68. Disrupting the Mental Health Stigma by Building Support Systems, Redefining Success, and Embracing Entrepreneurship as a Practice — Wes Woodson

"I automatically disqualified myself from even trying because I was told that I have a learning disability. And that person wasn’t even in the room...Their voice became my voice and I limited myself and convinced myself that I wasn’t enough. And I’m thankful for my parents reminding me that I’m enough, smart enough, to be in that room. So in that book, I would write ‘You are more than enough. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise." - Wes Woodson

Welcome back to another episode of Discover More.

This week, we continue our conversation with Wes Woodson.

Wes is the founder and chief-storyteller of thehidden, a clothing brand that inspires young people to be their true selves.

He is also a public speaker and the author of the book “I Have Anxiety (So What?)”, which will be released in the coming weeks.

In part 1 of the interview, Wes opens up about his mental health challenges that ultimately sparked his passion for helping others through storytelling. This portion was released last week as episode 67, and we recommend listening to it first as a starting point for this week’s episode.

This week, our conversation goes a bit deeper, and Wes shares a vulnerable story from his childhood.

At a young age, Wes was told that he had a learning disability, just because he learned differently then his peers. He explains that he was not only teased for this label, but also severely limited by it. The narrative he was given by the system became his self-narrative.

Luckily, his parents were incredibly supportive through these years and helped him navigate these challenges and develop self-belief.

He has gone on to deliver a TedTalk, start a company, and most recently, write a book.

Wes also describes how he views the relationship between success and happiness, as well as the attributes that he believes make a great entrepreneur.

Towards the end of the episode, Wes tells an incredible story about meeting Tommy Hilfiger in a bathroom. This story serves as a reminder to always take your shot when given an opportunity.

We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation, with us, and Wes Woodson.
 

Show Notes:

About Wes Woodson: https://www.weswoodson.com/

Wes Woodson’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weswoodson/

The Hidden Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenco/

The Hidden Co Website: https://www.thehiddenco.com/password

Wes’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfSJzKz-16E&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Wes’s Medium Article “Full Disclosure”: https://wwoodson1.medium.com/full-disclosure-ab9a2931a745

Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

Logic’s Book “Super Market”: https://www.amazon.com/Supermarket-Bobby-Hall/dp/1982127139/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=logic+supermarket&qid=1621806958&sr=8-2