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Why do so many workplace wellness programs fail?
Because most of them ask people to change too much, too fast, for reasons that do not actually matter to them.
In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Clark Lagemann of Avidon Health to talk about workplace wellness, employee engagement, behavior change, motivational interviewing, habit formation, mental health, AI, and why pizza parties are not a wellness strategy.
Avidon Health helps employers build wellness programs that meet employees where they are. Rather than assuming one app, one challenge, or one big launch will change everyone’s life, Clark explains why sustainable change usually starts with small, realistic actions that build confidence over time.
In this episode, Jessi and Clark discuss:
- Why there is no silver bullet for workplace wellness
- How Avidon Health grew out of a physician practice focused on behavior change beyond medication
- Why the term “non-compliance” misses the bigger issue
- How motivational interviewing helps people connect change to what actually matters to them
- Why readiness for change is essential in wellness engagement
- How small wins create momentum, confidence, and dopamine-driven reinforcement
- Why employers should stop expecting dramatic overnight lifestyle changes
- What workplace wellness has to do with recruitment, retention, productivity, and profitability
- How COVID accelerated expectations around whole-person support at work
- Why AI can be a powerful thought partner but not a replacement for human accountability
- Why mental health remains harder to see, discuss, and support than physical health
- What leaders should ask themselves if they do not believe workplace mental health matters
This episode is for HR leaders, benefits professionals, executives, founders, wellness leaders, managers, and anyone tired of workplace wellness programs that look good on paper but do not change behavior.
Because wellness is not about launching the flashiest program.
It is about helping people build habits they can actually sustain.