Monica: I’m so happy to be chatting with you, Colleen! The work you’re doing is so needed in our health and wellness industry, we’d love to learn more about how it all got started for you.
Colleen: I took a very typical career path following college and worked my way up the corporate ladder, spending a decade at some of the largest companies in the world. The work didn’t speak to my spirit, but it gave our family the financial wellness to pursue mindbodygreen.
Monica: The work you do now must be so different from when you were in the corporate world. Are there any lessons you took with you as you pursued a new path?
Colleen: It was during that time I learned great lessons, and made close connections in the corporate world. I wish that I could have appreciated the experience more in the moment. Steve Jobs has a great quote, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards,” which is so relevant for life.
In 2012, I had a very scary health scare, a pulmonary embolism, which caused me to take the plunge and transition to wellness on a full-time basis.
Monica: That must have been quite a scare, and it’s so true that we often don’t take the time to stop and appreciate the moment when we’re in it. Looking back, how has your own personal view around health and happiness changed since shifting towards your own wellness company?
Colleen: Values are evolving and success is not measured by financial success, but living a purpose-driven life. The purpose of health and happiness is to live a complete and fulfilling life. How we think of this at mindbodygreen is a blend of physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental well being. We believe that it’s all connected, which is why mindbodygreen is one word and not three.
Monica: I really appreciate your focus on aligning personal values with your business in such a purposeful way. How do you balance it all?
Colleen: Balancing personal wellness with running a for profit and for purpose entrepreneurial endeavor is definitely tricky and requires intention. There can be a misconception within wellness that the same rigor and discipline doesn’t apply to typical business metrics. Wellness won’t continue to amplify its impact unless we build a profitable business. There’s still a lot of work and stress, but I’ve learned to better balance the stress as it doesn’t go away, but just evolves as your company and challenges evolve.
Monica: Leading a life that’s measured by your impact on others can be more meaningful and fulfilling. How does that allow you to thrive in your own life, and in how you’re sharing it with the rest of the world?
Colleen: The wellness world offers a tool kit to help with the ups and downs of the journey. Between running a company and spending time with family, there’s little time for experimentation with different wellness treatments. I have to stick with what I have found works for me, and gives me a high ROI when it comes to nourishing my soul and recharging. Ultimately, I just want to help make these same tools of wellness accessible for all people.
Because wellness is a journey, it’s not the destination.
For more mindful inspiration, head to www.mindbodygreen.com.