October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and we asked our team to reflect on two key elements of their roles at happy®: how does your work here at happy support your personal wellbeing, and why is the NAMI partnership important to you.

here’s what they had to share:

Aaron: 

• When you work at a startup you knowingly walk into the unknown, which is stressful and a bit unnerving at times. The highs are really high and the lows are really low, at Happy that balance is front and center for everyone who calls this place home. One example is that the bookends of the week tend to be pressure valves, void of meetings and flexible to get a breath before getting into the week and also just prior to the wildness of the weekend for some. As someone with two young kids, not having a conference call at 9am on a Monday morning can make all the difference. Meetless Monday for the win.
• Partnering with NAMI for me was a huge deal. As someone who's managed the ups and downs of startup life for over a decade it's nice to bring awareness to what they're doing and make sure everyone knows what's available to them, no matter who they are and what they're going through. We all need someone to lean on at times and for some that is a phone call, a life line in a moment to get to the next moment in one piece. 

Connie: 

• Working at happy® checks all of the boxes. I feel valued for what I do, I love the team and I feel seen and respected. The flexible schedule allows me to take care of myself and my family. Free coffee and snacks is the cherry on top. When I learned that happy® gave part of the company to NAMI before a single product was launched, that made joining the team a no-brainer. I love that happy® has such a positive effect on my own mental health and is also committed to affecting mental health on a much larger scale. 

Matt:

• Having an amazing team. It’s all about the people we choose to work with, everyone here is amazing at what they do, and we all care for and respect one another. We are all in this together and we want to build a company and brand that people will fall in love with.
• Knowing that what we design and create is allowing people to learn more about NAMI and help them get the assistance they may need. We’re not just making great coffee, we also have the potential to have a positive  impact on peoples lives.

Michael:

• happy doesn't just pay lip service to supporting mental health. By giving NAMI a stake in our company, happy's success will make a direct positive impact on reducing mental health stigma and increasing awareness of mental health services. Each sale of a happy product not only contributes to our success and NAMI's stake in happy, but featuring NAMI prominently on all our packaging doubles as a valuable brochure for a person, friend, or family member in potential need of mental health assistance. Increase sales by making better coffee, which in turn increases awareness of NAMI. It doesn't get much more satisfying than that.

Chelsea:

• Funnily enough, as easy as it is for me to think about all the ways Happy partnering with NAMI fits so well, and how I am so beyond excited to be a part of this adventure to raise awareness about mental health while also making great coffee, it was tough to actually put it in a succinct way why this means so much to me.  So, to keep it brief. You never really know how much a cup of coffee shared with a good friend on a Sunday afternoon means to you, until you walk away feeling like you just refilled your own cup in the most meaningful way. Being a part of that, in both making a good cup of coffee and in encouraging those worthwhile, and albeit tough, conversations, is really what drew me to Happy. 

Damon:

• I've worked at so many places that talk about culture being part of the company, but this is the first place I've actually felt it. The people here are truly kind, ego free, and just want to build something great. It helps that Craig is one of the most positive leaders I've ever met and that optimism and long term perspective makes all of the difference when working at a small scrappy startup.
• I absolutely love that our partnership with NAMI is tightly woven into what we do at happy®. the resources that NAMI provides is so important, but one of the biggest challenges they face is a lack of awareness. it makes it so much easier to do your job when half of your job is to help build awareness of an organization as wonderful as NAMI. it doesn't hurt that the other half is coffee either.  

Dennis:

• I really enjoy the familial environment at happy. The relationships at the studio are always warm and authentic, which lowers the stress of a startup atmosphere. From the start, there has always been an innate comfort level with everyone. 
• From a creative perspective, our partnership with NAMI motivates me because it leverages the power of Design - clear communication and problem solving. From a personal side, the NAMI connection is a way for me to reconcile my experience and help others push through difficult times. Having lost a sibling to suicide, our NAMI partnership reminds me that support comes from all around and in different ways.

Mel:

• There's a magic to the culture at happy®. We're building something brand new. That requires a whole lot of hard work from everyone on our team. Because we do it with thoughtfulness, a sense of possibility, and true teamwork - it feels genuinely fun! I don't think I've ever been this excited about Mondays. 
• Very few companies build their business with social purpose at the center from day 1. happy® did that at day 0 by gifting an ownership stake to NAMI. Plus, NAMI is all over our packaging, social media, the ads we place, really everything we do. As someone who spent most of my career in the nonprofit sector, I know first-hand how handcuffed marketing budgets can be. It's a truly innovative approach that I'm proud to be part of.

Ricky:

• Working in sales can be as rewarding as it can it is demanding. Success usually requires long hours, lots of travel, dealing with high-pressure situations and a fair amount of rejection. Thankfully, happy(R) supports me by allowing me to work a flexible schedule, work remotely and encourages time off to recharge as needed.
• One of the things that really attracted me to happy® is it's partnership with NAMI. With millions of Americans suffering from some form of mental illness, it brings me joy to know that while I'm out selling and driving awareness for happy®, I'm also shining a light on an incredible resource in NAMI that is available to help support those individuals and their families.