Bringing peace to others one box at a time
By Tommy Switzgable
“When I was initially diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, I realized people in my life didn’t know what to say or do for me,” says Mallory Gothelf, COS’17. “But they tried, and it was often the moments and gestures that were seemingly insignificant that made a huge difference…[they] raised my spirits and reminded me that I mattered. I took inspiration from those gestures and coupled that with self-care products that empower people in their healing journey.”
Gothelf, of Malden, Massachusetts, decided upon graduating from Northeastern to combine her newfound interest in entrepreneurship with her passion for mental health. As a result, Gothelf formed Find Your/self Boxes in April of 2020, a care package company with a focus on research-based self-care products for family and friends to provide a physical vessel of support to those who may be struggling.
Since the inception of this groundbreaking business, both Gothelf and Find Your/self Boxes have quickly found themselves on the front lines of the battle for mental health awareness—generating appearances on podcasts, in comprehensive articles, and even in an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America. “When the segment ended, I had so many emails in my inbox from people sharing their stories with me,” Gothelf recalls. “That was the moment that meant the most to me.”
Even with the newfound attention, Gothelf credits her early days at Northeastern as the tinder that sparked her entrepreneurial fire. “My entire education [at Northeastern] gave me the space to explore my interests and create a course load that had flexibility to learn in new ways,” she says. “I was allowed to live more authentically, and it gave me the confidence to use my experiences to reach back and help others, something I now use in my business every day. I’m really grateful for my education at Northeastern.”
Gothelf and her business have proven to be a bright light in a field that has been deprived of lumosity for quite some time—not only changing the landscape of mental health awareness, but additionally using it to help those who are struggling so they might construct the best possible version of themselves. She hopes her boxes are not only able to heal, but also to give each recipient the ability to “pause every now and then knowing [they] have the space to be [themselves], and if [they’re] unsure of who that person is, have an absolute blast discovering it.”
Learn more about Gothelf and Find Your/self Boxes on Instagram @findyourselfboxes. You can reach out to Gothelf via her website or by email at [email protected].
October 25th, 2022
I left Northeastern a different person, a better person, a person able to think critically and challenge the status quo.
– Mallory Gothelf, COS’17