Wellspring is a health & wellness gift box and care package company providing turnkey solutions for human resources professionals across the globe. The employee-focused kits provide everything from better-for-you snacks to locally curated, specialty brands.
Wellspring’s process starts with a frank discussion with employers to identify areas of improvement to develop a wellness plan that works for the employer and its employees.
To create its wellness kits, Wellspring also partners with a variety of wellness product manufacturers, including organic, non-GMO, vegan, plant-based and others.
Culture is important to any company, including restaurants, and programs that make employees feel valued and appreciated can help build that culture. Creating synergy is also important.
From a fitness perspective, the pandemic affected people in different ways. Some gained weight, some lost weight and some gained half of it back. As we look at life after the pandemic, wellness is important and companies can play a role in helping employees embrace wellness – in all of its many forms – and all of the personal benefits that come with it.
Wellness can be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial and many other things.
Quotes
“Right now we’re seeing a lot of companies throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks. We’re throwing all sorts of healthcare in your direction, we’re throwing the Calm app – these are supposed to be the solutions, but none of it is really sticking.” (Andrew)
“We’re trying to figure out what’s most important to the employee, and at the end of the day it is equipping them with the tools necessary to combat life.” (Andrew)
“Business owners need to understand that the word ‘benefits’ means benefits. It doesn’t mean things that are standard issue.” (Joseph)
“We found that a culture centered around giving and caring for one another is the ringer for culture creation and employee retention.” (Andrew)
“Accountants need to sleep better, sales people need to eat better. It’s hard to approach anything with a one-size-fits-all model. Individualized care is what’s going to be most effective.” (Andrew)
“The goal of Wellspring really is to find that binding comradery that is normally found under situations of extreme duress but finding it instead under situations of extreme wellness and care.” (Joseph)
Transcript
00:00.00
vigorbranding
Everyone today I’m joined by my friend Andrew O’shea he is the founder and Ceo of wellspring and we’re going to have a great talk about the state of the industry as it pertains to employees and teams and camaraderie and all of that. Ah, but before we do that Andrew say hello give a little bit of backstory and and you can tell people what well springs all about.
00:17.91
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah, absolutely well. Thank you again. Joe for having me on here. Real excited to chat with you this morning. My name is Andrew O’shea for those who don’t know me I am the founder and Ceo of a company called wellspring and we provide health and wellness gift boxes and care packages. Ah to provide for employees as a part of a wellness program that is substantive and and make substantive change the the kicker here being that we oftentimes partner through companies insurance channels to help pay for this That’s a little bit about me.
00:48.78
vigorbranding
I Love it. Yeah and we have a lot to talk about I think anybody who’s tuned into this episode knows that we haven’t quite cracked the nut on what some people have labeled the great resignations. Others have ah relabeled it. The great transition.
01:04.30
vigorbranding
You know because we’re we’re not seeing people leave the workforce necessarily they may be shifting to another company. So and so forth, but employee retention in general. It’s just its hotbut issue would be an understatement and I think a lot of people like 0 like to 0 in on the money. It’s like oh we weren’t paying people enough. We need to raise minimum wage. We need to compensate them better.
01:09.81
Andrew O_Shea
Um, even.
01:21.48
Andrew O_Shea
Are.
01:23.44
vigorbranding
And and what I’ve seen and at least in my experiences is I’ve seen some people offering up to twenty five thirty dollars an hour and still not getting traction for a restaurant team. So how how have you approached maybe reconfiguring the perception that compensation is the sole driver.
01:41.27
Andrew O_Shea
Sure, um, it’s a great question and it is typically historically what is driving folks to change positions. It is you know at the very beginning of covid we saw a lot of people coming home and we were all sitting on the couch we were all. Looking at 1 another looking for clear messaging as to what to do next a lot of people were being furloughed a lot of people were being laid off a lot of people who still had the same jobs were looking at the other couch and saying okay well what’s the difference between the 2 jobs. Okay, this person’s getting paid better. They’re actually engaged with their organization. They’re getting all sorts of other benefits and amenities while I’m still stuck at this number so on the initial side. You do see a little bit of the compensation. Maybe an uptick there um to try and compete and retain employees. But when that. Uptick happened we saw okay, well if that’s not the main driver. What is it about company culture or about benefits that we can add to this that is actually sticking with people because right now you’ve seen a lot of companies throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks we’re throwing all sorts of health carer direction were. Or throwing the calm app or these are supposed to be the solutions for the employee workforce but none of it’s really sticking and to that point we’re we’re trying to figure out what is it? That’s most important to an employee and at the end of the day it is equipping them with the tools necessary to combat life.
03:07.14
Andrew O_Shea
Um, we’ve we’ve seen work life balance go from fifty fifty to non-xistent if you will and and with life happening all around us. You know again I refer back to when we came back to the couch. Um, we had new employees. We had no coworkers. We had the dog the cat. Kid in the other room our spouse or or partner and we were ill-equipped so you know we we found that by offering benefits to folks that makes life a little bit easier on them and themselves and get them more in the sound mind necessary to be the most productive selves they can be at work. Really is what has been sticking for folks.
03:47.86
vigorbranding
Yeah, the the word benefits is interesting and and I’ve had this discussion with some people over the years um I you know I was a business owner for gosh decades and it’s kind of gross to say out loud. Um, but.
03:56.85
Andrew O_Shea
2
04:00.91
vigorbranding
You know when I had discussions that the business owners or folks who were thinking about business I’m like get to realize that the word benefits means benefits. It doesn’t mean um, this is standard issue. Um now what has happened is the traditional idea of benefits The things that were used to lure.
04:05.34
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah.
04:16.49
vigorbranding
Individuals to accompany over another one things like vacation time things like Healthcare things like ah insurance opportunities and and the lists goes on daycare things like that those were truly benefits. It’s like yeah yeah, you know you’re going to work in my factory but here we’re doing these things for you. Well the the tide rows.
04:22.91
Andrew O_Shea
Mean.
04:30.88
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah.
04:35.55
vigorbranding
And I don’t even know if we should call them benefits anymore. They’re they’re they’re just givens they have to be there like you can’t not have them. Um and so that opens up the door for this new idea of benefits and you know the restaurant industry in particular I think is notoriously um, pretty bad at benefits. You know the.
04:38.36
Andrew O_Shea
With me.
04:47.33
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
04:54.60
vigorbranding
Ah, you know there’s been a lot of changes recently. The pandemic has definitely kicked things into high gear with reevaluating how we treat Ah our our team members and going Beyond you know, just putting values on the wall and and calling it a day and then we see the same thing in like for instance, my industry the ad industry or the creative industry.
05:06.45
Andrew O_Shea
You can.
05:12.28
vigorbranding
The joke goes you know for a lot of corporate places like oh terrible work environment terrible work life balance here’s a pizza party on Friday we have good culture so at the risk of of rambling on can let’s talk about um culture and.
05:20.88
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah, things.
05:28.91
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
05:30.10
vigorbranding
How do you think? culture gets cultivated within an organization. What are your perspectives on that and I know it’s a ringer of a question so apologies.
05:37.65
Andrew O_Shea
Sure? Well of course. Um and I love pizza parties. So I don’t know what you’re talking about. But yeah culture is ah is a huge behemoth to tackle and what we what we know at the end of the day is. Culture is created by the people it’s the people that are part of the organization. It is the organization that is built um without the people there is no organization. There is no culture so it really is about setting a tone and a precedent with the folks that you were working with and how they’re approaching their work style and what sort of ah I hate to say it. But. Kind of vibes. They’re working with ah is it somebody who is going to be more of a downspeaker is it somebody who’s more of a um, a community builder. These are the types of things that come into play when hiring and firing folks and that at the end of the day is what is going to create the culture now. Um, there are all sorts of things that can dictate the message and what is talked about and what the feel of that culture is so at the end of the day we found that having a culture centered around giving and caring for 1 another and showing hey we know this is hard. We love you. We care about you. That at the end of the day was what was the ringer for really culture creation and in turn what we were just talking about employee retention people want to stick around when they feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves and when we all are are remote 100 % or were hybrid.
07:01.49
Andrew O_Shea
Go into the office one week we’re at home the other we don’t see some of our employees anymore you start to lose that. Ah that connectivity that engagement that feeling like you are a part of something larger than yourselves and that’s where recreating that in a virtual environment is key to any business’s success.
07:18.71
vigorbranding
Um, so for those that don’t know. Could you explain down talker that term.
07:22.42
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah, absolutely So I mean I I don’t mean to go too far into it but somebody who is going to be much more directing rather than ah giving orders rather than taking orders in that sort of a managerial sense where there.
07:34.58
vigorbranding
Um.
07:36.57
Andrew O_Shea
Not really complicit with the employee they’re not. It’s not a give and take relationship. It’s very much a do as I say not as I do type of a situation who.
07:45.44
vigorbranding
That makes sense and I think we see a lot of that in the restaurant industry and not not necessarily that it’s bad but like you know you you take the various departments within a hospitality company or restaurant company. Um Ceos tend to be visionary but also future thinking. Um, they’re looking for the growth they’re looking for.
07:58.13
Andrew O_Shea
Who.
08:03.22
vigorbranding
What’s next they’re looking at how to bring this ship along for that. Um, but then you get into the operation side and they very much aren’t they’re dictatorial. It’s you must. It’s processes and procedures we’re trying to get consistency not just in food but in um, service level.
08:05.20
Andrew O_Shea
The.
08:20.51
vigorbranding
Um, we’re we’re trying to foster dedication to those processes and procedures like it’s very much don’t color outside the lines. How do you shift that mentality without losing the traction does that make sense.
08:20.65
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
08:28.85
Andrew O_Shea
Um, me.
08:36.62
Andrew O_Shea
Sure it does because these are actually copacetic. Um, you know in an organization where it’s very clear what the expectations are for production. Um, you know you’re a line Chef or whatever your position is in the kitchen The output has to be x.
08:50.75
vigorbranding
Same.
08:52.57
Andrew O_Shea
And if that’s what the expectation is then um, we know how to it’s an equation. However, we can’t expect the end result without giving the employee what is necessary to be that productive employee. So Whether it’s absenteeism whether it’s you know filing for at pto days calling in Sick. Or when they’re at the at the workplace or in the kitchen if they’re just not getting it Done. We start to see that. Overall we’re either going to lose that employee or we have to retrain that employee or we have to look at the source of the problem which is stress anxiety lack of sleep depression. All of these things that are a result of. Not taking care of yourself and the self-care is what is so key to that metric did I Really well check the box Good good.
09:35.79
vigorbranding
Yeah I mean you just labeled pretty much every adjective for anyone that’s worked in the restaurant. Yeah, you nailed it. You ticked all the boxes. Yeah, um, so you know going back to this this various roles in those various. Um.
09:51.49
Andrew O_Shea
And.
09:52.25
vigorbranding
Endeavors or or need needs for Ceo versus Ceo versus marketing manager or regional measure like these varying levels. Um, they come with notably different stressors. So like if you’re in. For instance, the kitchen the the back of house in full service. Restaurants has a long.
09:59.70
Andrew O_Shea
So.
10:10.18
vigorbranding
Infamous reputation of let’s just say politically correctness or anything like that should probably stop at the door before you get back there and we’ve seen this manifest with folks like Mario Batali and his accusations of sexual harassment. He certainly isn’t the only one. Um.
10:20.98
Andrew O_Shea
In.
10:29.33
vigorbranding
Suffice to say anyone that’s red Kitchen Kitchen Confidential knows that the back of their house is a pretty bad place verbally but there seems to be camaradedery there you know so it’s almost ah the same phenomenon or not phenomenon but like a behavioral trigger that you see in in wartime in platoons where.
10:30.43
Andrew O_Shea
Me me.
10:45.70
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah.
10:48.33
vigorbranding
You’re literally under fire every day and these people become your best friends even if you have 0 in common and and so on and so forth. But so it’s very different from top sideways bottom all that.
10:55.36
Andrew O_Shea
Um, easy.
11:01.13
vigorbranding
How do you approach addressing the nuances of wellness because what a person in the back of the house every day needs is very different than what the Ceo needs.
11:09.64
Andrew O_Shea
Goodness gracious very different and every organization is that way Joseph. It’s not ah, it’s not a unique facet of the restaurant industry accountants need to sleep better sales people people need to eat better. There are all sorts of different needs and the more individualized we can take this. Ah, the the more effective it’s going to be It’s hard to approach anything with a blanket approach. You know a one size fits all model here’s some things that you should try out. Maybe this will help with your daily routine in the mornings. Maybe this will help you sleep in the evenings.
11:44.69
Andrew O_Shea
There’s nothing to back that up I got to find out what’s bothering Joseph I got to find out what’s bothering the Ceo and that’s where individualized care is going to be the the most effective by far above and beyond anything else. So it does come from a you have to breach the corporate veil. And you have to go into the c level suite and you have to get some buy-in because if the Cfo is constantly looking for an ah roi that he can measure on ah on a on a pivot table. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard to pin 1 thing but you know because you’ve been in the industry for long enough. That camaraderie and that teamwork when that synergy is actually happening and it is at full flux the productivity of that organization or that group is unsurpassable and and when we can create that condition. That’s what we’re really trying to do when it comes to health benefits. All of these things that are entitled are owed to you now at the end of the day. How can I make you a better employee. How can I make you a better person. How can I make you a better part of this culture and that’s what we’re tackling. We’re we’re tackling all of these individualized instead of a blanket program to try and care for every employee. So. To your point. Um, you know, buy in from the ownership of a restaurant of a brand and then getting back kitchen behind the ownership and that’s again, that’s something that trickles from the top down. Not not up from the bottom up. Um, you know employees are always going to be wanting this or asking for that. But when it comes from a top down approach of.
13:20.58
Andrew O_Shea
Um, care and giving and altruism rather than what’s owed required or mandated suddenly that that feel is very very different.
13:31.90
vigorbranding
I Love that So suffice to say if I could have ventured a guess here. The goal of wellspring and and your your personal mission as well. Um, that’s manifesting professionally really is is to to find that.
13:35.11
Andrew O_Shea
Are.
13:46.10
vigorbranding
Binding camaraderie that is normally found under situations of extreme duress but finding it in situations of extreme wellness and care.
13:51.92
Andrew O_Shea
Um, that’s right and where we can all be traveling this journey. Um, yeah I’ll give a little story about myself and ah. Ah, previous form about five years ago I think I was about £50 heavier than I was right now. Um I was working in human resources recruiting staffing head hunter and um, they started my organization started to bring in um, yoga instructor or bringing in a a boot camp twice a week. And for somebody who is overweight who’s on a different place on their health and wellness journey than say somebody who’s got a 6 pack in the cube next to them that can be a really big uphill battle just to even get yourself to the class to follow through for an hour of that boot camp then to show up again. Two days later after I had to go back and you. Feel shameful or or how to whatever self-hatred I was in in bibing at the time and um, it’s just a beer. It’s just a fear correct and and I sadly went underneath the desk and and.
14:49.57
vigorbranding
I mean to be honest, you did have the 6 pack in your cubicle. It was just a beer.
15:01.68
Andrew O_Shea
Ah, when when had fun with that and my tears. Um, yeah, it it was it was clear to me that um, rather than again this is an awesome awesome offering from an employer to try and harness that camaraderie and that health and wellness but the barrier to edge tree was still too high for me. Um, and it was too high for most people I think when you see that type of um program brought in you’ll see about 5 % are inherently interested in doing something like that. But that’s because that’s already what they’re doing It’s only a supplement to their program on a daily and weekly basis.
15:29.94
vigorbranding
A.
15:36.57
Andrew O_Shea
Rather than somebody who is like hey that sounds like a good idea I think I’m just going to try this now for the first time and I’m going to be consistent stick with it. So if that was the barrier to entry. We try to figure out how can I meet you on your journey. You’re sitting on the couch you’re dealing with stresses.
15:45.21
vigorbranding
I Love that.
15:54.66
Andrew O_Shea
Ah, far above and beyond getting a 6 pack. You’re trying to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night put food on the table and bring home a paycheck to keep the lights on. Um so how can we ease that stress how can we help you and provide you the tools that you can explore you can discover and you figure out what works for you. And that’s what that that at the end of the day became a personal mission for me of lowering that barrier to entry and walking that path with different people. No matter where they are.
16:24.62
vigorbranding
Yeah, that’s fantastic I Think the pandemic was such a ah learning moment. Um, by no means would I choose to have that happen again. But I think with any bad situation. You have to glean some sort of silver or gold lining from it and I think.
16:30.82
Andrew O_Shea
So.
16:38.60
vigorbranding
There were a lot of people that took it as a opportunity to eat like crazy drink like crazy and get worse and then it were folks like such as yourself which took it as an opportunity to reevaluate and um hunker down and I think that is what? um.
16:43.83
Andrew O_Shea
Um, no doubt are.
16:55.69
vigorbranding
You know I want to try to stay focused on restaurants but it’s very tough not to to project here. You know I lost £40 in the pandemic as well by just getting. Thank you? Yeah I’ve gained twenty back but we won’t talk about that part? Um, but you know cutting out changing my diet cutting out bad things like sugar and in in carbohydrates and alcohol.
16:57.59
Andrew O_Shea
Sure good congratulations.
17:15.22
vigorbranding
Ah, in general and was half the battle almost quite literally and the rest was exercise just and I’m not talking about like you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger level try to get that 6 pack just 30 minutes on a sh treadmill going very fast. Um, walking not running you know, just just enough. Um.
17:15.31
Andrew O_Shea
Um, a.
17:19.26
Andrew O_Shea
Are.
17:30.33
Andrew O_Shea
Man movement. So.
17:34.93
vigorbranding
Yeah movement and there’s so many chemical responses to that that that are released that are so positive for productivity and focus and you know I know so many people have said this and I’m trying not to ramble here but it really is what you put in is what you get out.
17:38.71
Andrew O_Shea
Are.
17:48.61
Andrew O_Shea
Um, it is.
17:50.32
vigorbranding
Um, but I think when when it comes to health what you put in you get 10 times out and that even goes into music. Um I ran an experiment for the last six weeks up until five days ago the only thing I listened to was classical and my mood.
17:56.39
Andrew O_Shea
Smith is.
18:03.91
Andrew O_Shea
Really.
18:08.74
vigorbranding
My focus I wish I would have measured it in some way but I noticed that I was way more zeroed in able to stay focused and everything and so that’s my idea of wellness so but wellness comes with so many different points of view from you know from leaders from just everyone everyone has a different view of wellness.
18:13.70
Andrew O_Shea
Um, yeah.
18:26.60
Andrew O_Shea
Um, you you you.
18:28.37
vigorbranding
How do you educate and position that term and what it means to leaders that are engaged and ready to adopt.
18:36.17
Andrew O_Shea
Sure and you’re not alone there Joseph I think ah you know when when polled closer to 60 to 70% of people when asked what they what is their go to for wellness is typically listen into music. It puts them in a mood it puts them in a place. It’s a very powerful. Ah um. Instrument upon intended. Um for for increasing your wellness it. It puts a smile on your face and and that’s at the end of the day. What’s what’s most important is ah having positivity in your life affirmation in your life gratitude in your life. it’s it’s really um it’s difficult so historically wellness has gotten ah a bad deal here. Um you know and maybe that is due to the leaders. The leaders who came into the industry and and how they marketed themselves. Um and it certainly has been somewhat demonized by the medical community as not a firm option the same way that ah that. Traditional medicine or so deemed sciences. Um, which we’ve found over the over the course of a decade specifically over the last three four or five years um it’s not that case. It’s not the way a wellness is ah is a broad stroke but it takes up a lot of ah of different things. Both. And you can have your emotional wellness. You know how are you feeling are you feeling happy tired sad um you can have your mental wellness. Are you in a place where you can focus where you can be productive or is your mind off and on other things on other stressors that are tearing you away. Um, are you physically? well.
20:10.33
Andrew O_Shea
Are you taking care of yourself now. Physical wellness can go into all sorts of different things. Are you sleeping appropriately. Are you getting the proper amounts of Rem and non-rem sleep at night. Are you getting the proper amounts of serotonin that are supposed to be released into your bloodstream to keep you asleep all the way through which goes back to. Am I getting the appropriate amount of white light during the day and am I wearing you can go into blue blockers and different There’s so many different metrics to be following there. Um with the list goes on financial wellness am I actually equipped with the tools necessary in both my bank account but also the financial knowledge to. Balance checkbook be able to take my income and and meaningfully create a budget and those sorts of things. It’s about preparing yourself and and that’s what I think of when I think of wellness is how mentally physically emotionally spiritually well are you and fit. Are you. To take on the day and life’s challenges and and at the end of the day that is a bit more measurable than what traditional wellness might have meant in years past.
21:14.65
vigorbranding
Yeah, there are so many ah aspects and I think we almost fall victim to overuse in in proper use of words and then it actually ruins the word. Um you know and and that’s a shame because you know holistic.
21:21.51
Andrew O_Shea
E.
21:28.27
Andrew O_Shea
Couldn’t agree more could not agree more. So.
21:32.34
vigorbranding
Like I say that and there may be some people listening to this that are going to bulk but holistic in its purest form doesn’t mean what you think it means it means just like of the whole it means a complete view and I think that’s where ah Western Medicine has fallen short despite all of our advances and innovations which are.
21:38.46
Andrew O_Shea
Of the whole that’s right me.
21:50.93
vigorbranding
Astronomically mind-blowing I’m not undermining that community. Um, but there is something to be said for um, the more ah Eastern Medicine approach as well as mental and emotional and like you said financial financial not just and you know compensatory means. But.
21:55.50
Andrew O_Shea
Um, using correct.
21:59.63
Andrew O_Shea
The.
22:05.84
Andrew O_Shea
Correct.
22:07.84
vigorbranding
Balancing your budget being able to achieve goals. Um and realize new things. That’s amazing that you tap into that so that leads me to a couple of questions and um I Want to know more about wellspring and how you bring this.
22:18.43
Andrew O_Shea
Um, then.
22:21.61
Andrew O_Shea
Yes.
22:23.73
vigorbranding
Into an organization. How do you assess? what’s needed on the varying levels and then what kind of things Do you provide in in the kits to to help the the holistic approach along. So.
22:32.31
Andrew O_Shea
Sure well, that’s great. Question. Um, so we sit down with an employer or and we have a very frank discussion about their needs internally it takes some vulnerability on the part of human resources to really give a accurate assessment of their employee. Ah list or census if you will and they have to be able to point out some of the weaknesses that they perceive now if they want us to issue an actual health health risk assessment. We can actually measure where they are on their own health and wellness journey if they’re more predisposed to certain things if they have historical medical background. Or if they are blatantly struggling with certain things at that moment then we can identify those. That’s the key once we’re able to identify some of the key metrics that we can measure from start to finish then we can develop a plan then we can develop a program wellspring partners with. Tons of emerging brands in the health and wellness industry to provide these brands and give them a platform in a place that is very crowded with a whole bunch of I hate to say it malarkey where it it is very much like the wild wild west there aren’t as many regulations as you might think on certain products. Ingredients that go into them and what their uses can actually affect in in a positive way and in a negative way. Um, so that being said, we we partner with things that are ah.
23:57.30
Andrew O_Shea
B Corporations Usda Organic promoting Non-gmo project Vegan plant based ah Paraben free. The list goes on of different health designations that we try and educate the employees around so that listen if I if I don’t see a lesser evil bag of popcorn I Still know what organic means. Right? And and if I see that Usda organic that can empower me to maybe explore a new product in the grocery store or something that I see online when there are these barriers that we build up. Oh That’s paleo I don’t even know what that means? Well I’m just going to stay away from it because it probably doesn’t taste good.
24:33.28
vigorbranding
I.
24:34.72
Andrew O_Shea
Well, we we want to understand what paleo is we want to understand what a paleo diet is so that when I see this designation I can actually assess it for face value rather than whatever my preconceived notions are so it’s it’s kind of a slow ah marketing campaign to overcome those preconceived notions I want to put. Fig bars into your hand I want to give you some melatonin patches to explore I want you to see what b 12 feels like as it as it’s coursing through because these are natural alternatives that occur in nature that we can be using rather than artificial things like caffeine or other extracurricular energy and going to sleep. It’s both.
25:00.12
vigorbranding
Ah.
25:12.50
Andrew O_Shea
Um, for productivity purposes relying on prescription medications. It can be very harmful to our overall circadian rhythm which all this comes back down to the human body is an incredibly powerful and powerful machine by the way. So when I talk about a lot of the things. They occur naturally and that’s where we want to harness this on a natural level rather than artificially putting it into um into our daily diets so we want to be able to go outside receive sunlight at an appropriate amount and not stare at our cell phone. Ah, for 10 minutes and get the same effect as being underneath the sun for 2 hours at noon and these are all things you don’t realize the the detrimental effect we we might think them we might know them. But I’m trying to put it front and center for the employee to understand so they can make better life decisions.
25:48.30
vigorbranding
Yeah.
26:01.48
vigorbranding
I Love that So what? what kind of um, how do you measure success like I mean especially when you start talking about L C level leadership. What’s not measured. You know I forget the phrase if if it’s not measured. It’s not done or or something like that. Yeah.
26:11.62
Andrew O_Shea
Um, it did yeah did map and um, yeah, so it’s going to be an individual metric. Um, based on the corporation. Um some some this is just a wellness gift that they’re trying to engage them and they want to measure engagement based on. Ah, how many folks are actually logging into their landing page to learn more about ah the rich role podcast or about Peter Atia or Matthew Walker and and sleep circadian rhythm we can actually measure that type of engagement success and that’s going to be overwhelmingly higher than. An email that’s coming to you from human resources those are inevitably going into the spam folder or directly into the trash can and aren’t getting read so you’re seeing a big communication gap happening between companies and their employees so companies are actually harnessing this as and as a way to put. Very valuable information. Let’s say it’s about open enrollment or biometric screening that is necessary prior now this is putting put front and center and it’s going to end up on your refrigerator rather than in trash can so that’s that’s one way of measuring this the other is we can do that health risk assessment. So if you’re wanting to see. Ah. Physical improvement amongst your employees with a consistent program. Maybe it’s quarterly. Maybe it’s monthly. Maybe it’s semi-anually or maybe it’s just annually but you feel that you can measure that type of success by by continuing to assess the ah the employees.
27:37.11
Andrew O_Shea
While they’re experiencing this. They can give honest feedback. We survey the employees we want to know what they think about these products are you actually attracted to this hey what is your likelihood of buying this on your own. Um. Are you going to use this on a weekly basis is this something you’re going to use every day now I mean these are all things that we can measure. And we have testimonials of people losing £65 since receiving their first or or you know sleeping 10 hours a night for the first time coming in raving about I didn’t wake up I didn’t wake up once I didn’t even have to get to the bathroom I mean we’re measuring it on all sorts of different scales. But.
28:00.36
vigorbranding
Um.
28:09.86
vigorbranding
That’s amazing.
28:13.95
Andrew O_Shea
At the end of the day. The most important metric is productivity and and again employee retention. Do they feel like they’re a part of a culture. Do they feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves and is it working are they showing up with a smile on their face and and actually finishing up early taking on tasks. They wouldn’t normally get to because they have better actual energy throughout the day rather than being pumped up on 50 different monster energy drinks or what have you? Yeah yeah, That’s okay.
28:41.79
vigorbranding
Yeah, those don’t get me started on the energy drinks I can’t seem to kick my coffee every time I do I just want more. But um I did replace the the sugar with Monk Fruit I’m like the biggest Monk fruit fan in the world I think um.
28:50.88
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
28:54.81
Andrew O_Shea
And how did that make you feel just out of curiosity when you took that sugar out I’m sure the first week was rough. But once you get past that plateau.
29:02.90
vigorbranding
It it was bumpy. Yeah, it was definitely bumpy. Um, it didn’t take a week thank god but it was a couple of days and ah but I really haven’t turned back I try to stay away from sugars completely.
29:08.69
Andrew O_Shea
Clear and.
29:18.54
vigorbranding
Ah, now the carbs me and carbs aren’t a love-hate relationship. Um, you know, but I do try to do replacements there and I’ve seen great results when when I’m not eating a lot of carbs I just feel better. You know in general. Um, if I replace traditional sweets with natural ones like fruit and things like that I feel better.
29:18.67
Andrew O_Shea
Um, same.
29:27.41
Andrew O_Shea
Yes.
29:33.11
Andrew O_Shea
Are.
29:37.24
vigorbranding
Um, and so I think it really is a dedication to not always ah losing the the pounds especially if you’re in the I want to add mass but lose the fat kind of thing like the the ah the um, the thing that you use to measure your weight the scale um can be an enemy. You know it can be very deceiving.
29:43.00
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
29:53.47
Andrew O_Shea
Um, it can be.
29:56.85
vigorbranding
Um, and so how do you? How do you send benchmarks for folks I Know you said it’s individual. But what are some examples of that as opposed to just the the scale.
30:03.71
Andrew O_Shea
Well when we’re coming down on an individual basis. We try and create some accountability from the leaders within the organization. There have some buying power into the program that’s being Cultivated. So. Oftentimes they’re the ones who are selecting what goes inside of the box. It’s always still a gift.. It’s something that they get in the mail. They’re not expecting it. They open it up and they’re able to explore that So by getting their buy in power on their own Employees. We start to do a health risk assessment understand what the needs are of let’s this. This. Specific group and then we hold them accountable. We Want to have this on a on a timed basis whether it’s quarterly, whatever type of a program they’re on so that we can continue to check In. Um, this is a path you don’t ever receive. Ah the end prize here. You don’t cross the finish line wellness isn’t the ah isn’t across the finish line. It’s just.. It is a state of mind and a feeling in your body as well. So We want to create that and then continue that so it’s it’s tough from a financial perspective Cfos always want to look at Okay, what is my bottom line.
31:11.75
vigorbranding
You know.
31:13.54
Andrew O_Shea
But is the ah roi on this type of an investment am I seeing a 17% increase in productivity. Well not everything is going to go towards that but you can again measure productivity on the days that they are in the office you can measure how many days they are in the office. Um, are they to exercising pto are they exercising Absentee days. Are they sick calling out early. These are and also on the insurance side. This is a whole other tranche of metrics but we can actually track how many files or claims are being filed as a part of that. So when you want to lean and mean workforce who isn’t.
31:43.19
vigorbranding
Oh.
31:50.58
Andrew O_Shea
Paying the most exorbitant premium on their insurance and benefits because that is the second highest expense of any business outside of payroll then they want to make sure that it’s working. Yeah how how do we make sure that this ah there is an ah roi on this so we can specifically measure whether or not there have been claims.
32:03.50
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.
32:10.45
Andrew O_Shea
And whether or not there have been those claims are in a specific area was it workers compensation because there was an injury was it actually just detrimental because of a underlying precondition. Um, where we’re able to measure that pretty well. And usually employers have their eyes on certain groups or certain folks that are typically ah more I’d say sedentary or ah, you touch on that movement again. Less inclined to be active. They’ve got their eyes on those folks they know where those.
32:33.34
vigorbranding
Yeah.
32:44.28
Andrew O_Shea
Ah, sore spots lay within the within the group and oftentimes they’re the ones who are hurting ah the premium for a lot of the other folks paying into this so to help with that we try and provide this to everyone but we’re able to on an individualized basis say hey how is this working for you. Is this something that you are actually taking Seriously do you find something inside of here that you like you know what is it on an individual basis that is going to open your eyes and let you drink the water because you know this and in most things you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. Um.
33:19.64
vigorbranding
You can drown them though. It’s true. Yeah, more.
33:21.95
Andrew O_Shea
What is you can and and you can try really hard. Um, but we want to we want to discover what is it that moves the needle for each person and it’s not the same like I said 1 person you know, got a got a box got a kit and decided this is the day where I’m going to change everything.
33:39.19
vigorbranding
Well.
33:41.28
Andrew O_Shea
And they lost £65 in six months and they haven’t looked back since I consider that as much of a success as somebody who has taken at a nature’s bakery fig bar and replaced the twix that they’ve been eating in the morning at. And they’re doing it every day and they’ve lost £3 but they feel like a million bucks in the morning now and they’re less inclined to both file a claim but also to be ah diabetic. There. There are so many different things that we can be measuring here I consider that to be as much if not more of a success.
34:00.64
vigorbranding
Yeah.
34:17.43
Andrew O_Shea
Depending on where you’re at on your journey.
34:17.69
vigorbranding
I love that this is incredibly insightful. So this is the final question and it’s probably the most difficult one if you had 1 final meal where would you eat? What would you eat and why.
34:29.40
Andrew O_Shea
Um.
34:31.88
Andrew O_Shea
Ah, goodness oh goodness. Well I’m a I’m a yeah I’ve got a love hate relationship with carbohydrates as well and ah and fromage is is a kicker. So um I would almost say.
34:47.93
Andrew O_Shea
And it’s grass-fed beef. Um I’d probably get a burger at brickstore in downtown decater with this awesome Awesome French fries and get some of that melted pimento cheese on top with a couple of pieces to bake and don’t tell anybody but it’s it. But it’s but it’s really good.
34:51.28
vigorbranding
Um.
34:53.42
vigorbranding
Oh yeah.
35:03.70
vigorbranding
Yeah, a I mean sometimes a little bit of naughty can make all the nice that much better. So and it is your last meal So there’s not a future. Um, absolutely.
35:05.34
Andrew O_Shea
Really tasty. That’s right treat yourself. It is yeah thank you for that.
35:16.94
vigorbranding
Andrew this has been amazingly insightful I know I have a ton of idea popcorn going off in my head and I hope the listeners do too. How can people get in touch with you.
35:25.92
Andrew O_Shea
Yeah, thank you again. Joe that this has been amazing and for those listening feel free to reach out to us. So again, we’re our name is wellspring our url is w w w dot try t r y wellspring dot com feel free to reach out to us through the portal there or ah. Um, you can reach out at sales at trywellspring.com feel free. Thanks Joseph appreciate it man y’all take care.
35:45.30
vigorbranding
Excellent. Yep, thank you so much for your time the insights I Love what you’re doing and we’ll talk real soon.
