Mackenzie Drazan seems like any other woman. Yet beneath the surface, she’s responsible for changing millions of lives through her app MiResource. The Duke University graduate is now worth in excess of $10 million, all from a simple app that helps people overcome the stigma of mental illness. Yet her discovery of this road is heartbreaking.
Living Her Best Life
Drazan didn’t always know she wanted to change people’s lives. In fact, she did political science at Duke University. It wasn’t even planned. She simply took a series of classes with a lecturer she liked; before she knew it, she had most of the courses for a Pol Sci degree.
In Drazan’s first year, her sister Shelby passed away from depression. She was confused and angry that doctors couldn’t help her sister. To cope with this grief, she spent a lot of time diving into what was required for a proper mental health referral.
A Breakdown in Infrastructure
Over the course of her research, Drazan realized that a lack of proper infrastructure led to Shelby being unable to get an appropriate diagnosis and clinical care. Part of the issue lies in tracking all the data required for that referral.
One part of the problem was dealing with different therapists. Two therapists might both be qualified and licensed, but their specialties would be different. As a result, their approach to the same problem would be completely different.
Another issue was medical insurance. Recertification for being part of an insurance coverage network was complicated, and it wasn’t uncommon to see some therapists going into and out of coverage networks due to changing requirements for certification.
More Data Points Than An Average Person Can Manage
Combined with all of these are common data points like availability, personality fit, and any number of other factors that could impact therapy. Little by little, the vision of a disordered mess started to come into view, and she knew she had to do something about it.
She quickly realized that it would require a lot of work if you were trying to corral all of these therapists and their specialties along with the relevant data points. Software could manage that, she thought to herself, even though she only took a course in Computer Science 101, which didn’t teach her anything about app development.
Instead of diving into an app, she realized it would be much simpler to reach out to people who were close to someone with depression and teach them how they could support their loved ones. She developed the website myteam.org, which was her first foray into mental health support.
Be Passionate About The Problem And the Solution
Drazan advises new entrepreneurs to look at the problem they’re solving but not start a business unless they’re passionate about it. If you’re working on something and the audience knows you’re not giving it your all, they will begin to lose heart in your mission.
Instead, business owners have to dive headfirst into their work and embrace the problem before formulating a solution. Typically, that means spending a lot of time reading things they might not want to read just to get the required information to solve the problem.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
In the same vein. Drazan advises entrepreneurs that they can’t wait in their comfort zones for things to change. Instead, they should leave their comfort zone. Doing things without experience is all part of the fight, and that requires a business owner to leave their comfort zone for the unknown.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for expert help when you need it. Drazan reminds young entrepreneurs that if they’re stepping out of their comfort zone, it’s okay not to know what they’re looking at, but it’s not okay to remain ignorant about it.
Each Person Is Unique
Drazan’s app, MiResource, is designed to help people overcome the stigma associated with mental health and illness, but one thing it taught her is that everyone is unique. No two people are precisely the same, and because of that, no two approaches to mental health can be exactly equivalent.
The same goes for entrepreneurs. What one person understands might be a complete mystery to another. Each business owner has their own aims, goals, and procedures for getting something done. Understanding that each person is unique is crucial to interacting with other business owners.
Beyond that, each client or customer a business has is also unique. In an enterprise, the owner has to find the thing that appeals to the largest contingent of its user base. Sometimes, that might anger some of the other users, but it’s necessary if they want to meet the expectations of their users in the long run.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Drazan knows how lucky she has been, but she has also been beset with her share of business missteps. She suggests that new business owners not shy away from failures but embrace them as a way to learn and become better at what they do.
Drazan contends that a failure is only a failure when you don’t learn from the result. Drazan believes that most business owners close shop long before they should because of fear. And that fear is usually the fear of failure. Many hopeful owners don’t even get started because they’re afraid to fail.
No One Is Born an Entrepreneur
Drazan says that no one is destined to be a successful business owner, but we all eventually find our way to the prize. She notes that she didn’t even consider doing this until a significant emotional blow hit her and made her realize that this was a real problem that affected thousands of people.
Just like no one is born a model or an equestrian (both of which Drazan has found success in), no one is born into the world of business. However, many people have discovered how to find their way there. Drazan believes that all it takes is hard work, determination, and a good plan.
