Promise2Live and Silicon Slopes are equipping Utah leaders with practical mental health tools — covering resilience, communication, perception, purpose, and connection — through monthly events featuring expert voices and actionable takeaways.
Lehi, Utah — April 27, 2026
This article is part of an ongoing mental health series in partnership with Promise2Live
There is a difference between talking about mental health and actually changing how people think, lead, and show up in their lives. Promise2Live has spent the past three years focused on the second — and doing so in partnership with Silicon Slopes, equipping people with real tools to navigate stress, conflict, relationships, and the pressure many carry quietly while everything on the outside still looks fine.
Consider this: a CEO had a plan to end his life. What interrupted that moment was not a campaign or a message. It was a promise he had made ahead of time to a friend. He paused, reached out, and that decision changed everything. Research shows people are up to 60% more likely to keep a promise made in advance.
That story is at the heart of the work Brandy Vega, Founder of Promise2Live and Vega Media Studios, brings forward every month. She centers everything on a decision made before it is needed: If you ever find yourself in a dark place, will you reach out? Say it. I promise. Simple words — but they give people something to hold onto when things get hard, shifting the moment from reaction to intention.
A major part of the work centers on how people communicate under pressure. Dr. David Morgan brings decades of experience studying behavior and decision-making, including years in forensic psychology. His insight is direct: "The moment you're formulating your rebuttal while someone is still speaking, you've already left the conversation." That shift from listening to reacting happens more often than most people realize — in leadership, in relationships, in everyday conversations. His work reinforces that most people are not the problem leaders think they are; they are responding to their environment and what they believe to be true. When leaders slow down and genuinely listen, outcomes change. The takeaway is simple: stay present, listen fully, resist the urge to respond too quickly.
Understanding perception is another core focus. Marianne Viray, Executive Director of Disagree Better, highlights how dramatically perception can drift from reality. Less than two percent of each political party supports violence — yet each side believes nearly thirty percent of the other does. That gap is not based on fact. It is based on assumption. "Democracy does not require us to agree. It requires us to stay at the table." Her work helps people navigate disagreement without losing relationships, and the takeaway is practical: ask better questions. "Tell me more." That single shift changes how people connect in families, teams, and communities.
Resilience is addressed in a personal and grounded way. Janae Moss shares her experience navigating vision loss — a journey that required her to adapt, trust herself, and keep moving forward without full clarity. Her message is straightforward: growth does not wait for everything to make sense. It happens while moving forward anyway. Her perspective brings resilience out of theory and into daily practice.
Purpose and connection form another major theme. Dan Clark highlights a distinction that helps explain why many high-performing individuals still struggle: "They knew they were liked. They knew they were loved. But they did not believe they were needed." Recognition and belonging are not the same thing. People can be successful and still feel disconnected from meaning. His message centers on contribution — helping others creates connection, and connection builds purpose.
Development starts early, and that is where Dr. Mark Ogletree focuses his work. "We cannot develop resilience if we are always protected from difficulty." Removing challenge removes growth. His work emphasizes allowing individuals — especially children — to work through hardship and build the strength they will need later. The lesson applies equally to leadership and parenting: don't eliminate struggle. Help people move through it.
Steve and Lisa James, founders of ResilientYOU, reinforce resilience through repetition and everyday practice. Their theme — "I am resilient. I have the power to overcome" — is designed to stay with people when they need it most, integrating music, language, and daily habits to help individuals and families build lasting strength. April has been recognized by the Governor as ResilientUTAH Month, underscoring the importance of building resilience across communities statewide.
Leadership strategist Rex Lewis offered a perspective worth sitting with: "Disconnection shows up as turnover, stalled innovation, fractured teams, and decision paralysis." What people carry internally shows up externally — in how they lead, communicate, and perform. He also surfaced something leaders often overlook: "The cost leaders are paying is the cost of assumptions never examined." Assumptions shape decisions, decisions shape culture, and culture shapes outcomes.
This is what Promise2Live continues to bring forward — not just awareness, but practical tools and perspectives people can use immediately. Listen longer. Ask better questions. Reach out sooner. Stay connected.
Support for this work comes from partners who understand its value: Simultrayd, Waves of Goodness, and Unrivaled Travel Experiences help make it possible to bring people together, share a meal, and create space for real connection.
Upcoming events continue building on these principles. May 21 focuses on grief, trauma, and loss. May 30 is the Promise2Live Gala. Details are available at promise2live.org/events.
To learn more, explore partnerships, or get involved, contact Brandy Vega, Founder, Promise2Live — brandy@promise2live.org | 801-637-5416
