Perspectives: How to Bounce Back from a Setback
An interview with Dean Earls on mental health setbacks, writing motivations and exciting new dawns
As part of the Perspectives series, myself &
, writer of have decided to do a 2 part edition of interviews. The first interview is with Dean on all things change; from mental health to inspiration to looking ahead - you can find your Friday optimism here. The second interview will be with me, later in November.Let’s dive in…
Motivation & Setbacks
JM: Tell us a bit about yourself and the motivations behind your Substack, and your goals for writing?
DE: My background is in music. I have been working in the music industry in LA since moving here in 2006 from Ireland. I have always enjoyed writing, song writing, poetry, etc. But my motivation to start a Substack stemmed from a dark time in my life.
After a series of unfortunate events, personal loss, and betrayal, I fell into depression, which quickly became chaotic without my realizing it. I was binge drinking and numbing myself with drugs, and this all came at a time when things were really coming together for me in my career and business endeavours.
I go into detail about a lot of this in my first two posts on my Substack,
.There were a couple of reasons for those initial posts. One was because I was tired of repeating the story regarding my business when friends and colleagues would ask me about it.
I also felt my clients and others should know about the situation, and honestly, as much as I didn’t like the negative aspect of it, and that being my first posts, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. The support I received was amazing, even from people that I would have considered to be more connected to the other side of it.
The biggest thing for me is sharing the lessons I learned from that failure in the hope that it will help prevent others from making similar mistakes.
Challenges
JM: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in the last year and how did these affect your mental health?
DE: The past year or two, I have mostly been challenged with reconditioning myself, my thought process, my habits, and getting my business and career back on track. Picking up the pieces from my period of self-destruction.
I also became a dad, and that has been the most amazing life experience to date. It comes with its own set of challenges, but all are welcome. I have a whole new purpose in life now, and before anything else, he comes first. It really puts everything into perspective. I learn something new every day from my 1 and a half-year-old, Duke!
Catalyst for Change
JM: What are some coping mechanisms / strategies you used, and how are you now feeling these days?
DE: In the midst of all the madness, one morning, I woke up alone in a hotel room, and, I kid you not, I think I had only been there a day and a half, maybe two days. I looked around the room; there were 20 empty bottles of wine, 3 empty bottles of whiskey, and a table full of white dust.
That was the moment I knew it was either snap out of it or die. I knew right then and there that I was going to change everything. I made a pact with myself that I would never go back to this place in my head.
So I started to communicate with people, get back on task, fix my personal relationships, and move forward. I simplified my life in as many ways as I could. It took time, and it's always a work in progress. I think that's just life.
It's amazing what you can do with nothing but a clear head, a pen, and a notepad.
I will be talking about this particular moment in detail in one of my upcoming posts.
New Beginnings
JM: You mentioned about a start-up to me previously, can you talk a little more on this? What can we expect to see from your content writing and your start-up in the next 3 months?
DE: I’ve started a few things in the e-commerce space this past year, and I have been excited about that and working on scaling it. I started my first store in April and have been having consistent growth ever since.
The project I mentioned to you is a start-up-based community with a very unique twist. I have been talking to other founders, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, VCs, athletes, and influencers about this, and many have agreed to come on board in some form or another.
I am still ironing out the mechanics of it all before we open the initial community to the founding team, and then I want to build it out in public from there. But at the very basic level, the aim is to help and support budding entrepreneurs and founders at the idea stage.
The concept goes way beyond this, though, and I am excited to get it moving and announce it. There are many communities out there, but I am planning to add a very beneficial twist to this one.
Reader Tips
JM: What are 3 insights you’d share with others who may have experienced recent challenges similar to yourself?
DE: Address your challenges one by one in difficult times. Masking your problems and using substances to block them out and forget about them may be a temporary band-aid, but ultimately it prolongs the real progress that needs to take place.
When everything changes, change everything. Sometimes you need to recalibrate, and it may feel like everything you've ever known is no more, but this is a phase shift in your life and a time to embrace new beginnings.
As I mentioned above, a clear head, a notepad, and a pen—these three things we all have access to—have been the catalysts for the majority of the world's greatest inventions.
And now you have AI! My latest addiction! It enabled me to do so much in such a short time with my e-commerce store. I encourage others all the time to take advantage of it and not miss the boat; this is like the internet all over again!
Thanks for having me on my first Substack cross-collaboration; it's been an honour!
Big props to Dean for being so open and honest about his challenges and coping strategies. Stay tuned for the second interview on Dean’s page The Bounce Back in November! And, remember, subscribe to his page. 😉
App Recommendation Corner
Whilst I have you here, here’s are some apps to help with organisation and quick video creation:
Dypt - Smart List in Your Pocket 👉🏻
Ever had a mind blank when writing a to-do list? Dypt can help. Created by Dane Poyzer, Dypt is not just another list-making app, it’s tailored for people with ADHD, as it can intelligently suggest actions based on your prompts. Really helpful for brain fog.
Big shoutout to Dane for bringing a gem into our lives. You can find the app here.
Typeframes 📽️
Also if you’re a startup enthusiast like Dean, you may like Typeframes, a website which creates snappy marketing videos for you in less than 5 minutes! Check it out.
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