Today we’d like to introduce you to Dexter Peggins and Dominique Bond.
Dexter and Dominique, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Towards the end of 2017 and entering into 2018, there was an emergence of stories dealing with the subject of suicide and depression. What was most alarming was that the faces behind those stories were men. Men who had expressed reaching their limits because they felt as though they weren’t able to talk about the things they were dealing with. Being both actively engaged in our community, and recognizing that these stories weren’t one-offs but indicators of a larger issue led to the creation of When Men Open Up. There are numerous organizations and agencies aimed at supporting and encouraging women; however, organizations that provide similar services for men are few and far between. Everyone needs guidance and support, and men are no different.
When Men Open Up is a platform that has been created to challenge toxic societal views of masculinity and bring clarity to issues that men often suffer with in silence. Because society has painted an incomplete picture of manhood and masculinity, many men struggle with issues such as rejection, identity, fatherhood, etc. Utilizing a transparent approach of talking about difficult subject matters, has helped our podcast grow from a few dozen to a few thousand. More importantly, we have been able to serve as a catalyst for men across the country who have been seeking help; however, unable to speak about their own traumatic experiences. In addition to our podcast, we have served as speakers and facilitators to colleges and varying organizations throughout the state, emphasizing the importance of direction, balance mental health, and clarity for today’s man.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has been very rewarding; however, it has come with its own set of unique challenges. Initially, when we first started, a number of people would say that men aren’t interested in hearing about what we’re talking about. We would be accused of trying to emasculate men by talking issues such as mental health and self-care. However, over the course of time, people began to understand that our message promotes the necessity of men finding balance in their lives.
Please tell us about the organization.
Between the both of us, there a great collective depth of experience and expertise. We were both in the military, both serve as mentors, and we both serve in some capacity in the Human Service industry (Dominique has a background in Social Work, and Dexter has served as a Chaplain). Utilizing lessons learned from these experiences, we are frequently requested to speak as a panelist, in workshops, seminars, and various programs on subjects pertaining to mental health, personal development, corporate professionalism, entrepreneurship, and relationships.
As an organization, we are proud of having developed an online school called WMOU University that provides exclusive online content for subscribers. In addition to the online school, we also wrote and published a workbook entitled “Stressed and Burned Out: The Playbook for Male Self-Care.”
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is understanding the why of your pursuit, being able to create and enact a workable plan to achieve your goal, and maintaining balance in doing so. One of the surest ways of marking success is by utilizing measurable outcomes. Measurable outcomes are normally a good gauge of if you have obtained your results in a manner that is consistent with your expectations.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whenmenopenup.com
- Email: info@whenmenopenup.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/whenmenopenup
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/whenmenopenup
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh9WQpXcXBW0VickKh9Y_mQ
Image Credit:
Tosia Truesdell
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