Melissa Bernstein, Co-Founder of Melissa + Doug, Discusses Transforming Existential Depression, Living a Creative Life, and Her New Book (and community!) LifeLines

On Today’s episode of the podcast we have the most inspiring conversation with Melissa Bernstein. Melissa along with her husband Doug, is the Co-Founder of the toy company Melissa & Doug, which has created over 5,000 children’s products and sold billions of dollars of toys since its inception. Raised by educators, Melissa and Doug started the business in their garage in 1988, and they’ve been on a mission ever since to provide open-ended, inventive, and non-technologically driven playthings for young children. Today, we have a different conversation with Melissa about her personal lifelong battle with severe depression and anxiety, which she is chronicling in her first book, Lifelines out this month  Throughout Melissa’s remarkable career, she had kept her lifelong debilitating battle with existential depression a secret. In LIFELINES, she hopes to help others who are suffering through her beautiful poetry, support, and her own transformation which we discuss today. Melissa’s book also heralds the launch of LifeLines.com, an online ecosystem she and Doug are underwriting to provide support and community anyone else struggling with their  mental health. Melissa lives in Connecticut with Doug and their six children. We do want to share a trigger warning since we do discuss depression, anxiety, and briefly cover Melissa’s experience with suicidal thoughts -- all while running a massively successful business. We truly have a beautiful conversation with Melissa and appreciate her honesty, vulnerability, and courage to share her incredible wellness journey. To learn more about Melissa you can visit:  https://www.lifelines.com or follow on instagram @seeklifelines To learn more about our health coaching subscription service visit: www.patreon.com/courageouswellness Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Courageous Wellness! We release new episodes each #WellnessWednesday! You can also follow us on instagram @CourageousWellness and visit our website: www.courageouswellness.net to get in touch.  This episode is brought to you by Milk+Honey.  To receive 15% off your purchase visit www.milkandhoney.com and use code: CWPODCAST (all one word) at checkout! Milk+Honey is a line of non-toxic, effective, and safe bath, body, and skincare products made in small batches in Austin, Texas.  Are you interested in becoming a health coach or furthering your nutrition education? We loved our program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and are happy to offer our listeners a discount on tuition! To receive up to $2000 off tuition (for payments in full and $1000 off tuition for payment plans) you can use our name Aly French or Erica Stein when you enroll. To learn more you can also take a Sample Class, check out the Curriculum Guide, or visit the application page to enroll.  We are so happy to offer our listeners 10% off on all Four Sigmatic superfood coffee and elixirs! For 10% off Four Sigmatic products visit https://foursigmatic.com/ and use the code: courageous at checkout! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices