Seed and Idea Sharing
Seed and Idea Sharing
Look with me. Will this carry water?
I spend a lot of my time wrapped up in my head, spinning ideas around to see what might work. I think a lot about the world, how the pieces fit together, the path I see myself on, where we’re all heading, what it might be like, what it could be like… And my main area of focus is Healthcare, of course, and a bit farther upstream, Wellness. Thriving.
My definition of thriving is continually in-flux, as I’m sure yours is, too. Ages and stages. “Thriving” as a college student meant attending classes, completing assignments, socializing, and getting acceptable grades so I could progress towards my eventual degree, license, Dream Job.
In parenthood, “thriving” came to mean rearing my brood of children to be participating, contented, “thriving” members of society. (A continual work-in-progress).
And now, as I side-step professionally into Fitness Training, a path ahead has come to light. I haven't been certain *how* I'll use this new tool, but I've had a few ideas come and go.
How’d we get here, and where are we heading?
You’d have to look back at some of my other Substack posts to see what I now consider “swings and misses” — a Care Co-Op that isn’t (yet) financially possible. A Caregiver Support Group that didn't make it off the ground (at least, not in the way I'd envisioned). And a bunch of other swirly, pie-in-the-sky notions that, frankly, were just fun ideas to play around with. But now? Now… I think I’m onto something. Something *special*.
In fact, I’m quite certain, that this will hold water. I'm about to plant some seeds in your mind. Are you ready?
Situation and Background --
My husband and I were talking the other night about cinching in the household budget. We’ve had some unexpected expenses come up, and though we’re fortunate to have been able to handle them ourselves, we’re trying to be more mindful about cash in/out of our home. A household is a business, and like any business: No margin, no mission. As such, I was considering the cost of my college classes, the possibility of trying to submit future classes for tuition reimbursement at work, and the timeline of how soon I can “finish” and get my certification.
If I needed to make more money now, could I? The short answer: “Yes”. The longer answer is, “Yes, but a 5-year timeframe would be much more ideal”.
(Side Quest: Check out the song “Five Years Time” by Noah and The Whale. It’s marvelous, but the YouTube video has restrictions and it won’t let me copy/paste to an external site :/ So go search it, then come back!)
This conversation with my husband led to (yes, I’ll give you credit…) his idea. Our idea (yours, mine, and ours, sweetie), which today I am naming:
I don’t know what to call it yet!
But I can describe it!
Let’s start from the end and work our way back:
Recommendation: We need access to wellbeing and healthy movement to be simple, universal, and flexible.
I/we will facilitate remote/virtual fitness classes via QR code, weblink, portal/app, YouTube, text, or some other electronic platform. They will be offered as recorded sessions for those who wish to attend asynchronously (like an online class you can take at your own pace, as long as you meet your deadlines) as well as synchronously (live, via a screen like a phone, tablet, or computer). Maybe in the future there’ll be in-person/in-real-life/IRL classes — this is the starter, the pilot, the spark. A seed.
What makes us special? We bring fitness to wherever you call home.
Want to attend from a park? Great! A gym? Go for it! Your home with the curtains drawn? Bring it on! New to exercise? Welcome! Lifelong workout fan? You can come, too!
We are: an inclusive, adjustable, safe way to introduce, reintroduce, or reform your exercise regimen to fit into your lifestyle across the age, ability, disease, and health spectrum.
How?
We’ll have specialty programs that can be ramped up or down depending on your needs and access to equipment. No equipment? No problem! With common household items (or just your own human body), we’ll show you how to move in safe effective ways that’ll help you maintain balance, promote flexibility, and strengthen essential muscles in order to reduce risk for falls and other common illness and ailments that come from lifestyles that were previously sedentary or were impacted by injury or illness.
Are you following me so far, dear reader? Do you see someone you know (or yourself) who might like to try this out? (I do — I’m thinking of my former patients, my friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and myself, truthfully, and how fun and easy it could be to engage in an activity like this).
We could have live classes with webcams ON to promote socialization and engagement, a chat feature for those who want to stay on before/after to connect with others. But, again, not required. It’s all based on your comfort level. And, believe it or not, that, too, may change over time. Maybe after a session or two, you feel yourself blossom. You feel more courageous. Energized. Engaged. And you decide to introduce yourself!
And then…
And then…
But Jessie, how will we get there??
With care. I have two main branches to consider from here. A fork in the road, so to say.
Do this all myself. Connect with local gyms, senior centers, medical offices, businesses and ask them to spread the word about this amazing service. It will take a tremendous amount of time and resources (and effort on my part) to coordinate and connect all the dots and pieces. The mental work to just think of an end-result and how to get there, let alone bringing it to fruition is… frankly… exhausting. But, it’s possible. Or… (and?)…
Draft a proposal and bring it to a Healthcare company. A place with resources and skin in the game. With a mission that’s aligned with my own. And a bottom line that’s getting deeper and deeper into the pit of “readmissions”…
Are you still with me?
Regardless of where I go next, I'll need a team. And an MVP (Minimal Viable Product). The bare bones, start it up, see if it holds water product (service) to find out of this is feasible, desirable, possible.
Why would anyone do this?
Well, a member (person or business) in the community, because they want to. They see value in it, or perhaps have thought of something similar. In Healthcare, because it’s what’s best for the patient. It’s essential. Getting and keeping humans moving healthfully and safely for as long as possible, in the community, wherever they call home. It's Mission Critical.
Imagine the Return On Investment (ROI) if we keep even 10 people out of the hospital by keeping them moving and engaged with other humans. Imagine…
Now keep imagining…
Because from here, what is imagined becomes tangible. It’s now a seed I’ve planted in your mind. And while I tend to my own garden of ideas, you’ll have your own. You’ll start to poke holes in my plan (and I welcome your gentle prodding, just like before, because we need to sus this out diligently. Help me aerate and test for cracks in the plan). You’ll have your own unique take on what might work (or might not).
One of the cardinal rules of improvisational work, is “Yes, and…”. When participating in an improv sketch, the participants are expected to go with the flow, and not shoot down or deflect the set-up of another actor. Your contributions should be met with “yes, and…” to keep the momentum going.
And guess what! Every single human that I’ve presented this idea to has met me with “Yes, and…”. What is this sorcery?!!
Holy shit, that’s magic. Medicine. Invigorating. Enlivening. Inspiring.
You. Inspire. Me.
And I hope to continue to inspire you.
So, with all that said, it’s time to wrap this up and hit the road.
Off we get!
Take good care!
Love,
Jessie
Here’s a song for the road: Meet Me In The Woods by Lord Huron
What's next?