777: The Connection Between Mental and Physical Health – It is never too late to reinvent yourself.
From Rock Bottom to Triathlete. Three years ago, RAYMOND BRAUN had never run more than three miles and was struggling with debilitating Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Since early childhood, Raymond struggled with OCD related to contamination, germs, and mortality. Raymond began training for his first triathlon in 2021 as part of an intensive OCD recovery program. He created the World Triathlon 777 Challenge to destigmatize conversations about mental health and honor the life of his best friend, Maya Amoils, a mental health advocate who passed away in 2021.
Braun now dedicates his time to mental health awareness and other social impact causes, making fitness more inclusive and accessible, and sharing stories to encourage and uplift. “I want to demonstrate that we have so much more potential than self-limiting thoughts, stereotypes, and social pressures lead us to believe,” he says.
LGBTQ+ 'State of Pride'
RAYMOND BRAUN grew up in a rural farm town in Ohio, without any openly gay peers or role models. Raymond went on to become a social media activist, and created a YouTube channel to celebrate LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance, eventually creating the documentary 'State of Pride' which premiered at SXSW. The documentary explores what 'pride' means to members of the queer community in the 50 years since the Stonewall Riots.
With extensive experience as a diversity consultant and strategist for major Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit leaders including Google, YouTube, Viacom, and Human Rights Campaign, Raymond brings a unique perspective to this vital conversation.
The Mental Health Venn Diagram 2023
Social media, diversity, financial pressures and societal expectations. How to cope with the pressures of the Venn diagram. RAYMOND BRAUN has spoken about how he had to step away from his social media for a period of time and the LGBTQ+ community on social media because he felt as though he was constantly having to fight battles and justify himself to those who didn’t think in the same way he did. Raymond will talk about the pressures of social media, the pressures of maintaining the status quo in terms of finances and how the bar has moved for Millennials and Gen Z.
Mental Health in a Corporate Setting
RAYMOND BRAUN spent 6-7 years in the corporate world before making the transition to Talent. Raymond has led a team of up to 45 people, so can speak to managers on how to look out for mental health issues within their team and foster a healthy working environment. Raymond was struggling with his own mental health whilst he was in his corporate roles and felt that sharing his vulnerability with his team helped them to open up.
How we can redefine what success and what “winning” looks like in a perfectionist world?
RAYMOND BRAUN had achieved so much by the time he was 31 in terms of climbing the corporate ladder and being recognised on the forbes 30 under 30 list but at the same time had never driven a car or been in a relationship. Sometimes what society defines as winning isn’t winning at all.
The Social Shift
RAYMOND BRAUN’s social media resume is impressive: he partnered with Instagram to launch its first-ever LGBT video series (#VisibleMe), which trended at #1 upon launch; he developed and hosted a hugely successful online social media series with Hillary Clinton’s campaign (“On the Trail”) that involved online videos, interviews, Snapchat takeovers, Twitter Q&As, etc. that racked up over a million views; with his over 150,000 followers, he was recently named one of MTV’s “Social Stars to Watch in 2016”; he formerly led YouTube’s social media campaigns and programs, reinventing their strategy and spearheading more than five #1 organic trending topics globally; and he recently founded RWB Media, a consulting company focused on social outreach, which counts several Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit leaders as clients. Raymond shares his secrets and strategies for creating content and campaigns that cut through on social media. He explains what questions to ask, how to measure your impact, how to grow your profile, how to create value for your organization or personal brand, and how to maximize your reach whether you’re a major corporation or a passionate person trying to get your voice heard in an increasingly crowded space. This topic is easily tailored to a specific company, organization, or individual’s needs and context.
Panel Guest and Moderator: Conversations that Matter
A mental health advocate with experience leading teams in the corporate space, RAYMOND BRAUN brings a breadth of experience to the role of panelist and moderator that guarantees a meaningful conversation. With topics ranging from mental health, to redefining success, to fostering healthy working environments, to the connection between mental and physical health, Raymond's unique perspective resonates with audiences of all kinds.
After struggling with debilitating OCD, Raymond Braun went on to set World Records for triathlons and shares his empowering mental health journey
Three years ago, RAYMOND BRAUN was struggling with debilitating Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Since early childhood, Raymond struggled with OCD related to contamination, germs, and mortality. All of Raymond’s professional achievements — being honored on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list twice, OUT 100, and listed #1 on the Financial Times “Power Rankings” for LGBTQ+ business leaders — belied his private mental health struggles. When his best friend Maya was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Raymond’s mental health deteriorated and he hit rock bottom.
Through Maya’s encouragement and the help of an excellent therapy team, Raymond began to challenge his OCD. Building confidence, community, and resilience through endurance sports, Raymond went on to set two certified World Records as the first person to complete 7 Olympic Distance triathlons on all 7 continents – and he did it all in 7 consecutive days.
Raymond created the World Triathlon 777 Challenge to destigmatize conversations about mental health and honor the life of his best friend, Maya Amoils, who passed away in 2021. Braun now dedicates his time to mental health awareness and other social impact causes, making fitness more inclusive and accessible, and sharing stories to encourage and uplift. “I want to demonstrate that we have so much more potential than self-limiting thoughts, stereotypes, and social pressures lead us to believe,” he says.
Watch Raymond Braun’s journey to 7 triathlons on 7 continents in 7 days >>
Three years ago, Raymond Braun had never run more than three miles and was struggling with debilitating Obsessive-compulsive disorder. In February 2023, he set two certified World Records as the first person to complete 7 Olympic Distance triathlons on all 7 continents – and he did it all in 7 consecutive days. In under 170 hours, Raymond swam, biked, and ran 226 miles, while traveling 25,000 miles around the world, sleeping on airplanes, and navigating diverse climates from -15°F (Antarctica) to 90°F (Cape Town).
Raymond began training for his first triathlon in 2021 as part of an intensive OCD recovery program. He created the World Triathlon 777 Challenge to destigmatize conversations about mental health and honor the life of his best friend, Maya Amoils, a mental health advocate who passed away in 2021.
Raymond now facilitates open, vulnerable conversations about the connection between mental and physical health through documentary storytelling, content creation, public speaking, endurance events, and 1:1 counseling and support. He has spoken at events ranging from the White House to SXSW, and been featured in CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MTV, E!, TLC, and many more.
Since early childhood, Raymond struggled with OCD related to contamination, germs, and mortality. Compartmentalizing his compulsions behind a perfectionist veneer, he became a self-described “hyper anxious overachiever.” He graduated valedictorian for both his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stanford University, rose to leadership positions at YouTube and Bumble, founded a creative consultancy that counted brands like CHANEL and Google as clients, and worked as a GLAAD Award-winning broadcast host and documentary producer. All of Raymond’s professional achievements — being honored on the Forbes "30 Under 30" list twice, OUT 100, and listed #1 on the Financial Times “Power Rankings” for LGBTQ+ business leaders — belied his private mental health struggles.
In 2020, Braun’s mental health deteriorated as he struggled to process the pandemic and Maya’s terminal cancer diagnosis. He became completely agoraphobic, unable to leave his apartment for several months and spending hours every day “sanitizing” everything around him, including only eating food that he had boiled. He hit rock bottom when he knocked over a pot of boiling water, sustaining a second-degree burn on his leg.
Through Maya’s encouragement and the help of an excellent therapy team, Raymond began to challenge his OCD. As he worked up his pyramid of “exposure therapy” — which included driving on a highway for the first time at age 30 — he found solace in long, meditative runs, swims, and bike rides. Building confidence, community, and resilience through endurance sports helped Raymond graduate from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and completely transform his outlook. He has since completed multiple triathlons, including a long distance IRONMAN 140.6.
Braun now dedicates his time to mental health awareness and other social impact causes, making fitness more inclusive and accessible, and sharing stories to encourage and uplift. “I want to demonstrate that we have so much more potential than self-limiting thoughts, stereotypes, and social pressures lead us to believe,” he says.
My Speaker List
