Laura Putnam

Workplace Wellness that Works:
10 steps to infuse well-being and vitality into any organization.

We know a healthier, happier workforce is good for people, good for the bottom line and essential for building a winning team. But, are workplace wellness programs actually working? Evidence suggests most don’t. This session outlines the 10 steps you can take to ensure that your workplace wellness efforts actually work. 

Key points:

• How to excite leaders and employees to imagine what’s possible and start with what’s right.
• How to build a wellness initiative that moves across the organization, teams and locations.
• How to make workplace wellness sustainable, easy and a normal part of the day-to-day culture.

The Pandemic’s Second Act:
Toll on Our Mental Health.

Over two years have passed since the onset of COVID, and governments, private businesses and civil society have made tremendous strides to protect our physical health. But, the pandemic’s second act is here: a raging mental health crisis. This may be a battle we’ll be waging for years to come. The good news is the topic of mental health is starting to normalize. However, leaders are falling back to old ways by targeting the individual when the problem lies more in the workplace itself. What can organizations and their leaders do differently? This session unpacks what and how.

Key points:

• Why most mental health interventions, while well intended, have delivered lackluster results.
• What organizations can do differently and how this begins with taking an “outside-in” approach.
• Key actions that we can take as individuals to maintain our emotional well-being.

The Multiplier Effect of Well-Being:
​What the best team leaders do differently.

While wellness may not be part of the job description, every manager is uniquely positioned to make or break their team members’ well-being. This session demonstrates the critical role that managers play in embedding wellness into the fabric of business as usual, the specific steps that each can take to become a Multiplier of Well-Being and how each can create an oasis of well-being for their team.

Key points:

• How to lead by example and (figuratively speaking) put on the spandex!
• How to change the conversation and authentically communicate well-being.
• How to create an infrastructure where well-being becomes normal for your team.

Wellness Privilege:
What is it and what can we do about it?

While the dime-a-dozen self-help book would have you believe that healthier habits are well within reach for anyone, the truth is that some of us are imbued with Wellness Privilege – and others are not. Privilege plays a role not only in access to the American Dream, but also in achieving optimal health and well-being. This session awakens attendees to the link between workplace well-being and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We’ll unpack Wellness Privilege, how it manifests, how to bridge the gap, and what every organization, team and individual can do to make a difference.

Key points:

• Name three evidence-based reasons why the over-reliance on urging individuals to take personal responsibility is both insufficient and even harmful.
• Examine six domains of well-being in relation to Wellness Privilege, demonstrating how some of us are imbued with more Wellness Privilege than others.
• Identify specific ways that we can take action to tackle Wellness Privilege on an organizational level, on a team level and on an individual level.

Born to Move, Told to Sit:
Our well-being is in the balance.

From classrooms where kids sit for hours at a time to workplaces that keep people in front of computers to groceries that are delivered to our homes, our society is built around us sitting – a lot. And, while catchy slogans like “sitting is the new smoking” are commonplace and yoga pants are everywhere, the average American sits 10 hours a day. And, most of us are struggling to find work-life balance. Meanwhile, we’re told to “Move more, sit less!” – but most of us don’t. This session unpacks the “biological-cultural” conundrum we’re up against – and provides a path forward.

Key points:

• How we are “born to move” and the unexpected benefits of movement to becoming our best selves.
• The ways that our culture “conspires” against us getting in motion.
• The steps we can take to naturally infuse motion throughout our day and get out of our seat!

Creatures of Culture:
Why taking a team-based approach to well-being is our best bet.

With a $94B fitness industry, why are we not getting any healthier? Hint: we do not need another self-help book or habit formation app. We need collective action. This talk unveils the cultural complexities that get in the way of us becoming our best selves, revealing the cultural barriers and systemic inequities that must be addressed.  Get inspired to take a team-based approach to well-being and gain a blueprint to make a difference in your community, your workplace, your team, and for yourself.

Key Points:

• Understand why we need to rewrite the well-being script to acknowledge that we are more Creatures of Culture (as opposed to Creatures of Habit),
• How to leverage spheres of influence (policy, community, workplace, teams) to achieve better results.
• How to activate key influencers (leaders, managers, teachers, parents, peer influencers) for a collective approach to make a difference for all.

Me At My Best®:
How to thrive in good times and bad.

What are the keys to not just surviving – but fully thriving? How can you become your version of “Me At My Best” – even as we navigate challenging times? Through a combination of stories and science, learn about the secrets to overcome stress and burnout. Glean insights on the well-being dimensions needed to be your best self: physical, emotional, social, financial, career and community. Come away refreshed, restored and armed with specific takeaways to catapult yourself into a revitalized way of living. ​

Key points:

• Know what it takes to thrive and clarify what Me at My Best® looks like for you.
• Close the “knowing and doing” gap to take action.
• Navigate the currents to overcome adversity and achieve optimal well-being.