Meet Adrian Wilson of The Outlet Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Wilson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story really starts with understanding what it feels like to struggle in silence.
For a long time, I was the person who looked like I had everything together on the outside while fighting some of the hardest battles of my life privately. I’ve experienced depression, addiction, suicide attempts, an overdose, and moments where I genuinely didn’t know if I would make it to the other side. But I did. Therapy became a huge part of my journey. I got sober. I started doing the work to understand myself, heal, and stop being ashamed of the parts of my story that I used to hide. And somewhere in that process, I realized how many other people were doing exactly what I had done for years: showing up, smiling, working, taking care of everybody else, and silently struggling behind closed doors. That realization became The Outlet Project. I wanted to create what I wish I had during some of my darkest moments. A space where mental health conversations feel normal. Where people can tell the truth without feeling judged. Where healing doesn’t always have to look clinical or intimidating. It can happen through storytelling, community, conversation, resources, and simply being around people who understand. What started as something deeply personal has now grown into a nonprofit organization with an incredible team, a growing community we call The Outsiders, and our first major experience, Healing Out Loud, which sold out here in Atlanta. But for me, this is still just the beginning. I don’t have a perfect story or a story where everything suddenly became easy. I have a story that proves you can survive chapters you once thought would end you and eventually use those same chapters to help somebody else.

That’s really how I got here. I stopped running from my story and decided to make something meaningful out of it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. And I think that’s an important part of the story. There have been seasons where I was trying to build something for other people while still working through things in my own life. I’ve had to learn how to lead while healing, how to ask for help, and how to accept that being strong doesn’t mean carrying everything by yourself. Starting The Outlet Project has brought its own challenges too. I’m building a nonprofit while working a full-time career, funding a lot of the vision myself, learning the nonprofit world in real time, and trying to get people to believe in something before they can fully see what it can become. There have definitely been moments where I questioned myself. Am I doing this at the right time? Am I spending too much? Will people actually show up? Will organizations and sponsors believe in this? Is everything I’m sacrificing going to be worth it? Even leading up to Healing Out Loud, there were last-minute changes, unexpected expenses, people having to pull out, and moments where I felt completely overwhelmed. But then we sold out. I stood in a room full of people having honest conversations about mental health, healing, and the things we normally keep hidden. That reminded me why I started. One of my biggest lessons has been that purpose doesn’t remove difficulty. Sometimes it actually requires you to push through more of it. I’m still figuring things out. The Outlet Project is still growing, and so am I. But I’ve learned not to measure the value of what I’m building only by how easy the journey is. Sometimes the struggle is part of what gives the work its meaning.

We’ve been impressed with The Outlet Project, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Outlet Project is a nonprofit organization built around one simple belief: people need safe outlets before they reach their breaking point. Our mission is to normalize conversations around mental health through storytelling, community, content, curated experiences, and access to resources. We have a particular passion for reaching Black and Brown communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, young adults, creatives, and professionals who may not always feel seen in traditional conversations about mental health. What sets us apart is how we approach the conversation. We’re not trying to make mental health feel overly clinical or like something you only talk about when you’re in crisis. We want to meet people where they are. Sometimes that looks like connecting someone with a licensed mental health professional. Sometimes it’s hearing someone tell a story that sounds exactly like yours. And sometimes it’s being in a room where you finally feel safe enough to say, “I’m actually not okay.” We call our community “The Outsiders,” because so many of us know what it feels like to be different, overlooked, misunderstood, or like we don’t completely fit into the spaces around us. We want people to know there is still a community where they belong. Our first major experience, Healing Out Loud, really brought that vision to life. We created a sold-out experience in Atlanta centered around honest conversations, connection, mental health resources, and community. We had therapists on-site, brought together people with very different life experiences, and created an environment where vulnerability wasn’t something people had to apologize for. That is probably what I’m most proud of brand-wise. The Outlet Project doesn’t just talk about community. We’re building it. Our tagline is “The Mental Health Plug,” and I want us to earn that name. I want someone to be able to come to The Outlet Project whether they need a therapist, a resource, a community, an event, a conversation, or simply somewhere to start.
We’re still a young organization, but the vision is much bigger than one event or one city. We want to build long-term partnerships, expand our resource network, create more experiences like Healing Out Loud, produce meaningful mental health content, and continue creating spaces where people can show up as their full selves. Ultimately, I want people to know that The Outlet Project isn’t about pretending we have all the answers. It’s about making sure people don’t have to search for those answers alone. If you need an outlet, we want to help you find one.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
The biggest thing I would want readers to know is that you never really know what someone is carrying. Some of the strongest, funniest, most successful, and most dependable people you know may also be fighting battles they’ve never told anyone about. I know because I was one of those people. That’s why I believe so strongly in checking on people, creating space for honest conversations, and reminding people that asking for help is not weakness.

I also want people to know that your story does not have to end in the chapter that hurt you the most. There were moments in my life when I couldn’t imagine the future I’m living now. Today, I get to take some of the things that once brought me shame and use them to create spaces where someone else can feel seen. And for anyone discovering The Outlet Project for the first time, I hope you’ll grow with us. Come to an experience. Share your story. Use our resources. Partner with us. Volunteer. Support the work. Or simply check on somebody you love. We’re just getting started, and my hope is that years from now, we can look back and know that The Outlet Project helped make conversations about mental health feel a little more normal, a little more human, and a lot less lonely. Everybody needs an outlet. We’re building one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theoutletproject.org
• Instagram: @theoutletproject_