Acclaimed by stylists and well-known by consumers, Sebastian Professional is partnering up with the Born This Way Foundation to encourage employees to prioritize their mental health and well-being. The brand is also making a $50K donation to the non-profit so its programs and resources remain free and accessible to all.
In the past year, 77% of Americans reported experiencing work-related stress, which impacts both creativity and productivity—especially in creative professions like styling. By partnering with the Born This Way Foundation, Sebastian Professional hopes to foster open conversations around mental health and to empower employees globally to be their best selves while leading to greater creativity and self-expression.
Global Vice President of Global Digital Marketing and Brand Communications at Wella Company, Randall Chinchilla, says this partnership is quite a special one, since supporting its network of creative professionals is a priority for the brand.
“We believe that no one should face mental health obstacles alone,” he explains. “And we aim to create an inclusive environment, so partnering with the Born This Way Foundation is something that is enabling Sebastian to take meaningful action by supporting a generation that often struggles in silence.”
The partnership is in the beginning stages, but through the initiative, the collaboration is providing essential support and tools, like free online courses, workshops, and a series of classes called Be There for those with the desire to learn to be or continue being a support network for those struggling with mental health.
“Our partnership is starting and it will continue to grow and evolve but I think one of the cornerstones that we’re really excited about is the Be There certificate,” Chinchilla explained. “The “be there” classes and certificate is free and accessible online and teaches individuals how to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in their community, an extremely important tool since mental health issues are affecting roughly 75% of young adults by age 24.”
In addition to classes, the collaboration is organizing workshops and events focused on fomenting artistic expression as a form of mental health resilience to equip the Sebastian communities with both the skill and space to thrive.
“Creativity is most powerful when individuals feel mentally and emotionally supported,” says Chinchilla. “There’s even more research that shows that stress and mental health issues stifle creativity.”
The partnership’s goal is to bring awareness to the importance of mental health to as many people as possible.
“We’re starting with very concrete action,” Chinchilla added. “The certificate has been made available to all Wella employees and our vision is that this will spread beyond our employees to the Sebastian Professional community, which is made up of around 45 million hairdressers and consumers around the world.”
The Born This Way Foundation’s mission is to empower and inspire young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health. The organization builds youth-focused programs and engaging campaigns that increase access to resources, drive action, and build community.
“Our partnership with Born This Way underscores our commitment to supporting our network and fostering an environment where creativity is nurtured, not hindered,” Chinchilla explained. “We hope that the partnership will help us create a ripple effect of positive change, not just within the beauty and creative industries, but across all the communities we serve.”
Resiliency, the VP of Global Digital Marketing said, is built from within and the Sebastian Professional team hopes to see a future where mental health is openly discussed and no one feels excluded from the conversation, both in their personal lives and within their jobs.
For all things Sebastian Professional, be sure to follow @sebastianpro_official on Instagram. And to learn more about the Born this Way foundation and its resources, check out their website.
