UNSCRIPTED — EPISODE 366 • MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
In this solo episode of UNSCRIPTED, Sarah steps out of her comfort zone to share her own mental health journey and what it has taught her about leadership, vulnerability, and creating workplaces where it’s truly okay not to be okay.
Every May, Future of Field Service marks Mental Health Awareness Month with a dedicated episode of UNSCRIPTED. This year is different. Instead of inviting an expert or thought leader to guide the conversation, Sarah is the conversation.
It’s a solo episode — raw, honest, and more personal than anything she’s recorded before. Sarah opens up about growing up with instability and emotional neglect, living with complex PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety, and navigating the PTSD that followed her son Evan’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age three. She also shares that this particular month has been an especially difficult one: a dear loved one was recently diagnosed with glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer.
She shares none of this for sympathy. She shares it because she believes the most powerful thing any of us can do — as leaders, colleagues, and human beings — is to show up honestly. And to remind those around us that the people who appear to have it all together are often carrying more than we know.
What This Episode Covers
Sarah organizes her reflections into two areas: personal truths and practical guidance for leaders and organizations.
On the personal side, she explores:
- Why vulnerability is harder than it sounds — and why it matters anyway
- The hidden cost of masking: how pretending you’re okay drains the energy you need to actually get there
- Why people who are struggling are the least equipped to ask for help — and why “I wish they’d just asked” misses the point entirely
- How overfunctioning can mask burnout before it becomes a crisis
- Why crying at work should be normalized, not penalized
For leaders and organizations, she addresses:
- The isolation challenge in field service — and why connection has to be intentional
- Why mental health cannot be a once-a-year conversation
- How the direct leader relationship is the single most important factor in psychological safety
- Why some standard mental health resources carry stigma — and how to think creatively about what actually helps
- How to be proactive, not just reactive, when it comes to team wellbeing
“People who are struggling with their mental health are the least likely and the least equipped to ask for help. When I hear someone say, ‘I wish they would just have asked for help,’ I know as someone who has struggled that the person making that statement certainly never has.”
Why This Episode, Why Now
Sarah has always believed that the phrase “it’s okay not to be okay” can only become a reality if we get more comfortable being uncomfortable — whether that’s having the courage to be vulnerable about our own struggles, or making the genuine effort to create a safe space for others to share theirs.
This episode is her effort to do both. It won’t be easy listening in places. But that’s exactly why it matters.
Related Podcasts
If this episode resonated with you, these conversations go deeper on mental health, wellbeing, and what great leadership looks like in practice:
Building Mental Strength as a Leader
Smashing Stigma Around Mental Health — Prioritizing Well-Being at Work
The Power of Mattering — Zach Mercurio
Making Mental Health a Focus in Service Leadership
Other Resources
If you or someone you know needs support, the following organizations offer guidance, resources, and help across different regions:
NAMI — National Alliance on Mental Illness (US)
Center for Workplace Mental Health (US)