Every week, Lillian Vasquez uses her KVCR (NPR) show to dig into arts, culture, and issues in the Inland Empire region of California. And Kelsey recently joined Lifestyles with Lillian Vasquez for an interview.
On October 20, the two sat down to talk all things Doughp. If you don’t live in the area and want to tune in, you can do so here. To give you a little taste of what to expect (because you know we’re all about good taste), we summed up the first portion of the interview here.
Our Doughp story
Kelsey told Lillian that she always loved to bake, even as a little kid, but lost touch with it as she moved forward in corporate America. She explained that the stress of that lifestyle took its toll and created an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
Fast forward to 2015 and Kelsey gets sober. “It really opened the doors for me to figure out who I am and what I love,” Kelsey said. That led her back to baking.
She also told Lillian about stumbling upon the hack that makes Doughp safe to eat raw during a foray into veganism. Today, Kelsey said, “Doughp has grown to be so much more than just the cookie dough, but it was a sweet start.”
Kelsey talked more with Lillian about leaving her comfortable tech job and planning to get Doughp off the ground. She also talked about how the pieces fell into place for her — and how the company became what it is today.
Our mental health policy
“Late 2017 was the first time I shared my recovery journey,” Kelsey told Lillian. Seeing the response, she started #Doughp4Hope.
That meant, among other things, developing our internal mental health policy, designating the company as a Recovery Friendly Workplace, and creating space to talk about how we’re all doing. Today, Doughp offers mental health subsidies, no-questions-asked mental health days, and more. “We’re letting words like anxiety and depression and family struggles be common talking points in the workplace, and letting that be okay,” she said.
If you’re an employer, listen to the interview to learn how and why mental health policies work here at Doughp. You might get some tips to help you implement these policies at your own company.
From there, Kelsey and Lillian talked about everything from how Doughp gives back and what other companies can do to build mental health into the workplace to why we shouldn’t fake it ‘til we make it and Kelsey’s experience on Shark Tank. Plus, toward the end of the interview, Kelsey talked about her favorite (read: the most delicious) way to eat Doughp.
And if all of this is making you hungry, don’t forget you can always grab some Doughp of your own online or in stores.
As she got close to signing off, Kelsey said, “For anyone out there who’s struggling with alcohol, drugs, or any mental health challenges, know that you’re not alone. There is so much joy waiting on the other side. I believe in you! Reach out for some help.”
