About
bmindful was founded to help athletes find balance in their daily lives, build more resiliency, and tap into their highest potential.
Ethan Saal
Founder, CEO and Senior bmindful Coach
Ethan founded bmindful in 2019 with the vision of helping athletes work with their minds and become better friends with themselves. He has worked with thousands of athletes both in team settings and at an individual level. Ethan is also a well known public speaker that has given talks at MIT, Wesleyan University (CT), Amherst College, Tufts University and many more top schools. You can watch his TEDx talk named “The Silent Epidemic”, which is aimed at breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, especially among athletes..
As a collegiate tennis player, he helped Brandeis University rise from outside the top 30 to #8 in the country. At the same time, his struggle with his mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, led him to take a medical leave his Sophomore year. Confronting his own mental obstacles led him to begin studying neuroscience, psychology, behavior and eventually, mindfulness and meditation. The power of mindfulness quickly became apparent to Ethan as it began to dramatically improve his performance on and off the court. After graduating, he decided to pursue further education and certification as a mindfulness coach.
Ethan earned his certification as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher from Dharma Moon under Senior teacher, David Nichtern. In addition to athletes, he also works with students of all ages, adults, families, military, companies, executives, administrators and coaches. Ethan is our most Senior teacher with over 6+ years of experience and 12+ years as a mindfulness practitioner.
Ethan’s TEDx Talk
‘The Silent Epidemic’
Ethan takes you through his own personal journey of struggling with his mental health as a collegiate athlete and what it takes to start becoming better friends with his mind. Thsi talk was delivered in hopes of raising awareness around mental health so people don’t have to suffer alone or in silence.
Eric Mandell
COO, Director of Growth and bmindful Coach
Eric, a former college baseball player, joined bmindful as our COO in 2022. He’s certified in Mindfulness Meditation and Functional & Therapeutic Breathwork.
Eric engaged with mindfulness practices as a collegiate athlete when he struggled with anxiety, a lack of confidence and spiraling negative thoughts surrounding his injury recovery process. As he learned to train his mind, as well as his body, he learned how important mindfulness is to both performance and well-being.
Before bmindful, Eric spent 6+ years in the corporate space, working at startups and large organizations, like Snap Inc. He learned firsthand how to lead, build team chemistry, and navigate the highs and lows of performance in high-pressure environments.
Through his athletic and professional experiences, Eric discovered the importance of acceptance and vulnerability, not just for himself, but for the success of a team. Now, he’s passionate about helping athletes, employees, and teams strengthen their minds, connect more deeply, perform at their best and find more joy on the rollercoaster ride we call life.
Julie Ball
bmindful Coach
Julie grew up in Chicago, IL, as a multi-sport athlete. She graduated from the University of Richmond in 2019, where she was a member of the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Team and earned a degree in Leadership Studies. During her senior year, she served as team captain, became the first player in Atlantic 10 history to be named Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, set a program record for caused turnovers, and helped lead her team to consecutive A10 Conference Championships (2018 and 2019). She was also nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Despite her athletic success, Julie’s college years were shaped by challenges including concussions, grief, and identity struggles. After losing a close friend and teammate to suicide, she was inspired to pursue a career in mental health, with the goal of reducing stigma for student-athletes seeking support.
Professionally, Julie earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver in 2023 and now works as a bilingual school-based therapist in Denver Public Schools. She has also coached with Team 180 for the past six years, focusing on defensive strategy and mentoring top players from across the country. Since 2014, Julie has volunteered with Lacrosse the Nations, an organization that builds community through health, education, and growing the game of lacrosse abroad.
Julie joins Bmindful as a part-time assistant coach, combining her experience as a clinical therapist, sports coach, and former teacher to help student-athletes lead more balanced, mindful lives. She is especially passionate about supporting athletes navigating concussions, identity transitions, and life after sports. In her free time, Julie enjoys skiing, pickleball, concerts, walking with friends, reading, rollerblading through the park, and spending time with her family.