What Just Us Taught Me About Vulnerability
When I started Just Us; We All Struggle Inc., I thought the hard part would be the paperwork, the lawyers, the accountants, the CRA requirements and finding board members.
I was wrong. The hardest part has been asking for help. After eight years of building a business, I've become comfortable taking risks, selling services, solving problems and creating value. Yet asking someone to support a charity has felt much harder than asking someone to pay for a service. I've spent a lot of time wondering why.
In business, there is an exchange. We provide a service, and people decide whether it's valuable enough to purchase.
With a charity, you're asking people to believe in something. Their return on investment is less tangible, less immediate. You're asking them to trust your vision. And when they say no—or say nothing at all—it can feel surprisingly personal.
For someone who has always valued independence and self-sufficiency, this has been an uncomfortable lesson. I've always been more comfortable giving help than needing it, solving problems than asking others to help solve them.
But social change doesn't happen because one person works harder. It happens because people come together around a shared belief that things can be better.
I've learned that building a business requires confidence. Building a charity requires vulnerability. It requires putting yourself out there, hearing no, asking again and trusting others enough to invite them into the mission.
What has humbled me most is seeing how many people have said yes.
Just Us exists because of board members who volunteer their time, interns who provide sessions, employees who dedicate their time and energy, donors who believe mental health care should be accessible, community partners who champion our work, volunteers who show up behind the scenes and clients who trust us with their stories.
Every counselling session we provide is the result of many people choosing to contribute in their own way.
When I started this charity, I thought leadership meant carrying the vision. What I've learned is that leadership is also about creating space for others to carry it with you. Strength isn't always found in carrying everything yourself. Sometimes strength is found in having the courage to let others carry it with you.
Thank you to everyone who has helped carry Just Us forward for the last 3.5 years!