked US if he could wear the hashtag on his helmet, back the yr he was w Chicago. He’s been wearing it on there since. We collect ppl.
Last yr, I get a ping on IG Stories. It was from @tjohnson2442 & no BS, we’d never spoken before. Ty chose to wear our cause for his My Cause My Cleats game. The pic on the bottom right shows the black cleats w #SameHere art. He rushed for over 100 & a TD that game.
Well I’ve been in touch w Ty since last yr. Been keeping him in the loop on our projects in market to change society’s perception of MH. Last wk, Ty surprised me w his new cleats for this yr (white ones on top). He didn’t have to. He chose to. “We collect ppl.”
Then I get a ping this morn: @bradleejianae DE from the Cowboys. Who’s he representing? Thx so much Bradlee!
As a charity, you don’t have funds just to throw arnd for endorsement deals like companies such as Calm, Headspace & Talkspace can. But – if you have a msg that resonates…the community forms & ppl WANT to be a part.