Our Founder

Hi!!! My name is Marissa Hagler and I am the podcast host and owner of Hurdling Through Hard Times. 

I am a college student at Illinois Wesleyan University, I study elementary education and I am someone who advocates for mental health for everyone! I started the podcast back in 2021, and launched the business in May of 2023!

My mental health journey started back in 2019, and ever since then I have taken control of my life by setting boundaries and diving deeply into learning as much as I can. I decided to start both my podcast and business to support everyone's mental health journey and spread awareness for mental health. 

Over the past two years of my podcast and business journey, I have been able to work with other small businesses that support mental health. I have also worked with other podcasts and influencers. And on top of all of that, I have been able to compete in my university's new venture competitions to win seed grant funding my mental health projects. I received funding in both the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023 to help build and launch my business. I am so grateful for all the people and groups who have helped me get to where I am and I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life. 

Thank you for being here and enjoy shopping/listening:)

*DISCLAIMER I am not a doctor or certified in mental health, this is purely based off my experience*