Blue Zones - Dan Buettner

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Buettner, Founder of Blue Zones, located in Miami, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I started Blue Zones LLC to share my research and secrets of the world's longest-lived cultures and empower everyone, everywhere, to live better and longer. I then had the question, "can we apply these lessons to communities in the United States?" This led to expanding Blue Zones into a health initiative. We now work in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the blue zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date.

Tell us about yourself

I am an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times, bestselling author. I discovered the five places in the world – dubbed blue zones – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. I've always had a passion for adventure and have 3 Guinness World Records for distance cycling. The business really all started in the spring of 2000 when I was leading a series of educational projects called "Quests" in which a team of scientists investigated some of Earth's great puzzles. I had heard about Okinawa's unusual longevity a few years earlier and thought it would be a great quest to investigate what their secrets to good health and long life were. We spent ten days studying, exploring, and summing up what we found. Five years later, I returned to Okinawa with a new team. I'd just written a cover story for National Geographic about the "Secrets of Long Life," which profiled three areas of the world with concentrations of some of the world's longest-lived people. I was determined to delve deeper into the lifestyle of Okinawa. During these explorations, we were always thinking, how can we bring these teachings back to our communities? This is how the Blue Zones Project was born. We decided that we could take the nine evidence-based common denominators that we found in all the blue zones and implement them in communities across the United States. Our goal was to make small adjustments to make the healthy choice the easy choice for people in their communities.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Growing Blue Zones from such a small organization to one that has improved the health of so many Americans. To hear the stories of those who have truly embraced our project work and seen amazing results always justifies the work that was put into the organization and research.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I'm an explorer and journalist at heart, so the day-to-day meetings and financials of running the business can take the fun away at times.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Find something you are passionate about that fulfills your purpose and helps others. Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to 7 years of life expectancy.
2. You never know where your opportunity will come from, so keep going. I've done projects and interviews that I thought would skyrocket my career that fell flat while a small opportunity has opened many doors.
3. Don't sweat the failures. I've had deals fall through that were devastating at the time, only to have a better deal come along later. I truly believe that when something falls through like that, it wasn't the right fit.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'm sure that most people reading this are highly driven and work-focused individuals. I want to remind them that you do not have to sacrifice your health for the wealth/success of your business. I've built nudges throughout my day to ensure the work doesn't negatively affect my well-being- I start every day with yoga, followed by a healthy breakfast while I check emails; I then either bike into the office or do phone meetings while walking around the park near my house, lunch meetings are held at the healthiest local restaurant in my area, In-person meetings are done while walking the halls of the office, or outside on the street, and a few days a week I meet up with my close friends for a happy hour and even if I need to work into the night I make sure to get enough sleep, so I'm sharp the next day.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://danbuettner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdanbuettner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danbuettner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedanbuettner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbuettner/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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