"Did I want to be there for a moment, or did I want to be there forever"? That's the question Mandy Teefey asked herself when she contemplated whether she should prioritize her mental health or be there for her daughter, Selena Gomez's, first day of Kindergarten. Fast forward to today, and Mandy Teefey is a co-founder and co-CEO of Wondermind and the founder and CEO of Kicked to the Curb Productions, where she has developed award-winning and nominated content. Mandy is best known for her work on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. Mandy's personal journey struggling with mental health has fueled her passion and drive. Wondermind will satisfy the hunger for inclusive content and the need to change the narrative on how mental health is portrayed. It also gives people the tools to practice "mental health fitness," both online and offline.
Mandy was misdiagnosed as bipolar and later diagnosed with ADHD with Trauma, which has fueled her passion for offering accessible mental health resources for anyone and everyone. Co-founded with Selena Gomez and Daniella Pierson, Wondermind is a multimedia company that destigmatizes and democratizes mental health in a way that has never been done before.
In this episode, Mandy shares her incredible and heartfelt journey. From her mental health struggles to being a teenage mom, she authentically shares how her career came to be despite her misdiagnosis as being bipolar. With a dream of storytelling in entertainment, Mandy has made some of the biggest contributions to normalizing the mental health discussion in Hollywood.