In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, today's episode features Michael Martin. He is a systems thinker, consensus builder, and self-starter who currently serves as the Data and Analytics Global Transformation Manager at Google. 

Michael and host Sean Li chatted about how mental well-being contributes to productivity and the importance of building a sphere of influence. Besides his professional work, Michael established the John E. Martin Memorial Fellowship and the John E. Martin Mental Healthcare Tech Challenge, a partnership with Google and Haas Healthcare Association.  He discussed how experiences in his personal life and family shaped how he became more self-aware. 

Episode Quotes:

On mental health and well-being is a continuous journey:

“Unlike certain physical issues where you go in for surgery, the issue is addressed and you're good to go thereafter. I think with mental health care, it's this constant journey and you're going through. It’s like this helix. Sometimes it looks like you're going up and sometimes it looks like you're going down, and trusting that you're proceeding forward in the right direction. It’s really one of the things that are so key to your ultimate success.”

What recent stigmas have you witnessed regarding mental health?

I think things are getting better. And I think that's because people are more comfortable sharing that, which is their full self. I bring this up because a lot of times, I’m personally concerned with what I see in social media where, what’s being presented is seemingly one's best life, perfect life. And probably in many ways, nothing to go and do with the majority of that individual's life.

On learning from the younger generation about speaking up on issues surrounding mental health:

“The faster that we go and identify that there are issues, the faster, I think we're going to come up with effective solutions. And it's a bit of like, that first step in the 12 step program where you're going. I'm admitting that I’m no longer in control of this[...]But I certainly think, to go and admit that, is something that our younger generations have a much easier time doing. I'm really appreciative of that in a strange kind of way. I think they're actually teaching folks that are much more senior, the power that you can have, by going and sharing that part of your story.”

How can writing help you build habits that help improve your mental well-being?

“By writing things down, I feel like it gives them a chance to go and have their voice documented. In a sense, be listened to. I think one of the things we always strive for, it's we just want to go and be heard. It's a really empowering thing. It's a really great way of loving oneself, not in a narcissistic way. But, in terms of showing compassion to all of those facets of you and it goes along the way up this idea of striving for perfection.”

Show Links: 

• LinkedIn
• Haas Healthcare Association and John E. Martin Mental Healthcare Challenge

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