EB: Please give a little background on who you are. Education, hometown, family, activities, etc.
Christine~ I'm from a town, south of San Francisco called Daly City. I got my BS in Exercise Physiology from UC Davis and MBA from Univ. of Phoenix.
Darien~ I grew up in in a town called Oakland, CA. I attended UC Davis, where I studied Nutrition Science, ran track, played a little football, and became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Upon completion of my studies I was blessed with the opportunity to compete in track and field on the elite level.
I am happily married, and I have 2 amazing daughters.
I love to play golf, and I love to exercise- all kind of fitness activities!
EB: Why are you passionate about fitness and how did you enter corporate wellness as an area of focus?
Christine~ As a young child, I was not encouraged to be athletic. In fact, I was discouraged and made to feel like I had no athletic capability. I feel, more than ever with the staggering obesity rate in children and in adults, that active lifestyles should be encouraged, and people should feel empowered to live it! When I was awarded a corporate wellness internship with Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems at Hewlett-Packard, I discovered I am able to affect more people and their families in that forum.
Darien~ Ever since I can remember I've always had some affiliation with sports and fitness. Some of my fondest moments as a youth are of little league baseball games, playing in high school homecoming football games, and competing in track meets around the world. All this exposure has naturally led me to an athletic and fitness lifestyle. Upon retiring from competitive running, personal training was a easy transition from from one career to the next. As a certified fitness professional from 2001-2008 I had the opportunity to aid numerous people achieve their fitness goals. By assisting my clients achieve their fitness goals it left me yearning to help more people. It was this yearning that led me to training the employees of companies and realized that there was an industry for what I was doing and it was called "corporate wellness".
EB: At what size does an employer need to consider a corporate wellness program?
Christine~ If you have employees, you ought to have a wellness program!
Darien~ If a company has as few as 1 employee, then that company should have a wellness program of some sort.
EB: Tell me about the basics of a good wellness program?
Christine~ A good wellness program addresses the goals and interests of the organization while ensuring improvement of employee health. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. Therefore, a great wellness program also utilizes strategies that engage the greatest population of employees possible.
Darien~ A good wellness program should address the needs of the entire population while staying consistent with the vision of company.
EB: What tangible benefits can an employer expect from a wellness program? Give an example.
Christine/ Darien~ To list just a few:
• greater employee productivity and morale
• improved team synergy
• lowered health care costs
• reduced costs due to workers compensation, absenteeism, presenteeism, accidents
• reduced employee turnover rate; thus reflecting a greater talent retention rate
EB: What are the key components of corporate wellness?
Christine~
• a plan
• assessment of efficacy
• maximal employee engagement
• return on investment
Darien~ A few key components are 1) senior management support, 2) a plan of direction, 3) thorough assessment of the employees lifestyle and the need/ interest of the company, 4) program evaluations, 5) maximum employee participation, and 6) Return On Investment!
EB: What are the top 3-4 reasons employers are prompted to have enlist your services?
Christine~
• I need creative ways to show employees they are appreciated that is conscientious of a budget.
• To prevent employees from overusing health benefits.
• Prevent workplace accidents
• Improve employee productivity
Darien~ 1) employers need to reduce overall health care expenditures, 2) team building needs to occur, and 3) a reduction of presenteeism along with absenteeism is needed.
EB: What should I be looking for and asking when considering hiring a company to run a program?
Darien~ Some things to consider when choosing a wellness company are 1) who does the program cater to and who can participate in the wellness programs activities, 2) how does the wellness company charge for their services ( ex. per employee or by programs), and what programs are offered by the wellness company.
EB: As a small business owner are there any free or low cost alternative to ?
Christine~ Absolutely!!! We have both free and low-cost program options that are fun.
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