We sit down with Tilly Levine (Co-Founder of Tilly’s, Founder of Tilly’s Life Center) and Colleen Versteeg (CEO, TLC) for a raw talk on building an American retail icon — then doubling down on a bigger mission: fixing teen mental health with real tools that work in classrooms. What we cover: • The true origin story of Tilly’s: swap meets, rebrands, zero loans • Why teen depression spiked and how phones & feeds turbocharged it • TLC’s blueprint: emotional vocabulary, “vibe” check-ins, and weekly 60-minute classes • Vision boards, belief, action — the positivity system that scales success • Making SEL mandatory in schools and how parents can push it through • The business of doing good: partners, criticism, and staying on mission Tilly’s Life Center Gala — Nov 15, 2025 (Irvine, CA): Tickets: $400 — food, entertainment, and direct impact funding for TLC programs. Get tickets at TillysLifeCenter.org (selling fast). Call to action: If you’re a parent, teacher, or student who wants TLC at your school, reach out at TillysLifeCenter.org. Like, comment, and share to push this into the feeds that need it. 00:00:00 — Cold Open: “Worst advice” and why she did it anyway 00:00:24 — Intro at TLC HQ + guest lineup (Tilly Levine, Colleen Vincent) 00:03:01 — What is Tilly’s Life Center? Tools, outcomes, mission 00:04:12 — The teen mental-health spike (stats, COVID, bullying) 00:06:33 — Phones, feeds, and why school rules matter 00:09:24 — After the IPO: why TLC became the destiny 00:10:16 — Origin of Tilly’s: swap meets to first store (1982) 00:11:55 — Pivot to surf culture + zero-loan growth philosophy 00:14:12 — The American Dream: partnership, divorce, still a team 00:16:27 — Legacy, belief, and the 10,000-hour mindset 00:18:41 — Gala plug: Nov 15, Irvine — tickets and impact 00:19:51 — What schools aren’t teaching (SEL) and how TLC fills it 00:24:53 — Advice to 20-year-old founders: vision • belief • action 00:27:00 — How to get TLC into your school + after-school options 00:28:07 — The Vibe Board: color check-ins that actually work 00:30:13 — Kindness class: post-its, peers, and real talk 00:31:39 — Change your algorithm: why Gen Z gives hope 00:33:32 — Donate at Tilly’s stores: roundup that funds programs 00:34:38 — How Tilly became relentlessly positive (the switch at 12) 00:36:55 — Wrap + CTA: tickets, site, subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.