Pittsburgh Business Spotlight: MetaNu

Quarantine, working from home, virtual schooling, you name it, have added to the normal stressors we face in our daily lives. And, as a result, the topic of mental health has become even more prevalent as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

For the MetaNu. team, mental health has always been their focus and the company continues to provide resources to promote healthy, overall well-being for athletes, students, individuals, corporate connoisseurs, teammates, and everyone in between. 

To better understand MetaNu. and its mission, Maria did a Q&A with Vincent Duffy, the company’s Founder and Head Advisor.

Enjoy!

Brick Media Q&A with Vincent Duffy, Founder and Head Advisor, MetaNu.

Q. How did MetaNu. come to be?

MetaNu. came about out of necessity.

Formerly known as EDGE90, LLC., it was rebranded and evolved into an overall wellness company.

The three keys that helped form/build EDGE90 and turn it into MetaNu. included:

• Be who you needed when you were younger.
• The 4 P’s: Pain turns into passion. Passion turns into purpose. Purpose turns into profession.
• Shifting the narrative and stigma around mental health while bringing a positive, proactive approach to mental wellness and wellbeing. 

MetaNu. is the brainchild of a Mental Skills Advisor, Wellness Connoisseurs, Culture Curators, and former MLB athletes. Together they’ve created a Mental Wellness company that’s powered by Love / Created by Choices / Driven by Care.

The team includes:

• Vincent Duffy
• Jaclyn McKenry
• Michael McKenry
• Alex Presley

Learn more about the MetaNu. team.

Q. How would you describe MetaNu. to someone who has never heard of it before?

How can we impact you?

Our mission is to bring a proactive, measurable approach to mental wellness. We’re built for now and structured for the NU. 

We gather the past and present to create the future by way of a journey of wellbeing and self-reflection. 

Q. What’s your favorite aspect of MetaNu.?

The passion and positive impact of our team. 

We care and want to establish a sense of servant leadership to others.

From a business standpoint: Our goal is to give. Our identity is to “Help Me. Help You. Help us!”

It’s all about helping, caring, and serving others. 

Now, from a product standpoint, MetaNu. is all about…

• Disrupting the market
• Switching the mindset
• Challenging your thinking to see the positives in life
• Making it a priority to take care of your mental wellness
• Being proactive
• Building self-belief
• Conquering stress
• Impacting production
• Making it efficient & effective to the times of our life
• Making it affordable and accessible to everyone

It only takes about two-five minutes a week (You get out what you put in). 

You can do it from the comfort of your couch or sitting on the beach. 

Most importantly, our M.E. Analytics program is all about YOU! 

It’s an individualized program that creates a specific game-plan for you and your mental wellbeing through self-reflection and self-accountability.

Personally, my favorite is the Culture Calculator Program.

Our exclusive program focuses primarily on each individual’s wellbeing and performance. 

Simultaneously, we will be “dishing out assists” to the top executives by identifying trends from the group’s data that will increase productivity and boost morale. 

Our data-driven program allows your group to pinpoint the negatives as well as highlight the positives to continuously improve your culture. 

Q. What has being a business owner during the COVID-19 pandemic taught you about your business and yourself? 

Honestly, as a business owner and entrepreneur, nothing has really changed. 

What I mean by that is, you have to roll with the punches. 

The entrepreneurial lifestyle is a rollercoaster.

There’s always adversities and obstacles, but you have to find a way to adjust, adapt, and overcome no matter what. 

There’s always work, something new to learn, and solutions to be found.

This lifestyle prepares you for times like these… Though there’s a lot of self-doubt and questions of Am I going to be OK? How can I get better? What are my competitors doing? you have to push through it. 

There’s a lot of noise and negativity in your head but once you push past that energy and turn it into positive fuel, you’ll be successful. 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way rings true in these times and positive self-talk along with some of my favorite tips help keep my mind in the present:

• Control what you can control: Your heart. Your effort. Your thoughts. 
• Tough times don’t last. Tough People do. 

And, when there are those days I want to stop, I take a step back and focus on my foundation, my why. I also watch Jimmy V’s famous speech for inspiration. 

Q. What could a person do right now to actively improve their sense of wellbeing? 

Take accountability.

Whether it’s your diet, fitness, or spirituality, where your mind goes, your body will follow. 

Your thoughts control your life and what you do on a daily basis to strengthen a healthy mindset and emotions matter. 

We tend to recognize the physical aspect of our health and the mental well-being part of our wellness typically goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. 

But, why?

We have the ability to strengthen our mindset as we do any muscle in our body. 

We don’t always have to wait until something goes wrong or when faced with adversity/overwhelming emotions until we take action on our mental wellness.

By taking accountability you’re authentically communicating with yourself on how you can grow and improve your daily life.

Here are three quick and easy tips to start now:

• Control what you can control: Your heart. Your Effort. Your Thoughts. 
• Find a breathing technique that works for you (Ex: Box Breathing). 
• Write down your daily goals and one thing that you’re grateful for.

Q. If you could give an aspiring entrepreneur any piece of advice, what would it be?

Be who you needed when you were younger. 

Don’t be part of the problem business, be in the solution business, and ask yourself the million-dollar questions…

• What are you willing to sacrifice? 
• Are you willing to go all-in? 

From there, it’s all about action…

• Let your passions and gut-instinct guide you. 
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box; adapt & adjust. 
• Don’t be your biggest critic. Become your biggest fan. 
• Set realistic goals and expectations. 
• GIVE. GIVE. GIVE. 
• Don’t chase the money, follow the opportunity the money will follow.
• Find a mentor. Someone to communicate with and not just business but about life. 

Q. Now that most people are working from home, what can teams do to build and nurture a positive, virtual culture? 

COMMUNICATION IS KEY!

Nothing will beat human interaction.

I firmly believe we need to be in an office because social interaction, body language, and routines are so important to human life. 

But, instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, focus on what is going right. 

It’s a process and a transition of routine and habit. 

A couple of great ways to help improve performance effectively in this transition is… 

• Prep plan (as much as possible) and be sure to add breaks to your day as you would in the office. 
• Give yourself little goals to achieve that will win each hour. 
• Communicate. You’re not alone in this transition. Talk with other co-workers, friends, or family that you haven’t talked to in a long time. 
• Practice Gratitude. Write down one-three things each day in the middle of the day that you’re grateful for. 
• Try to have as much “non-work” interaction to make it as normal a day as possible. 

Q. When you’re not working, what are you usually doing? 

Working more.

I’m always reading, thinking of ideas, thinking outside the box, or finding different ways to make a positive impact by helping others.

The mind really never shuts-off when you’re an entrepreneur. But, to unwind and refill my cup… I love to cook, golf, and watch sports. 

Q. What’s your favorite social media channel to use? Why?

I’m forever indebted to Twitter (hahaha). It’s how I connected with my business partner and mentor Michael McKenry and a bunch of other connections that I would have never had or had a slim chance to network with. 

Twitter was a place to find positivity, express your thoughts, and maybe share something that could make a small impact on someone else.

When it comes to Instagram, I was late to the game. I never really got into it because “everyone” was doing it.

Honestly, I have been weaning off social media because it consumes too much time, it can be filled with negativity and it takes away from my productivity level. 

Plus, I think it’s important to say that social media can be a place of comparison which has a negative impact on ourselves and mental wellbeing. 

However, there are many positives to social media when used for networking, inspiration, and connection. 

My goal with social media is to add positivity and inspiration to all platforms in order to make an impact on one person a day. 

CHALLENGE: I strongly recommend everyone take a social media detox and reset. Only follow people you’d say “Hi” to in-person and most importantly, people/businesses that add value to your life and positivity.

Don’t just follow someone to follow them.

The less stress and negativity in your life the better. Choose positivity and inspiration instead!

Q. What’s a random fun fact about you? 

My favorite movie is a tie between “The Sandlot” or “The Dark Knight” and my favorite TV series is “Entourage.”

I love rainy days because they’re calming and relaxing especially when sitting on the porch. 

Interested in learning more about MetaNu.? Check out their website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter or enjoy a Free Trial.

Don’t forget to connect with Vincent on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Is there a Pittsburgh company you’d like to see featured on the Brick Media blog? If so, email Maria Marchewka with your suggestion.