Ban.do Founder Jen Gotch Opened Up About Her Mental Health and Inspired a Valuable Change at Her Brand 'We've got more to offer than just cute cups,' she says about being focused on products that promote personal betterment.

Jen Gotch was diagnosed with depression when she was 23, and she's always been open about it. "I never felt a stigma and didn't keep it private," says Gotch, now 47. "There was just no social media, so I didn't have a platform." Two years ago, that changed: Following a divorce, Gotch started talking about her feelings and struggles -- sometimes to the point of tears -- on Instagram. She didn't think she was doing anything special; it was just a cathartic activity. But it proved powerful for her audience, too -- and her follower count grew to more than 200,000.

Related: The Best Place to Support Mental Health? The Workplace.

Gotch was happy to play the role of accidental advocate, knowing that so many people (and especially other entrepreneurs) suffered the way she did. And earlier this year, she decided to spread the message even further -- by folding it into her company's product offering, releasing a line of necklaces that read "Depression," "Anxiety" and "Bipolar."