Wondermind, a mental health startup co-founded by newsletter entrepreneur Daniella Pierson and Selena Gomez, officially launched its content hub with hopes of furthering the brand’s mission of “democratizing and destigmatizing” care for emotional wellbeing. The new hub features expert-backed tips and advice for improving mental and emotional health.
“We want someone who’s 15 years old to be able to read it as well as someone who is 57 years old,” said Pierson, co-founder of Wondermind and CEO of digital newsletter The Newsette and agency Newland.
Even as more employers offer subscriptions to meditation apps like Headspace and Calm, as well as virtual therapy options like BetterHelp, obstacles for total acceptance of treatment remain. When seeking answers to specific mental health questions, most people still turn to sites like WebMD, which are often jargon-filled and lack an editorial vision. Wondermind joins a growing group of mental health brands to deliver information to readers in a more approachable way.
Introducing ‘mental fitness’
Wondermind founders—Pierson, actor Selena Gomez and producer Mandy Teefey, who is also Gomez’s mother—describe the site as “the world’s first mental fitness ecosystem.” With its launch of more than 70 articles, the hub will focus on four main sections of content: mental health conditions, feelings-specific content, real stories and mental fitness content. The focused content is also aimed at providing mental health resources for everyone as the importance of accessibility was a crucial element for the founders.
The decision to brand the company as a “mental fitness” offering as opposed to a mental health platform is part of the founders’ intention to make the company sound more inclusive, according to Pierson. Instead of only aiming to reach people with diagnosed mental health conditions, the site is designed to appeal to everyone.
“We wanted to have this safe place where people know that they can go and take a deep breath and find information, resources, insights and stories that are going to resonate with them. And at least get them knowing what that next step might be,” Casey Gueren, Wondermind’s head of content, told Adweek.
The brand’s target audience is psychographic instead of demographic, according to Pierson, meaning she wants the content to be inclusive and accessible to anyone regardless of age or background. The idea reflects the singular focus on mental health attributes as opposed to other qualities that define consumers. The co-founder does admit the site’s branding is likely to appeal to the Millennial and Gen Z age groups.
The co-founders also wanted to ensure “that people felt like they could go on this website at work, or at a coffee shop or whatnot,” said Pierson. “And it literally does not look clinical,” she added.
Democratizing mental health resources
The brand is working on collaborations with other brands that resonate with younger audiences. For example, it’s partnering with Aerie to launch limited edition co-branded content. Brand partnerships can include newsletter and site placements, and now with the brand’s expansion to digital content, it can expand those placements and generate more revenue.
Wondermind wants to partner with like-minded brands eager to look at their industries through a mental health lens. The site will also offer display advertising placements and may soon expand to affiliate marketing. These revenue models are intended to keep the site’s content free for consumers.
“We would never have a paywall, we would never have a subscription fee for the newsletter,” Pierson told Adweek, “because we are very aware that the majority of America and the world cannot afford to see a therapist or get the kind of insight that these incredible licensed physician therapists and psychiatrists have.”
The second drop
Wondermind will expand beyond its newsletter and content offerings as it continues to grow. It plans to launch a production arm in the coming months and debut physical and mental fitness products. The brand is launching each of its offerings in a series of “drops.” Its newsletter was the first, and today’s content hub launch is the second.
Since its April launch, the 3-times-per-week newsletter has amassed 500,000 subscribers and nearly 250,000 social media followers.
The site’s new “Filter by Your Feelings” feature suggests content to readers based on how they’re feeling, whether that is happy, sad, angry, anxious, stuck, envious or lonely.
The new site also features new content including articles titled, “What Social Media Gets Wrong About ADHD,” “12 Therapist-Approved Tips for When You’re Feeling Lonely” and “The Difference Between Feeling Stressed, Anxious, and Overwhelmed.” It includes exclusive interviews with actors, athletes and entrepreneurs.
Though a team of writers and editors create the site content, Wondermind works with an advisory group of 11 licensed mental health professionals. The group vets the content to ensure it is accurate, responsible, inclusive and relevant, according to the co-founders.
“It’s been really amazing today, seeing our advisory committee weigh in and get super excited because these are people who probably do charge a premium for their clients,” said Gueren. “But knowing that they are so excited to share this resource with their clients and colleagues has been so validating to show that this is filling a really huge gap and a necessary need in this space,” she added.
