Alexandra Hoerr sits down on this episode of the Mind Reboot Podcast to tell us more about her journey in the mental health space and about her company Optimum Joy.

Growing up on a farm in Northeast, Missouri, Alex and her family were excommunicated from their religious community when she was around 16/17 years old. It was a significantly lonely time for her but she discusses how it lent itself to truly understanding who she was from a spiritual component.

She goes on to tell us how a woman in her life played a huge role in helping her through a very difficult time. While the woman wasn’t a therapist, it planted the seed in Alex’s mind from an early stage that perhaps she, too, wanted to go into a profession to help others.

“So it wasn't like I just had this dream and I went out for it. It was more like step-by-step, that it really was revealed to me.”

Alex got her start in community mental health working with under-resourced neighborhoods. After experiencing burn out, quitting her job, and living on her sister’s couch for a while, she dug deep into what it is she really wanted to do.

“I really just started to kind of think up who am I, what are my values? What do I want this to be? And to really kind of create what is a for-profit business, but one that does a lot of good and really supports people's growth.”