WOMN KIND - chatting mental health, mood boosters

I grew up on a farm near Wagga Wagga before moving to boarding school in Sydney in Year 10. Now I live between my family home in Wagga and a share house in Sydney. I’m 24 years old and founded Womn-Kind in 2020 when the pandemic meant my plans to work overseas were no longer an option. This was a major blessing in disguise given I had thought about starting Womn-Kind since being at school myself.

Describe yourself in three words...

Dreamer. Compassionate. Determined. 

What is Womn-Kind all about + what services do you offer?

Womn-Kind is a female-led youth mental health organisation on a mission to close the gap in effective wellbeing support and education for girls. We currently offer one-on-one wellbeing mentoring and run wellbeing programs and workshops in schools across Australia. Last year covid meant that a lot of our programs couldn’t go ahead in schools because of restrictions, so we are excited to see more faces in person this year. We also sell the cutest hoodies (bias, maybe) and other things where 100% of profits go towards funding our mental health initiatives. My sister Nina and I have just launched the first Womn-Kind podcast called Dear Sister, which you can now listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Behind the scenes, we are working on a few very exciting projects coming to our @womnkind community in 2022 and beyond. One of those being an app!

As a teenager I was pretty level-headed and was fortunate enough to have an incredibly supporting family, gorgeous friends and great education. Even then there were moments that I thought I needed more - or different - support. I couldn’t imagine how challenging the high schools years could be for girls who didn’t have the same support as I did so I wanted to do something about it. I saw a need for more peer-to-peer support that came from young girls who had very recently navigated the teenage journey. I originally thought about writing a book but then thought that I probably wouldn’t have reached for a book when I needed the advice. Womn-Kind continues to evolve according to the needs of teenage girls today and is facilitated by empowering, kind and determined mentors who are committed to supporting teenage girls through their adolescent journey.

Being the winner of Buy From the Bush Big Break (massive congrats btw) how has this big win impacted Womn Kind?

Being the BFTB and PayPal BIG BREAK winner has really changed the game for Womn-Kind. With the prize money, we have been able to fast-track plans that were initially part of our 5-year growth plan. We have put the prize money towards building the Womn-Kind app, which is scheduled to be launched in May this year. We are so beyond excited to be able to provide girls with a source of on-demand well-being support 24/7 from their phones. To have the support of two incredible companies that stand for innovation is very relevant as we embark on this journey of shifting more of our services and resources online. Keep an eye out for updates on our Instagram page @womnkind.

Tell us a bit about the Womn Kind workshops and mentor programs & what should somebody expect when meeting with Womn-Kind mentors...

Our one-on-one wellbeing mentoring is a unique and innovative approach when compared to traditional psychological support. Girls will be matched with one of our beautiful mentors - who are all trained in Mental Health First Aid and with lived experience - and have the opportunity to access that mentor as a bit of a big sister. Girls will either communicate with their mentor via FaceTime or in person depending on location. Mentors can help you with anything from managing social anxiety to assisting with goal setting and being a valuable listening ear when navigating friendship troubles. 

Top tips on day to day mood boosters...

Move your body!! You’ve heard it all before but there's no denying just how important sweating is for our physical and mental health. Make time to do at least one thing for yourself every day - it can be something that you enjoy doing or that brings you joy. We’re becoming more and more time poor and can sometimes feel guilty for being unproductive or spending time doing things that aren’t for a greater purpose but there is a lot to be gained from giving yourself permission to do whatever it is that you enjoy doing. Whether it’s baking, drawing, reading or swimming - make it happen. On that note, spend more time doing things that make you forget to check your phone. The newsfeed isn’t going anywhere.

Best advice...

Believe in yourself!! You have absolutely everything you need to do and become whoever you want to be - the world is your oyster. Believe that you are worthy of love and belonging as you are and just back yourself! Sometimes the thing holding us back is not the fear of what we can’t do but the fear of what we can. Trust yourself and trust the process - there are incredible things coming your way.