If you listened to Jen’s last interview with Bob Merberg, then you know the Redesigning Wellness Podcast is wrapping up. Jen wanted to come on one more time and officially wrap up the podcast.

In this episode, Jen revisits her Wellbeing model and tells you about her new podcast, Growing Through It.

The Redesigning Wellness podcast is coming to an official close and who better to recap the last five years of episodes with Jen than Bob Merberg.

Bob Merberg founded the wellbeing program at University of Rochester and served as Paychex’s wellness manager for more than 10 years. His consultancy, Jozito LLC, is dedicated to wellbeing strategy and content creation for top-tier organizations that prioritize innovation and excellence.

In this episode, Bob interviews Jen about what it’s like to interview 250+ experts across a variety of fields. They cover why Jen started the podcast in the first place and if she achieved the goals she set out to achieve. We explore where we are in the world of wellness and if it has changed over the years.

Jen reviews her model of wellbeing, and we discuss the role of a company mission. She reviews podcast interviews that have stood out, people she wanted to interview but couldn’t, and how the podcast topics have evolved. Finally, Jen tells us what’s next for Redesigning Wellness.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

In the U.S. 43.6 million women (27%) and 37.3 (11%) million men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. These staggering numbers make it vital for organizations to be aware of and understand gender based violence.

If you feel like this topic is heavy, well, it is but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it. But what role does an organization play? Podcast guest, Sarah Gonzalez Bocinski, is here to inform us.

Sarah Gonzalez Bocinski provides guidance and expertise to FUTURES’ economic justice initiatives and training and technical assistance projects related to workplace safety and economic opportunity for survivors of gender-based violence and harassment.

Sarah brings over a decade of experience as an advocate, researcher, and technical assistance provider on issues ranging from economic justice and security, to gender equity in the workplace, and improving access to quality education and employment opportunities for survivors and other marginalized populations. 

In this episode, Sarah walks us through the stats on how prevalent violence is against both women and men and she busts some myths about who experiences violence and even what violence looks like.

She then talks about the intersection of violence and the workplace – how perpetrators can sabotage employment and what an organization can actually do about it.

Trigger alert – if a conversation around violence, or specifically sexual violence bothers you, you may want to pass on this episode.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

Part of our job is guarding our own emotions and the emotions of peers. This emotional labor is rarely identified, almost never supported, or paid for, yet is a reality of the workplace. Asking employees to check their emotions at the door is not only an impossible task, but it also ignores a treasure trove of intelligence our emotions offer us.

Podcast guest, Karla McLaren, is here to guide us on how we can guard our emotional wellbeing and how workplaces can harness the intelligence emotions offer.

Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, educator, social science researcher, empathy expert, and workplace consultant. She is the author of many books, including The Power of Emotions at Work and The Language of Emotions, and she’s the developer of the online learning site EmpathyAcademy.org.

Her applied work, Dynamic Emotional Integration®, is a groundbreaking process that reveals the genius and healing power within the emotional realm.

In this interview, Karla defines the emotional labor we experience at work and how the role of HR is not set up for the employee. She discusses the function of emotions and what the “negative” emotions can tell a workplace.

Karla then offers ideas for how we can personally guard our emotions at work and how organizations can create a social structure that emotionally supports the workers. 

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

Thinking about leaving your corporate job to go out on your own? After six years of running her own business, Jen brings her recommendations for those in the wellbeing profession contemplating entrepreneurship. 

Wellbeing is one of those professions that can be very limited in career growth, so many of us think that going out on our will solve for that problem. That’s why Jen wanted to offer her lessons learned from leaving the corporate world to run her own business.

Spoiler alert: she didn’t do any of these…that’s why they are lessons learned! This episode is an honest solo episode about what entrepreneurship entails.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

Have you ever felt that leading wellbeing efforts were like rolling a boulder uphill? It can definitely feel that way if you’re going at it alone. But how can you leverage certain skills to not only expand wellbeing but your role along with it? Today’s guest, Cassie Buckroyd, walks us through the skills she’s leveraged to elevate wellbeing within HR and throughout the larger organization. 

Cassie Buckroyd is a Senior Manager of Total Rewards Experience at Columbia Sportswear. She’s a highly strategic and enthusiastic leader with 15+ years of experience leading the design and delivery of innovative workplace programs.

Described as collaborative, compassionate, strategic, and resilient, recognized for thought leadership and the ability to influence corporations to prioritize their people. She’s passionate about transforming the way individuals experience work and creating conditions where both employees and businesses thrive.

In today’s conversation we talk about the shift from her role leading wellbeing efforts to in the broader role of Total Rewards Experience. Cassie explains what her role entails and where wellbeing falls within her scope.

She refreshes us on the model of wellbeing that exists today and also the future direction. Cassie walks us through what skills helped her both get the model adopted and a new skill she has developed. She leaves us with advice if your organization is not as into collaborating as Columbia is.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

Dee Edington was a pillar of the wellness community and passed away on June 21, 2022. You can learn more about Dee here.

In this 2016 conversation, Dee and I talk about:

• How one question inspired the book “Shared Values, Shared Results”.
• Why a framework is needed to be built into the business, not just benefits.
• Helping people live to their best quality of life and to their highest level of performance.
• Why we shouldn’t walk away from the word “wellness”.

Dee also makes insightful comments about culture and how there’s only one culture in an organization. The questions becomes “is health a part of that culture or not?”. Ultimately, everything that happens in an organization affects the wellness of people.

We need to help CEO’s see the connection between positive organizational health and the business. Dee thinks short term outcomes are much better to focus on than lagging indicators, such as healthcare cost containment.

Dee makes a great point about asking the question “what is the best thing we’re doing around here to do our best work?”. In other words, ask for the positive things first.

What can you do if senior leadership is not bought into the concept of wellness? The #1 rule is don’t assume you know what the CEO wants. He imparts more wisdom around this subject that I personally found helpful.

Dee also addresses:

• The value of caring
• Are biometric screenings worth it?
• Why financial incentives discriminate against the lowest paid people in the organization.
• Infighting among wellness professionals

Finally, Dee grants me permission to forgive myself for past wellness mistakes and talks about incorporating gratitude as part of wellness.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

This year Salesforce has been recognized on the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies To Work For®” list for the 14th year in a row. With philosophies such as “we don’t define family for you” and “success from anywhere”, they are driving business success while supporting the wellbeing of 80,000 employees across the globe. This episode gives you a peek inside one of Salesforce’s many employee benefits - parenting support (and a whole lot of it).

Guest, Karen Schwarzbach, serves as the Global Program Manager for Wellbeing and Life Stages at Salesforce. Her work at Salesforce encompasses the full life cycle from family forming through elder care support.

Previously, Karen worked as a National Workforce Health Consultant at Kaiser Permanente and as a Health Improvement Strategist at Cigna, in addition to owning and operating her family wellbeing consulting practice for over 15 years. 

In this interview, Karen talks about her role at Salesforce and the drivers behind the focus on parents. She explains some of the inventive resources she offers the 80,000 employees across the world and how she determines what to offer.

If you’re worried this interview doesn’t apply to you because you don’t work in big tech, fear not, Karen offers wonderful advice for any organization wanting to support working parents.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/

Moral injury is the act, or omission of an act, that goes against one’s deeply held personal, spiritual, or moral beliefs. Although moral injury has been documented as far back in history as 336 BC (think Alexander the Great), the term is gaining attention within the military and is now being considered in occupations such as healthcare and social work. Causing profound feelings of shame and guilt, alterations in beliefs, and maladaptive coping responses, the topic of moral injury in the workplace is one that needs to be discussed. 

Podcast guest, Noël Lipana, is a Regional Prevention Coordinator for The Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, US Department of Homeland Security. Noël’s outside work includes the use of performing arts to educate communities about moral injury and trauma among veterans and marginalized populations.

His connection to those populations stems from his twenty-year service in various Air Force, Army, and Joint military units in Active Duty and National Guard units.

In this episode, Noël defines moral injury and how it shows up both personally and in the workplace. He explains the different levels of moral injury and if it can be prevented.

We spend a bit of time talking about veterans but also go into healthcare settings and first responders. Finally, Noël talks about what we can do personally to recover from moral injury as well as what organizations can do.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/ 

Where does the conversation about spirituality fit into the workplace? Since 86% of US adults identify as being spiritual, we don’t need to shy away from the conversation. In fact, since the definition of spirituality encompasses a wide array of current wellbeing practices, chances are you may already be addressing it.

Podcast guest, Jessica Grossmeier, is a leading voice in workplace well-being, having dedicated her career to identifying evidence-based strategies that promote a thriving workforce.

Jessica has published more than 80 articles in professional journals and is the author of Reimagining Workplace Well-being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence. 

In this second episode with Jessica, she explains the difference and overlap between spirituality and religion; and explains what workplace spirituality means.

Jessica speaks to the research that supports addressing spirituality both personally and in the workplace. She demystifies how to address spirituality in the workplace without alarming your leadership and offers ideas on how to get started.

To learn more about my new program, visit: https://everydayresilience.co/resilience-for-self-leadership/ 

 

What do you do when your dedication to your job lands you in the hospital for severe exhaustion and dehydration? This is the wake-up call today’s guest, Jessica Grossmeier, got 10 years ago. Jessica was juggling a demanding job, getting her PhD, and being married, but eventually the sheer capacity was too much to sustain. 

Podcast guest, Jessica Grossmeier, is a leading voice in workplace well-being, having dedicated her career to identifying evidence-based strategies that promote a thriving workforce.

Jessica has published more than 80 articles in professional journals and is the author of Reimagining Workplace Well-being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence. 

In this episode, Jessica tells her story of burnout. She takes us back to the day 10 years ago when her husband found her at home unconscious on the floor.

Jessica explains what led her to that point and how she slowly recovered from burnout. She also tells us why she took a year-long sabbatical and what came from it. Finally, she leaves us with what you can do if you find yourself suffering from burnout.

For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/