Changing Mental Health for Gen Z: The Story of Not Therapy

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Colin MacDonald, co-founder of Not Therapy, a groundbreaking coaching company redefining support for young adults during pivotal life transitions. Colin shares how he and co-founder Haley transformed their personal experiences into a peer-driven mentorship model that resonates with teens and young adults ages 16 to 22. Built entirely through inbound efforts like podcast guesting and conference speaking, Not Therapy offers structure, accountability, and emotional support in a way that complements—but doesn’t replicate—traditional therapy. Their mission? To help families shift dynamics and empower youth to thrive without being forced into a clinical setting.

Colin also dives into the impressive growth of Not Therapy, which has already hit multiple six figures in revenue and is scaling fast through group coaching programs, community-building, and curriculum designed for schools. He talks about the importance of culture as they hire new coaches, the challenge of removing himself and Haley as bottlenecks, and the broader vision of reaching 10,000 families in the next three years. If you're passionate about mental health innovation, scalable impact, and building purpose-led businesses without outside funding, this episode offers real insight and inspiration.

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