Circle Up

I recently became a huge fan of Charles Eisenstein, the author...

noraschiess — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:46:37 -0400

I recently became a huge fan of Charles Eisenstein, the author of a book called Sacred Economics, which discusses how we as a society need to transition to a more connected, sustainable way of being. A group called Sustainable Man recently put together this video, ”A New Story of the People,” summarizing a recent TEDx talk Charles gave - and it’s incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. Check it out!

The Smile Epidemic

noraschiess — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:08:00 -0400

As we celebrate the first United Nations International Day of Happiness today, March 20, 2013, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce Jennifer Moss, an incredible woman that my team had the opportunity to meet at SXSW in Austin last week. Jennifer is the co-founder & chief brand guardian of The Smile Epidemic – a wonderful initiative that aims to create “The Happiest Community on Earth” through a social sharing platform that allows people to safely share what makes them happy, and discover what makes others happy. The site is a pin board of individuals ‘sharing their smiles’ by posting pictures of what brightens their lives!

After all, happiness is meant to be shared - and on a day like today, we should all be sharing our smiles with the world! :)

The inspiration for the Smile Epidemic came to Jennifer when her husband, Jim, faced a serious health issue. He found that he felt overwhelmingly better and made significant advancements in his recovery when he focused on the positive things in his life, was surrounded by people who supported his progression, and wrote daily entries in his gratitude journal - noting what he was thankful for. By reflecting on positive aspects of his life, both Jim and his family found it easier to cope with his illness. To share what their family had learned, Jim & Jennifer co-founded The Smile Epidemic – with the mission of helping others realize that there are great things in life to focus on, regardless of the challenges they face.

There are intentional activities that we can do on a regular basis to increase our happiness - and sharing a picture of something that makes you smile with “the happiest community on earth” is a fast and simple way to appreciate the objects, people and environments around you.

We were moved by Jim and Jennifer’s story and hope that participating in The Smile Epidemic will help you “fill your bucket” with only positivity today - and, of course, help others fill theirs too!

Join The Revolution

noraschiess — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:32:00 -0400

Pilar Gerasimo and Cindy Joseph at a recent Wello sponsored event at STORY

I’ve been changing things up a bit recently, and using my blog to spotlight some of the incredible women that I meet, work with and play with each day. Since I just finished reading a thought-provoking blog post from Experience Life editor-in-chief Pilar Gerasimo - I thought I’d write a little about her and how she inspires me. She’s a true revolutionary!

I first met Pilar over a year ago, when a friend told me about her magazine, and her Manifesto For Thriving In A Mixed-Up World. After I read them, all I could think was, “WOW!” Like Pilar, I’d always been frustrated by how weight-loss focused and superficial most health and wellness resources are. But I’d never really thought about how pursuing holistic wellbeing today is truly a “Revolutionary Act.” She’s right! As Pilar so eloquently puts it in point 5 of her Manifesto…

“Being strong and healthy in an unhealthy culture makes you part of an empowered minority. It gives you freedoms and opportunities that poor health and fitness prohibit. It endows you with the energy, clarity and resiliency to fully enjoy your life, and to make bigger, more meaningful contributions in anything you do.

Choosing a healthy way of life involves making some revolutionary choices, and it also has revolutionary results. Because when you change your health for the better, you change the lives of everyone around you for the better, too.

In a very real way, you change your world.”

I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Pilar, for creating such wonderful resources to help us maintain true wellbeing in this crazy, mixed-up world. Hope you’ll all check out Experience Life, and share the Manifesto with others!

Get Your Soul in Control!

noraschiess — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:48:00 -0500

I often tell people that I have the coolest job in the world. One of the reasons I feel that way is that meeting passionate women entrepeneurs is actually part of my job. How great is that!?! And I met a ton of them over the past few weeks during Wello’s sponsorship of a wellness experience at STORY.

One such woman was Janet Neal, who recently sent me a copy of her book, “Soul in Control: Reflections of a Reformed Superwoman.” Reading short stories about Janet’s life as she navigated her path from the corporate world to where she is today has really kept me smiling this week. Her anecdotes are inspiring, thought-provoking, and at times - hysterical. All of us “superwomen” could learn a lot from Janet, and her philosophy of life. As she says of herself on her web site:

“I have been given certain gifts in this life: the ability to teach, the ability to listen, the ability to write, the ability to do public speaking, intelligence and a sense of humor. I’ve also been given opportunities to learn. One of these has been the lesson on how to gain a balanced perspective on life so that I am able to take life on life’s terms with dignity and grace (most of the time), stay in the day (often), and enjoy the moments of life which are truly a gift. My desire and mission are to help others to build the platform in their lives to be able to live their lives fully, embracing all aspects of themselves, and creating a life a worth living. In the process, they too will recognize their gifts and be able to utilize them to help others, continually paying it forward.”

Thank you for reaching out and sending me your book, Janet! And to everyone else - please check out ”Soul In Control.” You’ll be glad you did!

STORYteller Rachel Shechtman

noraschiess — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:55:00 -0500

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Rachel Shechtman - a visionary who’s completely disrupting retail as I know it. Rachel is the founder and creative genius behind STORY, a Manhattan boutique that offers customers a completely new in-store experience every four to eight weeks to reflect a particular theme.

As themes like “Color,” “Love” and “Home for the Holidays” change, so does the store. And I’m not just talking about a few window displays here and there…..I mean the entire store. You may not even recognize the place from one visit to the next. Rachel and her team literally redesign the store layout and select new merchandise that work together to tell a different story every few months.

Rachel and Agapi Stassinopolous, author of “Unbinding the Heart”

As Rachel herself explained in an interview with the Huffington Post, “As people have less time—and the ultimate luxury on the planet right now is time—they want more out of their experiences. In the past, you could compete on price, quality and service. I think what people compete on now is surprise and delight, and the experience factor. For us, I think that’s what makes people come back. “

I recently had the opportunity to be a part of creating a Wellness story experience with Rachel based upon my vision for wellbeing and Wello. It is important to acknowledge her. It takes a special kind of person to stay on their path and pull off an enterprise like STORY. What I came to admire about Rachel – and what I think has helped make her so successful – is her….

Openness to connect. I spent a lot of time at STORY, and noticed that it’s a place where people pop-in, exchange hello’s and hugs, and open their hearts and minds. Rachel has created an environment where people truly feel comfortable enough to share and connect with one another.
Capacity to care. I’ve heard countless stories over the past few weeks about Rachel’s personal generosity, and how she has supported her staff, friends and colleagues in unexpected ways over the years. Her big heart, ability to listen and genuine desire to help makes her someone you just want to collaborate with.
Intention to live her passion. It’s obvious from the moment you meet Rachel that she loves her work. There’s a gleam in her eye when she talks about STORY that lets you know this it is clearly her passion. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to collaborate with someone who has such energy and enthusiasm for what they do.

Rachel with Kyia Downing, and the ladies of Lotus Wei.

I’ve certainly learned a lot from Rachel over the past several weeks, and am grateful to have had an opportunity to get to know her better. When you’re next in Chelsea, please stop by STORY – and ask for her. She’s almost always there, working (and playing!) hard to bring a new story to life!

Love Yourself

noraschiess — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:09:00 -0500

Recently, I was invited to preview a rehearsal of 4Chambers, a participatory experience created by Jody Oberfelder that opens in the fall of 2013. I was pleasantly surprised by her personal invitation and still find myself reflecting on the unique experience she’s creating.

While watching the dancers move gracefully around the floor, I really did become aware of my own heart beat and pulse points. Through carefully choreographed and beautifully executed moves, the company managed to raise the audience’s consciousness to a level at which they could feel the beats of their own hearts — hearts that we often overburden or hide.

After the preview, the intimacy of sharing my reaction while sitting in a small circle on the hard wooden studio floor with Jody and the dancers was a simple, but special gift. It put a spotlight on the act of graciously “receiving” a gift versus generously “giving” them at a time that caught me off guard.

It made me think about the principles of collaboration — the rhythm of giving and receiving in order to seamlessly work toward a common purpose. That rhythm is something real, that you can actually feel if you stop and take the time to pick up on it. And it’s absolutely vital to the life and survival of any work that involves a team.

If you’re in New York on Valentine’s Day, Jody will be previewing some of the work that I saw at I Love Dance. Check it out! You won’t regret it!

Get Active in 2013

noraschiess — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:25:55 -0500

Gretchen Reynolds had two interesting articles in the New York Times over the past few weeks that are definitely worth checking out.

The first, “Exercise and the Ever Smarter Human Brain,” presents an emerging view of evolution that posits that physical activity played a critical role in making our brains larger. Amazing! The article goes on to explain why this should be significant to us now.

“The broad point of this new notion is that if physical activity helped to mold the structure of our brains, then it most likely remains essential to brain health today, says John D. Polk, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and co-author, with Dr. Raichlen, of the new article.”

The other article, “Good and Bad, the Little Things Add Up In Fitness,” summarizes Gretchen’s biggest take-aways from the fitness research she learned about in 2012. As she explains, the recurring theme she noticed was that even “small steps” people take to become regularly active can improve long-term health. One need not aim to jog 5 miles a day to stay fit. In fact - that could be overdoing it!

One of her closing thoughts is important…

But when I think about the science that has most affected how I plan my life, I return again and again to those studies showing that physical activity alters how long and how well we live. My days of heedless youth are behind me. So I won’t soon forget the study I wrote about in September detailing how moderate, frequent physical activity in midlife can delay the onset of illness and frailty in old age. Exercise won’t prevent you from aging, of course. Only death does that. But this study and others from this year underscore that staying active, even in moderate doses, dramatically improves how your aging body feels and responds.

I’ll certainly try to remember these studies during the cold winter months when it’s tough to motivate myself to go out walking or jogging. Hope you all will too!

Sparks of Inspiration

noraschiess — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:41:00 -0500

It’s been a quiet weekend of reflection as I wind down the year and mentally prepare for the holidays. The warmer weather inspired me to go outside and nurture my rose bushes and flower beds for winter. The spark reminded me of the importance of paying attention to those daily flashes of inspiration. They truly are gifts that bring forth the playful part of me.

It lines up with everything I am learning about the power of play. It bolsters my energy and definitely helps to keep my creative juices flowing! So I decided to make a short list of recent inspirational sparks:

- a fire with friends

- big belly laughter with my team

- a good book (that has that divine smell)

- a colorful (and hard)1,000 piece puzzle

- heart & soul on the piano

Inspiration prompts me to have more fun. It encourages me to hold on to that clear picture of the happy world I want for myself. It also helps counterbalance the horrific headlines that seemingly swirl around us every day. Lately, that’s easier said than done.

It is also changing my way of thinking. Someone recently sent me a quote that pointed out an important difference between inspiration and motivation.

“Inspiration is what the light burning within you is truly about, as opposed to motivation, which is doing something because if you don’t do it, there will be negative repercussions.”

Coming from a practice of leadership, I took pride in paying attention to ways that effectively motivate people. I had not really thought about the notion that motivation can be more about making someone do something that they don’t really want to do. I would much rather inspire someone in a way that unleashes their best work. The result would pay more dividends by becoming a multiplier of sparks allowing inspiration to more freely flow.

So I say - pay more attention to those lovely sparks. I believe they are needed more now than ever to uplift our world.

Rise Up

noraschiess — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:33:00 -0500

photo by Chuck Olsen, Vidtiger, http://vidtiger.com

Music makes me feel alive and helps me express myself when words cannot be found. Lately, I don’t have the words for the profound sense of gratitude I have for all the wonderful things happening in my life. I am convinced that telling stories through song and dance - our heart’s desires - can bring people together in unexpected ways.

I experienced this first hand when I heard Blackey’s powerful voice back in the summer at the Bitter End performing with her talented band, the Midnight Mob. I knew right away that she had a big heart and an important story to share.

I did not have a tactical plan that called for commissioning a song for Wello, yet when I finally met her and we shared a little more of our own stories, there was no question it would happen. I invited her to collaborate on writing a few songs that would capture the heart and soul for Wello.

I vividly remember sitting alone outside on a sunny day and words pouring out of my pen onto a scrap of paper around a theme — waking up, speaking out, stepping forward. I snapped a picture of it and sent it to her right away. At that point, she realized I was super serious to make this happen. We built in creative time to walk, talk and write in order for her to “feel” the vision.

I soon knew that she’d be able to translate that vision into something real and alive—and that the experience would touch her in a very personal way. This was vividly brought to life last week when Blackey brought her amazing voice to a circle of women and put a big fat exclamation point on Wello when she performed our song “Rise Up!”

I’ll share the video clip and recording when they are ready so you can see and feel for yourself. Meanwhile, check out the lyrics below.

Thank you, Blackey, for all the time and effort, but mostly for sharing your gift and your heart. It is truly inspiring and reminds us of the power of our individual voices when they express deep personal (and universal) truths. It also affirms the magic of serendipity and the wisdom of trusting our gut and the people who show up, especially once we begin to wake up and rise up—to make the world a better place.

Rise Up

How long have I been staring at that hole in the sky

How long have I not noticed it was the sun

And all the time we wasted here on empty sorrows

Oh we can lose ourselves

But I won’t lose myself again

Hey you with the thunder silenced by your hunger

Oh how it kicked you down

And you with the words on yours lips torn to bits

Rise up and shake the ground

Oh the road we travel on it feels so long

You’re not alone you take a hand and you’ll be strong

The weight of the world leaving our weary hands to tremble

Walk on

We’ve been down so long we forgot how to stand

Oh no not me rise up

How long have I tired myself to chains of the past

How long have I believed the lie would break me

And all the times we held our hearts with limitations

Oh we can choose to fight

And I won’t take this laying down

Hey you with the thunder silenced by your hunger

May it never keep you down

And you with the words on your lips let it rip

Rise up and shake the ground

I said oh the road we travel on it feels so long

Please take a moment to check out Lynn Hurdle-Price’s...

noraschiess — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:36:51 -0500

Please take a moment to check out Lynn Hurdle-Price’s recent Tedx talk about her journey to self-acceptance. Here’s an excerpt from my favorite part of this powerful talk…

“Wars - even metaphorical - create hate…not love. And this so called war on obesity – it has created a normalization of looking down on anyone who is seen as overweight. It has created the opportunity for people to assume the worst of us…to offer unsolicited advice….It has created the last socially acceptable form of outright discrimination in this country. We must have a sit-in at the proverbial lunch counters of this country. We must move - not out of hate – but out of love. Love for ourselves and these miraculous bodies that we have been born into. And love for our children - who deserve to grow up in a world where body diversity and holistic wellness are celebrated.”

Grab Earth

noraschiess — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:48:00 -0500

I would LOVE to invite Agnes Denes to lunch and learn more about how I can support the projects she wants to pursue. What a visionary! An enlightening article was written in the New York Times about her creative “ecologically conscious earthwork” being introduced in Leslie Tokonow’s gallery in New York.

The final quote of the article stirred my soul –

“There’s a lot of things that I want to do that I didn’t get to do yet,” she said. “I feel so restricted at being caught in my lifetime.”

What grabbed my attention was her compassion and use of time capsules in order to personally connect to the earth with hopes of positively impacting the future. Now that’s really stretching creativity! Read for yourself about her private ritual “Rice/Tree/Burial” held in 1968. It really made me stop and think about how I approach bringing ideas to life.

In this article, Agnes explains her desire to raise consciousness for how time, space, mass, and energy are all interconnected and interdependent. In the summer of 1977, the ritual was re-enacted at Artpark in a sacred forest that was once an Indian burial ground working along with the watchful eyes of the Indians. The time capsule is to be opened in 2979 — a thousand years after its burial!

While I know people in business acknowledge macro-trends, rarely do we have the patience to take that long view of reaching back and re-examining history to provide answers for where we are going.

As I browsed through her other work (e.g. the aerial view of WHEATFIELD), I was inspired by her pioneering approach. At the beginning of her “second half of life,” she called attention to social concerns through visual techniques.

WHEATFIELD captures her walking through a field that was planted on abused land - with the sprawling urban city visible in the background. Her use of contrasts in an art form is brilliant for putting a spotlight on societal challenges. This is important as we wrestle with “sustainability” and what that truly means on a global scale.

Time spent reflecting on her work also got me thinking about the importance of “grabbing earth” – watering plants, composting, or rejuvenating soil — every single day. Just the simple task of composting through the winter months makes me smile as I look forward to repotting my houseplants and nurturing my flower beds with that rich dark soil that has been fortified with nutrients from leaves, banana peels, egg shells and other leftovers from my kitchen! I love showing my kids the anemic soil after a long cold winter and having them help refuel the soil. I even crank up the music every Friday for my house plants. Yes, they love it!

It also reinforced the power of a healing touch that is often passed by given our tendency to be in a hurry or just ‘buy it’ instead of taking time to make it. I absolutely know that my personal wellbeing is affected by my rituals that connect me to others, to the earth and to myself. Taking the time to make that personal connection through a handwritten letter or handmade item strengthens our own resilience as well as the bonds that interconnect me to others.

So in honor of the haiku that Agnes placed in her time capsule, I share this haiku poem that was anonymous –

Only one planet earth

Take good care of it or else

Die along with it

Perfecting How We Practice

noraschiess — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:39:10 -0500

It was a big week for us Big Ten College Football fans! I was one of many celebrating as The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Michigan Wolverines, 26-21 to finish the season 12-0 in Urban Meyer’s first year as head coach. (Way to go Urban!)

The team performed in front of the largest crowd ever on site to see a game at Ohio Stadium. ESPN calls the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry the greatest sports rivalry of the 20th century. I get caught up in it because I grew up in Ohio, and competed in sports. The first time I walked into St. John’s arena was actually as a camper in OSU’s Summer basketball camp! Later on, as a graduate student pursuing my PhD at OSU, I tailgated, participated in skull sessions, and did the High Street crawl as a part of a passionate community of loyal fans.

Participating in competitive sports has influenced me in many ways. I know it has shaped my general philosophy on leading teams. Being a team captain when I was younger meant I learned to study the landscape and my competition, and adjust ‘game plans’ based on my team members’ strengths or weaknesses so that we could perform our best. I took pride in being physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared. I still do. I attribute my ‘readiness’ for anything today to the simple fact that I learned early on to practice like I played - all out, all heart.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

- Vince Lombardi

In the sports world, Vince Lombardi is often quoted about the importance of practice. In fact, all the ‘greats’ across many disciplines have acknowledged its importance. For me, practice is not about trying to achieve a perfect outcome, but more about who and what I practice for, and what that practice helps us build over time. After all - it’s the little things we do every day that end up representing our lives as a whole.

As I’ve reflected on my own vision — to help other women improve their wellbeing — I’ve come to realize it cannot be done alone. Achieving this vision will require contributions from circles of people with many different backgrounds, perspectives and skills.

Me and the Wello women I’m working with to achieve this vision must truly listen to our “fans,” see what inspires them and understand what they want - not what we think they want. I believe that creative collaborations with our “fans” are ultimately what will have the most meaningful impact as we try to redefine how women think about and approach wellbeing.

So we’ll be thinking about you today as we show up for practice. In fact, we’ll be partnering with our “fans” every step of the way, in all that we do. And we’ll be having fun doing it! Would you like to join us and contribute? Let us know!

Colorblind?

noraschiess — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:07:00 -0500

My daughter and I happened upon a fun(ny) adventure today. We needed colored string and beads for a project. So, of course, we started to Google what shops we should visit. We ended up choosing Bead World USA on Broadway/37th. Traffic was horrendous, so I decided to run the 40 blocks and she agreed to ride her scooter. Off we went listening to music while enjoying the sunny sides of the streets. This was a perfect day.

What I observed was the lack of color all around us as we scooted down Park Avenue. The leaves on the white sidewalk were crumbly and tan without the bright reds or vibrant oranges. What a contrast as I reflected upon all the intriguing conversations I have had over the past few weeks connecting color to wellbeing. COLOR! It is an intriguing topic especially given that color is the only energy that we can actually see.

Many of you are probably saying — duh — I feel different when I wear black versus white. So, yes, of course different colors mean different things. I am here to tell you it is not immediately obvious based on my own NYC survey today. Yes, I like striking up conversations with total strangers much to my daughter’s embarrassment. (Mom! C’mon!) But the Nesquik diehards are wearing yellow!

Many proudly recall that ROYGBIV helps us remember the colors of the rainbow, but do not know that every color has a different wavelength and individual properties. As a color meets our eyes, the frequency sends a signal to our brain that allows us to distinguish one color from another. So yes, I am convinced that color affects our wellbeing, but it is not an obvious connection to most. How important is it to elevate the connection? It’s important.

Scientists know that color produces a biochemical reaction within our bodies directly stimulating important glands that produce hormones regulating sleep, metabolism, and emotions. Treatment with the appropriate color is said to be able to restore balance and normal functioning. Color is intimately linked to Feng shui and our chakras. So I should not have been surprised when a colleague sent me an article announcing that Philips has launched the Hue bulb. It involves a new kind of light bulb which can be tuned using a smartphone to saturate a room in almost any color of light.

Philips’s approach is based on how students performed in rooms illuminated by different types of lighting: a red-rich “relax”, a blue-infused “energize”, a milder, yellowish “concentrate” and a “reading” blend. So I am eager to check out the system, which claims to help me sleep better!! If NASA is developing similar lights for astronauts who have trouble sleeping more than 6 hours a night then I am all for it.

So go ahead and check out the color wheels that are already out there. Do not ignore color. It matters - so see what strikes you. I was glad to see the consistency of the definition of “yellow” — the primary color of Wello — the new women’s wellbeing movement that I’m helping to launch. It’s happy, fun, and cheerful! In the meantime, I am going to check out the Technicolor Fabrics in the spirit of staying on the fringe of the American Music Awards.

Had the honor of hearing Brene Brown speak at the University of...

noraschiess — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:31:52 -0500

Had the honor of hearing Brene Brown speak at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing yesterday as part of their Wellbeing Series. Don’t have a video from that event to share, so check out this video from her TED talk! She’s incredible!

Listening And Finding Your Voice

noraschiess — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:43:01 -0500

As the year starts to wind down, I’ve been speeding up to finish 2012 tasks, while at the same time slowing down to adequately plan for 2013. To that end, this week included many review and planning sessions that required questioning colleagues and listening to their answers. So when I read “The Science and Art of Listening” written by Seth Horowitz in today’s New York Times, it got me thinking about how I can be more effective as a leader in a world that moves quickly and puts a premium on “air time.” That premium can certainly affect the quality of a dialogue and the outcome of a decision. The questions I ask are only helpful if I can truly pay attention to the answers I receive.

Seth is a neuroscientist, so I value how clearly he explains the scientific principles behind the sense of hearing. He rightly points out that in a world of digital distraction and information overload, our society is in danger of losing its ability to truly listen. This suggests to me that we have to be more mindful of where and when we hone in on practicing the art of listening in order to have a positive impact and, better yet, move a team forward.

I raise this because of the importance we place on having a “voice” and how that may downplay the importance of having a “good ear.” I can hear my Mom in one ear, and a career mentor in the other one. My Mom is a musician and often comments on whether a voice is “in tune” or not. The more in tune we are, she says, the better able we are to sing a tune that resonates. Can you hear the melody?

On the other shoulder, I hear a mentor that pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me more conscientious of the need to have a voice - even if it sometimes cracks. I vividly remember a lovely dinner sitting at a table with her and other very powerful women leaders. I was so enjoying listening to their stories that I was not even thinking about my need to contribute — to grab “air time.” Ironically, that’s when I got my own wake-up call. One of them blared out — “you need to find your voice and speak up!” Frankly, I had discounted my voice for fear that it was not yet “in tune” - yet was undoubtedly taking a lot of pride in being “in-tune” as I listened and took in every single idea exchanged. In hindsight, I should have offered that insight to the table.

And so I have come full circle on the art of having an effective “voice” — the acknowledgement of the wake up, the courage to speak out when words aren’t melodious, and confidence to step forward when you may feel a tad queasy — all are prerequisites. My leadership role in Nutrition Ventures requires that I improve my ability to listen and learn in order to more effectively speak out with solutions to close the gaps I see in the areas of health and wellness. So yes, being on the front lines requires a passionate “voice.” The sustainability of it requires a commitment to keep it “in tune” — the art of listening. Thanks, Seth, for the gentle reminder. May this be a week where you declare the importance of quality “air time” — acknowledging the answers, while continuing to ask the critical questions.

Back On My Feet

noraschiess — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Anne Mahlum, a woman that I admire tremendously. Anne is the Founder and President of Back on My Feet, a non-profit organization that seeks to help homeless people gain self-sufficiency by using running as a means to build self-esteem. As Anne so eloquently puts it, “Running is a beautiful metaphor for life. Life is about choosing different roads, and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”

Anne’s idea for Back on My Feet was born 5 years ago, when she jogged by a homeless shelter every morning on her daily run. She began to develop a rapport with the men outside, and one morning – decided to invite them to join her. By partnering with that shelter, Anne created the first Back on My Feet run in July 2007 in Philadelphia. Now her organization helps people gain self-respect and self-confidence through running in 9 cities across the U.S. After completing a program in which people set personal goals, run in groups, and work in teams, Back on My Feet works with its members to find stable jobs and places to live.

Anne passionately believes that everyone can make a difference in the world, and that the community of people she has helped build will reach their goals “one step at a time.” I’m inspired by Anne and the circles of people she has brought together that truly have made a difference.

The Science of PLAY

noraschiess — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:14:54 -0400

A few days ago, I blogged about a clever little acronym that my team and I have been working with called PLAY, which - on one level, stands for Protein intake, Liquid intake, Activity and You time. In our research of how women can begin leading healthier lives, we’ve found that getting the right amounts of each of these daily can really help.

But I haven’t written yet about the biggest reason we’ve been drawn to PLAY. Emerging science is showing that being playful is actually extremely important for our health - helping to make us more successful, less violent, better able to maintain sanity in times of crises, and better able to handle grief.

In his book, “Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul,” psychiatrist and play theorist Dr. Stuart Brown writes about how play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, and ability to problem solve. It’s a fascinating book, and I encourage you to pick it up!

As a result of the work of Dr. Brown and our own research into the science of play, my colleagues and I are certainly making time to “play” a lot more in our own workplace environments. Have you gotten your play today? Be sure that you do! And be sure to check www.wellowomen.com soon for more on how we intend to bring this idea of PLAY to the women of the world!

Talking About PLAY at FNCE

noraschiess — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:22:00 -0400

I’m extremely energized, because I just returned from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) where I had an opportunity to learn about the work of hundreds of nutrition professionals, while also sharing more about the incredible work that we’re doing at PepsiCo.

In many of my own speeches and one-on-one conversations with women at FNCE, I spoke about the importance of something that we’re calling PLAY.

What is PLAY? It’s a simple, positive little acronym that friends, colleagues and others we’ve collaborated with have created. It stands for Protein, Liquid, Activity and You-time.

Be on the lookout for more about PLAY soon on wellowomen.com. But in the meantime, take a little time to think about whether you’re eating enough protein, getting enough liquid, being active, and getting in a little you-time - in whatever ways work for you, each and every day. From what we’re hearing and seeing - it can really help you feel better, and shine brighter.

And special thanks to all of the wonderful people who attended, participated in, and helped organize the activities and events we sponsored at FNCE. It was an amazing four days!

Tracking Your Body

noraschiess — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:52:43 -0400

A colleague just forwarded this interesting article on CNN Health about tracking your body and the Quantified Self movement.

I especially loved this snippet describing the perspective of Larry Smarr, the man featured in the article, on how we should treat our bodies.

“In Smarr’s view, it’s absurd that we know the ins and outs of our cars, and invest in maintaining them, in ways that we don’t with our bodies. Imagine if you put water into your gas tank because you didn’t read the manual, he said — that’s what some people are doing with their bodies.”

Totally agree! But policymakers, industry, healthcare professionals and others need to collaborate on making that “manual for how to care for your body” much easier for people to understand than it is today.

Do you have a perspective on the merits or pitfalls of using technology to track your body? If so, let me know!

Movement & Memory

noraschiess — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:55:00 -0400

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science and psychology at NYU who studies - among other things - how exercise effects learning, memory and cognition.

We always hear about how physical activity is great for your body and can even improve mood. With Wendy’s research showing that physical activity actually changes the brain and makes you “smarter,” however, the arguments for moving more have mounted to the point that they’re impossible to ignore!

This article in today’s New York Times shows that scientists all over the world are coming to conclusions, similar to Wendy’s. University of Copenhagen researchers recently found that physical exercise can help the brain consolidate and store not only information, but also physical or motor memories. So if you want to remember exactly how to recreate a strum on your guitar or a move of a video game controller - you should do some jumping jacks or go for a run right afterwards.

Amazing! Let’s all get out there and try to move more! And if you have a story about how increasing your physical activity has helped you on a personal level - please share!