Team Wil Wheaton

“If you like nerds, raise your hand. If you don't, raise your standards.”
― Violet Haberdasher

In case you've missed it, Wil Wheaton has pretty much become the King of the Nerds (he has his own new show!), and that is a level of awesome most of us will never reach.  Ten years ago, heck, 3 years ago, that would have been a hide under your bed, anxiety-inducing title.  No one wanted to be labelled a "nerd."

Flash forward to 2014, and nerd is the new cool.  Or something.  My point is, we, all nerds collectively, have found our place on the internet and in the world.  Our fear of being who we are, thrown out the window.

http://www.webpronews.com/wil-wheaton-has-advice-for-kids-being-bullied-2014-03

So, since I ask this in every post:

What does this have to do with business?  

Well, for me, it allows me to include a ton more self-deprecating humor in my presentations and writing.  It also made it acceptable for me to talk about my strange hobbies, including entomology, brain dissection, and welding large metal dinosaurs without feeling like I'm going to be harshly judged or branded a weirdo.  My interests, which have been all mine for over 30 years, can now be shared with a wider audience.  And the reception has been amazing.

What does this mean for the rest of us?  

I believe that more innovation can and is happening.  Science fiction has created so many useful products.  Jules Verne's Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea lead to Simon Lake creating the submarine.  Igor Sikorsky took another Verne book, Clipper of the Clouds, and made a helicopter.  H.G. Wells' books lead to many more inventions, and Star Wars was the inspiration for cell phones and others.  Nerds created these.  And nerds, with their new-found platform, will create even more.

What will I do with my nerd platform?  

So far, it has allowed me to take my love of brain dissection and neuroscience, combined with a deep understanding of psychology and mental illness, combined even further for my passion for politics, to help spread news about the NIH's NeuroBioBank to a broader audience.  It helped me realize that my passions were in Public Health so that I could pursue those, as well as my fascination with infectious diseases, into a career path.  I can combine that with my entrepreneurial attitude, and become a consultant on Public Health.  My nerd platform allows me to do what I love, what I'm passionate about, and now instead of bizarre or obscure, it's interesting.

Nerd culture is giving everyone a chance for new conversations.  Bullying, and in turn, anti-bullying campaigns, are driving forward due to nerds like Wil Wheaton.  Carryovers from past cult classics can co-mingle with modern day pop culture, getting people interested in things like role playing games and steampunk.  Shows like The Big Bang Theory show how adults can be almost child-like with excitement about things, causing them to geek-out.  Dragons and comic books are mainstream, and even my least nerdy friend has seen every Marvel movie to date.

Take this opportunity to innovate.  Take this moment in time to delve into your deepest, darkest nerdisms and pull something creative and inspired out.  Collaborate with your people on the next big thing.  There are few wrongs that can come from this time of freedom.  

Thank you, Wil Wheaton.

Nicole
The Restless Entrepreneur

Why does mental health matter to businesses

“Stigma's power lies in silence. The silence that persists when discussion and action should be taking place. The silence one imposes on another for speaking up on a taboo subject, branding them with a label until they are rendered mute or preferably unheard.”
― M.B. Dallocchio

Here are a few facts about me:  

I lost my brother to suicide nearly 10 years ago.  I have volunteered in suicide prevention and mental health for the past 7 years.  I have been a psychology and public health student for 12 years now.  I suffer from social anxiety, PTSD, and bouts of depression.  In short, I know a thing or two about mental health and mental illness.

Mental illness is important in business.  

Employers are slowly realizing this as fact, and are slowly trying to incorporate policies and plans to support employees.  Health insurance plans, thanks to the Mental Health Parity Act, are starting to treat mental health coverage similar to coverage for other chronic conditions.  Locally, one of my health care partners, Family and Children's Services of Mid-Michigan, recently wrapped up a "Stomp out the Stigma" campaign for May's Mental Health Awareness Month.  The campaign brought business professionals throughout Midland County together to campaign for better mental health in our region.

http://dialog.studentassociation.ca/index.php/mental-illness-the-power-of-stigma/

There are fairly disgusting statistics in our country based on mental health problems in various industries.  I, having worked with small and large companies throughout the country, have seen the causes and effects of mental health issues and how they are handled.  I see plenty of room for improvement, but starting that conversation with businesses and individuals is not an easy one.  There's still stigma attached; people feel that the PC way to approach mental illness is to not approach it at all.

Treating mental health and mental illness as a taboo topic is not helping.  Treating the brain separate from the body causes and perpetuates stigma.  Companies can help to support their employees by receiving training on how to help them with mental illnesses.  There are screening programs that can help companies with assessing potential problems so that plans can be established.  There are ways to involve community health programs to bring services directly to employees who need it.  Mental health awareness events should be the norm throughout the year for businesses.  And employees should be comfortable talking about their issues with trusted people.

This ideas really feeds into my ideas and plans for building community.  

One of the statistics that stands out to me is the amount of time people spend at work to other countries, especially tribal communities where mental illness mostly a non-issue.  If people are expected to spend 1/3 of their waking hours for at least 5 days out of the week, there needs to be more opportunities for a supportive community.  Mental health awareness should be a part of corporate culture.  If it doesn't, we can't fix the problems associated with mental illness.  If it doesn't, we can't sufficiently have a supportive system to help with mental illness.  If it doesn't, we run the risk of our friends and family members not having the support they need in an environment where they spend nearly 95,000 hours of their lifetime.  And that shouldn't be acceptable anymore.

Nicole
The Restless Entrepreneur