This Month’s One Thing: You Must Own Your Health

As we wrap up March and Women's History Month, I am excited to share about my inspiring conversation with Kat Cole , President and COO of AG1 . Her career journey offers valuable lessons for women in business. I, for one, am taking note.?

Here were her top three suggestions:

1. First and foremost, take care of your health.?

"You can't lead effectively if you're depleting yourself," Kat emphasized. That said, Kat noted the additional family and societal responsibilities often shouldered by women. So, what can we - as women - do in response? According to Kat: Practice the art of “healthy selfishness.”

Each of us must own our health. We must advocate for ourselves. This means saving the space for self-care. As the mother of a four-year-old and a six-year-old, Kat knows that this is easier said than done. But, even so, she urged, we can find ways to create these boundaries - no matter the budget, no matter the lifestyle.?

2. Second, lift others up.

“Lead by leading,” Kat advised. This means bringing others along and creating space. That's what leaders are - according to Kat. “You might be a solopreneur or a free agent or a contractor. Whatever you are - lead yourself, lead your clients, and as much as you can, lift others up along the way.”?

3. Finally, don’t be afraid to be a badass business woman.?

Kat shared the reminder that “business is business.” And, according to her, female leaders sometimes resist this. But women, she advised, need to remember that their job as a business leader is to drive business outcomes. “So be obsessed with your customer, be obsessed with the economics of your business.” In other words, don’t be afraid to be the badass that you are!

All of us need to own our health (and at the same time, lift others up and not be afraid to be a badass). Kat’s message about women needing to do so is particularly timely in light of the recent ASICS report . The study revealed that Motherhood, social norms, men’s perceptions, and safety are presenting barriers to women, resulting in over half of women worldwide either scaling back or completely halting their exercise routines.?

This study is yet another proof point that we need to be focusing more on the “water” (culture and environment) - and less on the “fish” (individuals). In fact, one of the key antidotes these researchers found, was added external support - from partners, parents, friends and managers. In other words, the only way forward - for women (and for all of us!) - is TOGETHER.

Bottom line, if we want to help people get healthier, happier and more fulfilled, we need to spend more time focused on the core issues causing these concerning trends, rather than focusing on the individual. More on that next month…

You can watch my full-conversation with Kat, below.

Next month, you can tune in on April 24th at 11 AM for a conversation with Ryan Wolf , EdD, MBA. As a Gallup Global Strengths Coach, Ryan leverages the talents of individuals to transform workplaces and unlock human potential. Stay tuned for more info in the coming week!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Putnam , CEO of Motion Infusion & Author of Workplace Wellness That Works , is on a mission to leverage every workplace and every team to promote better health, happiness, and well-being. Subscribe to Laura’s newsletter to get 4 tangible ideas each month to infuse well-being at work and at home.