Welcome back to Squad Talk!

We’re off to the start of a great event season! We had an awesome first event in Houston and our next one is in coming up fast in San Diego this Saturday. To everyone getting ready for the San Diego Challenge, we wish you great times with your team!

To help get you motivated, we’ve got another quick interview ready for you today. It’s with Bonnie Nuciforo from Buffini & Company. They’re a company that really prizes wellness and we love that the Fit Company Challenge is now part of their wellness programs and company culture.

Enjoy!

How many times has Buffini & Co. been to the Fit Company Challenge?

This is our third year!

Are the same people returning this year or is it mostly new faces?

This year, our group looks to be about a 50/50 split of returning participants and new faces.

What sort of participants signed up for the event?

Our participants are from all across the spectrum as far as fitness is concerned. We’ve got the advanced ones who know where they stand and then those who more or less signed up because everyone else was getting out there. But even then, because these are not exercises you do every day, there’s something for everyone to brush up on before the event.

How do you get people out there and make sure it doesn’t sound intimidating?

We participated the last two years and it has always been really well received. So past participants told co-workers how amazing it was and reassured them that it’s friendly for all levels. This isn’t an event that’s going to knock you out, just push you. It’s a fitness event, sure, but it’s all about getting people together, getting people outside, and then having fun. The fun part really makes the difference.

Have you noticed any benefits so far at Buffini & Company?

Events like this help propagate a good team culture, a sense of “we’re all in this together.” It’s easy to sit at your desk and never talk to someone from across the building or in another building, but bringing them out to events reminds everyone that we’re all one big company and one big team.

What are you guys doing to get ready for this coming event?

Well, I have my background as a bootcamp trainer, so getting people organized is second nature. We set up two weekly workouts. Wednesdays after work, the participants get together for a one-hour bodyweight workout, and then on Saturdays I bring out my equipment – kettlebells and bands for a different style of training that not everyone gets on a daily basis.

What other sort of wellness initiatives are taking place at Buffini & Company?

Most of us want to be healthy individuals and the company offers a lot of extra incentives to get enrolled in health challenges, tutorials, lessons and so forth. We have a company “beBetter” wellness program that we can update and check regularly. We also earn what we call “Buffini Bucks” anytime we participate in something that improves our wellbeing. At the end of the year, all of us get together and we spend all our bucks at an auction for things like TVs, coffee makers, etc. It’s a real blast and it often pushes us to make more the following year by getting into new health and wellness programs.

Any final thoughts about the road leading to the event?

It’s been pretty cool to see people who work together now working out together. We don’t always get to talk to people from other departments, but getting out there and being able to work out together really creates a bond. Our team workout sessions are not the same as going to the gym with the regular buddies. It’s a different atmosphere that you wouldn’t normally get to experience.

Thanks again to Bonnie for having taken the time to talk to us and share all the awesome programs Buffini & Company are doing for wellness. We know they’re busy getting ready for the event this weekend and can’t wait to catch up with them in person.

Hope to catch you on the field soon!

The Fit Company Squad

Welcome back to Squad Talk!

We hope the winter blues hasn’t been getting to you … February can be cold but nothing a few push-ups or plank holds can’t warm up!

To bring some warmth to things, today we’re bringing you another quick interview. It’s with Adam Moret, Sr. Well-being Specialist and Brian Sutton, Associate Director over at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Their Chicago office has participated in the Fit Company Challenge a couple years running, and they recently spoke with us about how their company gets people engaged with wellness events and how the Fit Company Challenge fit within their existing culture and wellness goals. In 2018 JLL won Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles, so they know a thing or two about Wellness and employee engagement!

What do the health and wellness initiatives look like at JLL?

Adam: A lot of companies put a ton of money into giving everyone across the company the same wellness benefits. For instance, subsidizing gym memberships, or giving everyone free headspace apps, but often they don’t have that much engagement – and certainly not at the local level. JLL does a mix of both. We have national programs that are company wide, such as programs with Fitbits and that sort of thing, but we also give local offices opportunities to tailor events that really fit their culture. After all, they know the employees best and every office has their own unique culture.

I heard you have something called “Health champions.” What’s that about?

Adam: The Health Champions are local wellness leaders at our offices. They’re typically the ones who take the lead on local initiatives and get people motivated for big events. They’re the kind of people who can talk to everyone and act as these beacons to get their colleagues interested in events and wellness programs.

How do you select your local Health Champions?

Adam: It’s all volunteer. Often it’s either a local team leader who can motivate people and help encourage others to get involved. Other times we’ve noticed our Champions are simply someone who knows everyone in the office such as our receptionists. They know everyone by first name and have ways of putting things on people’s desks encouraging them to participate.

How did the Fit Company Challenge fit in the Chicago office ecosystem with your Health Champions?

Brian: On one level it appealed to our employees who love competition, the kind who love nothing more than going out and pushing themselves to the next level. But for others, the main appeal was that it was a fun thing, that it brought people together who maybe weren’t connected before.

The suitable for all fitness levels part was great and a major point our Health Champions got across to people. It signaled that this wasn’t reserved for people who have completed an Ironman. It’s an event for anyone who wants to come out and have fun.

Ultimately, we wanted to build a culture where people get to grow, where they can meet up and work with folks they haven’t worked with before, and this event fit perfectly.

How were you able to get people engaged and excited about the event?

Brian: One thing that really worked for myself and our Health Champions was the personal touch. Getting up and talking to someone makes all the difference. It’s easy to ignore an email, but when a colleague walks up and says it will be a lot of fun and then after we’ll be able to share stories about it, that’s a lot more engaging. Once we had one or two people in, it really caught on by word of mouth – even after the fact. A lot of people came up and were like, “I’m interested and I want to know if you do this again.”

Any last minute takeaways?

Brian: Everyone who did the event, loved it. It was a great opportunity, bringing together wellness, fitness, mental wellness, and a great sense of belonging within JLL.

Thanks again to Adam and Brian for taking the time to chat with us about all the amazing wellness initiatives they have at JLL!

Talk to you soon,

The Fit Company Squad

Welcome back to Squad Talk, the Official Fit Company newsletter!

We’ve got another great interview to share with you today. It’s with Leslie Tate and Joell Beagle at Alliance Abroad. Alliance Abroad is a mid-sized company that’s been coming out to the Fit Company Challenge for several years and Leslie and Joell are associates who have lead the way in bringing out awesome teams every year.

How many times has Alliance Abroad participated in the Challenge?

Leslie: We’ve participated in three Challenges so far. Each time, our participation has grown. At first, when it was new, only a few people got involved, but once people started going – and even if it was just to watch and cheer – our employees took notice. They got to see how simple and accessible it was, and then the numbers, along with the desire to work out both before and after the event, really went up.

What kind of participation do you usually get for the events? Is it mostly new people or the same ones returning?

Leslie: We see a definite a mix of past and new participants as our company grows more people join in.

Joell: We work as a visa sponsor here in the USA for bringing people over for a cultural exchange program. At the last challenge, we had several trainees in the office, we got three of our Korean and Brazilian exchange participants to join the event! It just goes to show that going in and being active together kinda crosses a lot of cultural lines.

That’s great! Does your company have an easy time making teams and putting people together for the event?

Leslie: When we make our teams, everyone likes to get really involved. We’ve got a higher level group that’s very serious about this.

Joell: They go to the gym together after the office for cardio and weight lifting. One of them is even a trainer. They try to ramp it up each year and train for higher targets than the year before.

Leslie: Of course, we tell everyone, that you can be as aggressive towards your goals as you want. After all, one thing we loved about the challenge is how it doesn’t encourage judgement between people who want to take it seriously and those of us who just show up to have fun. On event day, we end up all cheering for each other.

Joell: Overall, there’s different reasons why groups came together – some were friends outside work and said “why not” while others were natural athletes and really competitive and just gravitate towards each other. Things work great for the intense teams as much as those who show up because it’s fun and feels safe being active with other members of the team.

Did either of you find yourselves setting goals or fitness targets you wanted to reach this year?

Leslie: We’re a very diverse group in terms of age, demographics and fitness levels. A lot of people set personal goals for the different challenges. For instance, I wanted to run during the entire Overtime course, and I did it this year.

Joell: You also find that you have secret goals that you didn’t set but you surprise yourself and are like “Yes, that’s what I wanted to accomplish.” It could be holding a plank the entire time, or other little goals that matters in the moment when you achieve them.

What are some of the things you do around the office to get people fit and ready for the challenge?

Leslie: We do things like “office planks” a couple times a day. We give warnings, like “okay, in 3 minutes, we’re gonna plank!” and anyone who wants to join comes down to one side of the office and we plank for about a minute or two. Once it’s done, they go back to work and maybe they’ll join the next one in a couple of hours.

A couple times a day? That’s great! Any suggestions for other offices that might want to start something like this?

Leslie: Well, we figured out very quickly, that planking right around lunch is the worst time!

To wrap things up, have you noticed any changes in your workplace culture?

Leslie: I can honestly say there’s a lot more chatter around the office now about being active. We still enjoy our treats and snacks at birthdays, but we’ve also got our own soccer league, bowling league, and the participation in those has grown too as our company as a whole gets more interested in fitness and team work.

Events like this help us to get to know each other. People you might have only been acquainted with before could suddenly become your closest friend as your train and participate together.

In the months after each event, there are still people that stick together and keep working out as a team. They found workout buddies who they can better themselves with because they still feel that sense of teamwork they had during the challenge.

A huge thanks again to Leslie & Joell for holding the interview with us and sharing their experiences with the Fit Company Challenge!