The Power of Stories: Brittany Snow & Jaspre Guest Discuss 'The September Letters
Amanda is honored to sit down with Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest, the incredible co-authors behind September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in Sharing Our Stories.This inspiring project brings together heartfelt letters, notes, and conversations from friends, experts, and the September Letters community, all with a shared mission: to create a space where vulnerability leads to understanding, connection, and healing. Through this robust exchange of stories, we’re reminded that none of us are truly alone in our struggles. In this conversation, Brittany, Jaspre, and Amanda explore a range of topics—from therapy to metaphysics—and even tease about exciting new projects. It’s a meaningful discussion that will leave you feeling inspired, uplifted, and more connected to the people around you. Tune in and discover the transformative power of sharing our stories.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [1:43] Brit talks about how the book September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in Sharing Our Stories has been received, and Jaspre discusses the origins of the book
- [4:51] Brit discusses when she first became aware of her mental health issues as a teenager
- [8:26] How Jaspre and Brit connected through acts of service, how helping others and sharing a personal mental health journey can be self-serving and talking about the solution more than the problem
- [19:24] Discussion of the lack of adequate help and the cost of therapy
- [21:07] Jaspre reflects on her childhood and discussion on metaphysics
- [30:10] Is the feeling intuition, or is it fear, and what about the guest’s charts
- [38:04 Jaspre and Brittany are making a documentary from The September Letters and Brit shares information about the film she has written and is directing
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Being able to recognize that you have a mental disorder is the first step. The second step is to talk to someone, whether a friend, family member or therapist.
- Some individuals exploit their mental health struggles on social media, portraying them in a manner that undermines the authenticity of the issue they claim to address, ultimately doing a disservice to those genuinely affected by mental health challenges.
- Being part of a community where others share your struggles can be therapeutic. When you serve others, you can set aside your own worries and uplift your fellow human beings.
RESOURCES:
The September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in Sharing Our Stories
Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest
About September Letters
Co-founded by Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest, September Letters launched in September 2020. Creating an online platform that not only raises mental health awareness but provides support for those in need through the power of letter writing was paramount to them.
September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in Sharing Our Stories, released in May 2023 by HarperCollins, is an extension of Snow and Guest’s September Letters online mental health platform that collects letters in all forms—written, scribbled, typed, and doodled—from community members, friends, and celebrities like Maddie Ziegler, Hannah Bronfman, Kid Cudi, Joel McHale, Rebel Wilson and more. It also contains advice from mental health experts like David Kessler, Gretchen Rubin, Mark Epstein, Bob Roth and Jay Shetty.
Activist and actress Brittany Snow has been championing conversations around mental health for more than fifteen years. She is a passionate and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and wellbeing. She is the co-founder of the nonprofit movement Love is Louder with the Jed Foundation and MTV. In 2020, she started the letter-writing and therapeutic experience September Letters with her friend Jaspre Guest. She has written, directed and produced a movie about mental health and addiction that will be released in 2023. She is a metaphysics and science fiction fan and loves escape rooms, puzzles, and mysteries. She lives on hummus and guacamole, but not together. She hates air hockey and anything colonial. She hopes one day to have ten more rescue dogs because Billie and Charlie are her favorite things.
Creative entrepreneur and activist Jaspre Guest created her career by shunning traditional norms. Known as “the fixer”, she is the founder of boutique branding and PR agency Noise 784. Jaspre has led initiatives for a range of nonprofits, including It Gets Better, Global Citizen, the International Rescue Committee, Love Is Louder, and the ASPCA. In 2020, she cofounded a letter-writing initiative, September Letters, with her friend Brittany Snow. Jaspre’s next project, Finding Your Magic, will fulfill her desire to help people by creating a hub for healing. She has been featured in PEOPLE, E!, Forbes and Coveteur. Jaspre is obsessed with her fruit salad, aka her Pomeranians: Papaya, Fig, Rhubarb and Quince.
About this podcast:
The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet is a groundbreaking series of weekly interviews featuring candid conversations with impactful thought leaders. Host Amanda de Cadenet provides a platform for raw and honest discussions on a wide variety of topics, from porn to politics. Visit amandadecadenet.com to learn more and sign up for her newsletter. Follow Amanda on Instagram @amandadecadenet. Follow Amanda on Substack at amandadecadenet.substack.com.