The Power of Daily Habits: Lynette Pettinicchi of Mint & Honey On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to Big Results
An interview with Dr. Bharat Sangani
Be intentional with your ‘me time,’ or self-care — Schedule it, put it on a calendar, write it on a Post-it, whatever you do, make sure you are intentionally taking time to take care of yourself before your body tells you that you need to. If your body and mind start screaming at you to slow down and take care of your body, that means you’re way over the limit of what you can balance. Make sure you purposefully include ‘me time’ in your week.
When it comes to health and wellness, small, consistent changes often have the most profound impact. Daily habits, whether in nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, or sleep, can accumulate to create lasting transformations. In this series, we aim to explore the power of small, intentional actions and how they can lead to big health results over time. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lynette Pettinicchi.
Lynette Pettinicchi is the owner and powerhouse behind the boutique public relations firm Mint & Honey, Co., founder of Hellgate Pilates, and blogger at Life’s Better in Yoga Pants.
With over 15 years of experience in the consumer lifestyle industry, she has executed PR and digital marketing strategies for global, national, regional, and local clients, including countless product and service launches, and an abundance of collaborations and partnerships.
With science and fitness at the core of her personal and professional brand, being immersed in the health, wellness, medicine, and fitness industries allows her to leverage her knowledge to help clients gain the most awareness, visibility, and ROI, growing varying aspects of their businesses.
Her outdoor Pilates series has found success in Astoria, NY, and The Catskills, and is entering its ninth season this summer.
Lynette is a six-time marathoner who enjoys teaching Pilates, running, hiking, snowboarding, paddleboarding, trying new homemade pasta recipes, playing the violin, and going on spontaneous adventures.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I had known I wanted to own a business or something when I was a teenager, but of course, I didn’t know what yet.
Science was one of my favorite subjects in school, and I had a fantastic AP bio teacher in high school who inspired me to pursue being a biology teacher. Unfortunately, test-taking wasn’t my strongest suit, and I ended up changing my major four times (bio ed, nutrition, music, PR/advertising), ultimately graduating with a BA in PR/Advertising.
In college, I participated in the student-run PR firm Cardinal PR, where we worked on real-world clients, including one that seamlessly aligns with the type of clients I work on now — Hannah’s Hope. Subtle foreshadowing if you will!
As I started my PR career, I simultaneously was figuring out how I could merge science into my career or as a side gig.
I started a fitness and wellness blog in 2012, Life’s Better in Yoga Pants, which was just recently overhauled, got my nutrition certification through Keri Glassman’s Nutritious Life in 2015, and in 2016 became certified to teach mat Pilates through CORE Pilates NYC.
Additionally, I also started running in 2011. Just a month after graduating college, I was hit by a car while biking (I was dedicated to trying to lose the college weight!). After spending the summer in a walking boot, I was grateful that I had use of both legs and nothing worse happened. Being a still broke college graduate, I took up running, which was ‘free’ at the time, and signed up for a Turkey Trot that November and have yet to stop running. And it’s no longer ‘free.’
In 2016, I combined all my favorite things to launch Mint & Honey, Co., a PR agency dedicated to creating fresh, new campaigns and ideas that produce results that stick and continue to pay off over time for start-ups and small businesses in the health, wellness, fitness, and medical industries. That summer, I also created Hellgate Pilates, an outdoor classical mat Pilates series enhanced with modern elements for a contemporary twist.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person that you are grateful for, who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
There is no singular person who is the reason behind my success — similar to how it takes a team to get me to the starting line of a marathon (coach, physical therapist, run clubs/teams, friends, family), the same rings true for all aspects of my career.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
This is a great question! If I had to pick three traits that were most instrumental to my success, I’d say:
Tenacity: I’m tenacious when it comes to pursuing what I want. Being proactive, asking for what I want, being OK with hearing no, and pivoting has been instrumental in how I got to where I am with my career, teaching Pilates and my blog.
Curiosity: I like to ask a lot of questions and really immerse myself in what I’m working on or who I’m working with. Staying curious allows you to continue to learn, be open to pivoting and trying new things, and encourages collaboration.
Fearless: Taking risks in business is not for the weak. I’ve found myself financially vulnerable, lonely, heartbroken, overwhelmed, and so much more, but even in the hard moments, I’ve leaned into my fearlessness to overcome the challenges.
Ok, fantastic. Let’s now turn to the crux of our interview. Can you share a small health habit you adopted that had an unexpectedly large impact on your physical or mental well-being? What inspired you to make that change?
My favorite small health habit that has had an impact on my physical and mental well-being is setting my weekday alarm to 4:30 AM. This wasn’t an unexpected impact, though.
Waking up early to train meant there was no question whether I would have time in my day to get it done, and it also gave me time just for what I want to do. I didn’t have to stress about working late or cutting into my sleep time. I can go out with friends in the evening, attend networking and industry events, teach Pilates classes, or just decompress at home with no obligations.
I’m a huge fan of the 5–9 before the 9–5 and the 5–9 after.
What advice would you give to someone who struggles with consistency? How can they build daily habits without becoming overwhelmed?
Create habits that are sustainable. If they’re not something you can maintain, you’re going to struggle with being consistent, which in turn may frustrate you, and you’re back to where you started.
Start small –
Aim to wake up and go to bed at the same times every day.
Add a side salad to your dinner if you are working towards eating veggies.
Walk for 10 minutes every morning if you’re looking to start an exercise routine from nothing.
Journal for 5 minutes before bed.
If you start too big, you may feel overwhelmed and like you’re underperforming, resulting in you falling back into unfavorable habits.
Once you’ve mastered your new habits in this small capacity, start building on that success to discover what’s most sustainable and what throws you off course. That middle ground is where you’ll find you’re the most consistent.
How do you identify which habits are worth focusing on, and which might not provide meaningful results? Do you use any specific frameworks or tracking methods?
I’d connect my answer back to the one above — if it’s sustainable, it’s worth focusing on. If it starts adding stress or I become hyper-focused on completing it, the habit either needs to pivot or needs to be eliminated altogether. You can’t pour from an empty cup and healthy habits should be making you healthier and happier, not stressed.
Can you explain how compounding benefits work when it comes to daily health habits? Have you experienced any surprising long-term transformations from seemingly small changes?
Small changes can have profound impacts down the road, and your friends and family may notice before you do whether it’s an abundance of energy, clearer skin, weight loss, a fast half marathon, etc.
When you’re creating habits to do better, be better, feel better, perform better, etc., you should be looking at longevity versus quick results.
If you slowly start to revamp your diet, you may not see those results for another month or so.
When you’re training for a marathon, you won’t see those results pay off until the race.
Similar to Pilates where small, controlled movements have big benefits as you continue to take classes, the same rings true for being consistent with healthy habits.
Progress is also not linear! So, it’s important to not get discouraged if there is a setback and let that derail everything you’ve been working towards.
This is the main question of our interview. What are “5 Health Habits That Lead to Great Results”? (please share stories or examples)
- Eat functional, nutritious foods — Food not only plays a role in weight management, but also mood, stress, energy levels, fitness performance, sleep and so much more. Optimizing your diet can elevate how you feel and perform across the board. It’s OK to use supplements alongside a healthy diet as long as you’re just complementing and taking what you need and not relying on a supplement stack to get all of your nutrition.
- Move your body in a way that your body likes — Similar to how food enhances so many bodily functions, so does movement. However, you need to exercise in ways that work for you and your body. I’ve been a runner since 2011, and right now we are in another surge where it seems everyone is cashing in on running as a trend. But if that doesn’t feel good for you, you’re not going to reap the benefits. If the elliptical, or a HIIT class, is better, do that because it’s for you, not because the media says everyone is running and it’s good for you.
- Prioritize recovery — Sleep and rest days are when the body repairs itself — from tired muscles to a tired mind. Embrace the benefits of sleep and recovery so you can continue to work hard, train hard, and live your best life. Recharging your batteries is important!
- Never miss a Monday [morning] — Set the tone for your week. Never miss a Monday morning workout or routine. Even if the entire day or week goes to shit, you know deep down that you started strong, and you’re going to do that again next week. It’s one of my easiest habits to get on board with!
- Be intentional with your ‘me time,’ or self-care — Schedule it, put it on a calendar, write it on a Post-it, whatever you do, make sure you are intentionally taking time to take care of yourself before your body tells you that you need to. If your body and mind start screaming at you to slow down and take care of your body, that means you’re way over the limit of what you can balance. Make sure you purposefully include ‘me time’ in your week.
What role does mindset play in forming new habits? How do you maintain motivation when the results aren’t immediately visible?
Mindset is important when forming new habits. You have to want to do better, be better, feel better, etc. Creating new habits can help you in many ways — whether it’s achieving new goals, maintaining health, preparing for an adventure trip, learning a new skill, the list goes on.
I personally don’t focus on ‘motivation’ very often. I’m disciplined more than motivated. There’s going to be days when you don’t want to do something, and you need to weigh the pros and cons of how you’ll feel if you don’t do it.
Ie. Am I skipping this training session because I am tired and cranky, or because I’m genuinely injured? If it’s the former, out the door I go! I know after I complete whatever the task is, I’ll be glad that I did it, and will feel good about myself, regardless of how it went.
My philosophies tend to be less empathetic or sympathetic and more disciplined and get shit done-esque. And that’s not for everyone, which is OK!
How can our readers further follow your work?
Websites:
www.lifesbetterinyogapants.com
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Bharat Sangani is a cardiologist and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, practicing in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, he specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. In 1999, Dr. Sangani founded Encore Enterprises, a national real estate investment firm. Under his leadership, the company has executed transactions exceeding $2 billion, with a portfolio spanning residential, retail, hotel, and office developments. Known for his emphasis on integrity and fairness, Dr. Sangani has built Encore into a major player in the commercial real estate sector. Blending his medical and business expertise, Dr. Sangani created the Life is a Business mentorship program. The initiative offers guidance on achieving balance in health, wealth, and relationships, helping participants align personal and professional goals. Now based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Sangani continues to practice cardiology while leading Encore Enterprises and mentoring others. His career reflects a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to helping others thrive.
