she persisted

if you want to learn more about how our generation can create lasting change in mental health, this episode is for you!
today’s guest is hailey hardcastle—a gen z mental health advocate who helped pass landmark legislation in oregon allowing students to take mental health days off from school. she was honored by teen vogue as one of the "21 under 21: young women changing the world," and her ted talk on student mental health has been viewed more than 4 million times.
fun fact: this episode was recorded live at the active minds 2026 mental health conference—the nation’s leading mental health conference for young adults!
during this conversation, we discuss our personal mental health journeys, how hailey’s advocacy helped turn an idea into a state law, the most effective ways to advocate for gen z mental health, and so much more– including answering audience questions! 
we talk about:
1:52 why hailey became a mental health advocate at a young age
4:50 how she helped passed a bill allowing student mental health days
7:34 effective ways to open up to your parents about your mental health
12:44 what stops people from asking for help with their mental health
19:04 maintaining our mental health as adults vs. as teens
21:50 the future of mental health policy + advocacy
23:54 advice for people wanting to become mental health advocates
25:22 finding local mental health advocacy opportunities
27:10 what motivates us to speak up about mental health
29:06 tips on pushing forward mental health legislation
mentioned:
• hailey hardcastle
• hailey’s ted talk
• active minds
• mental health conference
• house bill 2191 (student mental health days) 
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!
@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

i’ve recently made a big career change and learned a LOT about my mental health along the way… so let’s talk about it! 
in this solo episode, i’m explaining what sparked this transition in my life & how i’m planning on optimizing this period of change to improve my routines, habits, and overall mental health. 
so, if you’re also going through a major life shift in your 20s– or are wanting to figure out whether you should take the plunge into a new chapter of life– here’s how to do so while optimizing your mental health!
i talk about:
1:52 the career shift i’m making & why!
12:56 my advice for college students & post-grads facing career uncertainty
14:47 why new beginnings are the perfect time to work on your mental health
15:57 mental health areas i’m prioritizing in this new season of life
22:42 staying motivated as a post-grad (vs. as a college student)
26:04 a mindset shift for improving your mental health habits
29:25 defining what makes my life worth living
31:22 journal prompts for goal-setting, career planning, & more! 
mentioned:
• succeeding as a psych major (pt. 1)
• succeeding as a psych major (pt. 2)
• dr. angela duckworth’s episode
• mental health book club episode
• how to change
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

how can someone have high self-esteem but low self-worth??! today’s guest is dr. marisa g. franco— a psychologist, author, professor, and friendship expert. she writes about how to build relationships with yourself and others for psychology today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like the new york times, the telegraph, and vice.
in this episode, we continue last week’s conversation on self-worth and relationships. this time, we’re focused on the internal factors behind self-worth, such as your emotions, identity, and more!
we talk about:
2:11 why it can be easier to validate someone else's feelings instead of our own
3:28 the two different types of self-esteem (& which one leads to better relationships)
5:04 how to process your emotions to improve your self-worth
7:10 why gaining self-worth can change your life for the better
8:26 ways we reinforce our insecurities without even realizing
12:58 pushing back against our own (& other people's!) insecurities
16:08 misconceptions about self-worth
17:06 if gen z struggles with self-worth more than other generations
mentioned:
• dr. franco’s previous episode
• dr. franco’s instagram
• dr. franco’s website
• pre-order worth
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!
@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

why do some people struggle to accept love?? today’s guest is dr. marisa g. franco— a psychologist, author, professor, and friendship expert. she writes about how to build relationships with yourself and others for psychology today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like the new york times, the telegraph, and vice.

in this episode, we talk about how our self-worth impacts our ability to love ourselves– and receive love from others. 

we talk about:

01:38 how self-worth and relationships are tied together

05:16 how you can be loved but not feel loved

06:16 how memories become the database of your self-worth

08:50 external vs. internal validation

10:10 how to rewrite the memories that shaped you

14:20 supporting someone who can't accept your love

15:38 low self-worth and feeling misunderstood

18:46 how i found 1% of hope in recovery

20:50 what we get wrong about attachment styles

26:02 the one thing to take away from this episode

mentioned:

• dr. franco’s previous episode

• dr. franco’s instagram

• dr. franco’s website

• pre-order worth

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:

1. leave a review on apple or spotify

2. dm me a screenshot on instagram

📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

🍿 watch on spotify & youtube

💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!

@shepersistedpodcast

shepersistedpodcast.com

hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 

© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

wanna know what over a decade of therapy, a psychology degree, and my own podcast have taught me about mental health?! in this solo episode, i’m breaking down the key takeaways that i’ve learned throughout my mental health journey.

in honor of it being mental health awareness month, i’m condensing everything i’ve learned from receiving intensive mental health care and years of dbt therapy as a suicidally depressed teenager– combined with my psychology education at upenn and my experience creating this very podcast– to make your 12-step guide to maintaining your mental health.

by the end of this episode, you’ll know all the mental health tips + tricks i wish i’d known when i was struggling!

i talk about:

• why avoidance is impacting your mental health 

• how to start getting better at recognizing your emotions

• my mantra for dealing with conflict more effectively

• relationship changes + how to navigate them 

• the power of secondary emotions 

• effective ways to reach your goals + stabilize your mental health

• a mental health quote that changed my life

• an underrated aspect of managing your mental health 

• whether we can use our mental health to predict our futures

• the mindset that was stopping me from building a life worth living

• how distraction can actually save lives

• what i learned in therapy that changed my self-esteem forever

mentioned: 

• atomic habits

• dr. blaise aguirre episode

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:

1. leave a review on apple or spotify

2. dm me a screenshot on instagram

📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠

💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!

⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠

⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠

⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 

© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.