This week on Pontoon’s Reimagine Now podcast, Shannon Robertson, Podcast host and Director of Strategic Insights at Pontoon, discusses the transformative power of naturopathic medicine within corporate settings with Dr. Julie Hwang, CEO and Clinic Director of Aurum Medicine and Wellness Corp. Dr. Julie's innovative methodologies revolutionise conventional wellness programs, integrating a holistic approach to achieving both personal and professional excellence. She talks about the foundational principles of naturopathic medicine and illustrates the importance of person-centric education and the far-reaching impacts of preventative strategies on corporate productivity. Listen as Shannon and Dr. Julie explore mental and emotional wellness in the workplace, emphasising the need for nuanced approaches that cater to individual employee needs and progress metrics that guide successful implementation.

Quotes

• "Stress management doesn't sound preventative. It's like someone is stressed and then we treat it. But what would be a preventative way to approach that is to talk about mental health earlier on and start to educate employees about what they have access to in terms of support. A lot of times they're not willing to be vulnerable with their colleagues or in professional environments, and I think that's good… if there are ways to educate the employees about, not just the advantage of using those, but also demonstrating the benefits of using those therapies, that might be a low cost to them, already covered under insurance, that's a great place to start. I usually suggest that if businesses have the bandwidth for mental health already there, that they should emphasize that because that will get people also over the hump of starting to invest in their health and well-being.” -Julie Hwang [09:03]

• “We're seeing a big need for more integrative and holistic ways to support mental health. People are starting to recognize from a functional medicine perspective, this is a big part of our work. The premise of it is the gut brain access. So connecting the mind and the gut, the digestion, but bringing in multiple ways to support mental health, I think that's going to be necessary moving forward." -Julie Hwang [34:32]

Key Topics

• Applying naturopathic medicine's foundational principles within corporate wellness can significantly affect productivity and well-being.
• Preventative strategies such as sleep optimization, nutrition, and stress management are essential for creating a healthy workforce.
• Education and personalized health management are crucial for employees to understand and take charge of their wellness.
• The connection between gut health and mental well-being is a critical aspect of holistic health in the workplace.
• Corporate leaders should exemplify holistic health practices and create an environment that prioritizes employee well-being.

Timestamps

(01:51) Applying naturopathic medicine principles to improve workplace wellness 

(10:31) Addressing the mental and emotional aspects of workplace wellness 

(18:50) Challenges in implementing workplace wellness programs 

(27:16) The role of nutrition in workplace wellness 

(34:32) Trends in corporate wellness

(44:03) The role of corporate leaders in promoting holistic health within organizations 

(46:30) Leading by example: taking vacations and focusing on wellness 

Connect 

Pontoon Solutions

Shannon Robertson

Julie Hwang LinkedIn