Workplace Wellness That Works - Motion Infusion

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Laura Putnam, Founder of Motion Infusion, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.

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

My business is Motion Infusion, a well-being-meets-learning-and-development company based in San Francisco. Merging evidence-based methods from the field of wellness with best practices from the field of learning and development, Motion Infusion offers creative solutions to engage, change behaviors, and accelerate human performance through well-being. With a mission to get individuals, teams, and organizations "in motion," our services include keynote speaking, leadership development training, and delivery of large-scale projects. We serve a range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits and schools to government entities.

Tell us about yourself

When asked how I got to where I am now, I tell people that I'm a former urban public high school teacher, competitive gymnast, professional dancer, and international community organizer – turned movement-builder in the wellness world. While I'm not a Millennial or Gen Zer (I'm a Gen Xer), I'd say that you'd be hard-pressed to find any Millennial or Gen Zer who has scoured the job market more than I have to find the best fit. Seriously. My quest to find my "thing" has literally spanned the globe, from living and working as a community organizer in West Africa, to researching pediatric measles in Mexico City, to dancing professionally in New York City, to teaching history in underserved Bay Area public high schools. Through Motion Infusion, the company I launched in 2008, I successfully pulled together all of these different threads to craft a meaningful career for myself and, at the same time, have a meaningful impact on the world around me.

On a deeper level, though, Motion Infusion stems from the "Born to Move, Told to Sit" dilemma that I have grappled with throughout my entire career. Movement has been my salvation and modus operandi. As a competitive gymnast, starting as a young child and continuing into college (I was a scholarship member of the Stanford Women's Gymnastics Team), I grew up "in motion." One of the first realities that hit me when I began working was just how much the modern-day job keeps us in our seats and robs us of our need to move. So much of what has driven the wild swings in my own career from, say, working on a Senate subcommittee in Washington, DC, to working as a ski bum in Vail, Colorado, was simply trying to reconcile how to pursue my career interests while at the same time fulfill my need to move.

I know that I am not alone in this struggle. All of us, as human beings, are biologically programmed to move (it's one of the best things we can do for our bodies and brains). And, yet, we are all — with few exceptions — culturally mandated to sit. Think about it: what's the first thing we're taught in school? "Sit and be still!" What's the first thing someone says when we come into their home or office? "Have a seat!" Everything in our culture revolves around our chairs, and unless we are professional dancers or exercise instructors, or farm workers, work most likely means that we are sitting most of the day.

It has been through my own efforts to navigate this struggle (and help others, as well) that I have found my path and source of motivation. Today, my life's work as CEO and founder of Motion Infusion, and my role as author, speaker, workshop facilitator, and consultant, is about unraveling the mismatch between what we're born to do and what we're "allowed" to do in modern-day society. My mojo comes from finding creative ways to help every individual, every team, and every organization overcomes societal roadblocks to infuse more motion and well-being into everything they do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Hands down, my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been writing and getting a book (Workplace Wellness That Works) published by a well-known publisher (Wiley). Through this, I have been able to reach a much broader audience. I speak around the world, I have worked with over 200 organizations, I have trained over 15,000 managers, and my work has been featured across major media outlets, including MSNBC, The New York Times, FOX, ABC, CBS, US News & World Report, Business Insider, NPR, and many others.

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

The courage to keep going. There are so many times when it just feels too hard and too much. And, like so many others, I definitely wrestle with the "who am I?" imposter syndrome. So, getting myself to step forward and share my voice anyway amounts to a daily act of courage.

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

1. It's never too early to start building your platform. Don't wait to find ways to get yourself known, and then do the work. It can feel like a grind, but it is well worth the effort.
2. Do the work. There is no shortcut. While luck definitely plays a part, for every stroke of luck is a whole lot of work. As Thomas Edison put it, "Most miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like hard work." I couldn't agree more.
3. Stay true to yourself. Find that mantra that keeps you on track with who you are and what you're all about. For me, it's the voices of amazing women like Martha Graham, a modern dance pioneer, who once said, "If I could say it, I wouldn't have to dance it." Or Margaret Mead, who always reminds me to "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.motioninfusion.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraputnamauthor1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraputnamauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/motioninfusion
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraputnam/

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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