Businessweek Extra-Michelle Terry

and men's suicide. Whiles Michelle Terry told us their mission though, really is to make an impact more broadly on men's health. We caught up with Michelle. She was in Melbourne, Australia.

We're here in Australia. Are lucky because we we're an island and we've got some pretty pipe boarded so we've managed to drive the CODA virus and quite low level to a We've just emerged from the Popes Strip lockdown here in the state of Victoria, so we're kind of emerging thinking into the world now, um and a very pleased to be out there and edged to socialize, you know, a very tig cautious way now. Yeah, very different from what we're seeing in certainly some of the other parts

of the world and certainly in the Europe. In Europe, excuse me, in the US. So talk to us a little bit about your mission. I mean, I know people are we often talk about it at Bloomberg. We've often gone to traders who are on the floor and they're growing their mustache in honor of November. But talk to us a little bit about how you guys have really broadened out because when we think about health, we often think about physical health, but it means so much more

than that. It also is about our mental well being and that's something that has really come to the forefront amid the pandemic. Yeah, it's absolutely Carol. Um. We're the leading global men's health charity and as you started at the top of the segment, we look at prostate cancer and testicular cancer, but also UM we're working very strongly in men's mental health UM and through the side prevention, and that's become even more prevalent and ever more important

in the times that we're going through. UM At the moment, UM and men um really suffer from mental health and there they sitting for sorry, it's incords of the numbers of suicides and men. So this is a real significant problem we face of societies, and so we're about trying to make sure that that men are socially connected. Um, we work in the early prevention and intervention space. Insarticulous.

We try and make sure that men and people surrounding men work on their mental health by reaching out and trying to spot the signs when men are doing it tough well, and you know, it's interesting. I was thinking about this and getting ready for our conversation. Especially with mental health, I think many would still argue that we are overall so behind us a society when it comes to dealing with mental health for men and women, but

for men especially. Is it fair to say I'm curious in the research and the work that you guys are doing that I think men can often have a hard time to admit that they can't handle stress and they can't manage it, or that you know, they're they're depressed or stressed out. I don't know if that's fair to make, but I'm just curious the findings that you guys have

come across. Yeah, that's absolutely right. There's a lot of men who are out there who labor under the stereotype that it's not manly to talk about their problems, UM, whether it's spits, cool or in the mental health. So we're trying to challenge that stereotype. It is to provide tools, UM and tips for people who are trying to help men in their lives. So, for example, we have recently released a conversational tool called Movember Conversations, which you can

find on on Movember dot com. And what that is is it's really trying to help the help giver UM and it provides a number of scenarios UM that indicates difficult situations that men might be going through, for example, job in security or financial stress. And it provides almost like accuse your own adventure, theories of questions that that guide people as to how to open those conversations and really um take get to the nub of how to

help men take actions at that time. So we know that opening up those conversations can be really really critical UM to unlocking conversations and saving lives. You know, you guys have I mean, it's really pretty impressive all of the work you've done. You've reached over a billion from men's health issues, and I do think about, um, you know, men's cancer specifically. You know what kind of progress we

have made in dealing with that. Yeah, we have funded a global community of research which is not only by medical research, which is obviously looking into tests and treatments a little for clinical quality registers which are trying to link up the scientific and coming practition of community around the world, UM, to see what's best practice essentially, And you're right, you know, we're in a great situation now of ever improving survival rates from prostate and testicular cancer,

which is wonderful. We also do a lot of work on survivorship and quality of life, so um digital health tools that help men engage who have stuftened prostate and testicu a cancer as to how they can improve this hysible and mental health as they passed through the cancer journey. You know, it's interesting too because I'm listening to what you're saying and I think about the one of the other things that has come out because of COVID nineteen.

We've talked about it a lot on air, is just this whole idea that you know, it's a reminder that everybody has the same access to health care UM, whether it's a pandemic or just you know, normally, whether it's screening for various cancers. And I'm I'm assuming that that's a big part of also the work that you're doing

that kind of getting to those inequities that are out there. Yeah. No, absolutely, And you know, we we support trying to address and equities and trying to put something to UM to life access to different health programs, whether that's physical health and mental health, and the particually done UM working in the mental health space to try and improve access and to work deeply with communities who have been UM impacted not only by COVID but by many events of and for example,

recently held that a balk Mental Health Week. I was just thinking back to kind of our conversation and what you said to me about three quarters of suicides are men. Men are more likely to die by suicide than women. Uh, and it is the biggest killer of men under the age of forty four. I mean, those are striking, striking statistics, and I know you guys are doing a lot of work to kind of get that out there and show that there are are things that that you know, programs

and initiatives to help people. I know you're also working from what I understand with Ken Burns on a project. Tell us a little bit about what you're doing. Yes, UM, so there is um ab efinition going around will Beings and essentially it's creating a documentary theories about men's mental

health across the US. So we're a collaborator along with another number of problem collaborators on that theories and the intention clearly to UM shine a light on the issue and connected general population level, to UM show how mental health he has been played out boys and men right across the United States. Yeah, it really plays into you know, this whole idea of it just has to be a higher level or or talked about more. And I feel

like that's the same thing. Are similar in terms of what we saw in Minneapolis with George Floyd and so many other black Americans. You know, we've got to have these conversations to hopefully get to a better situation. Same thing with with mental wellness mental illness when it comes to men. Yes, absolutely, We'll just be a similar program in New Zealand which was published called Man and Up and it was on the Prime Feeding station in New Zealand over the last two weeks and the response that

we've had from that has been absolutely striking. We had that documentary theory and know its presenter on the front page again is of the broadsheets in New Zealand and it's really raised the quality of conversation there and that that's what we need to m destigmatize mental health and the fact that so many men struggle through mental health issues at some point of their lives. Um and you know, take it out months next the covers and help men

get the help that they need. What about you know, I think about the role of of corporate America or global corporations in understanding that too. I mean, I think, you know, we have great companies to provide healthcare, but I think and I think there's been a lot of steps in progress in terms of also providing mental health care. But I do wonder about just like we need our leaders to talk about diversity and inclusion, they need to be talking about this as well, especially maybe you know,

among the corporate communities. Yeah, look, I think that's a great point, Carolyn, and pleasingly, um, I certainly have seen a number of the c Sweek leaders that I'm connecting into at the moment, this has really raised up their agenda, and I think that's happened, um one, because I think you think people are studying much more broadly about how to engage with their communities in and indeed engage with

their employees. But obviously with COVID as well. UM, the idea of social isolation and the mental health successes that have really come on to the radar of you know, the corporate world, and you know, we work a lot with corporates. Obviously there's some about our best fund raises is people gathered together and try and do something to to raise the spirits and their employees but also do good. But we also work with embedding seals and tools within

corporate audiences around the globe as well. So I'm really pleased to see this coming up to the topic of corporate agenda. Could I agree, Um, it's a work. Mental health is a really really important UM subject and also really important and powerful channels. Yeah, no, totally totally agree. Hey, listen, I'd be remiss not to ask you, um and before we go, because you have a couple more minutes left, here is your November's first female CEO. And I wonder

what that was like coming into it. Yeah. Look, and I could ask about this a lot and people say, oh, you know, um, is that advantage or a differ vantage? And I think it's a real advantage because, um, when we think about the mental health, some of the biggest tribbers for men to take action on their healths other women in their lives. As we talked, we talked about you know, men sometimes you know, tend to bury their head on the cubs because I don't think it's manly

to to approach me the physical or mental health. Um. And women are great at inviting conversations and inviting men to to look at that and also support them in that journey. So you know, I've handed a real pleasure and obviously I find it a privilege, thrills and humbled to be leading such an important mission and global movement to have men live longer, happier and healthier life. Yeah. And listen, we talk about rate diversity of thought in

terms of any organization. UM, so it's a good thing. Hey, listen, just a minute left here. And I do wonder as a leadership leader of an organization, you know, what have you had to do especially amid you know, I don't know if you've got workers who are working from home. What's been some of the struggles here And just got about a minute left. Yeah, we were very lucky because we were we were well technology and enabled, and we're a global organizations so we're used to working virtually. So

that's good up fairly seamlessly. I think what we've been cognizant is about our own employees mental health and making sure that we're checking on each other and drive social connections. And then I think on the flip side, um, you know, we've been able to lean in it and pivots and get some of our mental health tools to market, which has made us really really proud, like November Conversations and another one called family Man that you can find on

November home. And then lastly we're walking right in on November, the one to the hairy season. Um, so this is where we go in and we were fundraise and so we've been creating all of our products and making sure that they can be done virtually, whether that's growing a mode that's posting a moment virtually, um, whether that's also

moving from Novembers. So we encourage people to get out there and run, walk, cycle or else do an epic challenge which we're calling um know your Own Way when we're people doing crazy things like skydiving in a Mancini. To raise funds and to find out more and registers you can you can go to Movember dot com and that was November CYO. Michelle Terry joining us from Melbourne, Australia.

You've been listening to Bloomberg Business Week Extra for sure to check out Bloomberg Business Week Radio, airing live Monday through Friday at two pm Wall Street Time on Bloomberg Radio. I'm Carol Masser and this is Bloomberg