Episode 98

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Published on:

11th Aug 2022

Worksite Wellness and Community, with Linda Brandt, Ep. 98

Linda Brandt of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a self-declared "practical renegade community builder." By day, Linda promotes healthy workplaces at Hennepin County Public Health, including Hennepin County Health@Work which provides low and no cost employee health promotion to human resources professionals. The health department she works at in Minnesota was looking for ways to improve rush hour congestion around the area, and having more employees work from home was a solution to that problem, so she's happy to skip the bus ride and packing lunches part of her trip to the office every day. She's embracing the work-from-home lifestyle and invests in equipment that helps her stay comfortable while working such as LifeSpan treadmill desk, stability mat for when standing, and a shoulder strap for posture.

In this episode, Linda talks about how being a community builder comes naturally for her and what that looks like as somone who works from home yet still has a drive to get together with people. Linda works from home, as does her partner; but they have different personalities and lines of work but do still try to get an occasional walk in when possible. She also uses a peer accountability website called Focusmate with over 7000 sessions and has other people she talks with on the phone while taking walks. Linda's currently planning on a Treadmill Desk Race coming up on August 19th with Justin Higgins (see episode 39 on the Yes, I Work From Home podcast).

 

Linda is also deeply involved in a growing network of Lean In circles inspired by Sheryl Sandberg's book, "Lean In." The Lean In Together MSP Network has grown from 12 people nine years ago to over 7,000 across six continents, and Linda helped grow this locally and globally through a LinkedIn group of 6,300 members. This positive community building experience motivated her to build and manage Health@Work’s LinkedIn group and five subgroups on the virtual coworking platform Focusmate. 


If you'd like to connect with Linda, you can find her on LinkedIn and Facebook.


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/390021064439745

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindabrandtmph/|


More info about the lean-in community:

Website: https://leanin.org/together

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About the Podcast

Yes, I Work From Home
April Malone interviews people who work from home
Yes, I Work From Home is a community where people share stories about their work-from-home journey. April Malone is the host and interviews a wide variety of people who work from home in different capacities. Guests include entrepreneurs, freelancers, teleworking employees, and those managing a home-based business or remote team. April and her guests discuss how they started working from a home office, some of the challenges they've faced, benefits, and tips and tricks that might help others. Interview guests will talk about why and how they work from home, what they do, who they help, and how they balance work with household responsibilities. They'll also talk about how they manage staying connected with colleagues, clients, and work to maintain healthy habits and a social life. Listeners will be informed about upcoming WFH community events and hear about helpful physical products, digital tools, and services that April and her guests feel are worth recommending.

This podcast has a typical run time of 45 minutes, published twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Learn more about April Malone and the community at Yes, I Work From Home: https://www.yesiworkfromhome.com/

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April Malone

April Malone is the founder of Yes, I Work From Home and the host of this podcast. She is an adult educator who helps people improve their work-from-home situation by cultivating a community of sharing and accountability for people who work from home. April has worked from home for 12 years in a variety of roles including as an employee of a major health organization, running an online store selling physical product, and she spent two years as a full-time online ESL teacher. April is in the USA and is originally from the northern state of Minnesota known for its lakes, mosquitos, and brutal winters; but she now lives with her husband and three children in Arizona, where the desert summers are incredibly hot but the winters are lovely.