About this episode
The story behind the mission—and the conversations that made healing possible.
Mikel Stull and Zach share the personal mental-health journeys that brought them to Unmasked Culture and explain why honest conversation sits at the center of its mission.
Mikel describes an unhealthy relationship, unresolved childhood experiences, depression, and the friend who helped him begin opening up. He talks about overcoming stigma around counseling, receiving a diagnosis, and how losing that close friend to suicide deepened both his pain and his determination to create something that could help others feel less alone.
Zach reflects on his own experience of hiding difficult emotions and trying to carry everything by himself. Together, they discuss therapy, medication, faith, trusted relationships, and the four connected areas of holistic well-being: physical, emotional, spiritual, and social health.
The conversation closes with practical encouragement to begin small—get out of bed, take a shower, write down what you feel, contact one trusted person, or use an evaluation as a starting point. The goal is not to have perfect words. It is to stop carrying everything alone.
In this episode
- The personal experiences that led to the creation of Unmasked Culture
- How trusted relationships can make vulnerability easier over time
- Depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide loss, and the importance of timely support
- Moving past stigma around counseling, diagnosis, and medication
- Why faith and professional mental-health care do not have to compete
- The physical, emotional, spiritual, and social sides of holistic well-being
- Small, realistic actions that can interrupt isolation and build momentum
- Using journaling, poetry, or other creative outlets to process emotions
- How Unmasked Culture’s evaluations can help someone start a conversation