How the Global M.A.P.S.® Event Came to Be

I launched my company, Kids, More S.U.G.A.R., in 2020, starting with a coloring/storybook series called Cell Phone Sir S.U.G.A.R. that teaches children (ages 5 to 10) the power of positive thinking and speaking via affirmations. Naturally, people started to ask, “But what about the older children?” While developing my teen product line, I launched my Empower Teen Self-Esteem podcast and a teen money management course. Then, people began to ask, “What about adults and parents?” The message was clear that when you educate the parents and adults around children, you increase the chances of a child retaining and implementing the lessons.

During this time, both the COVID-19 pandemic and mental strain on children and adults was worsening. I began hearing regularly from people around the world about their heightened mental stresses. I heard this from both individuals and from small business owners; the pandemic had detrimental financial impacts on small business owners due to restrictions and shutdowns.

Meanwhile, I joined a social media app called Clubhouse, which enabled me to have meaningful conversations with people all around the world within a matter of minutes. In Clubhouse rooms, I got to hear from and bond with people who are doing phenomenal work to help kids, teens, and adults. These were mostly small business owners and individuals with passions and missions of helping, healing, and making others whole. Simultaneously, the outcry of mental stresses and strains grew louder.

In hearing the acknowledgement of the significance of small business owners from community members and the government alike, I quickly came to the realization that most understand that small business owners are the backbone of many economies around the world. During these epiphanies, I heard mentions of a variety of small business industries, but none seem to be mental wellness businesses. It was almost as though when we were discussing small businesses, we were only thinking of the mom-and-pop shops that we pass in our travels.

Because of this, I was afraid that we had totally overlooked small business owners who do the work that is critically needed. It felt ironic that those who were receiving the calls for mental support were not as prevalent in the conversations around those small businesses whose economies we needed to protect and help sustain.

Therefore, I figured there must be a way to marry the two: the public that needed this help and support with the people who have passionately committed their lives to it. This event is bringing together mental wellness small business owners from all around the world to uplift and enlighten the public of the multiple avenues you can take and the tools you can use on your journey to mental wellness. This is more than an event – it’s a mental wellness and positivity experience. This is very much a grassroots event that is leveraging the synergy of powerful people unifying for one powerful purpose. So how did the Global M.A.P.S. ® event come to be? It was laid on my heart. I shared the vision with other like minded people and they said let’s get together and make this happen.

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Elaine Sugar , President & Treasurer

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