Have you ever had your heart broken? A relationship ending can be devastating. It can also be a catalyst for change. A gluttonous holiday season is often the catalyst to get a fitness coach. A new job in management is often the catalyst to get an executive coach. These are tried and tested methods of self-improvement. We have a coach for other areas of our life, so why don’t we have one for relationships? Now, you can.
Ellen (“Elle”) Huerta, the founder of Mend, brought her unique insight into heartbreak to the screen on Planet Of The Apps. Elle’s passion stems from her own experience with heartbreak. Her own personal breakup made her take the leap to find help, and with Mend, she is now making a relationship coach available to all. Like so many of the founders we meet at Lightspeed, this company started with finding a solution to an authentic problem Elle faced.
Mend’s user journey starts with a personalized survey. The app has a conversation with the user, and provides community support and AI-powered Q&A. It feels like you are speaking to a life coach or therapist right across the table from you. The app challenges users to take actions that will improve their resilience; including meditation, journaling, gratitude, setting and keeping goals, exercise, and other activities that have been proven to increase well-being.
Elle recently opened her heart on why she started Mend and took it to Planet of the Apps: watch behind the scenes here. Mend was recently featured on the App Store’s list as the #2 “New Apps We Love,” and in the New York Times Style section. You can now watch this week’s episode exclusively on Apple Music (new episodes launch Tuesdays at 6pm pst/9pm est).
I recently asked Elle a few questions about her goals for Mend, how her background made her the founder she is today, what diversity means to her, and last but not least, what it has been like to work with Jessica Alba.
Nicole: What’s your background and how did it inform your idea for your app?
Elle: I grew up in Spring, Texas, with an entrepreneur mom and scientist dad. Entrepreneurship runs in my blood — my grandfather came to the US from Mexico as a teenager and went from being a migrant farm worker to a business owner while learning English and supporting six kids. So when I left my job at Google to follow my entrepreneurial dreams, he was one of the few people who didn’t think I was crazy. He told me it was the best thing I could be doing!
Nicole: How did you get the idea for this app?
Elle: I built Mend because it’s what I wanted when I was going through a breakup. I found myself up late at night Googling for advice, and what I found was cliche and not rooted in research. And the breakup books on Amazon looked like they were from another era. My first thought was: how could I make this experience less painful for other people? So I decided to build a content site (letsmend.com) where I would curate authentic stories and science-based advice. All of the data and insights that I gathered from letsmend.com evolved into Mend – it was the incubator for the app.
Nicole: What was it like to work with your celebrity mentor?
Elle: Jessica has built an incredible business and stayed true to herself, which I admire. Her advice on branding, hiring and product was so valuable as we prepared to launch. Also, as a solo founder, raising the first $800k of our $1m seed round was lonely at times — so it was a great change of pace to have Jessica in my corner during the pitch. In the past, it was always me jumping around alone on the sidewalk after a pitch went well.
Nicole: What does diversity mean to you?
Elle: Diversity makes for better ideas. Having a diverse background (and a diverse team) helps me build technology for an increasingly diverse global audience — it’s important.
Nicole: What’s your ultimate goal for your company?
Elle: Right now I’m focused on being the best support to millennial women who are going through breakups. Obviously, heartbreak is a universal problem, so we have a lot of other people to help after that too. And then I’m thinking about non-romantic heartbreak, and other points in relationships and life when you need support…there’s a lot of mending to be done!
Nicole: What’s the most valuable piece of advice you have received?
Elle: “Sometimes it’s not about a path, it’s about the next step.” Also, I quote Michael Jordan a lot: “Let your game do all the talking.”
Nicole: What businesses/brands do you admire?
Elle: Airbnb, Spotify, Virgin, Honest Co, Patagonia, Starbucks.
Nicole: How do you strive to manage (yourself, your people and your company)?
Elle: Management is one of the hardest parts of my role, and there’s no short answer. What I will say is that the great managers I’ve had always inspired their teams. So I strive to consistently remind myself and my team of the impact that Mend has on people’s lives. Remember why you started.
Nicole: What’s your motto?
Elle: Whole hearts for everyone.
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