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Redesigning Wellness Podcast

The Redesigning Wellness podcast explores the world of corporate health to help employers build strategic wellness programs that engage employees. The Redesigning Wellness podcast is centered around what works and doesn’t work in wellness. In this podcast, Jen will interview experts in various worksite wellness specialties to demystify the common worksite wellness program. She’ll also spend time sharing common barriers to help get your wellness program moving forward. You’ll discover common sense approaches to wellness, tips for engaging employees and how to implement a program that your employees actually like.
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Now displaying: 2022
Oct 12, 2022

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.

Sep 29, 2022

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/

Sep 22, 2022

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/

Sep 15, 2022

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/

Sep 8, 2022

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/

Sep 1, 2022

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/

Aug 25, 2022

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/

Aug 18, 2022

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/

Aug 11, 2022

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/ 

Jul 21, 2022

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/ 

 

Jul 14, 2022

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/

Jul 7, 2022

Grief is the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or a change in a familiar pattern of behavior. Using that definition, chances are that you have recently grieved for something or someone. With everything that has happened in the past two years and continues to happen, it’s about time we had a conversation about grief.

Podcast guests, Ilana Yahdav, MPA, and Kim Hanlon, MA, are Grief Advocates and Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialists. They co-founded Yahdav & Hanlon Grief Support out of a shared passion for offering individual grief support and enhancing corporate wellness programs to support employees around loss and life changes. 

In this episode, Ilana and Kim define grief, which you’ll be surprised to hear how all-encompassing it is. We talk about the very non-linear grieving process, how we judge ourselves and others for how we grieve, and how employers can address grief.

Illana and Kim leave us with ways to support our own grief, including the recent Roe v Wade decision and what to do with all of the emotions that may be coming up from it.

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

Jun 30, 2022

U.S. News named being a lawyer as the 2nd most stressful job in 2022. But it wasn’t until recently that far reaching reports identified major wellbeing deficits, such as problematic drinking, workaholism, and mental health concerns.

The reports led to a major call to action for the industry to address lawyer wellbeing. It also led to the creation of the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL), a non-profit dedicated to the betterment of the legal profession through holistic well-being. 

Podcast guest Robin Wolpert is an appellate practitioner, business litigator, and white-collar criminal defense attorney at Sapientia Law Group in Minneapolis. She is Treasurer of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, Treasurer of the Institute for Well Being in Law, Member of the ABA House of Delegates, Member of the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism, and past President of the Minnesota State Bar Association. 

In this episode, Robin shares her entry into the industry and what’s changed in her 20 years of practice. Robin describes some unique challenges lawyers face, both in law school and once they are practicing.

She explains a series of reports that emerged, which was a call to action for things to change in the legal industry. Robin walks through a couple of the recommendations to enhance lawyer wellbeing and asks a question for lawyers to reframe their current environment.

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

Jun 28, 2022

This is the final excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled “Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever”. In this clip, Jen reviews another way organizations can build employee resilience – reconnecting to what’s important. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders. Plus, you’ll hear a live Q&A from webinar participants.

Want to learn more about resilience training for your organization? Learn more here.

Jun 23, 2022

Two years ago, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was the topic of new conversations, organizational pledges, and the creation of new job roles. But what has truly changed in the past two years?

Although some strides have been made, there remain many barriers to progress. How can we move beyond reading books to start taking concrete steps to closing racial gaps? Podcast guest, Dr. Ella Washington, is here to help guide us.

Ella Washington, PhD is an organizational psychologist and DEI expert with a wealth of experience through her involvement as the Founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, a Professor of Practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and the Co-host of Gallup's Center of Black Voices Cultural Competence Podcast.

Dr. Washington is eagerly anticipating the release of her first solo book, The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion, published by Harvard Business Review Press.  

In this episode, we discuss what’s changed and not changed in the past two years the high-profile murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Dr. Washington offers some statistics on the role of Chief Diversity Officers and how they aren’t necessarily set up for success.

Ella shares what we can do as individuals and organizations to keep DEI front and center. She leaves us with three foundational steps to addressing DEI.

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

Jun 21, 2022

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled “Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever”. In this clip, Jen reviews one way organizations can build employee resilience – supporting rest and recovery. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders.

Stay tuned next week for the last in the series on how organizations can support resilience.

Jun 16, 2022

Burnout is the result of occupational stress left unmanaged, marked by high levels of exhaustion and depletion, emotional distance from our job, and cynicism. With the macro and micro stressors of the past two years, it’s no surprise that burnout is on the rise.

Although self-care strategies can be part of burnout treatment, we have to acknowledge where the systems around us are broken.

Podcast guest, Jennifer Moss, is author of The Burnout Epidemic, released in 2021. Moss was on the Global Happiness Council—a small group of leading scientists and economists that support the UN’s sustainable goals related to global well-being and the Annual Global Happiness Policy Report.

She was named a Canadian Innovator of the Year, an International Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and recipient of the Public Service Award from the Office of President Obama. 

In this episode, we level set on what burnout is, how it progresses and some of its causes. We talk about how some organizational systems are broken and how they contribute to burnout. Then we get into some culture talk, small steps, and the role of job passion in burnout.

Jennifer leaves us with many tangible tips to deal with burnout – both organizationally and personally.

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

Jun 14, 2022

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled “Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever”. In this clip, Jen reviews one way organizations can build employee resilience - acknowledging and making space for emotions. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders.

Stay tuned for another way organizations can support resilience next week. 

Jun 9, 2022

What have the past two years been like for wellness professionals?

Going through the pandemic themselves, while trying to adjust to an ever-evolving situation for their employees has exposed deep issues that may not have been on their radar pre-pandemic. Wellness professionals are now charged with bigger challenges than ever while navigating the next normal.

Podcast guests, Sara Martin and Maggie Gough are leading wellness professionals into new territory. Sara Martin is CEO of WELCOA, and her purpose is helping people fulfill their highest potential in work and life through corporate health promotion.

Maggie Gough, COO of WELCOA, ensures members receive stellar service and build sustaining connections as a community. 

In this episode, we discuss how COVID has changed the landscape for wellness practitioners, the phases they went through, and where they are now. We discuss the issues that were always there that we may have had our blinders on for.

They talk about how WELCOA is answering the question – how do we show up for hard things? Listen in for why you should be a part of the WELCOA Community and attend the WELCOA Summit. And no, no one is pregnant, and George Clooney is not speaking at the Summit.

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

Jun 7, 2022

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled “Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever”. In this first clip, Jen reviews some true/false questions around resilience. Will you answer them correctly? Stay tuned for the next clip next week.

Jun 2, 2022

Being a working mom during COVID was an impossible act of balancing full time jobs and full time teaching. Pew Research Center found that working mothers were generally more likely than working fathers to say that they faced a variety of professional challenges since the beginning of COVID.

In this episode, podcast guest Leslie Forde explains the impact of the pandemic on working mothers. She shares some relevant research, strategies on how employers can support mothers, and how working moms can take care of their own wellbeing.

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

May 26, 2022

It’s important to stay positive, especially in trying times. But what happens when that positivity becomes unhelpful, shaming, and ultimately, toxic? The idea that the best or only way to cope with a negative situation is to put a positive spin on it is toxic to our emotional health.

In this episode guest Dr. Natalie Dattilo, a Clinical Psychologist, and Mental Wellness Expert describes what toxic positivity looks like, and the line between being helpful and crossing over into toxicity. 

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

May 19, 2022

Connecting socially is an innate human need and one that was practically eliminated during the pandemic. For the past two years, we turned to social media, Zoom calls, and Netflix for our main sources of connection. Now that we’re going back into the office and gathering in larger groups, how can we ease back into being with each other and rebuild social connections? 

Podcast guest, Dr. Natalie Kerr, is a social psychologist and a Professor of Psychology at James Madison University. Dr. Kerr enjoys sharing psychological science to help others improve their lives. Her current research focuses on the social psychology of loneliness, including interventions to help people feel more connected and less lonely. 

In this episode, we discuss why social connection is so important and how we can come back together without extreme awkwardness. Dr. Kerr talks about loneliness and how the solution is counter to the advice of “just put yourself out there”. We discuss how nature can help build social connections and why we don’t reach out to people when they are going through hard times. Finally, Natalie leaves us with a warning about marketing programs to ease loneliness.

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

May 12, 2022

The stats point to the likelihood that most of us are in some stage of burnout, and guess who this includes? Managers – you know, the ones leading your employees. Managers navigate the delicate balance between investing in and supporting their team, getting their own work done, and (trying to) understand the priorities from above. How do successful managers balance it all? That’s what this episode is all about.

Podcast guest, Karen Suchsland, is known for fostering collaborative team environments that allow team members to learn, grow professionally and successfully deliver on company objectives while having a healthy dose of fun. 

In this episode, we discuss how leaders can help their employees with overwhelm, and why trust is the most crucial ingredient a leader needs to build. Karen guides leaders on how to navigate the conversation around mental health and offers a script for following up after you’ve suggested specific resources. Finally, she leaves us with ways a leader can better engage their team (and these are ones she’s implemented with her own teams).

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

May 10, 2022

It’s been over a year since host, Jen Arnold, decided to take a break from the Redesigning Wellness podcast. In this episode, Jen walks you through what’s in store for the podcast and her thoughts on where we are today (and where we’re not) with organizational wellbeing.

She also reveals a new product she’s just released and unveils where her and her family settled down after almost two years of RV travel. Plus, she answers the questions she gets most often about the transition from full time RV life to living in a (stationary) house.

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

 

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