We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaylee Garber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaylee, what do you attribute your success to?
I would have to say authenticity. With sharing my personal struggles on my social platforms, I have found such an amazing group of humans that have in turned shared their struggles with me. Being completely open and honest with others is such a beautiful thing; especially when the things you’re sharing are hard to talk about!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been working in the mental health field for the last seven years, mostly in Marketing. I started as a part-time Receptionist, worked my way up through Lead Receptionist, Intake and Billing, TMS Coordinator, Office Manager, then finally Marketing!

I now work as Head of Business Development for a Tele-Psychiatry company, running Sales and Social Media. I have no college degree, I just had a strong desire to prove myself and got really good at what I did.

I’ve struggled with mental health issues most of my life. I had a suicide attempt at 17 and managed my symptoms best I could on my own. I found the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and became the Secretary for my local chapter. I got to travel to Washington DC to advocate to get bills passed relating to mental health, as well as helped to put on a few years of events in honor of suicide prevention. This was all voluntary work.
I was in a bad rollover car accident in 2013. I was the only one wearing a seatbelt and the only one injured; lacerated liver, bruised lungs, concussion and broke my right clavicle. I spent 3 days in the ICU to keep an eye on any internal bleeding then months of recovery. I’m lucky to be on this earth still and I’ve worked so hard to truly appreciate every day I’ve had here since.
I’ve dealt with abusive relationships, homelessness, sexual assault, a long Psychiatric Hospital stay and some childhood trauma but those don’t define me. I took control of my life, reached out for professional help and have been working on myself every day for the last few years and I am proud of who I am and who I’m becoming.
You aren’t alone, keep up the amazing fight!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, good ‘ol Bakersfield! We we have so many good food spots: Eureka (Burgers etc), Uricchio’s (Italian), Wool Growers (Basque), La Costa Mariscos (Mexican) and so much more!

I’d say we start with dinner and drinks then head downtown to check out the many bars, starting at Tiki-Ko with the decorated walls and handcrafted cocktails then over to the Alleycat for a true dive-bar experience!

We have a few hiking spots in Kernville, about 45 minutes away, one that leads to a beautiful waterfall!

If you’re here for the whole week we can drive two hours to the beach and spend the rest of our time there.

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?
Oh I love this! First and foremost, my Husband Jay, he’s been the biggest support and I am beyond grateful for him. My friends and family, and so many lovely humans I’ve met along the way. Also, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and maybe my therapist? 😉

Instagram: @kaylee.garber

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-garber-4791b8217

Other: TikTok – @kaylee.garber Amazon Storefront- https://www.amazon.com/shop/kayleegarber

Image Credits
Kevin Weinert – @kevwphoto Taylor Freckleton – @tillahslens Kent Gengler – @kentgenglerphoto Melissa Brannon – @melissabrannonphotography Kayla Polhamus – @kaylairenephotography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal 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.