“I truly think taking care of your mental health can be the most courageous thing a person can do. It’s the biggest act of self-love.” Gabriela Ulloa, a second generation Cuban-American, is actively seeking out opportunities to normalize conversations surrounding mental health. Gaby has used her education, past work experiences and personal mental health struggles to create her supportive IGTV show, Should We Talk About It? “My goal has always been to normalize seeking health and talking about our emotions.”
In 2018, Gabriela graduated from George Washington University with her BA in political science. After graduation, she moved to New York, and with the love and support from family and friends, Gaby feverishly applied to jobs in the hopes of writing for a magazine. “I made applying for jobs my full-time job.” As she eagerly waited to hear back from the positions she applied for, she began freelancing for the New York Times and the fashion brand Hunting Season. Gaby made it a goal to get as much work and experience under her belt as possible to help increase the density of her resume. Her hard work paid off, and she was soon granted the incredible opportunity to work for Architectural Digest. After two years with AD, the pandemic hit and Gaby moved back to Miami to live in the safety of her mother’s household. What she thought would be two weeks, turned into nine months. Once she felt it was safe enough, Gaby packed up her belongings and moved to Los Angeles.
Gabriela’s work-ethic is non-stop, as she continuously seeks opportunities on how to better herself and others through her writing abilities. Gaby is currently freelancing, but also focuses on expanding her IGTV show and recently launched YouTube channel. ‘Should We Talk About It?’ is impacting more people than Gaby can even imagine through its vulnerable mental health discussions. Her show features impactful guests like Maddi Bragg, Chrissy Rutherford, Olivia Perez and more.
Join SHEESH! in our detailed interview with Gabriela Ulloa, where she discusses the details of ‘Should We Talk About It? ‘ and her brand new YouTube channel.
What inclined you to start talking about mental health?
GABY ULLOA: “Mental health has always played a large role in my life. I was personally feeling frustrated with the lack of dialogue. Even the narrative around whatever dialogue was happening seemed driven by either romanticizing mental illness or capitalizing off of it. I wanted to open up the narrative to allow everyone to participate in the conversation. Even if you haven’t been professionally diagnosed, there’s a space for you. It doesn’t mean that your mental health doesn’t matter. While we might not all have a mental illness, we all have our mental health.”
How did ‘Should We Talk About It?’ come into existence?
GABY ULLOA: “I started having these conversations surrounding mental health on my personal social media platform, where I tried normalizing and destigmatizing conversations surrounding mental health. When I started this conversation on my Instagram people were immediately intrigued to hear more. In July of 2020, I shifted these conversations onto its own personal account @shouldwetalkaboutit. That’s when I took the platform more seriously and brought in more guests on the show that the audience could really learn from. I think talking to experts about mental health can be really great especially in terms of coping mechanisms and clinical support, but talking to someone about their personal experiences with mental health really teaches the audience how common mental health struggles are. It humanizes us.”
What’s been your favourite interview so far?
GABY ULLOA: “I really have loved every single guest on the show. I am so grateful for every single one of my guests because they have been so honest and vulnerable, and that is not an easy thing to do.”
What’s the outcome you wish to see from the show?
GABY ULLOA: “I come from a completely pure perspective. I am not a trained professional to talk about this. It’s not about telling people how to take care of their mental health. Mental health is not a one size fits all. What works for me and my guests on my show might not work for you. All we are trying to do is just encourage people to get curious about their mental health and try to figure out with the support of therapists and experts what works for them and makes sense for them.”
You recently started your YouTube channel! How did that come about?
GABY ULLOA: “I’ve always wanted to start a YouTube channel. I watched a lot of YouTube growing up but never had the courage to start my own. I finally developed the courage to start one. This year, I have really learned to remove people’s opinions out of my mind and focus on my wants. My IGTV show has allowed me to meet a lot of influencers who are making YouTube content. A lot of them encouraged me to start my channel. I really love having a specific spot on my IGTV show to talk about mental health, but I also really wanted a space where I could have broader life conversations. For example, my birth control chat was a conversation I was dying to have. I want my channel to be a space for open, free-flowing conversations.”
What made you move to Los Angeles?
GABY ULLOA: “I always wanted to move to Los Angeles. Growing up, my brother lived here and I’d frequently come visit him. I noticed how drawn I was to the energy and people here. I wanted to move here after graduating from college, but for the career I wanted to pursue, I knew I’d find more chances in New York. I loved New York and got so much out of it, but when the pandemic hit, I moved to my moms house in Miami. I ended up staying there for nine months, and made the decision to move to Los Angeles. I’ve learned throughout this pandemic to trust the process and the flow of things. I am really excited to make a home in Los Angeles. I love the passion inside the city and feel like I can chase my dreams here.”
Any advice or mantra you live by you’d want to share?
GABY ULLOA: “During an interview Pia Baroncini told me, “don’t sit on your dreams.” It really stuck with me. It’s what I like to tell myself in times of doubt. I really want to encourage people to never let someone dream shame you. Do you always.”
Want to tune into your mental health more? Check out Gabriela’s IGTV show ‘Should We Talk About It?’ or read Sheesh Magazine’s feature article with HotCheetoMami.
