Mend Forever

2013-2024

It was both an easy and difficult decision to close Mend at the end of this year. I stopped raising venture capital in 2019 and I’m proud of the fact that Mend survived on its own revenue, without outside funding, for the last 5 years. We’ve reinvented ourselves countless times to sustain growth, which has required a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Looking ahead to 2025, we had to ask ourselves whether we wanted to continue to push the rock up the mountain. In the end, we decided it’s time to climb new mountains.

I wrote the very first Mend newsletter in October 2013 sitting cross-legged at my kitchen table after a long evening run by the beach in Venice. The composite underbelly of that gold-flecked formica kitchen table was already disintegrating when I bought it, which meant it was constantly shedding on my lap, but I loved it unconditionally in the way people love their dogs who cover everything in hair. I wrote many important stories there, including the one that inadvertently announced Mend to the world. It’s where I sat when I pressed send on the first Mend newsletter. It’s where I sat when I learned Rails and built our first website. I hosted our first interns there (hey Jess, Chrissy and Gabby!) I even had my first photo taken for an interview there during a very unfortunate backwards baseball cap phase.

My running route in the winter of 2013 usually ended at Washington Blvd Pier, where I would perch on the man-made sand dune that ran parallel to the ocean and try to make sense of where my life was going at that time. While my heart rate recovered from the run, the emotional state of my heart remained shattered from a recent heartbreak. I was so annoyed at myself for being sad, given that the relationship wasn’t serious and hadn’t lasted long. I was still at the stage post-breakup where I was blasting sad songs on repeat (Adele’s Someone Like You and Miley’s Wrecking Ball were the big hits at that time). As a fairly recent transplant to Venice from foggy SF, I remember thinking to myself, “Well, at least it’s sunny every day.”

When I try to remember what happened to my beloved kitchen table, I oddly can’t. Did I sell it when I moved out of my first Venice apartment? Did I leave it on the street? All I know is that it’s long gone and many things have changed since I last sat there. I left LA in 2018. I passed the Mend CEO torch to Kat Torres in 2022. I no longer run along the beach at sunset (or anywhere - knees!). The most important thread that has remained is that I’m still writing.

Mend originated as a writing project. I remember being a bit sweaty and nervous about sending out the first newsletter because it contained a story about my own breakup. One of the first people who had signed up for my vague “coming soon” newsletter was a former co-worker from Google. What would they think? What would my friends think? To my amazement, sharing my story opened up my life in unexpected ways. Storytelling through Mend shaped the rest of my twenties and a large part of my thirties.

Although Mend evolved over the years, the writing behind it is the reason that we saw success and grew to 3 million users in 210 countries and territories. It’s the reason we won awards, secured funding and attracted a great team. It was the stories we told in our newsletter, in our blog posts and in our audio trainings, that made an impact. These stories helped people mend hearts and lives (including mine), and that feeling of deep connection will stay with me forever. I hope it stays with you too.

Mend has had an absolutely amazing run. 11 years. It was both a lifetime and an instant. Thank you for being a part of our story. Thank you to everyone who helped build Mend - our employees, interns, contributors, investors, therapists, coaches and community members. I want to thank Kat, especially, for being a dedicated steward of Mend these last 2 years as CEO. Anyone who has been a CEO knows that it’s not for the faint of heart.

Much like I felt when I wrote the first newsletter, I’m admittedly a bit sweaty and nervous to send this last one. It’s the end of a chapter, but also the beginning of another exciting one. I’m publishing again after a 4-year hiatus, so you’re welcome to join me there if you’d like. Kat, who you’ll hear from below, will also continue to write after a well-deserved break.

I’m sending you love and my very best wishes for 2025. Happy New Year.

2013-2024

Mend Forever

Ellen Huerta

It was around this time in 2017 when I stumbled on Mend for the first time while searching for direction after going through a breakup. It quickly became the best part of my self-care routine. Little did I know, this new daily ritual would unlock a whole new chapter of my life. One of the most fulfilling chapters to date.

Over the past 10+ years, we’ve poured our all into Mend. We expanded our offerings, from content to platforms, in an effort to reach more people in need of support as they navigate life’s ebbs and flows. I’ve had the privilege to join that mission alongside Team Mend since 2018. It’s been one of the greatest sources of joy in my life.

So much of my purpose feels entwined with Mend, and that leaves a hole in my heart. It’s a heartbreak of its own. Elle and I have talked at length about this. In one of our most recent chats she said something that finally brought me some peace. She reminded me that the work we’ve done at Mend and the impact it’s had will stay with Menders forever, whether Mend exists or not. And that is what matters most. That’s all that matters to me.

It’s especially hard to part with you after connecting with so many of you through my weekly newsletter. Your emails and messages kept me inspired in the moments I needed it most. Although I don’t know what’s next for me, I do know that I’d love to continue connecting with this community. If you’d like to stay in touch you can follow my personal Substack.

For students enrolled in a Mend Class, we will continue to offer you access to the class through 2025. We don’t want you to feel rushed to work through the trainings. Our archive of stories will stay online so that those who need it can still access it.

Wherever you are in life, whether you’ve just found Mend (we were in The New Yorker a few weeks ago, hi!) or you used Mend years ago and you’re in a completely different place now, I hope that what you found here made you feel more understood. I hope that we gave you light during a dark time, and that you were able to transform your pain into something beautiful. If nothing else, I hope you felt less alone.

Sending so much light and love your way,

Kat Torres