OUR STORY
IS YOUR INFLUENCE
Hi, my name is Ben, since 14 years old I have had issues with drinking and drug use. In 2023 after 2 prior mental rock bottoms, it was through being able to openly talk about my struggles that I began to gain the confidence to start turning my life around and to escape the darkness.
Like you and many others, we all have all experienced triggers, traumas and struggles. The hard truth is, that these do get easier to tackle and deal with them when we truly acknowledge them, that we can confidently face them, talk about them and then properly heal them.
I noticed that individuals are carrying a heavier burden of unhappiness on their shoulders and there seems to be a subtle sense of discontent among many members of various communities. While not everyone feels this way, a significant number do, and it raised serious concerns for me.
I couldn't help but ask the question, what role could I play in raising awareness of the different mental health triggers we face? How can I help build a brighter more positive outlook on life, and encourage people to heal? How can we help world-impacting issues? How do we fix a world when we are the ones that are broken?
Mine and the Whiyou purpose is to inspire others, to help communities and to take on these world issues by creating a brand/safe space and collective community of compassionate "World-protectors" that have a passion to do something, and reduce the impact felt on all of our mental health.
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So, let's delve into the Whiyou WHY with a spirit of optimism and explore how we can all contribute to a more positive world.
We're driven by a powerful desire to create a positive impact in the lives we touch, striving to reduce negativity wherever we can.
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The aim is to help break down the taboo around very difficult social subjects, to become a beacon
for open discussions around them, and to give people confidence
to talk about issues that we need to or want to talk about.
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​Our mission is to form groups of like minded passionate problem solvers to help bring differences together.
We have ambitious ideas on how to achieve this.
Our 'people-first' approach guides our decisions and defines our purpose.
We are crafting fashion as a tool to help us achieve this. To help people talk about issues that they need to, or want to talk about, and to promote their passions with a community of positivity and change under the Whiyou banner.
Change begins by first thinking it and then talking about it. With Whiyou you wear your cause and become a beacon.
At the very least, we aim to provide you with quality, statement-making goods and services for those cherished moments of self-indulgence.
We firmly believe the time for change is now. Companies should do more to support others, especially when it's needed most.
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Whiyou isn't just about profits; we're about people and support.
We challenge the notion of why some companies feel the need to amass billions without giving back to the very people they can connect with and uplift. That is one of the reasons we donate 10% of proceeds to frontline organisationsns
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When you wear our statement making designs, people stop, they look, they read, we begin talking and that ripple effect can take us into wonderfully exciting places. ​​
Our ultimate goal is beautifully simple yet incredibly impactful: to bring more happiness to our customers (YES, that's you), create a more joyful workplace (again, you), and foster happier
communities (still you).
Together, these three groups represent the world's 8 billion unique personalities, and we're committed to making the world a happier place for all of us.
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We pledge to keep pursuing this mission for as long as Whiyou has breath in its lungs!
Meet your Team
Yes, that's right. Right now, Whiyou is a one-man band, built nearly entirely by myself, but with the support of SO MANY! I am forever grateful to everyone involved so far. Whiyou was born from trauma and a desire to make the world a better place than I have experienced it. If you are struggling, please reach out to me, or someone and I will always try to be on hand for support.
If you have any queries about products, services, Whiyou directions, and even advice on trying to find a more productive way to improve your social or Give Back life,
reach out.
Ben J Hunter
Founder
Grao
Influencer
Andrea S Gamson
Support & Guidance
HELLO
MY NAME IS BEN,
As the Founder of Whiyou, firstly, I wish to say thank you for being a part of our journey and being an integral part of this community of family and friends.
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Here is a little more information on what we are doing
and my WHY.
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Growing up, my struggles were, and will continue to be with substance abuse, and sexuality conflict in what was a hard social environment, which has led to mental health problems in later life.
Drink and cocaine abuse nearly destroyed my body and my mind.
Back in 2015, I nearly died at a festival and that type of lifestyle at many times has made me think about taking my own life.
My Grandfather died in a tragic accident, because he couldn’t openly talk about WHO he was as a person, he faced many challenges in his life and had to suppress many internal conflicts.
Though times are still hard, we are very lucky to be here during a time when diversity is finally being accepted, embraced, and spoken about.
But as we can see, we still have a very long way to go.
Mental health problems sit atop a bundle of triggering causes, and in some way or another, every cause we are tackling has affected every one of us.
What I find frightening, is we all know someone who has been exposed to domestic abuse, sexual harm, and addictions and are plagued with worry about the state of the world.
I decided I could not sit back and watch any longer as I myself found the positive change I needed when I could talk, share, and tackle the tough times head-on with other people.
So, I began to build a platform which could offer the same for as many others as possible, and in many different ways. I believe fashion can be used to initiate change, and perform as a catalyst to our minds changing.
I want this to be a platform to encourage inner strength, one that is not afraid to look evil in the eye, and one that can collect an audience of brave problem solvers and brave changers.
Whiyou gives me the confidence to wear my struggles in public, to talk openly about them, to take on these challenges, and when I wear my message, others talk about it with me too.
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And this is where I founded PHASE ONE of our journey - Crafting fashion as a tool to help, support, encourage, inspire and embrace change - FASHION & PURPOSE.
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trigger warning!
This video contains the results and overuse of substance abuse. This was me. In 2015, when I nearly lost everything. I am holding onto my heart which was beating out of control and I had no idea what was happening. ​
my journey now