Miles Ahead
Words by Anna Mac
On a Tuesday sometime in late 2020, I am doom scrolling through Instagram, pausing on news updates and the latest diets that are encouraging us to lose the “quarantine 15” when something stops me in my tracks.
I see the words HUH on a hoodie, wondering what these three letters stand for. I click on the profile tagged and I am brought to a page full of colourful clothes, with the word HUH littered across each garment. When I enquire further, I discover these letters stand for How’s Ur Head?
I scroll through the photos and reels of the creator Mark Donnelly, an entrepreneur who began his business during the worst pandemic of our lifetime. In addition to starting a business during COVID-19, Mark is here to share an important message. I soon discover the message of HUH is to promote mental well-being and include the topic in everyday conversation, so much so that we wear it on our sleeves (literally) to break the stigma and normalise talking about our own mental well-being and struggles.
“HUH is an Irish clothing company raising money and awareness surrounding the importance of Mental Health. HUH stands for How’s Ur Head and we donate 10 % of our sales every single month to Mental Health charities around Ireland and internationally.”
After following the brand for quite some time, I got the opportunity to chat to Mark about HUH, how it began and how he is just getting started.
What were you up to before you started HUH?
Before HUH became even a slight idea I studied at D.I.T Aungier street and got a degree in retail services & management. I would class myself as a very independent and entrepreneurial individual so in the beginning I didn’t really want to go down the college route. However, looking back it was definitely the right thing to do as I met my best friends and incredible connections which have been greatly beneficial in the business world.Once I graduated, I took a few months of a break before jumping into the real world. I continued to work at the bar I worked at throughout my 4 years of college because I did not want to dive into a full-time job unless I really loved it. After about 6 months a role came up as a brand ambassador for an Irish whiskey company and next thing you know I was on a plane to the States for 18 months! I then moved to the US as part of a Global Graduate program with IBEC. I was over there representing Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey as a brand ambassador for the state of Wisconsin for 18 months. It was honestly a once in a lifetime dream job and was an incredible experience. On a day-to-day basis I would sell, promote and discuss all things whiskey with bars, restaurants and hotels whilst organizing and hosting events all over the state!
Unfortunately, in the last few months of my visa, Covid hit and my job was pretty much no longer. Thankfully, I was still getting paid and I did the last 5 or so months in lockdowns getting paid to do very little. Once the pandemic hit and was becoming more and more of a long-term reality, I had time to work on HUH which had been an idea for about 5 months at this stage. I realized that once I leave the states and move home, I would become unemployed which gave me more inspiration and drive to try to do my own thing.
What inspired you to start HUH? Where was the idea born, and how long did it take to get the plan into motion?
The inspiration for HUH stemmed from many different things including experiences playing on GAA teams over the years, working in the bar/nightlife industry in Ireland, working in the spirits/alcohol industry in the States and also wanting to be my own boss. In the lead up to the creation of HUH I have experienced such stigma and incredibly negative opinions towards Mental Health throughout Ireland. Throughout my teens and into my 20’s I have seen many teammates & friends of mine struggling with their thoughts and their Mental Health in silence. GAA teams unfortunately can become very unaccepting areas for young men who suffer with their mental health which leads to so many people suffering in silence. In such masculine/aggression filled sports and teams more often than not people expect others to be strong and to “Man Up” so this definitely was an inspiration for me to start HUH. To work on tackling this stigma and normalizing the conversations that we all need to start having.
Working in the nightlife/alcohol industry on both sides of the Atlantic was also a huge inspiration to me for HUH. On a daily, weekly and monthly basis there are so many industry workers who work long alcohol fuelled hours & late nights. I saw on countless occasions and have experienced it personally how this lifestyle most definitely catches up on you and can be detrimental to our Mental Health and well-being if there isn’t a healthy balance of work, play and rest.
The final inspiration I will mention was the goal to work for myself. I knew I wanted to be my own boss, but I also realized that finding a good enjoyable job after I move home in the middle of a pandemic might not be a reality. My thought process was working my own hours and giving back/doing something good. 2 birds, 1 stone!
How did you find starting a business in the middle of the pandemic, and how did it grow into 8000+ followers on Instagram?
In this case starting a business during a pandemic was of course challenging and very time consuming but I had the time to do it! I had days, weeks and months free, so I devoted so much of my time to learning, exploring, experimenting, reading, listening to educational podcasts and finding what worked and what I wanted to do. I spent 5 or 6 months before launching testing out endless amounts of suppliers, materials, styles, designs, quantities, print work, embroidery, how clothes would wash, how they would wear and how long they would last. This was all done while I was in the States and I also had my brother helping me out in Ireland doing something similar. I spent hours on end devoted to learning about price strategies, shipping partners and setting up a website and payment platforms for my products. It definitely was not easy but once I had my mind set on HUH and building a brand I was hooked!In terms of our following and brand building online I am very serious and committed to the following:
Honesty / Transparency – This is key to brand building. Always be honest, open and transparent with the customer. For example, with HUH we donate 10% of our sales every single month and we share every single donation online for everyone to see. In doing this, customers can see where their money is going, it builds trust with the consumer and the brand and it leaves no grey area for questions. Some companies I have seen state that they do good or make donations but do not actually show it which does not sit right with me. If I say I am doing something I do it and show it. Always be upfront and honest with the consumer and you will come across much better, more trustworthy and you will come across as a real thoughtful individual and not just another clothing brand.
Customer service – This is such a major part of building the brand both online and offline. The service you provide separates you from the rest. For example, go through all the dms, tweets, emails and messages from people who have reached out. Answer every question, get back to every last person and make sure you are providing an experience that the competition doesn’t.
Content – Our content is also another reason we have grown our online presence. At HUH we post 2 times a day if not 3 throughout Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Remember, if you’re not posting the competition are, and you are losing out on eyes on your products, your page or the message you are sharing. In today’s society everyone is constantly on their phones and following hundreds if not thousands of people and pages online. If you are not posting 2-3 times a day you may as well pack it in. You will get swallowed up in all the noise and won’t get noticed. Your content must also provide value to your target market.
Social media Influencers – This is also a big reason for our recent popularity. For HUH I think it is especially important to work with and utilise any social media influencers you believe align well with your brand.
I could go on all day about the brand building/social media side of things as I absolutely love it.
What does mental health awareness mean to you? And what positive effects does the crossover between fashion and awareness have in your opinion?
Mental Health Awareness for me means creating a casual/approachable atmosphere in order to normalize Mental Health conversations. Every single individual on this planet no matter where they are from, what they do, what they believe in or how many 0’s they have in their bank account deals with their Mental Health and it most definitely needs to be talked about more!The idea behind the crossover of clothing and Mental Health was for a few reasons. Firstly, we started with hoodies as they are a very comforting casual piece of clothing that we all wear on a daily/weekly basis. The hoodie symbolizes the casual and normal approach I want to take the conversation about Mental Health.
The HUH design on the hoodies was a simple yet effective idea in order to spark interest and curiosity to what the 3 letters meant. My goal was to get people to ask the question to the person wearing the hoodie “What does HUH mean?” and … Mental Health conversation has started in an effortless casual manner.
How can we improve mental health awareness on a daily basis?
Improving Mental Health Awareness on a daily basis most definitely has to start within. I believe strongly that checking in with yourself, taking time out to decompress, getting some exercise or fresh air and asking yourself how you really feel is a great starting point. Remembering that it is okay not to feel okay is vital in order to understand ourselves and our minds. After that, then we should look outward and help the people around us and begin to share and promote the importance of taking care of your Mental Health. This can be as simple as text, a call or calling around to a friend or a family member for a chat and seeing how they are! Learning and understanding the signs of somebody suffering with their Mental Health is particularly important in order to be there to support them. The most important message I share and promote is that you are not there to help people make any major decisions or changes as you are more than likely not trained or qualified to do so. The most important thing to do is to listen and be supportive to somebody who is in need.
Where are the clothes made?
The clothes we source using an Irish supplier and clothing company come from the UK. Everything we use and source at HUH supports Irish companies including everything from our clothing to our stickers on the outside of our packaging and everything in between. We also are very passionate about staying as sustainable as possible with ethically produced clothing and 100% recyclable packaging.
What is the future of HUH?
In an absolute ideal world, I want HUH to be known in every corner of the globe. As previously mentioned, we all deal with our Mental Health no matter who we are and where we are from and I would love to be able to raise awareness and money for organisations in need in many countries around the world.In the short term I want to keep the donations ticking over, get as much HUH clothing into the hands of as many Irish people as possible and continue to raise awareness on a daily basis. I would also love to podcast, expand my clothing range and maybe look into educational speaking in relation to entrepreneurship and Mental Health/wellbeing.
You can visit HUH at https://huhclothing.com/ and on Instagram at @huh_clothing
If you are struggling with your mental health, please do not hesitate to reach out and seek help. Some useful contacts are listed below:
Text TALK to 50808
Pieta House: 1800 247 247 or Text HELP to 51444
Samaritans: 116 123
Aware: 1800 80 48 48
Womens Aid: 1800 341 900
Let’s Get Talking Dublin: 01 456 9158
Let’s Get Talking Galway: 091 765 500
