My journey to becoming a wellbeing professional

The above video was recorded almost 10 years ago. I watch it now and cringe a little. Yet it also reminds me why I love what I do. My career path has not been linear in any way but underlying the journey was and always has been about caring for people and bringing out the best in others.

As a freshman at the University of Connecticut, I started my undergrad studies as a Pharmacy major. I learned quite quickly that being "behind the scenes" was not where I wanted to be. I wanted to get to know people, understand their story and help them get to where they wanted to be. I switched my major to psychology within a few months.

After undergrad, I went on to receive my Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling. I loved the work. I specialized in working with children, adolescents and families. Working in community mental health was both challenging and extremely rewarding. I focused on identifying the strengths of the children and the parents I worked with to help them find the ability to navigate their difficult circumstances on their own, one step at a time.

When I moved to San Francisco, I decided I wanted to further my interest in fitness and wellness. Throughout college, I had worked part-time as a fitness instructor at the rec center. I loved seeing my fellow students gain confidence from seeing what their bodies could accomplish by regularly attending class. The video above tells the story of how being a fitness trainer was about more than just gaining muscle and losing weight for me. The ripple effects of finding confidence in your physical wellbeing carry over to your career, your relationships with others and with yourself.

About 8 years ago, I moved into Corporate Wellness. What I learned as part of LinkedIn's wellness program is unlike anything I could have learned in a textbook. A successful wellness program is baked into the culture from recruitment to onboarding to development and even, offboarding. A successful wellbeing program is accepted, supported, and promoted by leaders at all levels. When that happens, employees at all levels feel it and have permission to participate.

I love the work I do as a wellbeing professional and feel so honored that I get to support other companies build their own strategy to take care of their people. Because I believe that our ability to be great, to perform at our best, and to be fearless at work and in life, requires that we have the tools to improve our mental, physical, and social wellbeing.