Women to Watch: INTERVIEW WITH DR. ELISABETH CRAIN & DR. IRENE YAYMADJIAN

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS AND BECOME A FEMALE FOUNDER?

We are Dr. Elisabeth Crain and Dr. Irene Yaymadjian. We met in grad school and became best friends. After working in the field for over a decade as a therapist, we started a podcast to make Mental Health accessible to all. The field is so private and behind closed doors that we wanted to share our personalities with the world; that’s how Two Blonde Shrinks Podcast came about. We felt it important to tackle modern day challenges that people are facing in a relatable way. The podcast focuses on relationships and how to navigate life’s daily frustrations. We invite guests to talk about topics such as: how to overcome perfectionism, Mommy Mental Health, struggles with dating apps, or how to heal from a broken heart.

WHAT UNIQUE PROBLEM DOES YOUR BUSINESS SOLVE, AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO ADDRESS IT?

We live in a world where Mental Health is stigmatized; many people aren’t open to sharing their struggles or going to therapy.

It was always our goal to de-stigmatize Mental Health. Therapy is for everybody; personal growth and development are what makes life exciting. While we deal with real-world issues with our clients, we also like to infuse empowerment and help people become the best versions of themself so they thrive. As shrinks, we understand life isn’t always easy but we are here to support people in their journey.

Today we see many people struggling to just find joy. There has been an uptick in social anxiety because of people’s focus on devices in a post-pandemic world. We want to encourage and bring out the fun, joy, and vitality to people’s lives. Our Podcast is our way of sharing our personality while talking about real life. Initially, we wanted to ensure we were authentic and provided truth talk to our listeners.

We stay true to who we are, not only as shrinks but as individuals. As we continue to explore wellness and Mental Health, we hope others will be encouraged to work on themselves; there is a lot of bounty in self-discovery and growth.

We hope to remove shame around Mental Health. The reality is a lot of people struggle and it is important to get help; whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, or addiction. We encourage people to overcome the stigma around Mental Health struggles and normalize the idea that life is hard and we should support one another.

WHAT SETS YOUR BRAND APART FROM COMPETITORS IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

It is encouraging to see the many wellness and health movements taking place today, but we actually went to school for this stuff before it was cool. We love how much interest is out there and we want to share our expertise and knowledge with others. We spent a long time in our Master’s and Doctorate programs learning all about Psychology; a field that never bores us. Our job is never the same. Every time someone walks through our doors, their new stories, perspectives, and challenges keep us on our toes. We love what we do and believe our Podcast reflects that. Both of us have a curious mind and always want to know new cutting-edge Mental Health discoveries in the field and bring it to the Podcast. Our curiosity is what keeps things interesting.

CAN YOU SHARE A MEMORABLE MOMENT OR EXPERIENCE THAT SOLIDIFIED YOUR DECISION TO PURSUE ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

When the pandemic happened and therapy went to Zoom, we lost touch with person-to-person engagement. Many people have not returned to their therapist’s offices in person; we hope to be better connected someday. There is still a lot of post-traumatic stress that people are experiencing after the past couple of years; we want to talk about that and help people overcome it. During the pandemic, we noticed people collectively struggled more than normal so the idea of Two Blonde Shrinks was born. How could we reach people who wanted quick answers to specific problems? The answer was the Podcast. It was born from the desire to help people and have a greater community reach. Many people suffer in silence and we don’t want that. We find healing happens when we acknowledge our struggles and work on them.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND WHAT MILESTONES HAVE YOU ACHIEVED SO FAR?

To us, success is helping one person - getting one message from a person saying ‘this episode helped me so much’ means everything to us. The gratitude people express makes it all worthwhile. Many people feel alone and the Podcast was a way of making people feel less alone with their struggles. We are currently on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube; you can also find us on Instagram and TikTok where we drop weekly reels from our episodes.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU COLLABORATE OR CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES?

Many of the female guests we interview discuss women’s issues such as Maternal Mental Health, perfectionism, and overcoming narcissism. It is important for us to discuss Women’s Mental Health and the unique challenges women face such as work-life balance after a baby, marriage, female friendships, and everything that comes with being a woman in a modern world. There are many more pressures in society for women to have it all and it’s important we talk about these things.

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