We sit down with Tilly Levine (Co-Founder of Tilly’s, Founder of Tilly’s Life Center) and Colleen Versteeg (CEO, TLC) for a raw talk on building an American retail icon — then doubling down on a bigger mission: fixing teen mental health with real tools that work in classrooms.

What we cover:

• The true origin story of Tilly’s: swap meets, rebrands, zero loans

• Why teen depression spiked and how phones & feeds turbocharged it

• TLC’s blueprint: emotional vocabulary, “vibe” check-ins, and weekly 60-minute classes

• Vision boards, belief, action — the positivity system that scales success

• Making SEL mandatory in schools and how parents can push it through

• The business of doing good: partners, criticism, and staying on mission

Tilly’s Life Center Gala — Nov 15, 2025 (Irvine, CA):

Tickets: $400 — food, entertainment, and direct impact funding for TLC programs.

Get tickets at TillysLifeCenter.org (selling fast).

Call to action:

If you’re a parent, teacher, or student who wants TLC at your school, reach out at TillysLifeCenter.org.

Like, comment, and share to push this into the feeds that need it.

00:00:00 — Cold Open: “Worst advice” and why she did it anyway

00:00:24 — Intro at TLC HQ + guest lineup (Tilly Levine, Colleen Vincent)

00:03:01 — What is Tilly’s Life Center? Tools, outcomes, mission

00:04:12 — The teen mental-health spike (stats, COVID, bullying)

00:06:33 — Phones, feeds, and why school rules matter

00:09:24 — After the IPO: why TLC became the destiny

00:10:16 — Origin of Tilly’s: swap meets to first store (1982)

00:11:55 — Pivot to surf culture + zero-loan growth philosophy

00:14:12 — The American Dream: partnership, divorce, still a team

00:16:27 — Legacy, belief, and the 10,000-hour mindset

00:18:41 — Gala plug: Nov 15, Irvine — tickets and impact

00:19:51 — What schools aren’t teaching (SEL) and how TLC fills it

00:24:53 — Advice to 20-year-old founders: vision • belief • action

00:27:00 — How to get TLC into your school + after-school options

00:28:07 — The Vibe Board: color check-ins that actually work

00:30:13 — Kindness class: post-its, peers, and real talk

00:31:39 — Change your algorithm: why Gen Z gives hope

00:33:32 — Donate at Tilly’s stores: roundup that funds programs

00:34:38 — How Tilly became relentlessly positive (the switch at 12)

00:36:55 — Wrap + CTA: tickets, site, subscribe

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