We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Chung and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Brittany, is there a life experience you can think of that you feel has had a profound impact on your life or career?
After losing a friend to suicide my whole life changed. The way I live, the way I think, everything changed. My life became centered around what I could do to help show people they are not alone and that their life has immense value. I knew that I could not wait for someone else to save us when each of us is fully capable of solving problems and making this world a better place. Plus, if we wait we may be waiting our whole lives away. As humans, I believe we should always aim to leave this world better than how we came in. Some of our reasons for experiencing some of the darkest moments is to take everything we learn from it combine it with all the emotions that are birthed by it and do something about it so others don’t have to experience it. When I tried to pursue other careers nothing felt quite right. I couldn’t really take anything seriously knowing people were dying from preventable deaths daily. So I started a non-profit, having pretty much no experience just knowing if we help one person it would all be worth it. So here we are almost 4 years later working to provide a glimmer of hope to every individual we come in contact with.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are amazing nonprofits that are working to end suicide in various ways. Today, we have suicide hotlines, and other resources that provide help to those who are dealing with suicidal thoughts. However, the problem remains that people are not always aware of the resources available and what makes it worse is the negative stigma prevents people from seeking help or even talking to others. Elevation Society works to advocate and educate, while also working to stop the issue at the root. We focus on eliminating the feeling of hopelessness while showing individuals their value and helping people see they are not alone. Through events and content we leverage the power of community to show people their lives are worth fighting for. This Covid-19 crisis has taught us a lot but one of the main takeaways for us is how we can help people even when we are not able to physically be around one another. Prior to Covid-19 Elevation Society focused heavily on events. To date, we have done over 30 events in 5 different states. Given social distancing, we shifted our focus to helping people take care of their mental wellness despite physical limitations. We are excited to expand our impact by producing new content focused on bringing awareness and tools to help increase everyone’s mental wellness. It was not easy getting where we are today, it took a lot of sacrifices but it is all worth it. Every time we start to feel overwhelmed or discouraged or defeated we remember or think about all the people who are suffering in silence. When we are able to have real conversations and work towards solutions together there are not enough words to describe how inspiring it is. Along the way, we have learned that nothing comes from quitting, and nothing will be easy. We are going to fail sometimes but that is okay, we just have to pick ourselves up learn every lesson we can and improve. What we want the world to know about us is we are determined to show people their lives are worth fighting for. We have all been there between losing someone to suicide or having suicidal thoughts ourselves we understand and will keep fighting until there are no more suicides.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Places we would visit are Point Dume in Malibu, Mosaic Tile House in Venice, and The Broad. Some cute hidden spots we would visit are 786 Degrees, Salt and Straw (it’s not really hidden but still worth noting), The Shugar Shack Bakery, The Daughters Deli, Kreation, Osteria Mozza, Tatsu Ramen, and Bludso.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m sure this is probably the most common answer for this question but I have to give credit to my parents. They filled me with so much ambition and perseverance. They help me believe that no matter how big or drastic my dreams are I am fully capable of achieving them. The way they live their life the unconditional love they provide it all allows me to so freely give love to others. They are the reason I am here and the inspiration in everything I do. Aside from my parents and family, I am inspired by a wide range of all different types of people. I also admire women like Psychologist Carol Dweck who developed the “growth mindset” theory or Dr. Brenda Milner who founded Neuropsychology. Dr. Marsha M. Linehan who created the Dialectical Behavior therapy or Christine Moutier who is the Chief Medical Officer of AFSP. The list goes on but it basically includes innovators who utilize their life to help others.
Website: https://theelevationsociety.org
Instagram: msbchung
Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
