What does it take to create a culture of wellness in our workplaces and our lives? And how do we overcome the 'yes, but' resistance when it comes to making better choices?

In this episode, I sit down with the amazing Elaine Pasqua, a speaker who has spent the last 30 years working with universities, corporations, and professional sports teams on wellness, resilience, and responsible decision-making. We dive into how to make smart wellness choices that stick, the power of self-reflection, and why small, intentional actions matter more than big, overwhelming goals.

Plus, we discuss the impact of social media addiction, dopamine, and why so many of us struggle with motivation—even when we know what we should be doing. Elaine shares actionable tips for building healthier habits, boosting workplace morale, and fostering a culture of care that benefits both individuals and organizations."

Key Takeaways:

• How to make wellness an effortless part of your daily routine.

• The power of self-reflection in driving personal and professional change.

• Why workplace wellness programs matter (and how they boost productivity).

• How social media addiction hijacks our motivation—and what to do about it.

• What Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles, and elite athletes can teach us about leadership and teamwork.

• Why resilience isn’t just about pushing through challenges—it’s about learning, adapting, and growing stronger.

Relevant Links:

• Connect with Elaine: www.elainepasqua.com

• Follow Elaine on LinkedIn: Elaine Pasqua

• Watch Elaine on YouTube: Elaine’s Channel

• Learn more about Yes, And with Avish Parashar: Podcast Homepage

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with Lisa Ryan, a gratitude strategist, speaker, and author of Gear Up for Greatness. Lisa shares her journey of transforming gratitude into a powerful workplace strategy and explains how organizations can use appreciation to retain top talent, build better relationships, and foster thriving cultures.

We dive into Lisa’s six gears of strategy, her unique approach to employee engagement and retention, and the role of gratitude in creating sustainable change. Lisa also shares practical tips for leaders and managers to implement gratitude as a daily practice and how small shifts in mindset can create massive impacts.

If you’re looking for actionable strategies to improve workplace culture or simply want to bring more positivity into your life, this episode is for you!

Key Takeaways

• How gratitude as a personal practice can lead to business transformation.

• The six gears of strategy from Gear Up for Greatness: Attitude, Appreciation, Access, Applause, Acts of Service, and Accountability.

• The importance of access and how leaders can create psychological safety in their teams.

• The "Lasada Ratio" and how small shifts in positive communication can significantly impact team performance.

• Practical tips for creating a culture of appreciation to retain top talent and boost morale.

Relevant Links

• Lisa Ryan’s Website

• Lisa’s Book: Gear Up for Greatness

• Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

In this episode of Yes, And, I dive into the idea of thinking in terms of experimentation, not execution, especially when it comes to reaching big, impossible goals. As professionals, we're often encouraged to follow rigid plans and execute them to perfection. But in a world of constant change, creativity, and uncertainty, sometimes we need to let go of fixed plans and embrace the process of experimentation.

I share stories from my own life where I used this approach to take my keynote and business to the next level—through trial, error, and adapting as I went. Instead of adhering to a step-by-step execution model, experimentation gave me the freedom to try new things, learn from my failures, and ultimately find success in unexpected ways.

Listen in for some valuable insights on how you can apply this mindset to your own goals, whether personal or professional, and learn how embracing experimentation could lead to greater innovation, growth, and resilience.

• Shift from execution to experimentation: Learn why experimentation, rather than rigid execution, can lead to more innovative and effective results, especially when dealing with uncertainty or creativity.

• Real-life application: Hear how I used this approach to transform my keynote, from initial failures to eventual success, and how small experiments led to big breakthroughs.

• The power of flexibility: Understand how flexibility and adaptability can help you pivot and improve your approach when things don’t go according to plan.

• How to experiment in your own life: Tips on how to apply the experimentation mindset to both your personal and professional goals, particularly when you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed.

• Embrace failure as part of the process: Recognize that failures are valuable learning opportunities and part of the experimental journey that leads to growth and success.