Jules and Pat are the co-founders of Togeth3r, a platform bringing socially conscious brands together to one place. "We’ve done the legwork to find and vet brands so you can easily shop ethically and sustainably. Every brand we partner with meets our high standard for quality and design, and they must give a d*mn about people and our planet." You can shop ethical and sustainable brands like ours at a special discount on togeth3r.com. We sat down to interview Togeth3r founders, Pat + Jules to see how they are doing and their current plans for Togeth3r.
How are you both doing right now?
We are both doing great right now. We are coming off a little mountain getaway and excited for everything the new year has to offer. Leading up to our getaway we both had been feeling anxious and stressed about everything work related and the added pressures of the holiday season. The time away was helpful to relax and clear our minds and reset our focus.
How do you balance your online life and your personal life?
Well, our online lives are our personal lives. As creators we attempt to share what is genuinely going on in our lives. Sometimes this can be beautiful and inspiring, and sometimes this can be challenging and a struggle. We have both openly talked with each other about our willingness to share the good and the bad from our personal lives online. Social media can create this feeling that everything should be perfect when everybody is fighting their own battles and there should be no shame in sharing that online too. We’ve gotten good at communicating with each other when we need to just put our phones down and just enjoy time together without the pressure of having to share everything online.
Do you ever suffer from burnout? What are your tips for this?
Definitely! It’s hard for us to take breaks because we are both our own businesses, so it’s always on our minds what more we could be doing. The best tip that we could give would just be to force yourself to take breaks. Everybody knows breaks are necessary, yet we all struggle to take them. Hustle culture has amplified this and we all need a reminder to slow down, take some deep breaths, and relax.
Do either of you set boundaries with social media? If yes, what do you do?
We don’t set boundaries in terms of when we use social media but we do set boundaries around what we share. We share the highs and lows but for bigger topics we try to keep things quiet until we are both ready to share. Any big announcements around our careers, or living arrangements, or kid’s discussions, we try to keep things on the DL until we’ve notified our close family and friends before taking to social media.
Was there ever a time you felt like you couldn’t be your true self on social media because of your mental health?
Yes, definitely. Both of us have our own ongoing challenges with mental health and it’s a never-ending journey. When we are both feeling our best mentally, it shows on social media. We feel inspired and compelled to share everything. On the flip side, when we are both struggling, we aren’t as proactive to share anything on social media. If you follow either of us and we aren’t posting as often as we normally do, it’s usually because there’s something going on behind the scenes and often it’s mental health related.
Tell us about a time when you were struggling mentally, how did you get through it? Or, if you are currently struggling mentally, what are you struggling with?
One thing we are both struggling with currently is a bit of seasonal depression. The colder winter months seem to impact both our mental health and well-being. During these months we are much less likely to head outside, and the shorter days make time feel like it’s flying by. We always try to find ways to take trips during the winter months to find some sun but right now we don’t have anything planned. A think a nice trip to a sunny beach would help us both right now :)
Who do you rely on during difficult moments?
Each other! We are each other’s biggest supporters and each other’s best friends. We are open with one another, and both know how to make one another happy. Being by each other’s side makes the lows not feel so low, and makes the highs feel even higher.
What are you currently most excited about with Togeth3r?
We are always meeting new people that share our mission around ethical consumerism and giving back. We are working with some new brands and new creators that we can’t wait to share about!
Where can people find you?
Jules can be found @jules.jacobson and Pat @pjo__ . Our business account is @togeth3r, and our podcast is @lovethatforyoupod, which can be found anywhere podcasts are streamed!