IN Peters Township December 2019/January 2020 | Page 69

O
n the outside, Julia Broglie seemed to have
it all—surrounded by friends, supported by
an amazing family—but on the inside she
was anxiety-ridden and was experiencing
depression. “For a long time, I kept my
feelings to myself (other than my parents)
because I felt ashamed by my struggles with my mental health,”
she says. “Now that I speak more openly about my experiences,
it turns out that many of my friends were experiencing the same
challenges, but we all stayed silent.”
Broglie dove deep into the mental health space after her
24-year-old brother, Justin, died by suicide five years ago. “This
changed my life forever,” she explains. “Helping others find
mental health tools and resources became my passion.”
This led Broglie to the creation of BroglieBox. BroglieBox is
mental wellness delivered to your doorstep on a subscription
basis. Each season, a box filled with a new set of carefully vetted
tools and resources arrives packaged in a way that feels warm,
lighthearted and even fun.
And, she adds, “Because there is not a one-size-fits-all solution
for mental health maintenance, the products inside the box
change each season to give people a way to try out different sets
of tools they might not have found themselves.”
The items in the box are in the well-researched categories of
mindfulness, sleep, nutrition, fitness, gratitude, aromatherapy,
and massage. Some examples of what might be included are a
weighted eye mask, aromatherapy diffuser, sleep sound machine,
gratitude journal, hydration reminder or a massage roller ball.
Broglie, 28, is currently living in Burbank, California, with her
boyfriend and BroglieBox co-founder Dustin Belt and their new
maltipoo puppy, Chester. Broglie spent most of her childhood
in Peters Township and graduated from PTHS in 2009. While
there, academics were always her main priority, but she also was
heavily involved with several clubs including National Honor
Society. She played volleyball all four years and was captain of the
varsity volleyball team her senior year.
Broglie continued on to the University of Delaware, where she
majored in Chemical Engineering and minored in Economics,
Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering. She worked as a
technical sales executive in the cosmetics and skin care industry
until she quit to pursue BroglieBox full time.
“Based on our research, we are targeting a number of
populations: students (both high school and college), young
adults who have recently graduated or are new to the workforce,
survivors of suicide attempts, and people experiencing anxiety,
depression, OCD, stress and burnout. All of the items in the box
are gender neutral,” says Broglie.
BroglieBox also has its own print magazine, Piece of Mind,
which is placed inside each box. The magazine offers articles
and visual tools from psychologists, psychiatrists, dietitians and
more, including helpful guides, easy “mood food” recipes, simple
fitness exercises, meditations, breathing techniques, self-help tips,
mental health apps, as well as critical crisis hotlines.
“BroglieBox is not a replacement for professional treatment,”
Broglie notes. “For many, this is the first step on their pathway
to professional treatment. For others, it’s a helpful reminder to
simply check in with themselves on a daily basis.
“We believe it’s important to consider our mental health on
a daily basis, and build upon healthy habits so we are prepared
when faced with stress or crisis,” she continues. “The recipients
of BroglieBox have used these tools to tame their inner critic,
deepen a daily ritual, get better sleep, learn to eat right, and
experience the benefits of being grateful. Most importantly, to
remind themselves they’re not alone in this.”
BroglieBox has garnered attention in the U.S. and around
the globe, with many thought leaders endorsing the same
methodologies that Broglie believes are important for mental
health. Arianna Huffington from Thrive Global has taken an
interest, Maria Shriver featured BroglieBox in her Sunday
Paper email newsletter, Goop featured it as a recommended
mental wellness tool, and Kate Spade Corporation purchased
BroglieBoxes for employees—just to name a few. Broglie
was also recently interviewed by Forbes Magazine and just
exhibited at the Under 30 Summit, where BroglieBox was one of
five companies chosen by Forbes and Courtyard Marriott to be
interviewed and talk for 10 minutes about the company on the
Forbes stage.
To purchase a subscription, visit brogliebox.com. “BroglieBox
is the perfect gift for yourself or the perfect care package to send
to a loved one,” says Broglie. “About half of our subscribers are
sending boxes as gifts, and half are buying for themselves.” n
PETERS TOWNSHIP
❘
DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
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