communityspotlight
Innovation in Corporate Wellness Spotlight on
In Good Company Wellness by Robin Fillmore
I
n and around Washington, D.C., where business and politics can create an atmosphere where employees are challenged to work at a breakneck speed, it is refreshing to see new services being established that support workplace wellness. In Good Company Wellness is such an innovation, providing a wide range of customized and consistent, weekly and monthly programs to organizations, IT companies and law firms. Founded by Eifer Lyddane in 2016, In Good Company Wellness provides services such as wellness talks, workshops, mindfulness, meditation, health coaching, on-site farmers’ market, farm-to-table catering and nutritional guidance for area businesses, with the aim of help-
ing employees increase well-being and to better manage stress and anxiety. “We use an integrative approach, bringing together the three pillars of wellness—mind, body and nutrition to create long-term strategies for organizations to support and sustain the health of their workforce,” notes Lyddane. Lyddane, an Arlington native, with more than 15 years of experience in helping to improve people’s health, suddenly realized that current corporate wellness programs were doing little to support their employees. The “old school” approach of corporate wellness focused almost exclusively on “biometric screening, hydration and fitness challenges” and thus, only engaged a small portion of an organi-
zation’s workforce. “The problem with all that is it doesn’t really engage their employees at a high level, most companies I have spoken with get about a 10 percent level of engagement, which I think is very low.” Perceiving a need to disrupt these ineffective corporate wellness routines, Lyddane launched In Good Company Wellness and has already made strides working with national and global companies, many who take advantage of their webinar services. Most recently, they launched a podcast on mindfulness with worldrenowned “mindfulness guru” Hugh Byrne, who interviews entrepreneurs and influencers who are making an impact. They have also created a partnership with local meditation studio, Recharj, to offer twice-weekly rooftop yoga classes, at the Watergate Hotel, in D.C. As organizations learn of the noticeable difference for employees, with one another as well as with interactions with their clients, that list is certain to expand. The difference for employees has been profound as they become equipped with tools to help them manage demanding workloads. “After six months, it’s interesting to see the change in the culture of the organization just from that wellness element,” Lyddane notes. “Especially their interactions with each other, they’re not as stressed. It’s almost like the culture is more laid back, and is not as harried and hectic.” While the stress level of the Washington, D.C.-area workforce won’t be decreasing anytime soon, Lyddane and her team at In Good Company Wellness will be a key element for many companies seeking to support their business, their mission, and most importantly, their employees. “We believe that a company’s most valuable asset are their employees, and helping people thrive is an important factor for any organization to drive continued growth and innovation—because ultimately, we are all in good company together,” says Lyddane. For more information and event listings, visit InGoodCoWellness.com. See ad, page 20.
natural awakenings
November 2017
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