This Influential Woman in Wellness is close to our hearts at Walker Tracker and has been an extraordinary force in our local wellness community. Meet Chase Sterling. There’s no one like Chase. When I met her at the American Heart Association’s Worksite Wellbeing Summit in Portland, OR in 2017 I was first taken aback by her kindness and friendliness. She has the unique ability to connect with anyone in about 30 seconds. We were fast friends and I was lucky enough to snag her time as an advisor along the way. Read on to learn more about Chase, her journey, and some wise advice.
What is your Why?
My professional career has taken many twists and turns due to multiple medical issues and moves around the US. I initially started working in community fitness and eventually transitioned into corporate wellness. I became fascinated with how the workplace can impact health and wellbeing and eventually returned to school to study industrial/organizational psychology. I currently consult with organizations who are interested in improving employee engagement through wellbeing with PartnerWell, a division of The Partners Group. I also founded Wellbeing Think Tank which provides educational events for the HR and wellness community as well as a mentoring program for wellness professionals.
What is my Why. I initially began my career in fitness because of how it made me feel, however a surgery left me with a physical disability that ended that aspect of my career. I became more focused on other dimensions of wellness such as community, social, career, etc. We spend so much of our lives at work, and work should uplift us rather than cause physical and emotional issues. Think about what life would look like if everyone had a job where they left feeling fulfilled? This is my passion now, to improve the world by improving workplaces.
What advice (health, wellness, purpose, career, other) would you give a younger version of yourself?
What advice would I give to my younger self? Oh gosh. I think it would be to allow myself to be more vulnerable and open up to my community more. In 2020 I had a very serious surgery with a long recovery. The wellness community rallied around me – from bringing me groceries and care packages to taking me to doctors appointments, my wellness community really showed me just how cared for I am.
On women in the Wellbeing space.
It is great to see so many women in wellbeing, however I would still like to see more women in the C Suite. Health and wellbeing is about more than just physical outcomes and I think women are more aware of how holistic wellbeing is and how work intertwines with every aspect of life.
Honestly, I have to give a shout out to Taylor and Blanca at Walker Tracker. We had met once, but didn’t really know each other when I started a consulting firm on my own. Taylor gave me amazing advice, introduced me to other female entrepreneurs and was always there with a pep talk when needed. Also, my wellness community. I use LinkedIn to stay in touch with my network and honestly women have consistently been my biggest supporters. Even with over 20 years in the industry, there is always more to learn, but my community has helped me realize I AM an expert in aspects of wellbeing and my clients have seen the results which is my biggest source of pride.
Thoughts on Self-Care
The past few years have been the most challenging for me health wise. In 2020 I went to the ER where I discovered I had a rare condition and needed emergency surgery. Post-surgery I didn’t care for myself the way my body needed and I had a stress induced silent heart attack followed by a transient ischemic attack. I have been very focused on changing how I approach my work and trying to balancing it with what my mind, body, and spirt needs. It is a learning process and I am working on habits I have had since my teenage years so I am just trying to make small sustainable changes. I am grateful to have a workplace who prioritizes worker wellbeing and a community of friends who also encourage me to put me first. I’ve used a mindful mantra for about 6 years and the past few years it had been “I’m doing the best I can”. As humans we are ever evolving and I hope to continue to improve throughout my lifetime.
Meet Walker Tracker’s 2022 Influential Women In Wellness
Sandra Barrat: Wellness Coach, Tempe Elementary School District #3
Diane Brand: Health Engagement Senior Analyst, Cigna
Rachel Drushella: Senior School Employee Wellness Program Officer, OEA Choice Trust
Jennifer J. Harris: Director of Communications & Public Information (PIO), Florida Department of Health – St. Lucie
Giselle Ginsberg MS, RD: Director of Business Development, Wellness Concepts Inc.
Cassie Buckroyd: Sr. Manager, Total Rewards Experience, Columbia Sportswear
Sita Wolford (Amin): Senior Engagement Consultant, Cigna
Lindsey Bramwell: Health Promotion & Wellness Supervisor, Moda Health
Maddison Bezdicek: Health Strategies Practice Leader, Hylant
Laura Putnam: CEO of Motion Infusion
Chase Sterling: Managing Consultant at The Partners Group & Founder of the Wellbeing Think Tank
Read about Walker Tracker's corporate wellness solutions or contact sales@walkertracker.com to learn more.